Joseph Urban Designed Sets for 29 New Productions at Met Opera

Summary: Austrian American costume and set designer Joseph Urban designed sets for 29 new productions at the Metropolitan Opera over his almost 16-year career.

Klingsor's garden, Joseph Urban's set design for the Metropolitan Opera's new production of Wagner's Parsifal, which debuted Feb. 19, 1920: Kenny Dread @KennyDread via Twitter Feb. 17, 2018

Austrian American costume and scenic designer Joseph Urban designed sets for 29 new productions at the Metropolitan Opera during his nearly 16-year career, from his debut in November 1917 until his death in July 1933.

Urban’s Met Opera career total of 55 productions included two world premieres and 14 U.S. premieres. Ten productions launched Metropolitan Opera premieres.

Urban’s designs for 29 new productions were intended to revitalize operas already in Met Opera’s repertoire. He collaborated with his costume designer daughter, Gretel, on nine new productions.

Urban debuted Nov. 17, 1917, as designer for the Metropolitan Opera’s new production of Faust by Charles-François Gounod (June 17, 1818-Oct. 18, 1893). Polish film and theatre director Richard Ordynski (Oct. 5, 1878-Aug. 13, 1953) directed. Met Opera revived Urban’s designs through the 1950-1951 season.

Le Prophète by Giacomo Meyerbeer (Sept. 5, 1791-May 2, 1864) opened Feb. 7, 1918. Richard Ordynski directed.

La Juive by Fromental Halévy (May 27, 1799-March 17, 1862) opened Nov. 22, 1919. Richard Ordynski directed.

Parsifal by Richard Wagner (May 22, 1813-Feb. 13, 1883) opened Feb. 19, 1920. Richard Ordynski directed.

Wagner’s Tristan und Isolde opened Nov. 20, 1920. Viennese American stage manager Samuel Thewman (Feb. 27, 1872-March 22, 1940) directed.

Wagner’s Lohengrin opened Feb. 2, 1921. Samuel Thewman directed. Gretel designed costumes.

Verdi’s La Traviata opened Nov. 14, 1921. Samuel Thewman directed.

Verdi’s Ernani opened Dec. 8, 1921. Samuel Thewman directed. Gretel designed costumes.

Madama Butterfly by Giacomo Puccini (Dec. 22, 1858-Nov. 29, 1924) opened Nov. 24, 1922. Viennese stage director Wilhelm von Wymetal Sr. (1862-Nov. 11, 1937) directed.

Gounod’s Roméo et Juliette opened Nov. 25, 1922. Samuel Thewman directed. Gretel designed costumes.

Thaïs by Jules Massenet (May 12, 1842-Aug. 13, 1912) opened Dec. 14, 1922. Wilhelm von Wymetal directed. Gretel designed costumes.

Wagner’s Tannhäuser opened Feb. 1, 1923. Samuel Thewman directed. Mathilde Castel-Bert designed costumes. The Metropolitan Opera Archives Database notes that Joseph may have designed some costumes.

Meyerbeer’s L’Africaine opened March 21, 1923. Samuel Thewman directed. Gretel designed costumes.

L’Amico Fritz by Pietro Mascagni (Dec. 7, 1863-Aug. 2, 1945) opened Nov. 15, 1923. Samuel Thewman directed.

Carmen by Georges Bizet (Oct. 25, 1838-June 3, 1875) opened Nov. 22, 1923. Wilhelm von Wymetal directed. Gretel designed costumes.

Fedora by Umberto Giordano (Aug. 28, 1867-Nov. 12, 1948) opened Dec. 8, 1923. Wilhelm von Wymetal directed. Billy Wheeler and Ethel Fox designed costumes.

Martha by Friedrich von Flotow (April 27, 1812-Jan. 24, 1883) opened Dec. 14, 1923. Wilhelm von Wymetal directed.

Der Freischütz by Carl Maria von Weber (Nov. 18/19, 1786-June 5, 1826) opened March 22, 1924. Samuel Thewman directed. Mathilde Castel-Bert designed costumes.

Les Contes d’Hoffmann by Jacques Offenbach (June 20, 1819-Oct. 5, 1880) opened Nov. 13, 1924. Wilhelm von Wymetal directed. Gretel designed costumes.

Verdi’s Falstaff opened Jan. 2, 1925.  Wilhelm von Wymetal directed. Gretel Urban and German designer Adolfo Hohenstein (March 18, 1854-April 12, 1928) designed costumes.

Der Barbier von Bagdad by Peter Cornelius (Dec. 24, 1824-Oct. 26, 1874) opened Nov. 7, 1925. Samuel Thewman directed. Metropolitan Opera Archives Database notes that some costumes, ". . . designed by Georg Heil, derived from the 1912-1923 production of Die Zauberflöte."

Il Barbiere di Siviglia by Gioachino Rossini (Feb. 29, 1792-Nov. 13, 1868) opened Jan. 12, 1926. Italian stage director Armando Agnini (July 11, 1884-March 27, 1960) directed.

