Jacques Urlus
Laurtiz Melchior, Paul Franz, Jacques Urlus, the three Wagnerians about whom there is little dispute. Yes, none was a perfect singer; such have never existed, but theirs were talents that easily embraced the demands of the heaviest repertoire with a vocal range that astounded audiences and critics over a very long period of time. Their recordings do not betray their sterling reputations and are eagerly sought by collectors as prime examples of that which is possible. There might be a very long discussion of their various strengths as well as those of a large number of others whose names would not be out of place in a roster of "greats" but that is not the focus of this article. The career of the great Dutch tenor, Jacques Urlus is.
Urlus was born on 9 January 1867 at Hergenrath, which at the time was part of Germany and today is within the borders of Belgium, though his parents were both of solidly Dutch heritage. The family returned to the small Dutch town of Tilburg when Jacques was barely a year old and he was raised without any particular musical training. Various documents have stated that he was entirely self taught, but that is not quite the case. He did receive some training on the cornet, and after learning the rudiments of musical theory, he decided that song was the place to be. Before he was able to convert his passion into a career, Jacques worked for several years at a steel mill in Utrecht and gave several more to the Dutch military. At the age of 26 he married Hendrika Johanna Jacobs, who had admired his voice in a local church choir, and had skillfully engineered an introduction. She was a serious music lover and was instrumental in securing for Urlus several of his initial engagements as a soloist.
Jacques and "Henny" pooled their meager resources, and, for the first time Urlus was able to receive formal vocal training which continued for a mere three months. He sustained himself and his new bride on small fees from Oratorios and church jobs, until his opera debut at Amsterdam on 1 September 1894 as Beppe in "Pagliacci". Jacques was also heard as Max in "Der Freischutz" and in several smaller character parts, not only at Amsterdam, but at Rotterdam and The Hague. The following year, most of the members of the company were offered contracts which included pay cuts of some thirty percent. He and Henny talk it over and they decided that he should apply for an audition with the Antwerp Royal Opera. Florestan's aria secured for the tenor a conract that guaranteed a much larger income than would be his at Amsterdam. However, he did not sign it immediately, on the pretext that his wife would have to agree to relocate. Jacques returned to Amsterdam where he used it to bargain for a better salary. The tactic worked and Urlus not only received an offer of performances at his previous fee, but it was very soon increased by an additional twenty five percent. In his second season at Amsterdam, Urlus sang the title role in "Tannhauser" and a year later he added Don Jose, Radames, Faust and Siegmund. His most frequently performed role in that season was "Lohengrin" but it was not a blessing, at least to one commentator, who quipped to the tenor "Whenever I hear you sing, whatever the role, I hear only "Lohengrin". There was work to be done!
In 1898, Urlus sang in Germany for the first time, appearing as Lohengrin at Hanover and stayed for several productions including "Tannauser". His receptions were good enough that he was emboldened to travel to Bayreuth to audition for Cosima Wagner, who exhibited no interest in the young tenor. He returned several months later for a second audience with the iron fisted Cosima, but for reasons not explained, Jacques himself postponed the meeting by a day, and Frau Wagner, in a pique, decided to make him wait until she was good and ready. Urlus, who by now had four children and was anxious to secure work, decided not to play her game and he left the Wagner shrine without having so much as looked upon her presence. On his way back to Holland, he did audition at Frankfurt, and was offered a contract for five years, at 20,000 marks, a huge sum. However, he still dreamed of a Bayreuth career, even if only on his lofty terms, and the clause that would have released him from his Frankfurt commitment for at least three months a year was refused, so Urlus decided not to sign the agreement.
