Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1894-12-23


Now, since Gounod's death, Jules
Massenet has been the foremost ope-
ratio composer 10 all France. He Is as
ardent and enthusiastic as If he were
% instead OF 80 odd, and being married
to charming wife does not prevent
him from having an eye for beauty. He
sought an introduction to the fair Call
foruian. "Ah, madamoiselle. he ex-
claimed, ait is a heavenly voice that
you have, and when it is somewhat
more trained beg that you Will do me
the honor TO permit me to write an
opera especially for you, and teach you
daily how to sing it,"
THE EARLY BIRD.
Miss Sanderson is cool, calm, far
seeing young woman, who knows that
good luck and hard work are kith and
kin, aud always keep within calling
distance of each other. There is say
ing in France that Paris belongs TO
those who rise early. So she worked
early and late, developed style, stud
led action, and did not permit the com
poser's favor to persuade her
that she knew more thh Mar
chesl. The result was that Massen-
cts musical enthusiasm for her
kept pace with his personal fondness,
and when she came to him, a finished
musician, he kept his word, wrote
"EscIarmonde" for her, and instilled
in her, with infinite pains, his own
| ideas of how 1t should be sung. Mas
senet and the cabtatrice spent year
working together on "Esclarmonde,
and the composers reward came when
his favorlte made the opera far
greater success than it would have been
without her. II owe it all TO her." he
, told his friends one day, when they
congratulated him upon the popularity
OF his opera.
A TRYING NIGHT.
Massenet wrote "Manon" for Miss
Sanderson, coaching her as carefully as
in "Esclarmonde," and then came the
effort TO place the songstress on the
Paris Grand Opera stage, where one
must appear il one would be an operate
artist OF the very first rank. He wrote
lie Mage" for her, and the work was
considered suitable for the Grand
Opera; but there were jealousies and
objections were made TO his pupil by
the management. Miss Sanderson, so
the story goes, told Massenet
frankly that she would cut him
II he did not procure for her the
coveted honor. He redoubled his efforts
and at last got her the engagement, but
the manager OF the opera had his re-
venge by putting lie Mage" into re-
hearsal while the American prima donna
was filling an engagement in Brussels,
and In consequence the part written for
Miss Sauderson was first interpreted by
some one else.
An, that frs. night was q trying one!
Sanderson was exceedingly angry, aud
her wrath included Massenet The
composers nerves-never very strong,
because OF the prodigious number
of very big, very black cigars he smokes
daily-were irrita.ed almost beyond
control, and before the night was over
he got into a quarrel with Laesalle, the
Dig baritone who sang at the Metropol-
itan last season, aud the two men came
within 80 ace OF fighting duel.
FINAL SUCCESS.
The friendship between Miss Sander
and Massenet was restored after 3 while
and the lovely American made her de-
but at tha opera IN "Thais," another
opera her maestro had written for her.
The opera was not particularly success
| full, but Miss Sanderson's part In the
produ brought her greater glory
| than ever before. Her critics had but
one more shaft 10 their culver. They
said: ''She has never made success In
anything except operas especially writ
ten to hide her defects and show her
good points to the best advantage. Let
Der sing music not written By Mas
senst."
This test was taken In triumph kt the
Grand Opera last June. when MiE So
derson sang "Juliette" In Gu
Romeo ct Juliette." Then
freely admitted that she had Gar
as the FreBch express IL.
The American urfm3 doQua