Wilhelmine Schröder-Devrient

Wilhelmine Schröder-Devrient (6 December 1804 – 26 January 1860), was a German operatic soprano. Her first role was at the age of fifteen as Aricia in Schiller's translation of Racine's Phèdre, and in 1821 she was received with so much enthusiasm as Pamina in Mozart's Die Zauberflöte that her future career in opera was assured. Meanwhile she had maintained her popularity at Dresden and elsewhere. She made her first Paris appearance in 1830, and s... more

Wilhelmine Schröder-Devrient (6 December 1804 – 26 January 1860), was a German operatic soprano. Her first role was at the age of fifteen as Aricia in Schiller's translation of Racine's Phèdre, and in 1821 she was received with so much enthusiasm as Pamina in Mozart's Die Zauberflöte that her future career in opera was assured. Meanwhile she had maintained her popularity at Dresden and elsewhere. She made her first Paris appearance in 1830, and sang in London in 1833 and 1837. Richard Wagner claims to have seen her as Leonore in Fidelio when he was 16, but this is almost certainly fanciful. He did hear (and conduct) her in numerous roles after 1834, however, and continued to laud her stage artistry right up until his essay "On Actors and Singers" (1872) which is dedicated to her memory. She created several roles for Wagner - Adriano in Rienzi, Senta in Der fliegende Holländer and Venus in Tannhäuser. Had Wagner's political profile not been compromised by his involvement with the... less