Urlus returned to Amsterdam and signed again with the Dutch company at a salary of approximately half of that offered in Germany. But he knew that his homeland would offer him a large number of concerts in a wide repertoire, and he took no pain in his failed negotiations at Frankfurt. His impatience paid off, and in a curious twist of fate, the Leipzig opera offered him a contract that assured all of his terms. He debuted on 15 August, 1900 and in his first season, sang Tristan, Raoul, Walther von Stolzing, Samson and Oberon for the first time. Though we have no date, it is known that his first appearance with the Berlin Opera was as Lohengrin with Emmy Destinn. Later in the year, at Leipzig, he sang in Walkuere, Siegfried and Gotterdammerung with Lilli Lehmann who, according to Urlus "already had snow white hair but was in full possession of her magnificent voice". In the 1908 season Jacques sang in "Tristan", "Fidelio" and "Mestersinger" at Munich and made his first guest appearances at the Kroll Theater of Berlin.
Leipzig enjoyed his talents for nine consecutive seasons, but Urlus also spent a portion of every year at Amsterdam and Antwerp, singing in Dutch at both cities. New roles were added every year and by 1909 he had sung in "Tosca", "Trovatore", "Zauberflote", "Tiefland", "Prophete" and "Otello" whose diversity led to much editorial comment. He was not a typical heldentenor, said they. In fact, several commentators declared that "Urlus is not a heldentenor". The Record Collector article, while enormously valuable for its commentary, does fall into a dangerous trap on this point. It compares him to Melchior as THE example of a heldentenor, while being unable to recall any examples of the breed among Urlus' contemporaries. That leaves a tantalizing question concerning the qualities that defined "heldentenor" during Urlus' prime, a question that the author is not competent to resolve but which would be a most fascinating area of research. The delineation seems to be centered, in the mind of the Record Collector author, at least, on a certain baritonal quality inherent in the true "heldentenor", and this, Urlus distinctly did not possess.
Though dates are uncertain, it is known that Urlus appeared at Prague as Walther in 1909 and that he returned in the following season for the Ring. He guested at Vienna during the 1908, 09, and 1910 seasons in a large number of roles including, Tristan, Radames, Stolzing and Lohengrin, and during this period he toured to Munich, Stuttgart, Dresden and Frankfurt in a large number of assignments. Urlus' debut at Covent Garden was on 2 February 1910 as Tristan, and among his Isolde's were Bar Mildenburg and Edyth Walker. The engagement was extremely well received and he returned to London in November during the Beecham season for additional performances with Felia Litvinne, which preceded six performances of "Tannhauser". In 1911, the doors to Bayreuth were finally opened and Jacques debuted as Siegmund. Liepzig's Neuste Nachrichten reported on 26 July - "I realized with a special feeling of native pride that our two Leipzig Mastersingers, Soomer and Urlus shone as the brightest stars over the Bayreuth "Walkure". Urlus returned in 1912 for additional performance as Siegmund, but a most important event would separate those two engagements; his first visit to the United States.
On 12 February 1912, the Boston Opera company presented Urlus as Tristan with Gadski, Louise Homer and Pasquale Amato. Three subsequent performances found Lillian Nordica in replacement of Gadski,, and Urlus was to later declare - "Nordica sang more magnificently than I have ever heard". He expressed genuine awe at her ability to overcome a shortness of breath and a very debilitating rheumatism in defining an almost perfect embodiment of Isolde. The Boston Globe on 13 Feb reported "Jacques Urlus appeared for the first time in America and and sang the music of Tristan as it has not been sung since since Jean de Reske, indeed with a heroic splendor never attained by him". Quaintance Eaton's "Boston Opera Company": "Jacques Urlus dominated the stage from the moment of Tristan's dramatic entrance. His simple but imposing bearing, absence of tricks and mannerisms, but above all the voice that kept its singing tone through the hero's utterings of joy or agony, set him above any German tenor". Gatti Cassaza, through his agents immediately contacted Urlus and secured a contract for a Met debut in the following season. After a long season at Leipzing, and a return to Bayreuth, Urlus allowed himself a reasonable rest before returning to Boston for another season as Tristan.
