The record-union., 1894-11-07
TIE SACRAMENTO PARISIENNE.
SibJ Sanderson, Who Brought All
Paris to Her Feet.
After Five Years of Operatic Triumph
She is Coming Back. for She is
Still an American.
TSan Francisco Examiner.

in Paris not only as the typical beauty,
but the typical woman of the French
Capital. Her dresses are admired as her
singing is praised. Her perfect figure
and her fair face are extolled, while her
acting is commended. Sibyl Sanderson
Is Partisan star, and she is coming to
America to sing at the head of the Paris
Grand Opera Company.
Miss Sanderson's early education was
altogether Californian. When she was
child Sacramento had more CT social
prominence in comparison with San
Francisco than it now has. While she
was still a young girl her father moved to
San Francisco.
The eminent man, able equally as
pleader, advocate and jurist, the Chief
Justice Of the Supreme Court of the State,
then the chief of the law department of
the Central Pacific Railroad, looked upon
his daughter Sibyl almost with alteration.
1t is related OF him that sitting in his
residence in the evening, while pretend
ing to read, he would look over his book
and follow with his eyes every move
ment OF his favorite child. This daughter
III many respects resembles her intellect
ual parent. She has the same active
temperament, she has dominating will,
girl was worthy in appearance the admir-
ing gaze of mon who had not the interest
OF a father in her development and her
graces. To unusual endowment by
nature she added the witchery OF tanciful
adornment of her figure.
She was wooed, as such women are
sure 10 be wooed, by young men dis
tracted by her many charms. That she
did not marry here was not that fortunes
were never laid at her feet. Twice was
she engaged to young men of San Fran
cisco, and either one would have brought
her estates and bonds, as well as social
status equal to her own. She was not DER
anxious To wed, however, and each of the
engagements was made but to be broken.
While receiving her education in Sac
ramento and this city she gave much at
tention to music and to French. AS she
came to maturity her voice developed
into a wonder IN musical expression.
Sine sang to perfection the ornate music
of the modern French school and some
music OF the Italian composers. Ardlti'S
I'll Bacio" was revelation as she sang
1t, and any man who heard that waltz
and did not want to dance with the fair
singer and steal from her lips the title of
the song was either hopeless invalid or
q miSanthrOpe.
The death OF her father caused no long
interruption in her studies. She contn-
ued to sing and to improve in voice and
method, in face and figure and in favor
with mankind.
Miss Sanderson's inclination for the
opera received sn impulse at the time
Patti and Scalchi and Emma Nevada
sang at the Grand Opera House. She was
much with the members OF the opera
company, so much so that the society gos-
sips whispered strange things about ro-
mantle attachment between her and Car
djnali, the young Italian tenor of heroic
figure, Boccaccian eyes and uncertain
voice.
Soon after this opera season was over
Mrs. Sanderson and her daughters left for
Europe. In Paris Miss SibyI began the
arduous study that brought about her tri-
umphs on the stage. She attended the
Paris Conservatory, and aiterward was
instructed by Sbriglia. She studied Manon
Lescaut with Leoncavallo, who was the
one TO bring about her acquaintance with
Massenet. She was also pupil of Mar
chesi, and under the composer Lalo she
studied his "Lakme."
Her debut was made at The Hague un-
der the name of Ada Palmer. She was
eminently successful. The opera Ma
non" was given twice at The Hague and
once in Amsterdam. a performance in
Paris was arranged, but Miss Sander
sons serious illness from scarlet lover
prevented the fulhllment Of this plan.
{ ssMeanwhile Massenet was writing "Es-
clarmonde," and he selected Sibyi San
derson as the only artist III France able
to sing the part. The first performance
came on the 10Th of May OF the exposition
year at the Opera Comique. The success
OF the opera and the singer is historical
III Paris. The wonderful note q in alt
was easily reached and sustained by this
wonderful soprano. Flowers filled the
apartments OF this American girl. Con-
gratulatiOnS came by mail and by cable
from America. Friends in San Francisco
6,4.
mian CLUB sent note Of compliment TO
the San francisco singer. In return came
a score of the opera wonderfully bound,
inscribed with message OF appreciation
from MaSsenet. Under his signature the
composer drew a staff and marked the
passage of music in which occurs the G.
in alt. Over the high note he wrote
''Sibyl Sanderson," and under it he
wrote in his heavy writing, "Neverthe-
less 1t is true" as though assuming that
no one could believe that any living
singer could give a sustained tone upon
that note.
Sibyl Sanderson sim ply signed the in
scription page. She wrote a note, how
ever, OF thanks to the club III which she
used the following language:
II have been made most proud by the
interest my people have taken in me, and
the greatest pleasure of my life will be
the day l first sing at home. ONLY
must work SO that l may be worthy of
my country people and make a name for
myseli. Then will l come To them."
Now Slbyl Sanderson is coming to
them. Since that Partisan debut in 1889
she has worked and she has made the
name she promised. "Esclarmonde', was
given 100 times In eight months, eighty
eight Of these performances being given
three each week-without a break. A
violent attack Of grip-among the first ia
Paris OF this then new diSease-delayed
the one hundredth representation some
what.
Afterwards came eight months at the
Theater de la Monnaie, in Brussels, in
which occurred eight debuts in as many
operas, followed by an engagement at
Covent Garden, in London.
Like most OF the stars Of the opera in
Paris, Miss SanderSon has had summer
engagements at various watering places
one at AiX-leS- -Bains in 1891, another at
Nichy in 1873 and this summer at Rowan.
where she has sung with great success in
sManoD," Romeo and Juliet and
"Phryne."
II was at the Opera Comique, in the
autumn of 1891, that q second Parisiau
trirlmph was made, this time in Ma
non.n Then it was that Sibyl Sanderson.
the Sacramento girl, was designated as
's,he typical ParisieDne." In appearance.
dress. language, action, spirit she is the
ideal of The French. NithaI she gives
the most cordial, unaffected hospitality to
san Francisco friends who visit her in
Paris. The family has never been separ-
ated in Paris. Mrs. SanGerson and her
four daughters always live under one
roof Though Sibyl is the notable star OF
the family ner sisters have not been idle.
Miss Marion is ain artist, and also has a
taste for letters. and publication of some
OF her writings with illustrations by her.
self is Dromised. Miss Edith, the young