Jacques Urlus (Tenor) (January 6, 1867 Hergenrath, Belgium - July 6, 1935 Noordwijk, Netherlands)

Siegfried

Son of Dutch parents he spent his youth in Tilburg and Utrecht and first worked in a factory of Utrecht as a metalworker. After the discovery of his voice he studied under Hugo Nolthenius, Antoon Averkamp and Cornélie van Zanten in Amsterdam. In 1887 he appeared for the first time in a concert in Utrecht. In 1894 he made his stage debut at the Dutch Opera in Amsterdam as Beppe in ‘’Pagliacci’’. He had his first great success in Amsterdam in the title role of the opera ‘’Joseph’’ by E. Méhul. In 1898 he went to study the Wagner style under Julius Kniese in Bayreuth. In 1900 he was engaged as the first tenor by the opera house in Leipzig and appeared there till 1914. In Leipzig he was highly appreciated and quickly became known. Here he sang also in the premieres of the operas: ‘’Orestes’’' of F. Weingartner (1902), "Strandrecht" ("The Wreckers") of Mrs. Ethel Smith (11. 11. 1906) and in the German première of C. V. Stanford’s "Viel Lärm um nichts". In the 1910-1914 seasons he sang annually at the London Covent Garden as heldentenor. Here he made his debut in 1910 as Tristan under sir Thomas Beecham. Since 1910 he made guest appearances at the Dresden Hofoper. In the 1901-1910 seasons he sang at the Berlin Hofoper. In the 1908-1910 seasons he was a soloist of the Munich Hofoper. In the 1908-1909 season he appeared at the Vienna Hofoper. In the 1911-1912 season he sang the part of Siegmund at the Bayreuth Festival. In 1912 he performed at the Boston Opera. In 1912 he was engaged by the Metropolitan Opera in New York. Till 1917 he remained the first heldentenor of this opera house, where he had a huge success. Then he lived in his native country. Guest appearances followed in Germany, Austria, France and in the Scandinavian lands (Stockholm, 1918-1920). He sang also in Amsterdam Antwerp and Brussels. In Brussels he appeared in the 1925-1930 seasons as heldentenor. In the 1922-1923 season he travelled with the German Opera around the USA. In the 1922-1925 seasons he sang at the Berlin Volksoper, in the 1926-1927 season at the Berlin Staatsoper. In 1924 he again performed at the Covent Garden in London. In 1925 he participated in the festival in Zoppot. At the concert hall he was highly appreciated for his interpretation of Gustav Mahler’s "Lied von der Erde". As an interpreter of this composition he also made guest apppearance in 1928 in the Salzburg Festival. In 1930 he sang the part of Tristan at the Paris Grand Opéra. As Tristan he appeared in 1932 in Amsterdam and in 1933 in Hannover. His repertoire included also Tamino in "Zauberflöte", Raoul in ‘’Huguenots’’, Faust, Samson in ‘’Samson et Dalila’’, José in ‘’Carmen’’ and Otello.

Autobiography ''Mijn loopbaan'' (Amsterdam, 1929)

Chronology of some appearances

1894 Amsterdam Dutch Opera

1900-1914 Leipzig Opernhaus
1901-1910 Berlin Hofoper
1908-1910 Munich Hofoper
1908-1909 Vienna Hofoper 

1910-1914 London Covent Garden
1910 Dresden Hofoper
1911-1912 Bayreuth Festival
1912 Boston Opera
1912-1917 New York Metropolitan Opera
1918-1920 Stockholm
1922-1923 USA
1922-1925 Berlin Volksoper 
1924 London Covent Garden 
1925-1930 Brussels 
1925 Zoppot
1926-1927 Berlin Staatsoper
1928 Salzburg Festival
1930 Paris Grand Opéra
1932 Amsterdam Opera
1933 Hannover Opernhaus

RECORDINGS FOR SALE

Aida (Verdi) Es hat der Stein sich uber uns geschlossen with Kurt Gramophone 044180 2136c

