While a violin teacher in
Pau, Tayau took part in a charity concert for the destitute in that city, singing for the first time in public with great success. In Paris the following month, Offenbach engaged him on the basis of an audition consisting of a simple song (chansonnette). Tayau soon gained experience and popularity. His witty expressions, fine diction and acting led to eminence in the theatre. Tayau made his debut at the
Théâtre des Bouffes-Parisiens as Pâris, an amorous veterinary violinist, in
Six demoiselles à marier, a one-act
opérette by
Delibes (November 1856) in which he also played the violin, and followed this early the next year with Ramasse-ta-Tête in the premiere of
Croquefer by Offenbach, and in May that year Arthur in ''
Vent du soir, ou L'horrible festin, before the Bouffes tour to the British Isles. Tayau sang at the competition stage in the Lecocq version of Le Docteur Miracle'' which won the operetta prize jointly with a
setting by Bizet in a prize contest organized by Offenbach in 1857. He performed the title role in
Hignard's
M. de Chimpanzé in 1858 at the Bouffes in which he also (as the monkey) performed gymnastic movements. He sang Flavio / Florville in Offenbach's production of Rossini's
Il signor bruschino at the Bouffes in 1858. In April 1858, he created another role: Guido in
La chatte métamorphosée en femme at the Bouffes. At this time he also appeared in concert, for instance at the Sociétés savantes circle, singing chansonettes. During a spring visit to the Grand-Théâtre in Marseille, during which the Bouffes company performed 23 operas by Offenbach and other composers, Tayau, who was also one of the stage managers, was noted as "premier amoureux comique" (leading comic lover), who undertook his dual role as an "intelligent artist", as well as his violin playing. He created the title role in
Orphée aux Enfers in 1858, actually playing the violin in the 'Duo de Concerto' in Act I "Ah! C'est ainsi... C'est déplorable, c'est affroyable", and took part in a revival of the piece in 1866. In April 1860 he sang Orphée in the
command performance for the
Emperor at the
Théâtre-Italien. Subsequent premieres included
La Polka des sabots in 1859, a one-act opérette by
Varney (conductor of the Bouffes orchestra), and
Monsieur de Bonne-Étoile, another one-act opérette, by Delibes, in 1860, alongside Marchand, Gaillat and
Cico. In 1864 Tayau sang Raflafla in Offenbach's
Mesdames de la Halle at the Bouffes-Parisiens. The following year he sang Sérapion in the "parade égyptienne"
Le Boeuf Apis by Delibes (possibly a parody of Rossini's
Moïse or Méhul's
Joseph) and was in a revival of
Les Petits du premier by Albert. In 1867 he sang Prince Belazor in ''Peau-d'Âne'' by
Clairville at the
Gaîté. Alongside
Schneider and other company singers he took part in a tour to twenty towns in Ireland, Scotland and England in 1870 organized by the director of the
Théâtre de la Porte Saint-Martin. The tour began on 14 March in Dublin, with a repertoire consisting of
La Grande-Duchesse,
Barbe-Bleue,
Orphée, and
La Périchole. ==Family==