Urlus' Met debut as Tristan on 8 Feb 1913 was a disaster. The harsh New York winter had taken its toll and he attempted to sing through with a terrible cold; an exercise in futility. The following Wednesday he sang the title role in Siegfried to overwhelming success. His reputation in New York was restored and he completed a very long season with Siegmund, Siegfried in Gotterdammerung, additional performances of Tristan, Tamino, Tannhauser with Destinn as Elizabeth and Olive Fremstad as Venus, Walther von Stolzing, a Sunday night all Wagner concert and a single Lohengrin at the Brooklyn Academy. Musical Courier - "The new tenor, Jacques Urlus, scored a triumph as Siegfried, and his splendid reception was fully justified". New York American - "Not since the vanished days of J. de Reske has any artist at the Metropolitan conveyed the illusion of the hero so successfully". The New York Times - of Urlus' voice "When he demanded of it its full power, as in the song of the forge in the first act, it was brilliant and vibrant..there were passages that were sung with greatest beauty of tone and justness of declamation". Urlus was to return to the Met every season through 1917.
The dates are not known, but at some point during 1914 Urlus debuted at Paris' Theatre Champs Elysses as Tristan to the Isolde of Margarete Matzenaur, with Nikisch on the podium. A single Walther von Stolzing at Boston preceded Urlus' return to the Met. His Florestan was presented there for the first time, and he repeated several roles from his debut season as well as appearances in two concerts. The selections included "O Paradiso" a section of Elijah and Rienzi's prayer. Though the role is not mentioned, it is instructive, in light of some recorded evidence to the contrary, to read a quote from the New York Evening Journal - "Jacques Urlus hypnotized almost instantly, not only through his real beauty of vocal power, but also through his noble warmth and beauty of his material in reaching some of the sparkling high A's"
1914 presented another major milestone in Urlus' career. The proscription against performances of "Parsifal" anywhere but at Bayreuth had finally run its course and Urlus sang in the Leipzig premiere and later at Covent Garden. His London season also included performances of "Die Meistersinger" and "Die Walkuere". In July Urlus was summoned to Bayreuth to replace an indisposed colleague in "Siegfried" but the tenor, von Bary, "miraculously" recovered, so Urlus, with apologies, received his fee and was dismissed. That was to be his last tenuous association with the Wagner shrine.
The 1915-16 Met season included his first Parsifal in New York. Urlus was the only "heroic" tenor on the roster and performances stretched from 18 November until 30 April of 1916. On 12 March he appeared in a concert with Beethoven's "Adelaide" and the "Preislied" and on the 16th, at a benefit concert, he sang the first act of "Lohengrin". Brooklyn and Philadelphia saw his Tristan and Walther, and at season's end he sang in "Tristan" at Boston and in "Meistersinger" at Atlanta.
Jacques returned to the Met on 15 November 1916 and remained until 13 April 1917 when "Tristan und Isolde" was presented. The evening had enormous historical significance. It was the last German performance until the end of World War I and it was Gadski's American opera farewell, she who had expressed open admiration for the German effort and who had reportedly thrown an extravagant party in celebration of the sinking of the Lusitania. During the season Jacques performed several curiosities in concert, among them, Schubert's "Die Allmacht" and Franck's "Panis Angelicus". Early in the following autumn Urlus informed the Met that he would not be able to reach New York by 12 November and he was informed, in turn, that this breach of contract had annulled his season. All to the Met's relief since all German operas had been cancelled. So ended Jacques Urlus' association with the Metropolitan Opera.
1918 was spent mainly at Leipzig, with occasional concerts at Amsterdam. Das Lied von der Erde was performed under Mengelberg's baton, and Urlus later toured to Copenhagen and Stockholm, where, in addition to several sold out recitals, he appeared at the Swedish Royal Opera in "Pagliacci" and "Lohengrin".
Urlus developed a huge reputation as a Mahler specialist, and in 1921, at Amsterdam, he appeared in the composer's 8th Symphony, "Das Klagende Lied" and "Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen". His operatic schedule continued to diminish as he accepted an increasing number of concert engagements. London, Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Stockholm, Copengagen and Berlin were visited on a regular basis, while at Berlin he occasionally performed in opera at the Volksoper. At Germany's Zoppoter Wald, in 1922, Urlus sang in "Siegfried" and in 1925 he returned for "Tannhauser". The roster included such luminaries as Meta Seinemeyer and Frida Leider, and while there is little firm documentation of casts, it is certain that Leider sang Venus and Herbert Janssen sang Wolfram. The outdoor theater, located on the outskirts of Danzig, provided seating for some nine thousand people and newspaper reports indicate that the arena was sold out every night.
