Yvonne de Tréville (August 25, 1881 — January 25, 1954) was an American coloratura soprano, born Edyth Le Gierse.
Early life Edyth Le Gierse was born in Galveston, Texas; her father was French-speaking, and her mother was from New Orleans, Louisiana."Miss de Tréville a Linguist" New York Times (January 15, 1912): 9. She studied voice with Mathilde Marchesi in Paris.Ellis L. Moore, Francis Moore: A Musician's Life (XLibris 2007): 193.
Career
Yvonne de Tréville made her debut in New York in 1897, and the next year was playing Mimi in the New York debut of Puccini's La Bohème. In 1902 she first appeared with the Paris Opéra-Comique as Lakmé."De Treville as 'Lakmé' with Cleveland Opera" Musical America (September 23, 1916): 35. Over the following decade, she sang in Stockholm, St. Petersburg, Budapest, Nice, Berlin, Bucharest, Prague, Frankfurt, Cologne, Hanover, Cairo, and Brussels; she was noted for her strong language skills. She sang Mimi again at the Vienna Court Opera in 1909 and 1910. She returned to the United States in 1912.Ashot Arakelyan, "Yvonne de Tréville" Forgotten Opera Singers (May 25, 2016). Tréville appeared on the Broadway stage in Carmen in 1918 and 1919.Yvonne de Tréville's listing on Playbill.
In her later career she focused on concert singing, touring, arranging songs, and teaching voice in New York."An Original Artist and Patriotic Woman" Musical Leader (July 12, 1917): 40. She was associated with the Interstate Grand Opera Company, to bring opera music to the American midwest."Yvonne de Treville Prima Donna of Interstate Grand Opera Company" Musical Monitor (October 1916): 77. Composers Mary Carr Moore, Gertrude Ross, and Gena Branscombe composed and dedicated songs to Yvonne de Tréville, songs which she performed in her Three Centuries of Prime Donne show for several seasons."Yvonne de Treville" Musical Monitor (November 1916): 129."First Costume Song Recital" Los Angeles Times (February 18, 1914): II6. In 1914, she sang a recital at sea for the sailors, after her concert appearances in Honolulu, Hawaii."Gave a Concert in Mid-Ocean; Yvonne de Treville Sang for the Sailors" Los Angeles Times (February 7, 1914): II6.
During World War I she was active performing for war relief causes."Yvonne de Treville Gives Vacation to Patriotic Work" The Musical Leader (August 30, 1917): 206. She gave a concert for the Aviation Corps in Mineola, New York,"Yvonne de Treville Sings for Aviators" Musical Leader (September 20, 1917): 291. and at a rally for the American Red Cross."Yvonne de Treville Delights New York Bohemians at Red Cross Rally" Musical Leader (September 27, 1917): 305. She also chaired a wartime committee promoting the writing of new patriotic songs."Yvonne de Treville Chairman of New Music Committee of National Patriotic Song Committee" Musical Leader (August 16, 1917): 162."Yvonne de Tréville Sings New Patriotic Songs" Musical Courier (August 9, 1917): 8. In 1925, she appeared in the world premiere of Charles Wakefield Cadman's opera The Garden of Mystery at Carnegie Hall.
Personal life Yvonne de Tréville died in 1954, aged 72 years."Miss De Treville, Opera Singer, 72" New York Times (January 27, 1954): 27.
References
External links A 1916 recording of Yvonne de Tréville, singing "L'Eclat de rire" from Manon Lescaut, in the UCSB Cylinder Audio Archive, Special Collections, University of California Santa Barbara Libraries. Yvonne de Tréville's listing on IBDB.