TAUBER COMPOSING AN OPERETTA

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 184, 21 August 1937, Page 10

TAUBER COMPOSING AN OPERETTA

Richard Tauber is leading a busy "double exis^ence," says a London paper. Nightly, and on two afternoonS a week} he is the famous singer who is giving encore after encore to large audiences at the Lyceum Theatre, where he is interpreting Franz Lehar's music with Evelyn Laye as a charming and brilliant partner. But in his spare time he is Tauber the composer— -himself writing music for other artists to sing, whieh, with conducting, is the side of his art whieh interests himi most. Mr. Tauber is engaged composing| the score for a new musical play, ten* tatively entitled "Lucky Franz,'* which is to be produced in Vienna i« fhe autumn. Paul Morgan, the author of the piece- and Max Hansen, a Scaxi* dinavian comedian, are in London toi confer with fhe si'nger-composer about the production. "Rehearsala of 'Paganini' prevented me from doing any composihg of my, own for some weeks," Mr. Tauber Said* "But now that Mr. Cochran's produc* tion has settled down I have managed to get on with the score for the Vien* nese show — the music of six of the songs is already down on paper. "If ever I am^ extra-tired after & partieularly strenuous performance of my own, I go home, shut myself in my study, and set to work on isome more composing — I find it a refreshing tonic by reason of its contrast with my stage work. "The plan of my coIlaboratoTs and myself is that, if our musical play i4 suocessful in Viejinaj it may be pos* sible to do it in London later on. Them I shall hope to have a chance of tak« ing the conductor 's baton myself — • that, I think, would give me even more ! pleasure than singing." Mr. Tauber was originally trained to be a conductor, and at early rehearsala of "Paganini" gave Mr. CochTan and the company an idea of his ability with' the baton.