TAUBER LEARNS ITALIAN

Greymouth Evening Star, 30 June 1939, Page 12

TAUBER LEARNS ITALIAN

“BLACKMAILED” BY WIFEj/' LONDON, June 3. Richard Tauber, world-famous tenor, who san “Don Giovanni” in Italian at Covent Garden this week, has been “blackmailed” by his wife, Diana Napier, in private life Mrs. Tauber, revealed this week how she used feminine wiles to make her husband learn Italian. “He always said he would do so, but kept putting it off,” she said “Finally, I resolved to take action-. I told Richard that if he did not start studying I would accept an offer to appear on the American stage this autumn and leave him all alone in I England. I

“I think he took me at my word. He' swotted in ’planes, in train, in hotels, I ( and even at meal times. He engaged) i experts to help him with pronuncia-j , tion difficulties.” j 1 Said Mr. Tauber, chuckling: “So my wife thinks that threatening to go to America made me learn Italian. Actually I was going to do so anyway, l because I wanted to sing at Covent Garden in that language.” Said Mrs. Tauber, also chuckling: “Don’t tell Richard, But I never intended going to America, anyway.”