Devriès family

The Devriès family was a three-generation family of professional operatic singers whose careers extended from the middle of the nineteenth century into the early twentieth century. Of Dutch descent, the family became associated primarily with French operatic institutions while also working in Belgium, Italy, Spain, Portugal, the Netherlands, Canada and the United States. Their activities illustrate the international character of nineteenth-century opera, when singers moved between national theatres, touring companies, conservatories and major metropolitan opera houses. The family’s best-documented first generation in the reference material is Rosa de Vries-van Os, a soprano born in The Hague in 1824. She made her debut there and subsequently performed in New Orleans, Canada and Italy. Her marriage and family connections established the line from which several later professional singers emerged. Rosa was the mother of Jeanne, Fidès, Maurice and Hermann Devriès, four performers who developed substantial careers in different voice types and institutions. Jeanne Devriès, a soprano born in New Orleans, made her Paris debut at the Théâtre Lyrique in 1867 as Amina in the French version of La sonnambula. During the same period she took leading roles in productions including La jolie fille de Perth, Martha and Il barbiere di Siviglia. She later appeared in Brussels under the name Jeanne Devriès-Dereims after marrying the singer Dereims, and toured with him in Portugal. Much of the remainder of her career was spent in France, where her repertoire included roles such as Catarina in Les diamants de la couronne, Marguerite in Faust and the Queen of the Night in La flûte enchantée. Fidès Devriès, another daughter of Rosa, was a soprano born in New Orleans in 1852. Trained by the celebrated tenor Gilbert Duprez, she debuted at the Théâtre Lyrique in 1868 and subsequently sang at La Monnaie in Brussels and the Paris Opera. Her repertoire encompassed major French, Italian and German roles, including Marguerite in Faust, Ophélie in Hamlet, Isabelle in Robert le diable, Sélika in L’Africaine, Mathilde in Guillaume Tell and Eudoxie in La Juive. She also appeared in Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony with the Société des Concerts du Conservatoire. After an interruption in her career, she returned to the stage, performed in several European cities and created Chimène in the premiere of Massenet’s Le Cid in 1885. Her final major appearance was as Elsa in the French premiere of Wagner’s Lohengrin in 1887; she retired in 1889. The sons Maurice and Hermann Devriès pursued lower male voice careers. Maurice, a baritone born in New York in 1854, debuted in Liège in 1874 and worked at La Monnaie in Brussels. He created Gunther in Ernest Reyer’s Sigurd in 1884 and later performed in Italy and the United States, including appearances with the Metropolitan Opera from 1895 to 1898. Hermann, born in New York in 1858, was a baritone or bass who studied with Faure. He debuted at the Paris Opera in 1878, joined the Opéra-Comique and later sang with the Metropolitan Opera from 1898 to 1900. The family’s third generation included David Devriès, Maurice’s son. A tenor trained at the Paris Conservatoire, David became associated with the Paris Opéra-Comique and was regarded as one of the leading French tenors of his period. He also left recordings, providing an enduring documentary trace of the family’s performing tradition. The Devriès family is therefore best understood not as a commercial brand or organized company, but as a historically connected lineage of singers whose careers linked French opera with the broader international operatic circuit.