In 1923 Urlus returned to New York for a three week season of German opera at the Manhattan Opera House in a roster included Seinemeyer, van der Osten, Ottile Metzger, Friedrich Schorr and Alexander Kipnis. There was an enormous demand for tickets, so the company's director, Leo Blech negotiated a contract for an additional four week season at the Lexington Theater. Urlus sang in "Tristan", "Meistersinger" and "Lohengrin". The 1924 season was a light one for Jacques, but he did appear with the Concertgebouw at Paris and, of course, in Amsterdam. He also returned to Covent Garden for its first post war Grand Opera season. The "Ring" was performed, with Melchior and Urlus alternating as Siegmund. Urlus also appeared as Tristan. The opening "Die Walkuere" presented Gertrude Kappel, Gotta Ljungberg in her Covent Garden debut and Schorr. Critical opinion was not divided and not complimentary. Urlus was described as "competent but without the thrill of years past".
During the winter of 1926-7 Jacques sang some twenty four guest appearances at the Berlin State Opera and in 1928 he appeared several times at Brussels. Urlus continued to appear with the Netherlands Opera on an annual basis and appeared at Amsterdam in opera for the last time in "Tristan" on 19 November 1931. He had sung opera in his homeland well over one thousand times during a thirty seven year career, in some one hundred and seventeen revivals. Occasional concerts still afforded him the opportunity to appear in public, and, he last sang on a stage in June of 1933 with the Concertgebouw under the baton of Erich Kleiber. De Telegraff reported - "Urlus was soloist with two of his known numbers, the Graalserzahlung and Pilgerfahrt nach Rom. One heard him as always, in astonishment, astonishment at the still so enchanting, radiant young voice, because of the splendid manner of singing, the ideal timbre, the enormous mighty volume, in short, in the class of his own which is Urlus. One gives him jubilant ovations in the warmth, the surprise we always experience anew.. before us stands - the hero!"
Jacques Urlus died on 6 July 1935 while undergoing routine surgery.
© Bob Rideout
Urlus was born on 9 January 1867 at Hergenrath, which at the time was part of Germany and today is within the borders of Belgium, though his parents were both of solidly Dutch heritage. The family returned to the small Dutch town of Tilburg when Jacques was barely a year old and he was raised without any particular musical training. Various documents have stated that he was entirely self taught, but that is not quite the case. He did receive some training on the cornet, and after learning the rudiments of musical theory, he decided that song was the place to be. Before he was able to convert his passion into a career, Jacques worked for several years at a steel mill in Utrecht and gave several more to the Dutch military. At the age of 26 he married Hendrika Johanna Jacobs, who had admired his voice in a local church choir, and had skillfully engineered an introduction. She was a serious music lover and was instrumental in securing for Urlus several of his initial engagements as a soloist.
Jacques and "Henny" pooled their meager resources, and, for the first time Urlus was able to receive formal vocal training which continued for a mere three months. He sustained himself and his new bride on small fees from Oratorios and church jobs, until his opera debut at Amsterdam on 1 September 1894 as Beppe in "Pagliacci". Jacques was also heard as Max in "Der Freischutz" and in several smaller character parts, not only at Amsterdam, but at Rotterdam and The Hague. The following year, most of the members of the company were offered contracts which included pay cuts of some thirty percent. He and Henny talk it over and they decided that he should apply for an audition with the Antwerp Royal Opera. Florestan's aria secured for the tenor a conract that guaranteed a much larger income than would be his at Amsterdam. However, he did not sign it immediately, on the pretext that his wife would have to agree to relocate. Jacques returned to Amsterdam where he used it to bargain for a better salary. The tactic worked and Urlus not only received an offer of performances at his previous fee, but it was very soon increased by an additional twenty five percent. In his second season at Amsterdam, Urlus sang the title role in "Tannhauser" and a year later he added Don Jose, Radames, Faust and Siegmund. His most frequently performed role in that season was "Lohengrin" but it was not a blessing, at least to one commentator, who quipped to the tenor "Whenever I hear you sing, whatever the role, I hear only "Lohengrin". There was work to be done!
