David Devriès

David Devriès (born February 14, 1881 in Bagnères-de-Luchon, France, died July 17, 1936 in Neuilly-sur-Seine, France) was a French operatic lyric tenor noted for his light, heady tone, and polished phrasing.^[1][2] He represents a light style of French operatic singing that was popular in the 19th century. He was born into a family of professional singers that included soprano Rosa Devriès-Van-Os (1828–1889) and baritones Hermann Devriès (1858–1949) and his father Maurice Devriès (1854–1919). He studied at the Conservatoire de Paris and débuted in the role of Gérald in Delibes’s Lakmé at the Opéra-Comique, where he regularly performed throughout his career.^[3] His repertoire included Almaviva, Don José, Toinet in Le chemineau, Clément in La Basoche, Armand in Massenet's Thérèse, Alfredo, Jean in Sapho, Rabaud's Mârouf, Vincent in Mireille, Wilhelm in Mignon, Pedro in Laparra's La habanera, Des Grieux, Werther, Julien, Pinkerton and Cavaradossi as well as principal roles in many forgotten works.^[4] He performed alongside Mary Garden, Luisa Tetrazzini and Dame Nellie Melba.^{[citation needed]} He also gave the world premiere of Boulanger’s song cycle Clairières dans le Ciel, which Boulanger claimed was inspired by his voice.^{[citation needed]}

In 1909-10 Devriès took part in the final season of Oscar Hammerstein I's Manhattan Opera Company, singing a range of French opera, including Pelléas et Mélisande, which he also performed in 1910 at Covent Garden.^[5] He created the role of Paco in Manuel de Falla's La vie breve. He was also a very active singer in oratorio, in works ranging from J. S. Bach's St Matthew Passion to Berlioz' The Damnation of Faust.^[6]

References

1. ^ Albright, William, Georges Thill: Roi des Ténors Français (1990). The Opera Quarterly, 7 (3): pp. 164-165.
2. ^ Crutchfield, Will (1988-06-12), "Lending an Ear To the Strains Of Bel Canto", The New York Times, http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=940DE1DF1F30F931A25755C0A96E948260&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=all, retrieved 2008-04-11 
3. ^ Elizabeth Forbes. "Devriès." In The New Grove Dictionary of Opera, edited by Stanley Sadie. Grove Music Online. Oxford Music Online, http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com/subscriber/article/grove/music/O006518pg6 (accessed October 18, 2010).
4. ^ M. Scott, The Record of Singing II (Duckworth, London 1979), 35.
5. ^ Elizabeth Forbes. "Devriès." In The New Grove Dictionary of Opera, edited by Stanley Sadie. Grove Music Online. Oxford Music Online, http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com/subscriber/article/grove/music/O006518pg6 (accessed October 18, 2010)
6. ^ Scott 1979, 35-36.

External links

• Biography
• Recording of Devriès singing "Rêverie de Georges Brown" from François-Adrien Boïeldieu's opera La Dame blanche

Persondata
Name	Devries, David
Alternative names
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Date of birth	February 14, 1881
Place of birth
Date of death	July 17, 1936
Place of death