Déryné, Róza

(real name, German: Schenbach; Hungarian: Széppataki). Born Dec. 24, 1793, in Jászbereny; died Sept. 29, 1872, in Miskolc. Hungarian actress and opera singer (soprano); one of the founders of the Hungarian professional theater.

Déryné made her debut as a dramatic actress in Pest in 1810. In 1815 she appeared on the stages of many cities of Hungary, playing the roles of Mary Stuart in Maria Stuart by Schiller, Sappho in Sappho by Grillpartzer, and Melinda in Bánk Bán by Katona. Déryné was the leading opera singer in the theaters of Kolozsvár and Pest. Among her roles were Rosina in The Barber of Seville by Rossini, Norma in Norma by Bellini, and Constancia in The Abduction From the Seraglio by Mozart. Her dramatic abilities and the power and beautiful timbre of her voice helped her create vivid characters. In 1853 she left the stage, performing at concerts. Déryné was the author of memoirs that are a unique chronicle of the Hungarian theater.