Marguerite Bériza

Marguerite Bériza (1880 – 1970) was a French opera singer who had an active international career during the first half of the 20th century. She began her career as a mezzo-soprano at the Opéra-Comique in 1900; ultimately transitioning into the leading soprano repertoire at that theatre in 1912. She performed extensively in the United States from 1914–1917 and was also heard as a guest artist at theatres in the French provinces, Monaco, Portugal, and Switzerland during her career. In 1924 she founded her own opera company in Paris with whom she actively performed up until 1930.

During her early career, Bériza was married to the French tenor Lucien Muratore. In 1906–1907, they appeared on several Edison cylinder recordings together where she was billed under the name Magli Muratore. She was also billed under that name on a 1910 Pathé Records recording which also included performances by Jane Marignan, Albert Vaguet, and Henri Albers. She divorced Muratore in 1913 so he could marry the soprano Lina Cavalieri. On the stage she performed mainly under the name Marguerite Bériza, sometimes shortening it to Magli Bériza. However, she was occasionally billed under the surname Dériza and in her latter career as Mme Bériza-Greven, probably after a second marriage.

Born in France, Bériza was trained at the Conservatoire de Paris. She made her professional opera debut in 1900 at the Opéra-Comique in Paris where she was heard mostly in comprimario roles from the mezzo-soprano repertoire during the early part of her career. She performed the part of Geoffroy in the world premiere of Henri Rabaud's La fille de Roland in 1904. In 1906, she sang the role of Kate Pinkerton in the French premiere of Giacomo Puccini's Madame Butterfly; later taking over the part of Suzuki in successive performances. In 1910, she portrayed the role of Pénélope in the world premiere of Claude Terrasse's Le mariage de Télémaque.

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