1) Jonas Kaufmann pays tribute to the forgotten operetta and film music of the Weimar Republic in Berlin in the 1920s and 1930s through a documentary, concert series, and album called "Du bist die Weltfür mich." 2) During this period, composers like Franz Lehar, Robert Stolz, and Emmerich Kalman wrote wonderful melodies for star tenors of the era. 3) However, with the rise of the Nazis in 1933, most of the Jewish artists involved in this music were forced to flee Germany, and the creative period came to an end.

1. Jonas Kaufmann’s Dream Factory
Griet Leyers · 14 January 2015
Whylimit these fantastic songsto an occasional encore?That isthe basic idea behindJonas
Kaufmann’s project‘Berlin1930.’ In a documentary,a recital serieswithorchestra, and a CD ‘Du
bist die Weltfür mich,’star tenor Jonas Kaufmann pays tribute to the forgotten and unsurpassed
operettaand filmmusic ofthe WeimarRepublic.
In January1926 the celebratedbelcantotenorRichardTauberbecomesasuperstarthanksto the
song‘Gern hab’ ich die Frauengeküsst.’Supportedbynew mediaformssuchasradioand talkies,the
hitsong fromFranz Lehar’soperetta“Paganini”transformsthe name RichardTauberintoa
householdwordovernight –simultaneouslycreatingrenewedsuccessforcomposerFranzLehar.
Those were the goldendaysfortenors.BesidesLehar,composerssuchasRobertStolz,Emmerich
Kalmanand Paul Abrahamviedtooutdoeach otherbywritingevermore wonderfulmelodiesfor
theirfavorite tenors.Inspite of the eventuallyacidifiedfriendshipbetweencomposersLeharand
Kalman,describedbydaughterYvonne Kalmaninthe documentary‘Berlin1930,’ the friendship,
cooperationandprofessional flexibilitywithinagroupof verytalentedartistsbasedinBerlinatthat
time isstriking.Forexample Kalman’sfavorite tenorHubertMarischkastagedoperettaproductions
inwhichRichard Tauberstarredas the leadtenor.HisbrotherErnstMarischka, knownas directorof
the Sissi trilogywithRomySchneider,wrote the lyricsforthe worldwide hit‘Dubistdie Weltfür
mich’inthe operetta‘DerSingendenTraum’ –whichwas composedandoftenconductedbyRichard
Tauber– while tenorJosephSchmidtsangthe leadingrole.JosephSchmidtwasyetanothergreat
star tenorof that period.Atthe diminutive heightof 1m55 he was tooshort for the operastage,but
inthe newmediaof radioandtalkies,hisgorgeousvoice andunderdogcharmturnedhimintoastar.

2. Im Traum
Despite Germany’spioneeringrole inwomen’srights –the WeimarRepublic’sConstitutionof 1919
grantedsuffrage towomen – no one seemedtoobjecttolyricslike “Take her,justkissher,that’s
whatwomenare here for”(from“Gern hab’ich die Frauengeküsst).Thisapparentcontradiction
probablyfitsinwiththe joyousatmosphere of the post-warandpost-depressionera.The enormous
desire forcarefree entertainmentandunfettereddreamingachievesyetanotherdimensionafterthe
great depressionof 1929. The flightfromrealityisillustratedbythe song‘ImTraum’ by RobertStolz,
rediscoveredbyKaufmanninpreparationforthisproject.Inaninterview presentedina2009
documentary,the late Martha Eggerth,widow of starand sex symbol/tenorJanKiepura,revealshow
she expressedherobjectionstoStolzwhenhe made herhusbandsing“Blonde orbrown,Ilove all
women.”HerJan wassupposedtolove herand heralone.However,herobjectionsdonotseemto
have had anyeffectonStolzand hiscollegues.Manyof the songlyricscannotbe consideredanything
otherthan erotic.The suggestive text“Inmydream, you’ve allowedme everything”isjuxtaposed
witha beautiful andromantic(almostnaïve) melodyembellishedwithhummedlines,whichseemto
come straightout of WaltDisney’sSnowWhite (1937).Thisthinlyveilederoticism runslike ared
threadthroughquite a fewof the hit songsof the 1920-1930’s.
Das Liedist aus
In 1933, the curtainfallsonthe WeimarRepublicandthuscomesto an endthe creative heydayof
Berlin.Due totheirJewishorigin,mostof ourmaincharactershave become undesirable.In1933
superstarRichardTauberis assaultedbyBrownshirtsonthe streetsof BerlinandfleestoVienna.
Withthe annexationof Austriain1938, he is once again forcedtoleave andsettlesinLondonwhere
he diesin1948. Between1933 and 1938 composerRobertStolzsmugglesnumerousartistsfrom