Fidelio by Ludwig van Beethoven (bapt. Dec. 17, 1770-March 26, 1827) opened Jan. 22, 1927. Wilhelm von Wymetal directed.

Hänsel und Gretel by Engelbert Humperdinck (Sept. 1, 1854-Sept. 27, 1921) opened Nov. 5, 1927. Wilhelm von Wymetal directed. Gretel designed costumes.

Norma by Vincenzo Bellini (Nov. 3, 1801-Sept. 23, 1835) opened Nov. 16, 1927. Samuel Thewman directed.

Massenet’s Manon opened Dec. 22, 1928. Wilhelm von Wymetal directed.

Don Giovanni by Wolfgang Mozart (Jan. 27, 1756-Dec. 5, 1791) opened Nov. 29, 1929. Wilhelm von Wymetal directed.

Louise by Gustave Charpentier (June 25, 1860-Feb. 18, 1956) opened March 1, 1930. Wilhelm von Wymetal directed.

Bellini’s La Sonnambula opened March 16, 1932, as the last new production designed by Joseph Urban. Russian opera and theatre director Alexander Sanine (April 15, 1869-May 8, 1956) directed.

The takeaways for Joseph Urban’s set designs for 29 new productions at the Metropolitan Opera are that he collaborated with his costume designer daughter, Gretel, on 10 new productions and that he designed a total of 55 productions during his almost 16-year career at Met Opera.

Joseph Urban's scenic design for the Metropolitan Opera's new production of Fromental Halévy's La Juive; Kenneth Macgowan, The Lesson of Urban, Shadowland (1919), page 17: Public Domain via Internet Archive

Acknowledgment

My special thanks to talented artists and photographers/concerned organizations who make their fine images available on the internet.

Image credits:

The Metropolitan Opera’s new production of Parsifal, with Joseph Urban’s set designs, debuted Feb. 19, 1920: Kenny Dread ‏@KennyDread via Twitter Feb. 17, 2018, @ https://twitter.com/KennyDread/status/964977056282038273

Joseph Urban's scenic design for the Metropolitan Opera's new production of Fromental Halévy's La Juive; Kenneth Macgowan, The Lesson of Urban, Shadowland (1919), page 17: Public Domain via Internet Archive @ https://archive.org/stream/shadowland01mppu#page/n174/mode/1up

For further information:

“Debut: Gretel Urban.” MetOpera Database > MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 76450 Metropolitan Opera Premiere Don Carlo {1} Metropolitan Opera House: 12/23/1920.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=76450

“Debuts: Thomas Chalmers, Pierre Monteux, Joseph Urban.” MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 67050 New production Faust {294} Matinee ed. Metropolitan Opera House: 11/17/1917.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=67050

Italian Genealogical Group and German Genealogy Group. "Samuel Thewman in the New York, New York, U.S., Extracted Death Index, 1862-1948." Ancestry.com > New York, New York, U.S., Extracted Death Index, 1862-1948 [database online]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2014.
Available via Ancestry @ https://search.ancestrylibrary.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?indiv=1&dbid=9131&h=4020416

Kenny Dread @KennyDread. “@RTElyricfm Gorgeous Opera Night of Wagner ‘Parsifal’ from The Met... Remembering that my great-grandfather Artur Bodanzky conducted the Joseph Urban production there in 1920.” Twitter. Feb. 17, 2018.
Available @ https://twitter.com/KennyDread/status/964977056282038273

Macgowan, Kenneth. “The Lesson of Urban.” Shadowland (November 1919): 15-18. Brooklyn NY: The M.P. Publishing Company.
Available via Internet Archive @ https://archive.org/stream/shadowland01mppu#page/n172/mode/1up

Marriner, Derdriu. "Gretel Urban Designed Costumes for U.S. Turandot Premiere at Met Opera." Earth and Space News. Monday, July 30, 2018.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2018/07/gretel-urban-designed-costumes-for-us.html

Marriner, Derdriu. "Joseph Urban Designed Sets for 10 Metropolitan Opera Premieres." Earth and Space News. Monday, Aug. 13, 2018.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2018/08/joseph-urban-designed-sets-for-10.html

Marriner, Derdriu. "Joseph Urban Designed Sets for 14 U.S. Premieres at Met Opera." Earth and Space News. Monday, July 23, 2018.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2018/07/joseph-urban-designed-sets-for-14-us.html

Marriner, Derdriu. "Joseph Urban Designed Sets for Two World Premieres at Met Opera." Earth and Space News. Monday, July 16, 2018.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2018/07/joseph-urban-designed-sets-for-two.html

Marriner, Derdriu. "Mar-a-Lago Architect Joseph Urban Also Designed Sets at Met Opera." Earth and Space News. Monday, July 9, 2018.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2018/07/mar-lago-architect-joseph-urban-also.html

Marriner, Derdriu. "Maria Jeritza Sang Title Role in U.S. Turandot Premiere at Met Opera." Earth and Space News. Monday, Aug. 6, 2018.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2018/08/maria-jeritza-sang-title-role-in-us.html

