"Yours Is My Heart Alone" or "You Are My Heart's Delight" (German: "") is an

aria In music, an aria (, ; : , ; ''arias'' in common usage; diminutive form: arietta, ; : ariette; in English simply air (music), air) is a self-contained piece for one voice, with or without instrument (music), instrumental or orchestral accompan ...

from the 1929

operetta Operetta is a form of theatre and a genre of light opera. It includes spoken dialogue, songs and including dances. It is lighter than opera in terms of its music, orchestral size, and length of the work. Apart from its shorter length, the oper ...

The Land of Smiles ''The Land of Smiles'' (German: ') is a 1929 romantic operetta in three acts by Franz Lehár. The German language libretto was by Ludwig Herzer and Fritz Löhner-Beda. The performance duration is about 100 minutes. This was one of Lehár's late ...

'' (') with music by

Franz Lehár Franz Lehár ( ; ; 30 April 1870 – 24 October 1948) was an Austro-Hungarian composer. He is mainly known for his operettas, of which the most successful and best known is '' The Merry Widow'' (''Die lustige Witwe''). Life and career L ...

and the

libretto A libretto (From the Italian word , ) is the text used in, or intended for, an extended musical work such as an opera, operetta, masque, oratorio, cantata or Musical theatre, musical. The term ''libretto'' is also sometimes used to refer to th ...

Fritz Löhner-Beda Fritz Löhner-Beda (24 June 1883 – 4 December 1942), born Bedřich Löwy, was an Austrian librettist, lyricist and writer. Once nearly forgotten, many of his songs and tunes remain popular today. He was murdered in Auschwitz III Monowitz conce ...

and

Ludwig Herzer Ludwig Herzer, born Ludwig Herzl, (born 18 March 1872 in Vienna, Austria-Hungary, died 17 April 1939 in St. Gallen, Switzerland) was an Austrian physician and librettist. Life Ludwig Herzl, later better known under his pseudonym ''Ludwig Her ...

. It was for many years associated with the

tenor A tenor is a type of male singing voice whose vocal range lies between the countertenor and baritone voice types. It is the highest male chest voice type. Composers typically write music for this voice in the range from the second B below m ...

Richard Tauber Richard Tauber (16 May 1891, Linz – 8 January 1948, London) was an Austrian lyric tenor and film actor. He performed the tenor role in numerous operas, including ''Don Giovanni'' by Mozart and Lorenzo Da Ponte. Early life Richard Tauber was b ...

, for whom it was written. The aria is sung by the character of Prince Sou-Chong in act 2. An American version of the show opened on

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street ** Broadway Theatre (53rd Stre ...

in 1946 starring Tauber but it soon closed as Tauber had throat trouble. The aria has been sung in Italian (as "Tu che m'hai preso il cuor" ou who have taken my heart by a few

opera Opera is a form of History of theatre#European theatre, Western theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by Singing, singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically ...

tic tenors, notably

Giuseppe Di Stefano Giuseppe Di Stefano (24 July 19213 March 2008) was an Italian operatic tenor who sang professionally from the mid-1940s until the early 1990s. Called "Pippo" by both fans and friends, he was known as the "Golden Voice" or "The Most Beautiful Vo ...

, Mario Del Monaco, and

Luciano Pavarotti Luciano Pavarotti (, , ; 12 October 19356 September 2007) was an Italian operatic tenor who during the late part of his career crossed over into popular music, eventually becoming one of the most acclaimed tenors of all time. He made numerou ...

Composition

Written in

D-flat major D-flat major is a major scale based on D, consisting of the pitches D, E, F, G, A, B and C. Its key signature has five flats. The D-flat major scale is: Changes needed for the melodic and harmonic versions of the scale are written in w ...

, Lehár had composed parts of the song already in 1923 when the original version of the operetta premiered under the title ' (The Yellow Jacket). When Löhner-Beda re-arranged the operetta, he moved Prince Sou-Chong's passage from act 1 to act 2. With new lyrics, it has possibly become Lehár's most famous single song, popularised by Tauber, who sang it at almost every recital he gave, often as an

encore An encore is an additional performance given by performers at the conclusion of a show or concert, usually in response to extended applause from the audience.Lalange Cochrane, in ''Oxford Companion to Music'', Alison Latham, ed., Oxford Universi ...

. With Tauber's emigration to London in 1938, it became popular also in the English-speaking world with lyrics by Harry B. Smith, which had originally been written in 1931, and went on to become a staple of

light music Light music is a less-serious form of Western classical music, which originated in the 18th and 19th centuries and continues today. Its heyday was in the mid‑20th century. The style is through-composed, usually shorter orchestral pieces and ...

repertoire for tenor voice. It became a

standard Standard may refer to: Symbols * Colours, standards and guidons, kinds of military signs * Standard (emblem), a type of a large symbol or emblem used for identification Norms, conventions or requirements * Standard (metrology), an object ...

and has been

covered Cover or covers may refer to: Packaging * Another name for a lid * Cover (philately), generic term for envelope or package * Album cover, the front of the packaging * Book cover or magazine cover ** Book design ** Back cover copy, part of ...

by artists from other genres, like

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...

