Description

DAVID ETIENNE JOSEPH DEVRIÈS (BAGNERES-DE-LUCHON, FRANCE, 14 FEBRUARY, 1882 – NEUILLY-SUR-SEINE, FRANCE, 17 JULY, 1936)

 

 

 

 

He made his debut in 1904 at the Théâtre Montparnasse as Gérald in Lakmé, but the main part of his career was devoted to the Opéra-Comique, where he sang roles such as Almaviva, Don José, Armand in Massenet’s Thérèse, Alfredo, Jean in Massenet’s Sapho, Clément in Messager’s La Basoche, Vincent in Mireille, Wilhelm in Mignon, Des Grieux, Werther, Julien, Pinkerton, Cavaradossi, and many others. In 1909, he took part in the revival of Boieldieu’s La Dame Blanche and remained a paradigmatic Georges Brown. That same year, he went to New York, invited by Oscar Hammerstein, to sing at the Manhattan Theatre, where he performed various roles, including Ange Pitou in Lecocq’s La Fille de Madame Angot and Sylvain in Maillart’s Les Dragons de Villars.

More importantly, during this time, he sang the role of Pelléas in Debussy’s masterwork for the first time in his career. Still in America, alongside Mary Garden, he performed as Araquil in La Navarraise and Alain in Grisélidis. Interestingly, Garden had taken over the title role in Massenet’s Le Jongleur de Notre-Dame, originally composed for a tenor. However, when she was traveling, Devries also sang this role, giving local audiences the opportunity to hear the part in both soprano and tenor versions.

Later, he sang Pelléas at Covent Garden and Nicias (from Thaïs) in Monte Carlo. In Nice, he created the role of Paco in the world premiere of Falla’s La Vida Breve. He also performed as a soloist in recitals and concerts, singing in St. Matthew Passion as well as in Berlioz’s La Damnation de Faust.

 

 

TRACKLIST

 

 

Don Giovanni (Mozart) O mon trésor suprême, pt 1, pt 2 188.760 188.760 Ki3655 Ki3656 Odeon, Paris 1930-09-25

Faust (Gounod) Choral des épées (w. Belhomme, Dangès & Nansen) 0765 0765 Pathé, Paris 1910/1911

Faust (Gounod) Salut, demeure 4790 Pathé, Paris 1907

Faust (Gounod) Salut, demeure chaste et pure 123.552 XXP6671 Odeon, Paris 1928-05-22

Fille de Mme Angot (Lecocq) Choeur des conspirateurs (w. Dangès, Nansen & Belhomme) 0776 Pathé, Paris 1910/1911

Fille de Mme Angot (Lecocq) Voyons, Monsieur, raisson nous politique (w. Lejeune) 70025 Victor, 1910-04-04

Fortunio (Messager) J’aimais la vieille maison grise 188.525 Ki1212 Odeon, Paris 1927-05

Fortunio (Messager) Si vous croyez que vais dire 188.525 Ki1211 Odeon, Paris 1927-05

Griselidis (Massenet) Je suis l’oiseau 188.523 Ki 1199-1 Odeon, Paris 1927-04 (end)

Griselidis (Massenet) Ouvrez-vous sur mon front 188.523 Ki 1216-2 Odeon, Paris 1927-05

J’ai trouvé trois filles (Goublier) 4474 Pathé, Paris 1907

Jocelyn (Godard) Caches dans cet asile… Oh ne t’eveille pas encore 166.257  Ki 3739-2 Odeon, Paris 1928-04-26

Jolie Fille de Perth (Bizet) Choeur de la forge (w. Belhomme, de Poumayrac & Dangès) 0855 Pathé, Paris 1910/1911

Jongleur de Notre Dame (Massenet) C’est elle que mon coeur 171.034 XXP6490 Odeon, Paris 1927-05