3. BerlintoViennainthe trunkof his car. In spite of hisheroicefforts,the livesof manyof his
colleaguesare irretrievablybroken.FritzLohner-Beda,one of the starlyricswriters,diesin1942 in
Auschwitz.JosephSchmidtdoesnotmanage toimmigrate tothe US and endsup ina refugee camp
inSwitzerlandwherehe diesin1942 froma severe throatinfection.Paul Abrahammanagesto
escape throughParisand Cuba,but failstorepeathisBerlinsuccessinNew York.In1956 he returns
to hishomeland,sickandpsychologicallydisturbed.He diesinHamburgin1960.
For othersthe storyendedlessdramatically.LeharcouldremaininAustriaafterhisJewishwife –
throughdirectintercessionof Goebbels –was giventhe statusof “honoraryAryan.” Korngold,author
of ‘Die Tote Stadt,’immigratedtothe US where he became one of the greatestHollywood
composers.Afterthe annexationof Austria,RobertStolzleftforthe US as well.Despite the success
of hisconcertsthere,he returnedtoAustriain1946. He managedto rebuildhisEuropeancareer
afterthe war and diedinWestBerlinin1975.
Respect,love and fun
“We refuse toputlabelsongoodmusic” seemstobe the underlyingmessage of thisstrikingproject.
Careful research,respectforthe score anda fantasticteamdemonstrate thatjudgingmusic
accordingto its operetta,film, oropera“box”isnotonlycompletelybesidethe point,butalsolacks
any musical foundation.
From the openingsong,conductorJochenRiedertakesusall the wayto Weimarthroughhis
ingenioustempochangesandphrasing.Hischoicesandtimingare refinedandtasteful.His
intentionsare masterfullyexecutedbythe BerlinRadio SymphonyOrchestra, a groupof people who
have thismusicrunningthroughtheirveins.Anotherhighlightof thisproductionissoprano Julia
Kleiter.The gorgeouslegati andextendedmusical phrases(of bothsingers) inthe duetfrom‘Die
Tote Stadt’ are breathtakinglybeautiful.In Diwanpüppchen,Kleiterissmart,funnyandcatchy.
Special andstrikingisthe documentary/promotional film‘Berlin1930’by Thomas
Voigt andWolfgangWunderlich(WunderlichMedien). Itreflectsthe atmosphere of the 20’sand
30’s andportrays Kaufmann’sexcitingresearch,takingusona trip throughGermanfilmarchivesand
private collectionsandpresentinginterviewswithremainingrelativesof composersKalmanand
Stolz.
The animal
It is(yetagain) a challenge nottodrop intothe superlativespitfall whiledescribingKaufmann’s
contributiontothisproject.Histechnical mastery,the perfectdose of hisvoice ineachsong,his
classyphrasingandhis voice make himsimply‘horscategory.’Whatmakesthisprojectunique
howeveristhatKaufmanntakesus on hispersonal journeytodiscoverthe icebergof wonderful
musicof whichwe previouslyknew onlythe tip,includingthe beautiful ‘GrüssmirmeinWien’by
Kalmanforexample,orthe previouslymentioned‘ImTraum’ byRobertStolz,of whichthe original
score is missing.‘DasLiedderSchrenk,’akillerariaEduardKunecke wrote forthe DanishtenorHelge
Roswenger,isyetanothergreatdiscovery.BesidesRoswengerhimself,onlyRudolf SchockandFritz
Wunderlichacceptedthe challenge torecordthisbeastlydifficultaria.
The story goesthat the famousbaritone andpedagogue Josef MetternichwithwhomKaufmann
studiedtoldhim“My lad,I will awakenthe beastinyouandonce it’sout, there’snoputtingitbackin

4. the box.”I can onlyagree withMr. ThomasVoigtwhenhe statesthatthe late Josef Metternich
wouldhave beenimpressedbythe soundof “the beast”inhisnew CD.
There are live recitals of‘Du bist die Weltfür mich’on 15/04 inCologne(Philharmonie),on17/04 in
Dortmund (Konzerthaus),on 19/04 in Stuttgart(Liederhalle),on22/04 in Hamburg(Laeizhalle),on
24/04 in Munich(Philharmonie),on26/04 in Baden-Baden(Festspielhaus),on14/05 in Vienna
(Konzerthaus),on16/05 in Lucerne ( KKL), on 18/05 inBerlin (Philharmonie),on20/05 in Hannover
(Kuppelsaal),on23/05 in Paris(Théâtre des ChampsElysées).
The recital ‘Du bist die Weltfür mich’and much more (suchas supplementsandthe documentary
Berlin 1930) isavailableonDVD andBlu-rayfrom Sony Classical 2014.