Amalie Materna

Amalie Materna (born Amalia, later Amalie Friedrich-Materna) (10 July 1844 St. Georgen in der Steiermark - 18 January 1918 Vienna) was an Austrian operatic soprano. While possessing a famously powerful voice, Materna also maintained a youthful bright vocal timbre throughout her career which spanned three decades. She is best remembered today for originating several roles in operas by Richard Wagner.

Materna made her professional opera début at the Thalia Theatre in Graz in 1865. She then married Karl Friedrich, an actor, and was engaged with him singing operettas in suburban theatres near Vienna, and at the Carltheater in Vienna. She made her debut at the Vienna State Opera in 1869, singing Selika in L'Africaine. Popularly received, Materna became a regular performer at the Vienna court for the next 25 years. Her notable performances include Amneris in the first Vienna performance of Aida in 1874 and the title role at the première of Goldmark's Die Königin von Saba (10 March 1875).

Materna was perhaps most admired for her interpretations of the works of Richard Wagner. She sang the role of Brünnhilde in the first complete Ring Cycle in Bayreuth (1876), appearing also in the first Vienna performances of Die Walküre (1877) and Siegfried (1878), and in the first Ring Cycle in Berlin at the Victoria Theatre (1881). In 1882 she originated the role of Kundry in Parsifal at Bayreuth, repeating the role there at every festival until 1891.

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