Marie Mattfeld

Marie Mattfeld (1870 – 18 September 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.

Early life, education and initial career in Germany Born Marie Schmid in Munich, Germany in 1870, Marie Mattfeld was the daughter of Herman Schmid and Mary Schmid (née Friedl). Her uncle, Franz Joseph Schmid, was a composer, conductor, and organist who directed the United Singing Societies of Germany.

Mattfeld married the German-American organist, pianist, composer, and music educator Wilhelm Mattfeld (1863-1925) in Munich in July 1890, and performed under her married name. She was trained as a vocalist at the Munich Conservatory (now the University of Music and Performing Arts Munich), She remained with that company for three seasons,

In 1899 Mattfeld joined Henry Wilson Savage's Boston based Castle Square Opera Company with whom she performed in both Massachusetts and New York. She appeared with that organization at T. Henry French's The American Theatre in New York City in 1899 as Magdalena in Wagner's Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg; a role she later repeated with the company at the 1899 Worcester Music Festival, Massachusetts. In 1900 she was engaged by Marcella Sembrich's touring Sembrich Opera Company for performances of the roles of Siebel in Faust, Alisa in Lucia di Lammermoor, and Bertha in The Barber of Seville. In April 1901 she made her debut at the Metropolitan Opera ("the Met") in New York as the Valkyrie Siegrune in Die Walküre. She made her first return appearance at that house in 1906 as Hänsel in Engelbert Humperdinck's Hansel and Gretel. Highlights of her career at the Met included creating roles in the world premieres of four operas: Engelbert Humperdinck's Königskinder (1910, as the Stable girl), Giacomo Puccini's La fanciulla del West (1910, as Wowkle), Walter Damrosch's Cyrano (1913, as Duenna) and Puccini's Suor Angelica (1918, as Sister Dolcina).

During her career, Mattfeld made two recording with the Victor Talking Machine Company. These consisted of recorded excerpts of the roles of Pamina in The Magic Flute and Magdalena in Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg. Her husband was born in New York City to German parents, and like his wife, was trained as a musician in Munich where he was a pupil of Josef Rheinberger who trained him as an organist. He was also a composer who wrote several Catholic masses and songs for use in music education programs. In addition to his work as a teacher, he also worked as an organist at a variety of churches in Manhattan and Brooklynn during his career, and occasionally served as his wife's accompanist in concert and recitals. Wilhelm Mattfeld died in 1925.

Marie Mattfield died on 18 September 1927 while on vacation in Nauheim, Germany. Four years prior to her death she purchased a home in Oberammergau in which she established a charitable home for orphaned children through donated funds given by the citizens of New York City.