In 1898, Urlus sang in Germany for the first time, appearing as Lohengrin at Hanover and stayed for several productions including "Tannauser". His receptions were good enough that he was emboldened to travel to Bayreuth to audition for Cosima Wagner, who exhibited no interest in the young tenor. He returned several months later for a second audience with the iron fisted Cosima, but for reasons not explained, Jacques himself postponed the meeting by a day, and Frau Wagner, in a pique, decided to make him wait until she was good and ready. Urlus, who by now had four children and was anxious to secure work, decided not to play her game and he left the Wagner shrine without having so much as looked upon her presence. On his way back to Holland, he did audition at Frankfurt, and was offered a contract for five years, at 20,000 marks, a huge sum. However, he still dreamed of a Bayreuth career, even if only on his lofty terms, and the clause that would have released him from his Frankfurt commitment for at least three months a year was refused, so Urlus decided not to sign the agreement.
Urlus returned to Amsterdam and signed again with the Dutch company at a salary of approximately half of that offered in Germany. But he knew that his homeland would offer him a large number of concerts in a wide repertoire, and he took no pain in his failed negotiations at Frankfurt. His impatience paid off, and in a curious twist of fate, the Leipzig opera offered him a contract that assured all of his terms. He debuted on 15 August, 1900 and in his first season, sang Tristan, Raoul, Walther von Stolzing, Samson and Oberon for the first time. Though we have no date, it is known that his first appearance with the Berlin Opera was as Lohengrin with Emmy Destinn. Later in the year, at Leipzig, he sang in Walkuere, Siegfried and Gotterdammerung with Lilli Lehmann who, according to Urlus "already had snow white hair but was in full possession of her magnificent voice". In the 1908 season Jacques sang in "Tristan", "Fidelio" and "Mestersinger" at Munich and made his first guest appearances at the Kroll Theater of Berlin.
Leipzig enjoyed his talents for nine consecutive seasons, but Urlus also spent a portion of every year at Amsterdam and Antwerp, singing in Dutch at both cities. New roles were added every year and by 1909 he had sung in "Tosca", "Trovatore", "Zauberflote", "Tiefland", "Prophete" and "Otello" whose diversity led to much editorial comment. He was not a typical heldentenor, said they. In fact, several commentators declared that "Urlus is not a heldentenor". The Record Collector article, while enormously valuable for its commentary, does fall into a dangerous trap on this point. It compares him to Melchior as THE example of a heldentenor, while being unable to recall any examples of the breed among Urlus' contemporaries. That leaves a tantalizing question concerning the qualities that defined "heldentenor" during Urlus' prime, a question that the author is not competent to resolve but which would be a most fascinating area of research. The delineation seems to be centered, in the mind of the Record Collector author, at least, on a certain baritonal quality inherent in the true "heldentenor", and this, Urlus distinctly did not possess.
Though dates are uncertain, it is known that Urlus appeared at Prague as Walther in 1909 and that he returned in the following season for the Ring. He guested at Vienna during the 1908, 09, and 1910 seasons in a large number of roles including, Tristan, Radames, Stolzing and Lohengrin, and during this period he toured to Munich, Stuttgart, Dresden and Frankfurt in a large number of assignments. Urlus' debut at Covent Garden was on 2 February 1910 as Tristan, and among his Isolde's were Bar Mildenburg and Edyth Walker. The engagement was extremely well received and he returned to London in November during the Beecham season for additional performances with Felia Litvinne, which preceded six performances of "Tannhauser". In 1911, the doors to Bayreuth were finally opened and Jacques debuted as Siegmund. Liepzig's Neuste Nachrichten reported on 26 July - "I realized with a special feeling of native pride that our two Leipzig Mastersingers, Soomer and Urlus shone as the brightest stars over the Bayreuth "Walkure". Urlus returned in 1912 for additional performance as Siegmund, but a most important event would separate those two engagements; his first visit to the United States.