, swing,

big band A big band or jazz orchestra is a type of musical ensemble of jazz music that usually consists of ten or more musicians with four sections: saxophones, trumpets, trombones, and a rhythm section. Big bands originated during the early 1910s and ...

, and

pop music Pop music is a genre of popular music that originated in its modern form during the mid-1950s in the United States and the United Kingdom.S. Frith, W. Straw, and J. Street, eds, ''iarchive:cambridgecompani00frit, The Cambridge Companion to Pop ...

Lyrics

Dein ist mein ganzes Herz! Wo du nicht bist, kann ich nicht sein, so, wie die Blume welkt, wenn sie nicht küßt der Sonnenschein! Dein ist mein schönstes Lied, weil es allein aus der Liebe erblüht. Sag' mir noch einmal, mein einzig Lieb, o sag' noch einmal mir: Ich hab' dich lieb! Wohin ich immer gehe, ich fühle deine Nähe. Ich möchte deinen Atem trinken und betend dir zu Füssen sinken, dir, dir allein! Wie wunderbar ist dein leuchtendes Haar! Traumschön und sehnsuchtsbang ist dein strahlender Blick. Hör ich der Stimme Klang, ist es so wie Musik. Dein ist mein ganzes Herz! ... You are my heart's delight, And where you are, I long to be You make my darkness bright, When like a star you shine on me Shine, then, my whole life through Your life divine bids me hope anew That dreams of mine may at last come true And I shall hear you whisper, "I love you." In dreams when night is falling I seem to hear you calling For you have cast a net around me And 'neath a magic spell hath bound me Yours, yours alone How wondrous fair is your beautiful hair Bright as a summer sky is the night in your eyes Soft as a sparkling star is the warmth of my love. You are my heart's delight, (''repeat first verse'') Tu che m'hai preso il cuor sarai per me il solo amor. No, non ti scorderò, vivrò per te, ti sognerò. Te o nessuna mai più ormai per me, come il sole sei tu, lontan da te è morir d'amor perchè sei tu che m'hai rubato il cuor. Ti vedo tra le rose, ti dico tante cose. se il vento lieve t'accarezza un profumar di giovinezza mi fai tremar! La notte sogno tremando di te quale incantesimo il mio cuor sul tuo cuor mentre si schiudono le pupille tue d'or. Tu che m'hai preso il cuor ...

Notable recordings

As "Dein ist mein ganzes Herz" *1929 Richard Tauber – recorded October 3, 1929 *1946

Lauritz Melchior Lauritz Melchior (20 March 1890 – 18 March 1973) was a Danish-American opera singer. He was the preeminent Wagnerian heldentenor of the 1920s through the 1940s and has come to be considered the quintessence of his voice type. Late in his car ...

*1990

Plácido Domingo José Plácido Domingo Embil (born 21 January 1941) is a Spanish opera singer, conductor, and arts administrator. He has recorded over a hundred complete operas and is well known for his versatility, regularly performing in Italian, French, ...

– included in the live album '' The Three Tenors in Concert''. *

Franco Bonisolli Franco Bonisolli (May 25, 1938 – October 30, 2003) was an Italian operatic tenor, particularly associated with the Italian repertory, notably as Manrico and Calaf. Life and career Bonisolli was born in Rovereto, Italy. He studied with Alf ...

– live performance; interpolated a high D-flat at the end. *

José Carreras Josep Maria Carreras Coll (; born 5 December 1946), better known as José Carreras (, ), is a Catalan operatic tenor from Spain who is particularly known for his performances in the operas of Donizetti, Verdi and Puccini. Born in Barcelona, ...

As "You Are My Heart's Delight" *1929 Richard Tauber – Parlophone RO20107 *1931

Roy Fox Roy Fox (October 25, 1901 – March 20, 1982) was an American-born British dance bandleader who was popular in Britain during the British dance band era. Early life and career Roy Fox was born in Denver, Colorado, United States in 1901. He ...

and His Band – vocal

Al Bowlly Albert Allick Bowlly (7 January 1899 – 17 April 1941) was a South African-British vocalist, crooner, and dance band guitarist who was Britain's most popular singer for most of the 1930s. He recorded upwards of 1,000 songs that were listened ...

– recorded August 18, 1931. ( Al Bowlly discography) *1931

Richard Crooks Richard Alexander Crooks (June 26, 1900 – September 29, 1972) was an American tenor and a leading singer at the New York Metropolitan Opera. Biography Crooks was born the second son of Alexander and Elizabeth Crooks on June 26, 1900, in Tren ...

