Born July 7, 1887, Marc Chagall Designed Die Zauberflöte at Met Opera

Summary: Born July 7, 1887, Marc Chagall designed Die Zauberflöte costumes and sets for a new production during the 1966-1967 season at the Metropolitan Opera.

Belarusian Jewish-French artist Marc Chagall's designs for the 1966-1967 Met Opera season's new production of Die Zauberflöte featured hand-painted costumes, minimized props and signaled scene changes with colorful backdrops and sidedrops: The Metropolitan Opera @MetOpera, via Facebook Oct. 13, 2016

Born July 7, 1887, Belarusian Jewish-French artist Marc Chagall designed costumes and scenes for the 1966-1967 Met Opera season’s new production of Die Zauberflöte by Classical Era composer Wolfgang Mozart (Jan. 27, 1756-Dec. 5, 1791).

The 1966-1967 Met Opera season’s new production of Die Zauberflöte opened Feb. 19, 1967. The new production received 19 performances in its first season. Austrian conductor and violinist Josef Krips (April 8, 1902-Oct. 13, 1974) made his Metropolitan Opera debut as the new production’s conductor.

German opera director Günther Rennert (April 1, 1911-July 31, 1978) directed the new production. Marc Chagall made his Metropolitan Opera debut as the new production’s designer.

The Dallas Times Herald’s classical music critic, Speight Jenkins Jr. (born Jan. 31, 1937), commended Chagall’s designs. He observed: “From beginning to end, the welter of color created the non-realistic landscape which is the domain of ‘Zauberflöte.’”

Jenkins’ review noted that a colorful succession of backdrops and side drops signaled scene changes but described the costumes, with the exception of Papageno’s, as “over-colored.” In a 2015 Vogue article, freelance writer Julia Felsenthal enumerated Chagall’s designs at 39 stage curtains and 121 costumes and masks.

Die Zauberflöte audiences viewed Chagall’s designs in eight revivals. The first revival took place in the next season, 1967-1968. A second revival happened in the 1969-1970 season. Die Zauberflöte skipped the 1971-1972 season but was revived consecutively for the 1972-1973 and 1973-1974 seasons. The fifth revival took place in the 1976-1977 season, after a skip of two seasons (1974-1975, 1975-1976). After a season’s skip, the sixth revival took place in the 1978-1979 season. After another seasonal skip, the Chagall-designed production was revived for two consecutive seasons, in 1980-1981 and again in 1981-1982 Met Opera seasons. The 1981-1982 season’s closing night, June 10, 1982, marked the last staging of the Chagall-designed production.

The Metropolitan Opera has staged seven new productions of Die Zauberflöte since the fairytale opera’s Metropolitan Opera premiere on March 30, 1900. The Metropolitan Opera debuted the first new production Nov. 23, 1912, for the opera’s 27th performance at the opera house. German stage manager Anton Schertel (ca. 1855-March 13, 1913) directed the new production. His production team included Austrian-born artist and set designer Hans Kautsky (1864-1937), set designer, and Georg Heil, costume designer.

Met Opera’s second new production debuted Nov. 6, 1926, for Met Opera’s 62nd performance of Die Zauberflöte. Viennese American stage manager Samuel Thewman (Feb. 27, 1872-March 22, 1940) directed the production, with designs by Russian artist and set designer Sergey Yurievich Sudeikin (March 19, 1882-Aug. 12, 1946), known as Serge Soudeikine.

The third production debuted Dec. 11, 1941, for Met Opera’s 69th performance of Die Zauberflöte. Austrian-American opera producer Herbert Graf (April 10, 1903-April 5, 1973) directed the new staging, with designs by Czech American set and costume designer Richard Rychtarik (July 20, 1894-July 10, 1982).

Herbert Graf directed the fourth new staging, which debuted Feb. 23, 1956, for Met Opera’s 121st performance of Mozart’s fairytale opera. Designs were by Austro-Hungarian-born American art director Harry Horner (July 24, 1910-Dec. 5, 1994).

The Rennert-directed, Chagall-designed production was the opera house’s fifth new production of Die Zauberflöte. After eight seasons without Mozart’s fairytale opera, The Metropolitan Opera debuted its sixth new production in the 1990-1991 season. English opera director John Cox’s (born March 12, 1935) original production opened Jan. 10, 1991, under the direction of Guus Mostart, with designs by English stage designer David Hockney (born July 9, 1937). The Metropolitan Opera staged seven revivals of the Hockney-designed production. The seventh revival took place during the 2000-2001 Met Opera season.

The Metropolitan Opera’s current production of Die Zauberflöte debuted Oct. 8, 2004, as successor to the Hockney-designed production. American film, opera and theater director Julie Taymor is credited as the new production’s director and costume designer. She shares puppet design credits with Michael Curry. George Tsypin is the set designer.

In 2015, six costumes and four masks designed by Chagall emerged from Met Opera storage for display in an exhibition at the Fenimore Art Museum in Cooperstown, Central New York Region, New York. The exhibition, “Marc Chagall’s Magic Flute: Highlights From the Metropolitan Opera,” ran from April 1 to Dec. 31, 2015. Chris Rossi, the exhibition’s curator, explained in Julia Felsenthal’s July 6, 2015, article in Vogue: “Chagall was a big music fan, Mozart in particular.” For Chagall, the Bible and The Magic Flute exemplified perfection.

The takeaway for Marc Chagall, who was born July 7, 1887, is that the Belarusian Jewish-French artist’s costumes and scene changes for the 1966-1967 Met Opera season’s new production of Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte represent his sole involvement in operatic production at the Metropolitan Opera.