The Devriès family comprised operatic singers of Dutch descent who were active over approximately three generations. Their careers unfolded during a period when opera was increasingly international: performers trained in one country commonly debuted in another, joined theatres in several cities and travelled with touring companies or visiting productions. The family’s professional geography included France, Belgium and the United States, with individual members also appearing in Italy, Canada, Portugal, Spain and the Netherlands. Rosa de Vries-van Os forms the principal documented foundation of the family in the available material. Born in The Hague on 12 April 1824, she made her debut there before continuing her career abroad. She sang at the Théâtre d'Orléans in New Orleans and also performed in Canada and Italy. Rosa’s children Jeanne, Fidès, Maurice and Hermann all entered the operatic profession, creating a family network that combined inherited artistic connections with the mobility expected of nineteenth-century singers. Rosa died in Rome on 30 March 1889. Jeanne Devriès was a soprano who was born in New Orleans and made her Paris debut at the Théâtre Lyrique in June 1867, at the age of seventeen, as Amina in La sonnambula. Her early Paris work included the title role in the premiere of La jolie fille de Perth, as well as Martha and Rosina. In Brussels she appeared as Jeanne Devriès-Dereims after marrying the singer Dereims. Her Brussels repertoire included Catarina in Les diamants de la couronne, Marguerite in Faust and the Queen of the Night in La flûte enchantée. She also toured Lisbon with her husband in 1878 and later spent most of her career in France. She died in 1924. Fidès Devriès was born in New Orleans on 22 April 1852. After studying with Duprez, she debuted as Rose-de-Mai in Le val d’Andorre at the Théâtre Lyrique in October 1868. She sang at La Monnaie in Brussels and joined the Paris Opera in 1871. Her repertoire covered a broad range of French grand-opera and related roles. In February 1873 she performed the soprano solo in Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony with the Société des Concerts du Conservatoire. Following a career interruption beginning in 1874, she returned to performance in 1883, appearing at the Théâtre-Italien and later at the Paris Opera. She toured Monte Carlo, Madrid, Lisbon and the Netherlands, created Chimène in the premiere of Le Cid in 1885 and sang Elsa in the French premiere of Lohengrin in 1887. She retired in 1889 and died in 1941. Maurice Devriès, born in New York in 1854, developed a baritone career beginning with his 1874 debut in Liège as Nevers in Les Huguenots. He was engaged by La Monnaie in Brussels and created Gunther in Sigurd in 1884. His later work extended to Italy and the United States. From 1895 to 1898 he appeared with the Metropolitan Opera in New York and on tour, performing in French, Italian and German repertoire. Maurice died in Chicago in 1919. Hermann Devriès, born in New York in 1858, was described variously as a baritone or bass. He studied with Faure and debuted at the Paris Opera in 1878. He later appeared at the Opéra-Comique, where his first role was Lothario in Mignon, and performed extensively in the Metropolitan Opera’s repertory between 1898 and 1900. His roles included parts in Roméo et Juliette, Il barbiere di Siviglia, Faust, Les Huguenots, Carmen, Don Giovanni, Das Rheingold, Le Prophète and Rigoletto. He died in Chicago in 1949. The third generation is represented in the supplied material by David Devriès, Maurice’s son. Trained at the Paris Conservatoire, David became a leading French tenor associated particularly with the Paris Opéra-Comique. He also made recordings, extending the family’s legacy beyond live theatre and into the early recording era. Taken together, the family’s careers demonstrate continuity across generations while also showing the varied routes available to opera singers through national theatres, international touring and metropolitan opera companies.

• 1898

  Hermann appears with the Metropolitan Opera

  [1]Devriès familyen.wikipedia.org

  Hermann Devriès performed with the Metropolitan Opera from 1898 to 1900.

• 1895

  Maurice appears with the Metropolitan Opera

  [1]Devriès familyen.wikipedia.org

  Maurice Devriès began a Metropolitan Opera engagement that continued through 1898 and included performances in New York and on tour.

• 1887

  Fidès sings Elsa in the French Lohengrin premiere

  [1]Devriès familyen.wikipedia.org

  Fidès Devriès appeared as Elsa in the French premiere of Lohengrin on 3 May.

• 1885

  Fidès creates Chimène in Le Cid

  [1]Devriès familyen.wikipedia.org

  Fidès Devriès created Chimène in the premiere of Le Cid on 30 November.

• 1884

  Maurice creates Gunther in Sigurd

  [1]Devriès familyen.wikipedia.org

  Maurice Devriès created the role of Gunther in the premiere of Sigurd.

• 1874

  Maurice Devriès debuts in Liège

  [1]Devriès familyen.wikipedia.org

  Maurice Devriès began his baritone career in Liège as Nevers in Les Huguenots.

• 1871

  Fidès joins the Paris Opera

  [1]Devriès familyen.wikipedia.org

  After work at La Monnaie in Brussels, Fidès Devriès joined the Paris Opera and expanded her grand-opera repertoire.

• 1868

  Fidès Devriès makes her professional debut

  [1]Devriès familyen.wikipedia.org

  Fidès debuted as Rose-de-Mai in Le val d’Andorre at the Théâtre Lyrique.

• 1867

  Jeanne Devriès debuts at the Théâtre Lyrique

  [1]Devriès familyen.wikipedia.org

  Jeanne Devriès made her Paris debut as Amina in La sonnambula and soon appeared in several leading roles at the theatre.

• 1824

  Birth of Rosa de Vries-van Os

  [1]Devriès familyen.wikipedia.org

  Rosa de Vries-van Os was born in The Hague, later becoming the central documented parent of the family’s professional operatic lineage.

A historically significant family lineage in nineteenth- and early twentieth-century opera, distinguished by international careers, strong connections with French opera institutions and representation across several voice types.

• Live opera

  Operatic performances

  The family’s principal artistic output was live operatic performance. Members appeared in French grand opera, opéra-comique and international repertory, taking soprano, tenor, baritone and bass roles at theatres in France, Belgium, the United States and elsewhere.

• Opera premieres

  Opera premieres and role creations

  Several family members participated in important first performances. Fidès Devriès created Chimène in Le Cid, while Maurice Devriès created Gunther in Sigurd. These engagements connected the family with the expansion of the nineteenth-century operatic repertoire.

• Concert performance · 1873

  Concert and symphonic singing

  Fidès Devriès also performed outside staged opera, including the solo soprano part in Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony with the Société des Concerts du Conservatoire in 1873.

• Audio recordings

  Recorded vocal performances

  David Devriès left recordings from his career as a French tenor, preserving part of the family’s performance tradition in the early recording era.

1. 1Devriès familyen.wikipedia.org