The Vocality of Sibyl Sanderson in Massenet’s Manon and Esclarmonde Tamara D. Thompson Submitted to the Royal College of Music, London in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Musicology May, 2016 ii TABLE OF CONTENTS Page Figures iv Tables vi Examples vii INTRODUCTION 1 Research Aims and Objectives 1 Key Definitions 3 Sources and Methodology 4 Literature Review 14 Why Manon and Esclarmonde? 25 CHAPTER ONE SIBYL SANDERSON: LA BELLE CRÉATRICE 27 Biographical Information 27 Personality 34 Physical Appearance 39 CHAPTER TWO TRAINING LA BELLE SIBYL: THE ARTISTIC EDUCATION OF SIBYL SANDERSON 47 Conservatoire and California (1881–1885) 47 Paris (1885–1887) 56 Composers as Coaches (1887–1892) 78 Paris (1892–1896) 83 CHAPTER THREE VOCALITY: LA VOIX EST UN RAVISSEMENT 100 Sound 105 Characterisation 108 Vocal Demands in Manon 113 Vocal Demands in Esclarmonde 119 iii CHAPTER FOUR MANON: SANDERSON’S RE-CREATION OF THE RÔLE 128 Manon: History of the Opera 128 Manon: How Story and Staging Inform Vocality 136 Manon: Score Annotations 157 Musical Analysis: ‘Je suis encore tout étourdie’ 183 Musical Analysis of ‘Gavotte’ 206 Musical Analysis: ‘Fabliau’ 217 CHAPTER FIVE ESCLARMONDE: SANDERSON’S CREATION OF THE RÔLE 233 Esclarmonde: History of the Opera and Sanderson as la créatrice 233 Esclarmonde: How Story and Staging Inform Vocality 257 Musical Analysis: Esprits de l’air’ 278 Musical Analysis: Ah ! Roland ! 295 CONCLUSION 307 Research Questions and Answers 307 Contributions to Knowledge 311 Future Research Plans 316 BIBLIOGRAPHY 318 iv Figures Figure 1: List of Sources ..................................................................................................... 4 Figure 2: Letter excerpt ..................................................................................................... 16 Figure 3: Sybil Sanderson .................................................................................................. 27 Figure 4: Native Sons of the Golden West Building - past and present ............................ 31 Figure 5: Sibyl Sanderson and Joan Sutherland as Esclarmonde ...................................... 41 Figure 6: The effects of head position on posture in the Alexander Technique ................ 62 Figure 7: Sanderson corseted and cinched ........................................................................ 65 Figure 8: Possible effects of singing while corseted and/or cinched ................................. 66 Figure 9: Le Cid. Inscription to Sbriglia ............................................................................ 74 Figure 10: The Singing Belt .............................................................................................. 76 Figure 11: Charles Gounod letter to Jules Barbier ............................................................ 79 Figure 12: Caricature: Massenet and Sanderson ............................................................. 101 Figure 13: Sanderson as Manon ...................................................................................... 128 Figure 14: Sanderson as Manon, Act I costume (1888) and Act III costume (1891) ..... 143 Figure 15: Netrebko as Manon, Act I costume (2012) and Act III costume ................... 143 Figure 16: Caraco à la française ..................................................................................... 145 Figure 17: ‘Je suis encore tout étourdie.’ Mise-en-scène. ............................................... 147 Figure 18: Sanderson as Manon ...................................................................................... 153 Figure 19: ‘Suis-je gentille ainsi?’ Mise-en-scène. ......................................................... 155 Figure 20: Vocal Ranges: Manon and Esclarmonde ....................................................... 161 Figure 21: Sanderson’s debut as Manon: Covent Garden, 1891 ..................................... 169 Figure 22: Pronunciation of [a]. ...................................................................................... 194 Figure 23: Pronunciation of [l]. ....................................................................................... 194 Figure 24: ‘Fabliau’ World Première. ............................................................................. 222 Figure 25: Press release. .................................................................................................. 223 v Figure 26: Bréjean-Silver, Georgette. Manon. ‘Fabliau.’ ................................................ 227 Figure 27: Massenet, Jules. Esclarmonde inscription. .................................................... 249 Figure 28: Sanderson as Esclarmonde ............................................................................. 