Vladiwostok, 1907 – 1972, London
The collection of letters, documents and ephemera of Mary Losseff represents her importance in the life of the Austrian tenor Richard Tauber (Linz, 1891 – 1948, London). Losseff’s family fled via Japan to Berlin during the Russian revolution where she studied voice with Bertha Niklas-Kempner. From the 1920s onwards, she was the star of Berlin’s Rudolf Nelson’s Revue. Initially she was the lover and muse of the composer and popular songwriter Peter Kreuder. In 1927, she gave birth to her son Dimitri though Losseff never disclosed the name of the father. During this time Losseff was one of Berlin’s most celebrated actresses, performing across all genres. In 1929 she met Richard Tauber, becoming his life-partner, muse and the dedicatee of a number of his compositions. In 1933, she joined Richard Tauber in Austria where they became a well-known double act. Despite Tauber’s marriage to the British singer and actress Diana Napier in 1936, Losseff joined Tauber in London in 1938 following Austria’s Anschluss. She was unable to maintain her career and descended into alcoholism. Tauber never abandoned his obligations towards Losseff and continued to finance her until his death in 1948. Losseff died largely forgotten in 1972.
