New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1885-12-06
THE COMING SINGER.
MADAME FIDES DEVRIES AS AMERICAN
WIFE AND FRENCH PRIMA DONNA.


acter of Chimene in Massencts Cid" at the Grand
Opera, is American who came very near being
born on the stage. Her mother. that night was
singing the part of Fide8 in the Prophet" at the
Opera House in New-Orleans two or three hours
after the performance the little girl was born, and
the happy mamma celebrated the event by calling
her baby girl FIdes." Madame Fides Devries's
father and mother were singers of renownj her
mother was Creole and sang for a long time in
America Every member of their large family was
gifted by the Muse of Muses.. Music. Madame
Devress two brothers. Maurice aud Hermann, are
distinguished singers and her sister Jeanne has
often sung in public; she is the wife of NJ.
DereiIns, of the Grand Opera.
The extraordinary strength and register OF
Madame Devriess magnificent voice enable her to
undertake such roles fides in the Prophet" and
at the time compete with any soprano legere IN
such parts as Ophelio in Hamlet She has the
finest voice in the world" Ponce heard Nine.
Marches say. At the beginning of her career for
three years and half she sang with success in
Brussels, and was filling an engagement at the
Grand Opera of Paris when she betr0thed herself to
VI. Hermann Adler 1t didn't take much urging on
her husbands part to gain her consent to quit the
stage. Although loving her art Madame DeVries
hail. and confesses that she still has, uhconquer-
able dislike to the theatre, the stage and all their
paraphernalia. She has an innate borTOr of les
coalsses which has not essened been controlled
by familiarity with them. | have doubt that
macy artists have that same dread of them,
although often unavowed That repulson of lee
coulisses is much atteuuated through the wedding
of ohes "drcctOrr or impressariO and that
probably is the reason many artists marry their
managers. That was not the with the Adlers,
however VI. Adler frequently remarks that he
married the woman and not the public singer. and
from the time OF her marriage until her rrappear
anco on the stage for the celebration of the 200 the
representation of Hamlet" she sang but once IN
public. ut La Haye at the benefit OF one OF her
brothers No will blame her husband for
wanting to keep her all to himself for she Is a
lovely and most wOmany woman She is now
harassed to death With rehearsals for the Cld.'
Every day, every day, sing, sing sing! They Kill
artists with rehedrsals at that house! My wife
only huns her part. else she would not have any
voice left Tor che PREMIERE said the disconsoate
husband TO me. NJ. Adler is manly enough to be of
the opinion of Americans, that wonan's place Is
the home while mans is ut the plough.
found Mon-icurand Madame Adler snugly seated
In soft. comfortable arm-chairs before a cheerful
wood fire. the pretty wife wearing an exquisite
loose gown of old gold and green plush opening on II
front of lace embroidered in old gold. graceful
lace hood lined with pink silk thrown over her
shoulders. Between the answers to the questions
put 10 them my attention was arrested by the click
of billiard ball, in the next room.
/ We were in the midst OF game of billiards
/ when you came and my sister and hrother-ln-law
are practising 10 beat us at the ncNt game
smiInglv said Nine Deyries. 1t Is easy to see that
tine younr wife il a charming household divinity
and does not need the feycrIshness OF glory aud
applause to make her thoroughly happy. She does
not possess either the nervous rcsc>sucss nor the
desire of absorbing all attention with which many
GREAT artists nre afflicted. II needs no penetration
IN see that the husband il the loving and loved
master of this house and that the wife g!orles IN It,
/ In this cosy, warm nest, seeing NJ Little ones
running about | asked if the children were in the
nursery.
Unfortunately have none; that il the skeleton
/ I'm our closet Believe mo, ! should never have
consented 20 sing on the stage again II had had i
/ child born 20 ] adore children, and have
I ,one" sadly said the singer. Almost two years
T AGO. nj the earnest solicitation of Ambrose Thomas
and NJ Vancorbiel she consented to sing Ophc'ic in
Hamlet but only for once, and that the OCCASION
/ Of the yOOth performance. Since the Inauguration
; Of the new q era House no one has had "a greater
succcSs After the trio of the oratory and attc the
crazy scene the house. carried away with enthn~l-
/ asm show cred cheer upon cheer on the lhcoHl-
parabs Oph,lie No one would have lelle'ed the
public OF the Grand Opera capable Of Sucl
/ applause But to all appearances the dark spot on
/ that brilliant success was that was to have no
! duplicates Madame Fdes Deyries declared that
/ She yould make no engagements, notwithstanding
the latcring offers then and there set before her
| II was not explained to me why that vow was
| broken. But, fortunately for the French she
co sented to give few representations OF faust
r and Hamlet" ut the Grand Opera; and. fortuna
tcly for Mas-enets new opera, the Cid he mas
/ fonnd in her "A perfect Chhaene. who is one Of the
most beautiful typos of women that poetry has c' er
| created Moreover Madame Dcyrics Is to sing III
/ ,morica next year. She is very fond of America
indeed she told me she would willingly consent to
| live there altogether If It were not for her nus
hand. preference for France. Her love Tor your
country WAS more than likely the only induceInent
/ which prompted her to sign contract WIN
! Maurice Strakosch year ago. she was 10 sung
there this winter; but when tho negotiations were
pending between the composer and the directors Oh
/ the Grand Opera for the creation OF the Clu'
! Masscnet consented to gyo his work only OH lHe
condition that Fdcs Deyres would take the rOic oi
! Chimcne She was Immediately consulted on the
matter, and all dcpO.cd the contract Tor America
! Conld il be brokers Wonld Maurice Strakosch
! consent To defer the engagement Inc SINGER aS
| far AS she was cOncerEed would willingly wait To
create ChineRe and 50 have that part in addition to
her former repertoire. After much parleyIhs NJ
! StraLosch consented on the payment OF an III
dcmnity of $4,000. to change tue date OF Nine
| Deyrics's tour to America to one year hence Sho
! will there give fifty performances az 2 ooo u
uigbt Maurice StTakOsCh ~ To have nan OF INC SUM
/ ns security in tho Bank of France; A..
! Madame Dcgrics speaks, reads ana Wits t, ",
! English Language perfectly. sne ~ ih'ei'S''" III
| every thing that goes on in America . A.. +,,, 90
really look forward" she said, TO the trlp 10
| nv native land with much pleasure. want 10 see
! tLe house in which was bora III New-Orleahs' l,
il only because of that pleasure that my husOnnd
| has Mt all consented to the tour: for linlSeh'
tank he looks ut it in tho light OF pore re Is
like all Parisans only satisfied when ne IS WltLllI
the walls of his beloved city; and she glanced