Richard Tauber 1919-1928

Tauber is one of those artists who confuse people. The most highly regarded Mozart tenor of his day; the matinee idol for whom Franz Lehar wrote his last five sentimental operettas; the conductor who took over from Sir Thomas Beecham for a tour with the London Philharmonic Orchestra; the composer who appeared countless times in the leading roles of his own works; the popular entertainer whose renderings of ‘We’ll Gather Lilacs’ and ‘Sleepy Lagoon’ made purists’ flesh creep; the Lieder singer whose classic recording of Schubert’s ‘Winterreise’ cycle was completed in a morning with one coffee break - how do you find a neat pigeon-hole for a person like that?