Description

JOSÉ DE TRÉVI (LUTTICH, BELGIUM, 31 MARCH, 1880 – BRUSSELS, BELGIUM, 21 JANUARY, 1958)

His real name was Joseph Willemsen. After his studies in Brussels, he began his career as an operetta singer in Belgium in 1912. He made his debut at the Théâtre de la Monnaie in Brussels in 1919. In 1922, he performed at the Théâtre Trianon-Lyrique in Paris in Pêcheurs de perles, La Bohème, and Il Matrimonio Segreto by D. Cimarosa.

His career was divided between the Grand Opéra in Paris, where he made his debut in Siegfried in 1930, and the opera house in Brussels. In 1930, he sang the role of Pylades in Iphigénie en Tauride in Amsterdam, and also performed this role at the Théâtre de la Monnaie.

During the 1930s, his voice developed into a heroic tenor. After additional study under Pintorno, he began performing in works such as La Damnation de Faust, Die Walküre, Carmen, and Marouf by H. Rabaud. At the Grand Opéra, Paris, he sang in the premieres of Maximilien by D. Milhaud (January 5, 1932), Oedipe by G. Enescu (March 10, 1936), and La Samaritaine by M. d’Olonne (June 23, 1937). In 1942, he performed the title role in Palestrina by H. Pfitzner. At the opera house in Nice in 1935, he appeared in the premiere of Quatre-Vingt-Treize by C. Silver.

He also made a guest appearance at the Vienna State Opera in 1937. He later resided in Brussels.

Chronology of some appearances

Les Cloches de Corneville – La Fille de Madame Angot – Il Barbiere di Siviglia – Die Meistersinger (Walther) – Brussels, Th. des Galeries, 1917/8 – 1914 (The Sergeant) – Brussels, Th. des Galeries, 1917/8 – La Fille du Regiment – Brussels, Th. des Galeries, 1917/8 – Louise (Noctambule) – Brussels, Th. des Galeries, 1917/8 – Siegfried – Paris, opera, 20 December 1930 – Tristan and Isolde – Die Meistersinger – Die Gotterdammerung – Otello – Herodiade – Samson et Dalila – Marouf – Salammbo – Penelope – Salome – Monna Vanna – Lakme – Rolande – Boris Godunov (Shuisky) – Iphigenie en Tauride – La Damnation de Faust – Les Troyens – La Traviata – La Tour de Feu – Werther – La Duchesse de Padoue – Maximilien – Un Jardin sur l’Orente – Perkain – Oedipe – La Samaritaine – Medee – Palestrina-Paris, Opera, 1942.

TRACKLIST

1. Carmen (Bizet) Je suis Escamillo (w. Musy) HMV L707 (0234026)
2. Carmen (Bizet) La fleur HMV L702 (0232291)
3. Carmen (Bizet) Non! Tu ne m’aimes pas (w. Perelli) HMV L703 (0234025)
4. Carmen (Bizet): Parle-moi de ma mère (w. Brothier) HMV L697 (0234020)
5. Carmen (Bizet): Qui sait de quel démon (w. Brothier) HMV L698 (0234021)
6. Carmen (Bizet) Près des remparts de Séville (w. Perelli) HMV L699 (0234022)
7. Carmen (Bizet) Va-t’en! Va-t’en! (w. Perelli, Lebard, Fenoyer, Cornellier, Payen, Brothier & Musy) HMV L708 (0234038)
8. Jongleur de Nôtre-Dame (Massenet) Alleluia du vin (w. chorus) HMV W1028 (032516)
9. Juive (Halévy) Rachel, quand du Seigneur, pt 1 Pathé X90044 X90044
10. Juive (Halévy) Rachel, quand du Seigneur, pt 2 Pathé X90044 N250245
11. La Damnation de Faust (Berlioz) Choeur de gnomes et de sylphes with Charles Panzera Gramophone 52-893
12. La Damnation de Faust (Berlioz) La course a l’abime Gramophone 52-905
13. La Damnation de Faust (Berlioz) Nature immense Gramophone 52-904
14. Marouf (Rabaud) Dans le jardins fleuri HMV P782 (4-32823)
15. Paganini (Lehár) Belle Italie HMV K5452 (2-232903)
16. Tannhauser (Wagner) Entends Wolfram Gramophone W-1088
17. Tannhauser (Wagner) je vis celui qui de Dieu tient la place Gramophone W-1088
18. Tannhäuser (Wagner) Le chant du Concours HMV W1088 CF 3083
19. Tannhauser (Wagner) Reine d’amour Gramophone P 851
20. Werther (Massenet) Lorsque l’enfant revient HMV P767 (4-32811)
21. Werther (Massenet) Pourquoi me réveiller HMV P767 (4-32810)