On 12 February 1912, the Boston Opera company presented Urlus as Tristan with Gadski, Louise Homer and Pasquale Amato. Three subsequent performances found Lillian Nordica in replacement of Gadski,, and Urlus was to later declare - "Nordica sang more magnificently than I have ever heard". He expressed genuine awe at her ability to overcome a shortness of breath and a very debilitating rheumatism in defining an almost perfect embodiment of Isolde. The Boston Globe on 13 Feb reported "Jacques Urlus appeared for the first time in America and and sang the music of Tristan as it has not been sung since since Jean de Reske, indeed with a heroic splendor never attained by him". Quaintance Eaton's "Boston Opera Company": "Jacques Urlus dominated the stage from the moment of Tristan's dramatic entrance. His simple but imposing bearing, absence of tricks and mannerisms, but above all the voice that kept its singing tone through the hero's utterings of joy or agony, set him above any German tenor". Gatti Cassaza, through his agents immediately contacted Urlus and secured a contract for a Met debut in the following season. After a long season at Leipzing, and a return to Bayreuth, Urlus allowed himself a reasonable rest before returning to Boston for another season as Tristan.
Urlus' Met debut as Tristan on 8 Feb 1913 was a disaster. The harsh New York winter had taken its toll and he attempted to sing through with a terrible cold; an exercise in futility. The following Wednesday he sang the title role in Siegfried to overwhelming success. His reputation in New York was restored and he completed a very long season with Siegmund, Siegfried in Gotterdammerung, additional performances of Tristan, Tamino, Tannhauser with Destinn as Elizabeth and Olive Fremstad as Venus, Walther von Stolzing, a Sunday night all Wagner concert and a single Lohengrin at the Brooklyn Academy. Musical Courier - "The new tenor, Jacques Urlus, scored a triumph as Siegfried, and his splendid reception was fully justified". New York American - "Not since the vanished days of J. de Reske has any artist at the Metropolitan conveyed the illusion of the hero so successfully". The New York Times - of Urlus' voice "When he demanded of it its full power, as in the song of the forge in the first act, it was brilliant and vibrant..there were passages that were sung with greatest beauty of tone and justness of declamation". Urlus was to return to the Met every season through 1917.
The dates are not known, but at some point during 1914 Urlus debuted at Paris' Theatre Champs Elysses as Tristan to the Isolde of Margarete Matzenaur, with Nikisch on the podium. A single Walther von Stolzing at Boston preceded Urlus' return to the Met. His Florestan was presented there for the first time, and he repeated several roles from his debut season as well as appearances in two concerts. The selections included "O Paradiso" a section of Elijah and Rienzi's prayer. Though the role is not mentioned, it is instructive, in light of some recorded evidence to the contrary, to read a quote from the New York Evening Journal - "Jacques Urlus hypnotized almost instantly, not only through his real beauty of vocal power, but also through his noble warmth and beauty of his material in reaching some of the sparkling high A's"
1914 presented another major milestone in Urlus' career. The proscription against performances of "Parsifal" anywhere but at Bayreuth had finally run its course and Urlus sang in the Leipzig premiere and later at Covent Garden. His London season also included performances of "Die Meistersinger" and "Die Walkuere". In July Urlus was summoned to Bayreuth to replace an indisposed colleague in "Siegfried" but the tenor, von Bary, "miraculously" recovered, so Urlus, with apologies, received his fee and was dismissed. That was to be his last tenuous association with the Wagner shrine.
The 1915-16 Met season included his first Parsifal in New York. Urlus was the only "heroic" tenor on the roster and performances stretched from 18 November until 30 April of 1916. On 12 March he appeared in a concert with Beethoven's "Adelaide" and the "Preislied" and on the 16th, at a benefit concert, he sang the first act of "Lohengrin". Brooklyn and Philadelphia saw his Tristan and Walther, and at season's end he sang in "Tristan" at Boston and in "Meistersinger" at Atlanta.