Slovak operatic soprano Lucia Popp (Nov. 12, 1939-Nov. 15, 1993) made her Metropolitan Opera debut as the Queen of the Night in the 1966-1967 Met Opera season’s new production of Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte; hand-painted costumes were designed by Belarusian Jewish-French artist Marc Chagall: The Metropolitan Opera @MetOpera, via Facebook Jan. 27, 2017

Acknowledgment

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

Image credits:

Marc Chagall's designs for the 1966-1967 Met Opera season's new production of Die Zauberflöte featured hand-painted costumes, minimized props and signaled scene changes with colorful backdrops and sidedrops: The Metropolitan Opera @MetOpera, via Facebook Oct. 13, 2016, @ https://www.facebook.com/MetOpera/photos/a.134969600532/10157687726925533/

Slovak operatic soprano Lucia Popp (Nov. 12, 1939-Nov. 15, 1993) made her Metropolitan Opera debut as the Queen of the Night in the 1966-1967 Met Opera season’s new production of Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte; hand-painted costumes were designed by Belarusian Jewish-French artist Marc Chagall: The Metropolitan Opera @MetOpera, via Facebook Jan. 27, 2017, @ https://www.facebook.com/MetOpera/photos/a.134969600532/10158270735080533

For further information:

“Debuts: Lucia Popp, Kevin Leftwich, Peter Herzberg, John Bogard, Josef Krips, Marc Chagall.” MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 209500 New production Die Zauberflöte {146} Metropolitan Opera House: 02/19/1967.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=209500

Felsenthal, Julia. “Marc Chagall’s Wild Designs for Mozart’s The Magic Flute Are at the Fenimore Art Museum.” Vogue > Culture > Arts. July 6, 2015.
Available @ https://www.vogue.com/article/marc-chagall-mozart-the-magic-flute

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

Marriner, Derdriu. “2018-2019 Met Opera Season Showed Triumph of the Vanities by Cecily Brown.” Earth and Space News. Monday, May 13, 2019.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2019/05/2018-2019-met-opera-season-showed.html

Marriner, Derdriu. “The Magic Flute Is Dec. 9, 2017, Met Opera Saturday Matinee Broadcast.” Earth and Space News. Monday, Dec. 4, 2017.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2017/12/the-magic-flute-is-dec-9-2017-met-opera.html

Marriner, Derdriu. “The Magic Flute Is the Dec. 29, 2018, Met Opera Saturday Matinee Broadcast.” Earth and Space News. Monday, Dec. 24, 2018.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2018/12/the-magic-flute-is-dec-29-2018-met.html

The Metropolitan Opera @MetOpera. "Happy Birthday Herr Mozart! Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was born on this day in 1756. Seen here is Lucia Popp as the Queen of the Night in Die Zauberflöte. The 1967 production of Mozart’s fantasy, in the Met's inaugural season at Lincoln Center, was designed by Marc Chagall, whose murals grace the façade of the Met. This season, we are celebrating our 50th Anniversary at Lincoln Center. Learn more at bit.ly/2jcbDGN.Photo courtesy of the Metropolitan Opera Archives." Facebook. Jan. 27, 2017.
Available @ https://www.facebook.com/MetOpera/photos/a.134969600532/10158270735080533

The Metropolitan Opera @MetOpera. "#TBT to Marc Chagall's production of Mozart's Die Zauberflöte from the 1966-67 season, our inaugural at Lincoln Center! This new production had both sets and costumes designed by Chagall, which were used in repertory until the 1981-82 season. Join us this holiday season for Julie Taymor's imaginative and beloved reinvention of Mozart's mystical journey. bit.ly/2e8H6rrPhoto by Frank Dunand #Met50." Facebook. Oct. 13, 2016.
Available @ https://www.facebook.com/MetOpera/photos/a.134969600532/10157687726925533/

“Metropolitan Opera Premiere: Die Zauberflöte.” MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 24080 Metropolitan Opera Premiere Die Zauberflöte {1} Metropolitan Opera House: 03/30/1900.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=24080

“New Production: Die Zauberflöte.” MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 54513 New Production Die Zauberflöte {27} Matinee ed. Metropolitan Opera House: 11/23/1912.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=54513

“New Production: Die Zauberflöte.” MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 94060 New production Die Zauberflöte {62} Matinee ed. Metropolitan Opera House: 11/6/1926.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=94060

“New Production: Die Zauberflöte.” MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 132200 New production Die Zauberflöte {69} Metropolitan Opera House: 12/11/1941.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=132200

“New Production: Die Zauberflöte.” MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 171000 New production Die Zauberflöte {121} Metropolitan Opera House: 02/23/1956.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=171000

“New Production: Die Zauberflöte.” MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 209500 New production Die Zauberflöte {146} Metropolitan Opera House: 02/19/1967.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=209500

“New Production: Die Zauberflöte.” MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 303070 New Production Die Zauberflöte {261} Metropolitan Opera House: 01/10/1991.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=202070

Obituaries. “Anton Schertel.” The Sun, March 15, 1913, page 9.
Available via Library of Congress Chronicling America @ https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83030272/1913-03-15/ed-1/seq-9/

Obituaries. “Richard Rychtarik, 87, Designer of Stage Sets.” The New York Times > Archives > 1982 Obituaries. July 12, 1982.
Available via The New York Times @ https://www.nytimes.com/1982/07/12/obituaries/richard-rychtarik-87-designer-of-stage-sets.html

Stark, Erika. “The NYC Met Opera’s 50th Anniversary and Murals of Marc Chagall: Art Imitating Life.” Untapped Cities. June 13, 2017.
Available @ https://untappedcities.com/2017/06/13/the-nyc-met-operas-50th-anniversary-and-murals-of-marc-chagall-art-imitating-life/

Thomson, Virgil. “163.21-22 Hans Kautsky.” Music Chronicles 1940-1954. New York NY: Library of America, 2014.

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