BRÉVAL, LUCIENNE

BRÉVAL, LUCIENNE (née Berthe Schilling, 1869–1935), French soprano singer. Breval was born in Maennedorf (Switzerland) and studied at the conservatories of Geneva and Paris, where in 1892 she made her opera debut (as Selika in meyerbeer 's L'Africaine), and where she remained a star for nearly 30 years, excelling in Wagner roles. She sang the title role in the first performances of Faure's Pénélope (Monte Carlo, 1913) and appeared at the Metropolitan (first New York performance of Reyer's Salammbô, 1901. and at Covent Garden. An artist of noble voice and grand, elevated style, she was the leading French soprano of her day. (Max Loppert (2nd ed.)