Jacques returned to the Met on 15 November 1916 and remained until 13 April 1917 when "Tristan und Isolde" was presented. The evening had enormous historical significance. It was the last German performance until the end of World War I and it was Gadski's American opera farewell, she who had expressed open admiration for the German effort and who had reportedly thrown an extravagant party in celebration of the sinking of the Lusitania. During the season Jacques performed several curiosities in concert, among them, Schubert's "Die Allmacht" and Franck's "Panis Angelicus". Early in the following autumn Urlus informed the Met that he would not be able to reach New York by 12 November and he was informed, in turn, that this breach of contract had annulled his season. All to the Met's relief since all German operas had been cancelled. So ended Jacques Urlus' association with the Metropolitan Opera.
1918 was spent mainly at Leipzig, with occasional concerts at Amsterdam. Das Lied von der Erde was performed under Mengelberg's baton, and Urlus later toured to Copenhagen and Stockholm, where, in addition to several sold out recitals, he appeared at the Swedish Royal Opera in "Pagliacci" and "Lohengrin".
Urlus developed a huge reputation as a Mahler specialist, and in 1921, at Amsterdam, he appeared in the composer's 8th Symphony, "Das Klagende Lied" and "Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen". His operatic schedule continued to diminish as he accepted an increasing number of concert engagements. London, Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Stockholm, Copengagen and Berlin were visited on a regular basis, while at Berlin he occasionally performed in opera at the Volksoper. At Germany's Zoppoter Wald, in 1922, Urlus sang in "Siegfried" and in 1925 he returned for "Tannhauser". The roster included such luminaries as Meta Seinemeyer and Frida Leider, and while there is little firm documentation of casts, it is certain that Leider sang Venus and Herbert Janssen sang Wolfram. The outdoor theater, located on the outskirts of Danzig, provided seating for some nine thousand people and newspaper reports indicate that the arena was sold out every night.
In 1923 Urlus returned to New York for a three week season of German opera at the Manhattan Opera House in a roster included Seinemeyer, van der Osten, Ottile Metzger, Friedrich Schorr and Alexander Kipnis. There was an enormous demand for tickets, so the company's director, Leo Blech negotiated a contract for an additional four week season at the Lexington Theater. Urlus sang in "Tristan", "Meistersinger" and "Lohengrin". The 1924 season was a light one for Jacques, but he did appear with the Concertgebouw at Paris and, of course, in Amsterdam. He also returned to Covent Garden for its first post war Grand Opera season. The "Ring" was performed, with Melchior and Urlus alternating as Siegmund. Urlus also appeared as Tristan. The opening "Die Walkuere" presented Gertrude Kappel, Gotta Ljungberg in her Covent Garden debut and Schorr. Critical opinion was not divided and not complimentary. Urlus was described as "competent but without the thrill of years past".
During the winter of 1926-7 Jacques sang some twenty four guest appearances at the Berlin State Opera and in 1928 he appeared several times at Brussels. Urlus continued to appear with the Netherlands Opera on an annual basis and appeared at Amsterdam in opera for the last time in "Tristan" on 19 November 1931. He had sung opera in his homeland well over one thousand times during a thirty seven year career, in some one hundred and seventeen revivals. Occasional concerts still afforded him the opportunity to appear in public, and, he last sang on a stage in June of 1933 with the Concertgebouw under the baton of Erich Kleiber. De Telegraff reported - "Urlus was soloist with two of his known numbers, the Graalserzahlung and Pilgerfahrt nach Rom. One heard him as always, in astonishment, astonishment at the still so enchanting, radiant young voice, because of the splendid manner of singing, the ideal timbre, the enormous mighty volume, in short, in the class of his own which is Urlus. One gives him jubilant ovations in the warmth, the surprise we always experience anew.. before us stands - the hero!"
Jacques Urlus died on 6 July 1935 while undergoing routine surgery.
© Bob Rideout