*1941 Richard Tauber – Parlophone R.O.20500 As "Yours Is My Heart Alone" *1940

Bing Crosby Harry Lillis "Bing" Crosby Jr. (May 3, 1903 – October 14, 1977) was an American singer, comedian, entertainer and actor. The first multimedia star, he was one of the most popular and influential musical artists of the 20th century worldwi ...

– recorded March 22, 1940 with

John Scott Trotter John Scott Trotter Jr. (June 14, 1908 – October 29, 1975), also known as "Uncle John", was an American arranger, composer and orchestra leader. Trotter was best known for conducting the John Scott Trotter Orchestra which backed singer and ...

and His Orchestra. *1940

Tommy Dorsey Thomas Francis Dorsey Jr. (November 19, 1905 – November 26, 1956) was an American jazz trombone, trombonist, composer, conductor and bandleader of the big band era. He was known as the "Sentimental Gentleman of Swing" because of his smooth-to ...

and his Orchestra – recorded April 10, 1940 with vocal by

Frank Sinatra Francis Albert Sinatra (; December 12, 1915 – May 14, 1998) was an American singer and actor. Honorific nicknames in popular music, Nicknamed the "Chairman of the Board" and "Ol' Blue Eyes", he is regarded as one of the Time 100: The Most I ...

. *1940

Glen Gray Glenn Gray Knoblauch (June 7, 1900 – August 23, 1963), known professionally as Glen Gray, was an American jazz saxophonist and leader of the Casa Loma Orchestra.'' The Mississippi Rag'', "Glen Gray and the Casa Loma Orchestra," George A. ...

and The Casa Loma Orchestra – recorded February 27, 1940, vocal Kenny Sargent, for Decca Records (catalog 3053A). This reached the Billboard charts, peaking at No. 11 in an eight-week stay. *1940

Benny Goodman Benjamin David Goodman (May 30, 1909 – June 13, 1986) was an American clarinetist and bandleader, known as the "King of Swing". His orchestra did well commercially. From 1936 until the mid-1940s, Goodman led one of the most popular swing bi ...

– recorded March 1, 1940 for Columbia Records (catalog No. 35445), vocal by

Helen Forrest Helen Forrest (born Helen Fogel, April 12, 1917 – July 11, 1999) was an American singer of traditional pop and swing music. She served as the "girl singer" for three of the most popular big bands of the Swing Era (Artie Shaw, Benny Good ...

. *1940

Glenn Miller Alton Glen "Glenn" Miller (March 1, 1904 – December 15, 1944) was an American big band conductor, arranger, composer, trombonist, and recording artist before and during World War II, when he was an officer in the United States Army Air Forces ...

– recorded March 30, 1940, for

Bluebird Records Bluebird Records is an American record label best known for its low-cost releases, primarily of children's music, blues, jazz and swing in the 1930s and 1940s. Bluebird was founded in 1932 as a lower-priced subsidiary label of RCA Victor. Bluebi ...

(catalog No. B-10728) *1954

Mario Lanza Mario Lanza ( , ; born Alfredo Arnold Cocozza ; January 31, 1921 – October 7, 1959) was an American tenor and actor. He was a Hollywood film star popular in the late 1940s and the 1950s. Lanza began studying to be a professional singer a ...

– included in his album ''The Student Prince and Other Great Musical Comedies''. *1960

Mary Costa Mary Costa (born April 5, 1930) is an American retired actress and singer. Her most notable film credit is providing the voice of Princess Aurora in the 1959 Disney animated film ''Sleeping Beauty''. She is the last surviving voice actress of the ...

– Included on the Frank Sinatra Timex Show: Here's to the Ladies *1960

Ray Conniff Joseph Raymond Conniff (November 6, 1916 – October 12, 2002) was an American bandleader and arranger best known for his Ray Conniff Singers during the 1960s. Biography Conniff was born November 6, 1916, in Attleboro, Massachusetts, United S ...

– included in his album ''Concert in Rhythm, vol. 2''. *1957

Jane Morgan Jane Morgan (born Florence Catherine Currier; May 3, 1924) is an American former singer and recording artist of traditional pop. Morgan initially found success in France and the UK before achieving recognition in the US, receiving six gold re ...

– for her album ''Fascination''. *1962 The Oscar Peterson Trio – for the album ''Affinity''. As "Tu che m'hai preso il cuor" *

* Mario Del Monaco *

References

External links

Richard Tucker Richard Tucker (August 28, 1913January 8, 1975) was an American operatic tenor and cantor. Long associated with the Metropolitan Opera, Tucker's career was primarily centered in the United States. Early life Tucker was born Rivn (Rubin) Ticker ...

, 1954 {{Authority control Opera excerpts 1929 songs Compositions by Franz Lehár Songs in German Compositions in D-flat major Tenor arias