Joseph Schmidt sings tango: Es wird im Leben, 1936

Joseph Schmidt - Es Wird im Leben (Ernst Neubach - Hans May) (from film: Heut' ist der schönste Tag in meinem Leben) Parlophone 1936 (UK pressing)

Note: Joseph SCHMIDT : Birth: Mar. 4, 1904 Death: Nov. 16, 1942. Operatic tenor. Schmidt was born in Davideny, Buchavina, Rumania, to a Jewish family. From a very young age he sang in his Shul choir and he displayed a natural talent for singing. He was keen to pursue a musical career, but sympathetic as his mother was to his ideas, so was his father against it. During the First World War he moved with his parents to Czernowitz where, at the age of 20, Joseph gave his first public performance as a concert singer. His uncle, Leo Engel, a crafty manager, took him to Berlin in 1928. It was unfortunate that a tenor voice of such brilliance and quality emanated from a frame that was less than five feet tall. Although his stature effectively barred him from opera, there were other outlets for his outstanding talents. He appeared in a number of films, he made records and he made countless appearances on the radio. He travelled in Europe, giving numerous concerts and recording sessions in Vienna, Paris and Londyn. As a Jew, he was by a miracle saved from the sad emigrants fate merely because of, as it is sometimes claimed in the sources, the nazi Minister of Propaganda, Jospeh Goebbels personal admiration for his talent.

Nevertheless, the Jewish fate knocked to his door when the Second World War broke out. Joseph managed to make his way to France where he settled in the unoccupied zone. When France was defeated he made his way to Switzerland, where he arrived virtually penniless. Although he was in possession of an American visa and was very well known, due to the inhuman and pro-nazi policy of the Swiss government, he was interned as an „illegal refugee ( has anybody ever seen a „legal reefugee?). He was never a very strong man and, sadly his health deteriorated while in the camp, and owing to a lack of proper medical attention (as a Jew he was denied a proper diagnose and a hospital observation in a Zurich clinic and sent back to his camp in spite of increasing pains in his chest) he died on November 16, 1942 in Gierenbad Camp, near Hindwhill. He was buried in the Friezenberg Cemetery, near Zurich and it's reported that all the 350 inmates of the camp attended his funeral, in defiance of authority.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Thirties
• 1930
• 1940
• Germany
• Deutschland
• opera
• tenor
• Berlin
• Vienna
• Romania
• Third
• Reich
• Jewish
• emigration
• Europe
• Switzerland
• 78rpm
• schellack

[barbcard]

What a voice! And what a life, until its sad end. So much for Swiss "neutrality."

[abxzt]

Always a pleasure to hear Joseph Schmidt, and wonderful pictures as well. Hans May seemed able to produce beautiful melodies and Schmidt seems just the man to sing them

[medeade96]

dieses lied traf leider auf ihn zu, aber vergessen wird er nie

[rogharm]

@barbcard Agree afterall SWISS CHEESE HAS HOLES IN IT! WHAT CAN YOU EXPECT YOU BUY CHEESE AND HOLES NOT EVEN A FULL SLICE. great voice and orchestration. depressed listening. rated highest 15+ thrilling voice cannot praise his high enough!!!! i wish his voice. RememberHITLER had BLACK HAIR and was Jewish.

[theo18o444]

@theo18o444 Wie kann es sein dass so viele Schreibfehler auftreten?

[soriano436]

@theo18o444 Für Befehlsverweigerung u.a gab es Standgerichte- auch Deserteure ec. Schade die Nazis haben damals die Kultur von Dichtern und Denkern ausgelöscht! Heute bildet man das dumme D. Volk mit Bild, und Free TV. Und nochmals, Sie nannten sich Christen, genauso wie esheute in D. Parteien gibt, die sich christlich nennen! Blendwerk!!! Wenn es Himmel und Hölle gibt, schmoren diese Naziverbrecher in der tiefsten Hölle.

[theo18o444]

@etanerhh nur zur Kenntnis: Joseph Schmidt starb nicht an Herzversagen, man hat ihn elendig verrecken lassen! Er war ja ein J u d e. Aber das Leid, was man ihm angetan hat, darüber dürfen wir bis heute nichts erfahren. Herzversagen...........???????­?????????????

[theo18o444]

@soriano436 Es sind keine Christen, es sind Verbrecher, wie gehabt! Aber das verrückteste ist, das diese verkommene Brut überhaupt nicht weiss, wovon sie spricht. Gab es nicht mal irgendwann ein Standgericht? Oder habe etwas verkehrtes gelesen oder gehört........

[soriano436]

Auch Ihn haben diese Naziverbrecher in den Tod getrieben, und deshalb hat Deutschland die Pflicht diese Neonazis endgültig zu verbieten! Alle diese Gesellen einfangen, und jeden Tag zwangsweise die Greultaten aus den KZs vorzuspielen! Das waren keine Menschen mehr, nichtmals Raubtiere.... es waren Bestien, und noch schlimmer Sie nannten sich auch noch Christen!!!

[etanerhh]

Er musste wege der Judenverfolgungen im Oktober 1942 illegal in die Schweiz flüchten, kam dort in das Internierungslager Girenbad bei Zürich und verstarb an plötzlichem Herzversagen.

[zsuzsamold]

i love his voice:))

[tanskiclaudius]

Danke von Herzen ! So schön !