Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1888-02-08
SIBYL SANDERSoN.
HER SUCCESSFUL DEBUT on THE
LYRIC STAGE.
A Sacramento Girl Wins Highes,
Honors from the Leading
Critics of Europe.

The dispatches announce the debut of
Miss Sibyl Sanderson, daughter of the late
Judge Sanderson, at The Hague. This is
confirmed by dispatches from private
sources. 1t will probably be of interest TO
our readers and the friends of Miss Sander
son to say that the debut was made under
| the name of Ada Palmer y but she will
resume her own, now that the very try
ing ordeal has been successfully passed
before number of the worlds most criti-
cal audiences.
Miss Sanderson was born in Sacramento
and is about "A years of age, but when
about the family removed TO San Fran
cisco, which has been her home, with the
exception of the short time she has spent
in Europe She showed no early indica-
ton whatever of being a musician, aud it
was by the Increst accident, during her visit
in Paris some few years ago, that it was
discovered she possessed n voice wonderful
in its purity and register. Her mother
could hardly be persuaded to put her under
a teacher for the proper cultivation of it,
but at last yielded. She has not studied, il
is said, under the special direction of any
one master Tor any great length of time
but has been fortunate in having all of the
very best instructors, and her progress
from the beginning has been rapid. This
has been, not only because of her talent
for music, but because she had no faulty
methods to eradicate, and ii was pure,
natural voice, that needed only the master
to train it TO its present state, which all
critics who have listened to her pronounce
| phenomenal.
Before his death her father gave his con-
sent, free from all restrictions, to her adopt
ing the operate stage, but was only in
duced to do this upon the Recommendation
OF the very best authorities that his daugh-
ter possessed a remarkable voice, and one
which should be distinguished in the
musical world. Miss Sanderson. after the
death OF her father, returned to California
but after stay of a few months returned to
| Paris to re-enter the Conservative" from
| which she had special leave of absence, but
was required to return by certain time or
forfeit her scholarship. She had entered
| the Conservatoire under the most fattering
conditions, and had the encouragement of
the Directors, among whom was Ambrose
Thomas The strain, however, upon pupils
is so great that but few pass successfully
and retain their strength, and SO after a
time Miss Sibyl left there and for a short
time was with Strakosch, who died last
year. His wife, Carlotte Patti, sister of the
great Adelina, pronounced Miss Sander
sons voice like the great divas when she
was of the same age.
Then NJ. Carvalho, who was at the time
the Government Director of the Opera
Comique, with his wife, who was once one
of the celebrated singers of Europe, took
her, and under Nine. Carvalho she made
great progress. NJ. Carvalho anticipated
bringing her out at the Opera Comique. but
his plans, OF course, were paralyzed by the
destruction of that theater and for which
he was censured by the Government and
required to pay fine.
NJ. Gounod, the worlds great composer.
having heard Miss Sibyl sing, was so
pleased that he undertook the guidance of
her future and gave her, up to the time of
her debut, such encouragement and assist
ance as he alone could, taking her fire.
quentiy to the Grand Opera House to ac.
custom her to the business, introducing her
to the artists on the stage, and during the
performance one evening of his own
" Faust he introduced her as the coming
Marguerite"
But the credit in fact for The successful
debut of Miss Sibyl is due to the efforts of
NJ. MasSanet, the celebrated composer. who
has been wildly enthusiastic over the voice
ne intended giving the world, and it has
been under his immediate direction that
she Las so successfully made her debut.
Miss Sibyls really first introduction to
artistic and literary Paris, occurred on the
evening OF January 10th, at the hotel of
Nine. Poirson, who had heard her few
evenings before at Il prominent bankers
house, where she had dined The banker
and his wife were so much delighted with
the new voice that she and her husband
called upon Miss Sibyl and Mrs Sanderson
and asked that they would set an evening
upon which they would come to her hotel
and to which should be invited all the
artistic and literary people of that great
artistic center of the world Paris As she
was under the direction of Massanet. an
evening was selected by him, and Judging
by the information from private sources,
and from the leading newspapers of Paris
her reception was an enthusiastic one, and
she was congratulated upon all Sides
Among those who thus accorded her Il
warm congratulatory greeting was Chris
tine Nilsson, " hich was praise indeed.
NJ. Talazac, the great tenor of the Opera
Comique, sang with her, while Nine. Poir-
son accompanied them on the organ. and
Massenet upon the piano. The music rem
dered was from Massenet's opera "Manon."
which las never been sung but once in
Paris. and then by Heilbrunn. who died
soon after creating the part. Until Miss
Sihyl's advent, Massenet has not cared 10
lntrust the part 10 any other singer, but he
declares that in her he has found his ideal,
and the result is the reproduction of the
opera, which is not only beautiful but very
difficult music.
Among the complimentary criticisms
concerning the evening at Madame Poir-
sons hotel, are the following from the
leading Paris papers. lie Figaro says:
very interesting musicale occurred yester-
day evening mt Place Malesherbes. Massanet
had assemblea at the residence OF N. and Nine.