Albert Methfessel (6 October 1785 – 23 March 1869) was a German composer, singer, musicologist, and conductor.

Originally destined by his parents for service in the church, like his older brother, he left theological studies because of his great interest in music.

Given a scholarship by local nobility, he was able to formally study music, and then return to his hometown of Rudolstadt to perform and sing for twelve years.

His career was then hampered by health difficulties, but he continued to compose, write musical treatises, and correspond with his fellow musicians until his death in 1869.

[2] At the age of twelve, he wrote music for church services and these compositions were utilized by his father in his position of Cantor.

[2] Methfessel turned down a position in Prague as Kapellmeister, to which he had been recommended by Carl Maria von Weber, but 1822 saw him relocated to Hamburg as a director of music, where he also added teaching to his duties.

[2] Age and financial difficulties eventually compelled Methfessel to leave Braunschweig in May 1868 and move to the village Heckenbeck of town Bad Gandersheim to live with his eldest daughter.

[2] That August he suffered a severe stroke, which removed his remaining hearing and sight, and left him with little ability to speak.

[1] The instrumental accompaniment for his songs have no independence to the melody, merely supplying simple harmonic support to the vocalist.

[2] He wrote several pieces of instrumental music, but the reputation of this output suffers in comparison to his vocal works.

[2] In addition to his vocal works, he wrote instrumental music for guitar, organ, piano, and glass harmonica.