Uniunea Mondiala 
a Evreilor din Bukovina
Der Weltverband 
der Bukowiner Juden
The World Organization of Bukovinian Jews

               Joseph Schmidt

1904 - 16.11.42
           Few tenors of his era evoked as much affection as Joseph Schmidt, the tiny tenor who in spite of his diminuitive stature, became a beloved figure in both German opera and cinema.
           Schmidt was born in 1904 in the small Romanian provincial town of Davidende. A child of musical parents from a cosmopolitan community, he was influenced by many cultures and was proficient in Romanian, French and German. His first vocal training was as a classic Hebrew singer in the local synagogue in Cernowitz. His first recital at the academy in Cernowitz included arias by Puccini, Verdi, Rossini and Bizet. At twenty he was sent to Berlin where he studied both piano and voice with Frau Dr. Jaffe and Professor Hermann Weissenborn. He was conscripted for military service from 1926 until 1929. and after his discharge accepted a position as cantor at the synagogue in Cernowitz, soon establishing a reputation that attracted the attention of Cornelius Bronsgeest, a renowned Baritone.
           He was engaged soon after to sing the role of Vasco da Gama in a German radio broadcast of Meyerbeer's L'Africaine, and thus began a successful international career. He recorded many albums, mostly for Odeon/Parlophone as well as many films and radio broadcasts. Popular mostly with German and English speaking audiences his career was to run headlong into the emergence of the Nazi party and their hatred of the Jews. Ironically, his popularity was at its zenith at the same time the Nazi's were taking control of the Government and instituting cultural bans on Jewish artists, writers and performers. Richard Tauber did his best to shield Schmidt and scheduled a series of concerts with Tauber as conductor.
           In 1937 Schmidt toured the United States, appearing with other eminent opera figures in a concert held at Carnegie Hall and performing in solo recitals across the country. By this time he was forbidden to appear in Germany and Austria, but was warmly welcomed in Belgium and the Netherlands. In 1939 he returned to Cernowitz for a final visit with his recently widowed mother. As war erupted he tried to make his way to America, but made it only as far as a Swiss refugee camp in Gyrenbad.
           In 1940 he suffered a heart attack and was taken to the camp infirmary. He was quickly released, his complaints interpreted as excuses to escape the hard work of the camp. Forced to
 return to ditch digging he soon succumbed to a second heart attack and died. He was thirty-eight years old.
           Renowned for his phenomenal upper register, Schmidt is often heard effortlessly ascending to As Cs and the occasional high D. His warm lyric voice is perfect for the melodies of  Schubert and Lehar; a rich velvety amber. Like so many before and after him, Joseph Schmidt was a victim of his time. Still  greatly admired for his technique and vocal qualities, many recordings are currently available on CD. Truly, no opera collection is complete without at least one recording of the
amazing Joseph Schmidt.
By Kathryn E. Cole
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Sound Clips
 

                                          • Ständchen •
                             From Schwanengesang D.957 by Franz Schubert, Recorded 1936
                          36 seconds - 5.5 KHz, 16Kbps, Full Response Mono (71K - Real Audio File)
                                      "Joseph Schmidt" CHS 7 65673 2
                                     F PM 617, D 653, USA CDHB 64673
 

                             Click here to get your free Real Audio 4.0 Player!

Welcome to Tenorland - Joseph Schmidt
... Joseph Schmidt. c. 1904 - Nov. 16 1942.
www.geocities.com/Vienna/1450/schmidt.html

            The singer and actor Joseph Schmidt (1904-1942) was born in Romania. In spite of a height of 1.60 meters (other
sources declare 1.53 meters) Joseph Schmidt became one of the most dazzling singing stars of his time. He visited regularly
most fashionable hotels in Europe and USA, and evoked much affection from his listeners.
            His first vocal training was as a classic Hebrew singer in the local synagogue in Cernowitz.
At twenty he was sent to Berlin where he studied both  piano and voice with Frau Dr. Jaffe and Professor Hermann
Weissenborn. He was conscripted for military
                                   service from 1926 until 1929 and after his discharge
                                   accepted a position as cantor at the synagogue in
                                   Cernowitz.

         With an engagement for a German radio broadcast and thus began his successful
         international career.
         His popularity was so great that he even took part in several very successul musicals (e.g.
         in "Ein Lied geht um die Welt (33) with Viktor de Kowa (1904-1973) and "Heut' ist der
         schönste Tag in meinem Leben" (36).
         His comet-like rise clashed with the rise of the Nazis. They were taking control of the
         Government and instituting cultural bans on Jewish artists, writers and performers. Now
         Joseph Schmidt was confronted with a hostile surrounding.

         The days that came with the Nazis was everything else than pleasant. As a Jew he had
         already in 1933 to escape from the Nazis and flee to Vienna. There he could stay for the
         next five years but then the Nazis caught up with. He escaped repeated, this time to
         Bruxelles and 1940 to France. As war erupted he tried to make his way to the USA but
         his effort failed. Finally he didn't have an other chance than to enter Switzerland illegal after
         they also refused his legal entry.

         He could manage to hide for a week in Zurich and later on he was sent to the internment
         camp Girenbad (it was the last station of his life). There he waited under catastrophic
         circumstances for the asylum decree together with 350 other Jews.
         The prisoners were harassed, along with adverse circumstances, by a "bastard" of camp
         leader - as Joseph Schmidt described him in one of his last letters. Among other things he
         demanded that all prisoners had to line up outside of the hut - in the night, dressed in
         pajamas and snow on the ground.
         It was a question of time till Joseph Schmidt caught a cold and heart trouble.He suffered a
         first heart attack and was taken to the camp infirmary. He was quickly released, his
         complaints interpreted as excuses to escape the hard work of the camp. Forced to return
         to ditch digging he soon succumbed to a second heart attack and died.

         On the 16th November 1942 the heart of Joseph Schmidt knocked off beating, a
         wonderful voice became silent for ever.
 

                        Summary of the movies with Joseph Schmidt
 

         Der Liebesexpress/Acht Tage Glück (31) Goethe lebt...! (32) Gehetzte Menschen/Steckbrief Z (32)
         Ein Lied geht um die Welt (33) Wenn du jung bist, gehört dir die Welt (34) Ein Stern fällt vom
         Himmel (34) Heut' ist der schönste Tag in meinem Leben (36)
http://members.nbci.com/tausend/memsch-e.htm