“New Production: Carmen.” MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 85200 New production Carmen {284} Matinee ed. Metropolitan Opera House: 11/22/1923.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=85200

“New Production: Der Barbier von Bagdad.” MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 91060 New production (Der Barbier von Bagdad) Metropolitan Opera Premiere (L'Heure Espagnole) Der Barbier von Bagdad {13} L'Heure Espagnole {1} Matinee ed. Metropolitan Opera House: 11/7/1925.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=91060

“New Production: Der Freischütz.” MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 86880 New production Der Freischütz {7} Matinee ed. Metropolitan Opera House: 03/22/1924.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=86880

“New Production: Don Giovanni.” MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 103440 New production Don Giovanni {75} Metropolitan Opera House: 11/29/1929.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=103440

“New Production: Ernani.” MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 79300 New production Ernani {5} Metropolitan Opera House: 12/8/1921.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=79300

“New Production: Falstaff.” MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 88800 New production Falstaff {33} Metropolitan Opera House: 01/2/1925.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=88800

“New Production: Faust.” MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 67050 New production Faust {294} Matinee ed. Metropolitan Opera House: 11/17/1917.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=67050

“New Production: Fedora.” MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 85420 New production Fedora {9} Matinee ed. Metropolitan Opera House: 12/8/1923.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=85420

“New Production: Fidelio.” MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 95100 New production Fidelio {49} Matinee ed. Metropolitan Opera House: 01/22/1927.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=95100

“New Production: Hänsel und Gretel.” MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 97060 United States Premiere (Violanta) New Production (Hänsel und Gretel) Violanta {1} Hänsel und Gretel {93} Matinee ed. Metropolitan Opera House: 11/5/1927.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=97060

“New Production: Il Barbiere di Siviglia.” MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 91950 New production Il Barbiere di Siviglia {127} American Academy of Music, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: 01/12/1926.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=91950

“New Production: La Juive.” MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 73070 New production La Juive {19} Matinee ed. Metropolitan Opera House: 11/22/1919.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=73070

“New Production: La Sonnambula.” MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 110790 New production La Sonnambula {21} Metropolitan Opera House: 03/16/1932.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=110790

“New Production: La Traviata.” MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 79000 New production La Traviata {110} Metropolitan Opera House: 11/14/1921.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=79000

“New Production: L’Africaine.” MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 83730 New production L'Africaine {25} Metropolitan Opera House: 03/21/1923.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=83730

“New Production: L’Amico Fritz.” MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 85110 New production (L'Amico Fritz) L'Oracolo {40} L'Amico Fritz {2} Metropolitan Opera House: 11/15/1923.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=85110

“New Production: Le Prophète.” MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 68010 New production Le Prophète {52} Metropolitan Opera House: 02/7/1918.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=68010

“New Production: Les Contes d’Hoffmann.” MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 88120 New production Les Contes d'Hoffmann {14} Metropolitan Opera House: 11/13/1924.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=88120

“New Production: Lohengrin.” MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 76980 New production Lohengrin {308} Metropolitan Opera House: 02/2/1921.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=76980

“New Production: Louise.” MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 104670 New production Louise {15} Matinee ed. Metropolitan Opera House: 03/1/1930.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=104670

“New Production: Madama Butterfly.” MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 82120 New production Madama Butterfly {160} Matinee ed. Metropolitan Opera House: 11/24/1922.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=82120

“New Production: Manon.” MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 100720 New production Manon {76} Matinee ed. Metropolitan Opera House: 12/22/1928.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=100720

“New Production: Martha.” MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 85500 New production Martha {72} Metropolitan Opera House: 12/14/1923.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=85500

“New Production: Norma.” MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 97200 New production Norma {7} Metropolitan Opera House: 11/16/1927.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=97200

“New Production: Parsifal.” MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 74150 New production Parsifal {85} Matinee ed. Metropolitan Opera House: 02/19/1920.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=74150

“New Production: Roméo et Juliette.” MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 82140 New production Roméo et Juliette {111} Matinee ed. Metropolitan Opera House: 11/25/1922.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=82140

“New Production: Tannhäuser.” MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 83050 New production Tannhäuser {215} Metropolitan Opera House: 02/1/1923.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=83050

“New Production: Thaïs.” MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 82400 New production Thaïs {20} Metropolitan Opera House: 12/14/1922.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=82400

“New Production: Tristan und Isolde.” MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 76050 New production Tristan und Isolde {144} Matinee ed. Metropolitan Opera House: 11/20/1920.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=76050

U.S. National Archives. "Samuel Thewman." Ancestry.com > New York, U.S., State and Federal Naturalization Records, 1794-1943 [database online]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2013.
Available via Ancestry @ https://search.ancestrylibrary.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?indiv=1&dbid=2280&h=3980662

Waszut-Barrett, Wendy, PhD (waszut_barrett@me.com). “Historical Excerpt -- ‘Women in Scenic Art,’ Gretl Urban.” Drypigment.net > Archives > February 2017. Feb. 8, 2017.
Available @ http://drypigment.net/2017/02/08/historical-excerpt-women-in-scenic-art-gretl-urban/