Müller, Maria

CHAMBER SINGER (AUSTRIAN EMPIRE)
BORN 29 Jan 1898, Theresienstadt, Bohemia - DIED 13 Mar 1958, Bayreuth, Bayern
GRAVE LOCATION Bayreuth, Bayern: Stadtfriedhof (A 1b/449a, am Weg (grave cleared but gravestone restored))

Maria Müller studied at the Conservatory in Prague and then with Erik Schmedes in Vienna. In 1919 she debuted in Linz as Elsa in Wagner's "Lohengrin". Engagements in Brno, Prague and Munich followed. At the State Opera in Munich she mainly sang Wagner parts. In 1924 she married her manager Dr. Wilhelm Reichenauer. In 1925 she was Sieglinde in "Die Walküre" at the Metropolitan in New York and she appeared there until 1935 in 196 performances.

From 1926 until 1943 she was under contract with the Berlin State Opera. Her career took her to La Scala, Covent Garden and many other famous opera houses. She sang at the Bayreuth Festival from 1930 until 1944 and was on of the most prominent singers during the war years. Her husband didn't return from the war and when it was over she retired and lived in Bayreuth. She returned to the stage for one season in 1950.

She died in 1958 and was buried at the Stadtfriedhof in Bayreuth. The city of Bayreuth took over the care for her grave in 1983. In 2010 it was removed to reduce costs, but after a journalist failed to find the grave in 2011 protests followed. The gravestone was returned although the grave itself wasn't restored.

Related persons
• was pupil of Bahr-Mildenburg, Anna von
• cooperated with Toscanini, Arturo

Events
8/2/1928American premiere of Franco Alfano's "Madonna imperia" at the Metropolitan in New York. Maria Müller sang the title part and the Musical Courier wrote that she sang extremely well. Tullio Serafin was the conductor. 
29/3/1929American premiere of Pizzetti's "Fra Gherardo" at the Metropolitan in New York. Tullio Serafin was the musical director and Maria Müller sang. [Pizzetti, Ildebrando]
7/11/1931Premiere of Jaromír Weinberger's "Schwanda, der Dudelsackpfeifer" at the Metropolitan in New York. Maria Müller sang. 
29/1/1932American premiere of Verdi's "Simon Boccanegra" at the Metropolitan in New York. Maria Müller sang. [Verdi, Giuseppe]

Images

The grave of Maria Müller at the Stadtfriedhof in Bayreuth.
Picture by Androom (24 Jan 2006)

 

Sources
Müller, Maria
Maria Müller (Sängerin) – Wikipedia


Müller, Renate

Published: 08 Apr 2006
Last update: 18 Jan 2022