The San Francisco call., 1901-11-17
SANDERSON
Is GREETED
BY SOCIETY
Matinee Results in q
Triumph for All the
Singers.

~ ELIGHT and disappointment
were the features of the two per-
formances given yesterday by
the Grau Company at the Grand
49, Opera-house.
There was keen pleasure for the big
audience that filled the theater in the af-
ternoon to hear Faust" - with Sembrich,
Louise Homer, Dippel De Reszke and
Campanari in the leading roles.
The largest audience of the season gath
cred last night to greet Sybtl Sanderson,
but it recognized the fact that Sanderson
is not an artist to be classed with Sem
brich, Eames, Schumann-Heink and Cad
ski.
The excuse was made last night oy the
management that Miss Sanderson was
suffering from nervousness and hoarse-
ness, but the fact remains that those in
the audience who expected to hear a
queen of. song" did not do so.
The superb presentation of Faust
given at the matinee will be long remem-
bered by all who listened to Gounod's i'm
mortal creation. The audience was main
ly composed of the fair sex and almost
every seat IN the theater was occupied
The claim that Wagner is the proper
thing to cultivate was disproved yester-
day afternoon. Faust is a familiar
work and it's melodies are known far and
I
been done to DEATH, but it is as popular
as ever.
Opera Traditions Broken.
1t was well worth a visit to the Grand
Opera-house yesterday afternoon to listen
to the volume of applause that greeted
the various singers and the chorus and
orchestra. Traditions were thrown to the
winds yesterday afternoon. Not content
with calling the artists before the foot
lights seven times at the close of the gar
den scene, the audience simply went wild
with enthusiasm in the succeeding acts.
When the grand strains of the Soldiers
Chorus were finished the audience ap-
plauded for fully two minutes, and Con-
ductor SeppilE was obliged to recall the
chorus and military band to the stage,
and the number was repeated.
Solos, duets and tries were repeated in
response to the generous applause. but
the grand climax came in the prison
scene. Sembrich, Dippel and De Reszke
gave the great trio as it has never been
heard in this city before. The voices of
the singers reused the audience to a per-
feet frenzy of excitement. Women jumped
to their feet and waved their dainty ker-
chiefs, while strong-lunged men shouted
Bravo" The thread of the dramatic sit
uation was broken by the applause.
Forced to Repeat Aria.
Marguerite, instead Of dying, stood bow
ing her acknowledgements. and Mephis-
topheles. with Faust, did not descend to
the internal regions. And the applause
went on until the singers. good naturedly,
repeated the superb aria.
When the gentle spirit of the luckless
German girl was waited to heaven and
the curtain finally descended the big audi
/ ence wended its way irto the bright sun
shine of the streets, with the notes of the
singers still ringing In it's ears. 1t will be
long time ere the classical compositions
of the Bayreuth composer relegate to
oblivion such works as those of Gounod,
Verdi and other famous maestros of the
French ard Italian schools.
Society gathered in numbers last night
at the Grand Opera-house to welcome
Sybil Sanderson. Massenet's opera. MA
non" was a secondary consideration.
Puccinis opera on the same subject was
heard in San Francisco a few years ago.
but Massenet's work was entirely new.
But what cared society for that? It had
stayed away from the grand opera for a
few nights in order to welcome a daugh-
ter of the Golden State. Any opera would
have served the purpose last night. but as
Miss Sanderson was reputed to be at her
best in ''Manon'' the management natur-
ally announced that work for the Sander
son debut here.
Society Honors Miss Sanderson.
The house was larger than on Monday
night and hundreds of carriages were
utilized to convey the opera-goers to the
theater The police were busily engages
! for an hour in seeing that the occupants
of the carriages were allowed to aIigbt
from the vehicles and enter the theater.
The appearance of the lobby and inte-
rior of the theater presented gorgeous
sight Hundreds of women were dresses
in the latest creations of the modistes an6
the marts of trade had been veritabIv
ransacked by owners of wealth in order
that their fair ones might be present iT
fitting gowns at the welcome to Miss San.
derson