04/11/1869, Zürich, Switzerland – 15/08/1935, Neuilly-sur-Seine, France
Swiss dramatic soprano who had a major international opera career from 1892 to 1918. She was born with the name Bertha Agnès Lisette Schilling, and initially studied to be a pianist before deciding to pursue an opera career. Although she appeared throughout Europe and in the United States, Bréval spent most of her career performing with the Paris Opera where she became a greatly admired interpreter of French grand opera roles and Wagner heroines. She also specialized in the works of Gluck and Rameau, becoming particularly associated with the title roles in Gluck’s Armide and Rameau's Hippolyte et Aricie. A favorite of the composers of her day, such as Massenet and Dukas, Bréval sang in numerous world premières during her career.