Aida (Verdi) Ich seh' dich wieder with Kurt Gramophone 044173 2138c

Aida (Verdi) Sieh' dort den Todesengel schon with Kurt Gramophone 044181 2137c

Cid (Massenet) Ah, tout est bien fini Odeon O-9111 PXO104 xxB7046

Gotterdammerung (Wagner) Brunnhilde! Heilige Braut! Odeon 80692 xxB7099

Gotterdammerung (Wagner) In Leid zu dem Wipfel Gramophone 042353 600m

Gotterdammerung (Wagner) Mime hiess ein murrischer Zwerg Gramophone 042352 599m

Gotterdammerung (Wagner) Siegfrieds Tod Pathe 15755

Huguenots (Meyerbeer) Duo uit de 2e acte with Engelen-Sewing Pathe 30235

Juive (Halevy) Recha, als Gott Gramophone 042313 2339c

Lohengrin (Wagner) Duo uit de 2e acte with Engelen-Sewing Pathe 30232

Lohengrin (wagner) Ebtree van Lohengrin (Ankunft) Pathe 30211, 30014

Lohengrin (Wagner) Gedeelte uit de 3e acte (Atmest du nicht) Pathe 30212, 30014

Lohengrin (Wagner) Hochstes Vertrauen Odeon 80693, xxB7100

Lohengrin (Wagner) In fernem Land Gramophone 042320 2342c

Lohengrin (Wagner) In fernem Land Odeon O-9111 PXO104 xxB7098

Otello (Verdi) Jeder Knabe (Niun mi tema) Gramophone 042312 2343c

Pagliacci (Leoncavallo) Nein! Bin Bajazzo nicht bloss Gramophone 042358  605m

Prophete (Meyerbeer) Triumphgesang Gramophone  042263 483s

Rienzi (Wagner) Allmacht'ger Vater (Gebet) Gramophone 042371 603m

Rienzi (Wagner) Erstehe, hohe Roma Gramophone 042319 2340c

Siegfried (Wagner) Brunnhildes Erwachen with Plaichinger Pathe 15726

Siegfried (Wagner) Heiss ward mir Pathe 15757

Siegfried (Wagner) Schmiedelied Pathe 15756

Siegfried (Wagner)Ewig war ich Pathe 15739

Tristan und Isolde (Wagner) Wohin nun Tristan scheidet Pathe 15758

Walkure (Wagner) Ein Schwert verhiess mir der Vater Gramophone 042274 481s

Walkure (Wagner) Hehr bist du with Kurt Gramophone 044167 486s

Walkure (Wagner) Siegmund! Sieh' auf mich with Kurt Gramophone 044166 485s

Walkure (Wagner) Wintersturme Pathe 15754

Africaine (Meyerbeer) O Paradies Edison 83033 3603-A

Africaine (Meyerbeer) O Paradijs Polydor H22007 1326as

Aida (Verdi) Holde Aida Gramophone 042381 602m

Aida (Verdi) O waar'ik veldheer thans (Celeste Aida) Polydor H22006 1323as

Carmen (Bizet) Hier an dem Herzen (Blumen-Arie) Gramophone 042347 601m

Cavalleria Rusticana (Mascagni) Moeder de wijn was al te vurig Polydor H22003 1327as

Cid (Massenet) Ah, tout est bien fini Odeon O-9111 xxB7046

Die Allmacht (Schubert) Edison 4665-A

Faust (Gounod) Gegroet, verblijf (Cavatina) Polydor H22009 1320as

Fidelio (Beethoven) Euch werde Lohn (w. Kurt & Knupfer) Gramophone 044203 606m

Fidelio (Beethoven) Gott! welch Dunkel hier! Edison 83030 3616

Fidelio (Beethoven) In des Lebens Fruhlingstagen Gramophone 4-42501 15762b

Fliegende Hollander (Wagner) Willst jenes Tages Edison 57017 5528-B

Gotterdammerung (Wagner) In Leid zu dem Wipfel Gramophone 042353 600m

Gotterdammerung (Wagner) Mime hiess ein murrischer Zwerg Gramophone  042352 599m

Guillaume Tell (Rossini) Ha! Wohin (w. Soomer) Gramophone 2-44231 3127r

Heimliche Aufforderung (R Strauss) Odeon 80715 xxB7097

Huguenots (Meyerbeer) Rein als de sneeuw (Plus blanche) Polydor H22008 1325as

Lohengrin (Wagner) In fernem Land Odeon O-9111 xxB7098

Meistersinger von Nurnberg (Wagner) Morgenlich leuchtend G&T 3-42823 3126r

Missa Solennis (Franck) Panis Angelicus Edison 83083 5392-B

Otello (Verdi) Jeder Knabe (Niun mi tema) Gramophone 042312 2343c

Pagliacci (Leoncavallo) Thans spelen (Vesti la giubba) H22002 1316as CD

Prophete (Meyerbeer) Pastorale Gramophone  042264 484s CD

Prophete (Meyerbeer) Triumphgesang (74) Gramophone 042263 483s CD

Rienzi (Wagner) Erstehe hohe Roma Edison 82275 5485

Siegfried (Wagner) Schmiedelied Edison 83040 3681-B

Tiefland (d'Albert) Schau' her (Wolfserzahlung) Gramophone 042338 598m

Tosca (Puccini) Welk zachte harmonie (Recondita armonia) Polydor H22000 1321as

Tristan und Isolde (Wagner) Wohin nun Tristan scheidet Pathe 15758
Walkure (Wagner) Siegmund! Sieh' auf mich (w. Kurt) Gramophone 044166, 485s