Polish tenor Piotr Beczala has signed an exclusive contract with Deutsche Grammophon. His first album under the new agreement, due for release in May 2013, will be a personal tribute to his ‘musical hero’, Austrian tenor Richard Tauber. At the multi-album signing, which took place yesterday in the Teesalon of the Vienna State Opera House, Beczala sported a monocle in tribute to the characteristic accessory of his hero.

The new album will feature repertoire from a number of operettas closely associated with Tauber, including the tenor’s signature aria, ‘Dein ist mein ganzes Herz’ from Lehár’s 1929 operetta The Land of Smiles, and an innovative version of ‘Du bist die Welt für mich’ which uses new technology to allow Beczala to sing in harmony with an original Tauber recording. The disc also includes guest appearances from Anna Netrebko, Avi Avital and the Berlin Comedian Harmonists.

‘It is an honour for me to follow in the footsteps of so many artists, past and present, and join the Yellow Label,’ said Beczala at the signing. ‘Taking this music to a wider audience is one of my dreams, as I hope to do justice to the wonderful memory of one of the greatest voices of all time.’

The new album will coincide with DG’s celebration of ‘150 Years of Operetta’, which will include a number of activities and new projects dedicated to the art form.