Austrian tenor, Richard Tauber was one of the most beloved singers of his time. He made his operatic debut as Tamino in Mozart's Die Zauberflöte. He became best known for his performances of operetta and song.
This performance of Schubert's Ständchen- Leise Flehen is delightful, surprising and rendered in a most personal manner that certainly challenges 20th century performance practices. I was thrilled to come across it.
11 years ago
That performance made me smile and feel so happy. Tauber obviously relished singing and this performance and I feel lucky to have participated in this little way. Thank you for posting it! The performance practice questions it raises are interesting: I see his choices, from this vantage point, as quaint, but it is a quaintness that doesn't tarnish the performance in the least!
ReplyDeleteWow, how INTERESTING, and what nuance! A very different stylistic approach than I've ever heard before...it works!
ReplyDeleteI like the fact that Tauber is singing and playing at the piano in what appears to be his living room. Although this was clearly recorded and he's acting a little for the camera, I think it captures how Schubert intended for his music to be performed. In music history we learned about how Schubert preferred to write parlor music that was often performed and worked on in front of his friends. It's a much more casual type of singing that I think many of us forget about when we perform lieder. This performance reminded me of the context art songs were typically performed in, and I think this is something I could incorporate into my future performances, not just of Schubert's pieces, but many art songs from the Romantic era.
ReplyDeleteBefore this, I was unfamiliar with Richard Tauber, but this was definitely a great introduction to him. I agree with Leah's comments - I appreciate that he is accompanying himself on the piano and playing in a more casual setting. It makes his performance feel much more intimate and personal. His performance is unlike any other performance of Schubert that I've seen and it was a refreshing approach.
ReplyDeleteI was not familiar with Richard Tauber, so thank you for introducing him to me! I was incredibly impressed that he was able to play the accompaniment and sing the vocal line at the same time, while still including musicality in both instruments. I've heard this song before and it's one of my all time favorites from Schubert. There's such romance and longing and drama within the music and text and I think it's one of those songs that everyone responds to. It's universally gorgeous. Going back to Tauber, he draws the listener in by making each stanza slightly different and uses appropriate style choices. When the song is sadder he leans in and when it's more joyful he lightens up and plays with tempo/rubato. His interpretation was personal and appropriate and I think this was a great rendition of this piece!
ReplyDeleteI find Richard Tauber to be an astounding singer and his background even more interesting. A man who worked hard to become a singer, pushed around for his heritage, and finally flourishing with the amazing voice he has is extraordinary to me. I find most fascinating that he sang a lot of Wagner in his younger years, but for this piece, I find his voice extremely fitting and decisive. Schubert was an expert for salon music such as this, and Tauber really set that style well. Giving it the small audience style, character, and personality that really presents the piece very well. I am really hoping to hear more of his works in the future!
ReplyDeleteI agree with Leah's comments as well! When watching this for the first time, Richard Tauber makes this performance feel as if we are all there with him. The way he communicates the story with his beautiful voice in this casual and intimate setting makes this performance very special.
ReplyDeleteThis is a wonderful introduction to Richard Tauber! I also agree with Leah, it is really interesting to see this music being performed in a more casual setting. You can tell that this is more for his own enjoyment than for a performance on a stage. It allows the viewer to see the intimate connection he has to the music and his instrument.
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