Marie Haupt (18 April 1849 – 1928) was a German

opera Opera is a form of theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically a collaboration between a composer and a libr ...

tic soprano who had an active career during the latter half of the 19th century. She is best remembered today for portraying several roles in the first complete presentation of Richard Wagner's '' The Ring Cycle'' at the very first Bayreuth Festival in 1876.Unger Biography of Marie Haupt at operissimo.com (in German)
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Biography

Born in Danzig,

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

(now Gdańsk,

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populou ...

), Haupt studied in Berlin with the great prima donna

Pauline Viardot Pauline Viardot (; 18 July 1821 – 18 May 1910) was a nineteenth-century French mezzo-soprano, pedagogue and composer of Spanish descent. Born Michelle Ferdinande Pauline García, her name appears in various forms. When it is not simply "Pauli ...

and renowned pedagogue

Eduard Mantius Jacob Eduard Mantius (18 January 1806 – 4 July 1874) was a German operatic tenor, composer and voice teacher. Life Born in Schwerin, at the request of his father, a factory owner, Mantius began studying law at the University of Rostock in t ...

. She made her professional opera debut in 1870 at the Court Theater of

Neustrelitz Neustrelitz (; East Low German: ''Niegenstrelitz'') is a town in the Mecklenburgische Seenplatte district in the state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany. It is situated on the shore of the Zierker See in the Mecklenburg Lake District. From 17 ...

. Subsequent engagements took her to the Municipal Theater of Stettin (now Szczecin) and the

Bavarian State Opera The Bayerische Staatsoper is a German opera company based in Munich. Its main venue is the Nationaltheater München, and its orchestra the Bayerische Staatsorchester. History The parent ensemble of the company was founded in 1653, under Ele ...

. In 1873 Haupt became a principal soprano at the Court Theater of Kassel where she remained through 1877. At that house she excelled in the coloratura soprano repertoire, portraying such roles as Ännchen in ''

Der Freischütz ' ( J. 277, Op. 77 ''The Marksman'' or ''The Freeshooter'') is a German opera with spoken dialogue in three acts by Carl Maria von Weber with a libretto by Friedrich Kind, based on a story by Johann August Apel and Friedrich Laun from their 18 ...

'', Elvira in ''

I puritani ' (''The Puritans'') is an 1835 opera by Vincenzo Bellini. It was originally written in two acts and later changed to three acts on the advice of Gioachino Rossini, with whom the young composer had become friends. The music was set to a libretto ...

'', Frau Fluth in '' The Merry Wives of Windsor'', and Marie in ''

La fille du régiment ' (''The Daughter of the Regiment'') is an opéra comique in two acts by Gaetano Donizetti, set to a French libretto by Jules-Henri Vernoy de Saint-Georges and Jean-François Bayard. It was first performed on 11 February 1840 by the Paris Opéra ...

''. She also sang a few mezzo-soprano roles like Urbain in ''

Les Huguenots () is an opera by Giacomo Meyerbeer and is one of the most popular and spectacular examples of grand opera. In five acts, to a libretto by Eugène Scribe and Émile Deschamps, it premiered in Paris on 29 February 1836. Composition history ...

'' and Venus in ''

Tannhäuser Tannhäuser (; gmh, Tanhûser), often stylized, "The Tannhäuser," was a German Minnesinger and traveling poet. Historically, his biography, including the dates he lived, is obscure beyond the poetry, which suggests he lived between 1245 and ...

''. After marrying the famous Wagnerian tenor Georg Unger (1837–1887), she appeared on the stage as Marie Unger-Haupt. Haupt's participation in the first presentation of the complete Ring Cycle at the Bayreuth Festival in 1876 was the pinnacle achievement of her career. This was the first time that the third opera in the ring, ''

Siegfried Siegfried is a German-language male given name, composed from the Germanic elements ''sig'' "victory" and ''frithu'' "protection, peace". The German name has the Old Norse cognate ''Sigfriðr, Sigfrøðr'', which gives rise to Swedish ''Sigfrid' ...

'', was heard and Haupt created the role of the Forestbird when it premiered on August 16, 1876. She also sang the roles of Freia in Wagner's ''

Das Rheingold ''Das Rheingold'' (; ''The Rhinegold''), WWV 86A, is the first of the four music dramas that constitute Richard Wagner's '' Der Ring des Nibelungen'' (English: ''The Ring of the Nibelung''). It was performed, as a single opera, at the National ...

'' and Gerhilde in Wagner's ''

Die Walküre (; ''The Valkyrie''), WWV 86B, is the second of the four music dramas that constitute Richard Wagner's ''Der Ring des Nibelungen'' (English: ''The Ring of the Nibelung''). It was performed, as a single opera, at the National Theatre Munich on ...

'' on August 13, 1876 and August 14, 1876, respectively. From 1877 until her retirement from the stage in 1880, Haupt was committed to the opera house in Mainz. She died in

Leipzig Leipzig ( , ; Upper Saxon: ) is the most populous city in the German state of Saxony. Leipzig's population of 605,407 inhabitants (1.1 million in the larger urban zone) as of 2021 places the city as Germany's eighth most populous, as ...

at the age of 79.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Haupt, Marie 1849 births 1928 deaths German operatic sopranos Musicians from Gdańsk People from the Province of Prussia 19th-century German women opera singers