Marie Mattfeld

Marie Mattfeld (1870 — September 18, 1927) was a German opera singer who performed repertoire from the mezzo-soprano and soprano canon of performance literature during the last decade of the 19th century and the first three decades of the 20th century. Beginning her career performing in concerts and operas in Munich in the early 1890s, she joined Walter Damrosch's newly created American opera company in 1896. After performing for several years in operas in the United States, she returned to Germany where she was committed to Theater Bremen from 1901 to 1905. In 1906 she returned to the United States to join the roster of resident artists at the Metropolitan Opera ("The Met"); having previously made her debut with that company in 1901. She remained committed to the Met up until her death in 1927; giving a total of 900 performances in more than forty different operas. She was particularly admired for her portrayal of Hänsel in Engelbert Humperdinck's Hansel and Gretel.

Mattfeld is best remembered for creating roles in the world premieres of several operas at the Met; including Humperdinck's Königskinder (1910), Giacomo Puccini's La fanciulla del West (1910), Damrosch's Cyrano (1913), and Puccini's Suor Angelica (1918). Her voice is preserved on two recordings made with the Victor Talking Machine Company.

Birth and Death Data: Born 1870, Died 1927

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1908 - 1913

Roles Represented in DAHR: mezzo-soprano

= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.

Recordings

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Victor C-5043 12-in. 1/29/1908 Selig wie die Sonne Johanna Gadski ; Marcel Journet ; Marie Mattfeld ; Albert Reiss ; Ellison Van Hoose Vocal quintet (soprano, mezzo-soprano, 2 tenors, and bass), with orchestra vocalist, mezzo-soprano  
Victor C-13131 12-in. 4/16/1913 Du also bist mein Braütigam? Johanna Gadski Soprano vocal solo, with female vocal trio and orchestra vocalist, mezzo-soprano  

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Mattfeld, Marie," accessed April 24, 2024, https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/116996.

Mattfeld, Marie. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved April 24, 2024, from https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/116996.

"Mattfeld, Marie." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 24 April 2024.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/116996

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