Birmingham state herald., 1897-04-18

fly, Sibyl. who was born in 1865. being the oldest. Their parents were able to give them practically whatever they wanted, and if any of them showed talent it was developed, regardless of expense. So it is that Edith plays ex- tremely well, Marion draws and paints with skill, Jennie is what is termed "social success" while Sibyl is number ed among prima donnas.
 After Judge Sanderson's death Sibyl, with her mother and sisters, set sail for Paris, where they lived for several years before any one of them returned to America.
 Miss Sanderson is of an almost statu- esque beauty, elegant and fairly tall, with a distinguished appearance and mobile figure, and. above all blessed with a voice which can soar to such heights as to appear almost supernat- ural. Until recently the high F has been considered the extreme limit of the soprano. Mozart, it is true, had the audacity to use it in the role of the Queen of the Night, in "The Magic Flute" because he had met with a singer who was able to rise to this height with such ease as to give the weird impression of a being soaring above ordinary mortalS.
 It was for a similar reason that NJ. Massenet intrusted the role of Esclar monde to Miss Sanderson. who has even greater claims to the part. for she can sing the upper G.
 She made her debut, under the name of Ada Palmer at The Hague, in "Manon," before a chance audience in 1888.
 In 1891 she appeared in London, but there she scored a partial failure. In Paris, however, afterward she won ne~ successes. She has sung in St. Peters burg, Brussels and other European capitals and has won her supreme ann bition of appearing at the Grand Opera House in Paris. Her reputation has been made chiefly in Massenet's operas.
 During the spring of 1894 Miss San derson created the title role in Masse- net and Gallet's new opera, "Thais." Her magnificent rendition of her part made her the regning queen of the opera that season.
 Like most new works produced in Paris, this opera has it's history of birth, and it happens to be very inter- esting. Early in January, 1892, a deli- cious book entitled "Thais," the author of which was M. Anatole, made it's ap- pearance, and it was, of course, re- viewed in all the leading journals. One morning Mme. Massenet read an article about it by Paul Desjardins, who after an enthusiastic eulogy of the work, concluded by wishing that it might inspire some great musician to make an opera of it, M. Massenet, for in- stance," whereupon she showed the pa- per to her husband and said, Do you not think that there is in this excellent advice for you as well as an agree able compliment?" E
 Ripe for ideas and always willing to be advised by his good wife, Massenet got the book and read it, and then, de- lighted with the form and the depth of the epic story, he went to find the mas ter writer and requested authorization to put to music the action, at once sim pie and passionate, the sentiments, in turn mystical and profoundly human, of his delicious work
 "Very willingly" responded the au- thor, but with one condition-you must take a 1ibrettist. I will not cut up and remodel my text. The work dis courages and frightens me-"
 M. Massenet goes every day after 4 o'clock to Huegeps music publishing house to receive his friends and to give "hearings' to young persons anxious to have the masters opinion as to their