255 Figure 29: ‘Prologue.’mm.1–3. ....................................................................................... 264 Figure 30: Saxtuba ........................................................................................................... 264 Figure 31: Esclarmonde advertisement. .......................................................................... 265 Figure 32: Esclarmonde’s costumes: Prologue and Epilogue (left) and Act I, Scene 2. 266 Figure 33: ‘Esprits de l’air.’ Mise-en-scène. ................................................................... 285 Figure 34: ‘Esprits de l’air.’ Mise-en-scène. ................................................................... 286 vi Tables Table 1: Sanderson’s performances ................................................................................... 33 Table 2: Vocal demands in Manon .................................................................................. 113 Table 3: Vocal demands in Esclarmonde ........................................................................ 119 Table 4: Matrix of aesthetic qualities from critical reception, 1888-posthumous ........... 123 Table 5: List of notable performances. ............................................................................ 251 Table 6: Measures sung by Esclarmonde ........................................................................ 281 vii Examples Example 1: ‘Je suis devant l’Aréopage.’ mm. 54–62 45 Example 2: Exercice 44 51 Example 3: ‘La gioja verace.’ mm. 1–3 52 Example 4: ‘Ah ! Je veux vivre.’ mm. 105–110 52 Example 5: ‘Adieu, Parséïs! Ô sœur qui m’es chère.’ mm. 17–20 81 Example 6: ‘Danse’ m.1 82 Example 7: ‘Qui te fait si sévère...’ mm. 24–26 88 Example 8: ‘Je suis encore tout étourdie.’ mm. 1–2 116 Example 9: ‘Je suis encore tout étourdie.’ mm. 1–3 117 Example 10: ‘Romance.’ mm. 4–9 132 Example 11: ‘Adieu notre petite table.’ mm. 1–6 133 Example 12: ‘Adieu notre petite table.’ mm. 1–3 152 Example 13: ‘Je marche sur tous les chemins.’ mm. 13–14 154 Example 14: ‘Je marche sur tous les chemins.’ mm. 1–2 154 Example 15: ‘Je suis encore tout étourdie.’ mm. 42–47 157 Example 16: ‘Je suis encore tout étourdie: three stages of vocalise’ 158 Example 17: ‘Je suis encore tout étourdie.’ mm. 43–46 159 Example 18: ‘A nous les amours.’ mm. 89–94 162 Example 19: Transcription of annotated passage. mm. 86–94 162 Example 20: ‘A nous les amours.’ mm. 86–94. 162 Example 21: ‘Je suis Titania.’ mm. 27–30, 47 164 Example 22: ‘A nous les amours.’ mm. 89–94 166 Example 23: ‘A nous les amours.’ mm. 95–100 167 Example 24: Example of ‘dark accompanying figures that oppose jolly vocal writing.’ 168 Example 25: ‘Récitatif avant: enfin les amoureux.’ 174 viii Example 26: 1895 Nouvelle Édition with spoken dialogue. 174 Example 27: 1897 Édition Originale with sung dialogue. 175 Example 28: ‘Je suis encore tout étourdie.’ mm. 1-2. 178 Example 29: ‘Je suis encore tout étourdie.’ mm. 1–2. 188 Example 30: ‘Je suis encore tout étourdie.’ mm. 3–7. 189 Example 31: ‘Je suis encore tout étourdie.’ mm. 4–6. 189 Example 32: ‘Je suis encore tout étourdie.’ mm. 13–15. 190 Example 33: ‘Je suis encore tout étourdie.’ mm. 13–16. 191 Example 34: ‘Je suis encore tout étourdie.’ mm. 16–17. 191 Example 35: ‘Je suis encore tout étourdie.’ mm. 31–37. 192 Example 36: ‘Je suis encore tout étourdie.’ mm. 38–40. 195 Example 37: ‘Je suis encore tout étourdie.’ mm. 41–42. 195 Example 38: ‘Je suis encore tout étourdie.’ mm. 43–46. 196 Example 39: ‘Je suis encore tout étourdie.’ m. 45–46. 199 Example 40: ‘Je suis encore tout étourdie.’ m. 44–46. 199 Example 41: ‘Je suis encore tout étourdie.’ mm. 47–49. 200 Example 42: ‘Je suis encore tout étourdie.’ mm. 56–60. 201 Example 43: ‘Je suis encore tout étourdie.’ mm. 11–12. 203 Example 44: ‘Je suis encore tout étourdie.’ mm. 13–15. 204 Example 45: ‘En maintenant...restez seul un instant…’ Manon. mm. 1–2. 210 Example 46: ‘Obéissons quand leur voix appelle.’ Manon. mm. 41–43. 210 Example 47: ‘Obéissons quand leur voix appelle.’ Manon. mm. 47–49. 212 Example 48: ‘Obéissons quand leur voix appelle.’ Manon. mm. 50–54. 214 Example 49: ‘Fabliau: Le rire de Manon.’ mm. 1–9. 218 Example 50: ‘Fabliau.’ mm. 51–55. 220 Example 51: ‘Le mort de Thaïs.’ mm.51–53. 229 ix Example 52: ‘O mon miroir fidèle, dis-moi que je suis belle.’ mm. 32–35. 230 Example 53: ‘Fabliau.’ mm. 10–15. 231 Example 54: ‘O divine Esclarmonde. O valeureux héros.’ mm. 5–9. 241 Example 55: ‘Le bonheur que rien n’achève.’ mm. 84–94 243 Example 56: ‘Esprits de l’air.’ mm. 29–32. 244 Example 57: ‘Esprits de l’air.’ mm.31–32. 245 Example 58: ‘Esprits de l’air.’ mm.29–32. Revised Edition VS. 245 Example 59: ‘Chaque nuit…cher amant.’mm. 12–14. 247 Example 60: ‘Chaque nuit…chère amant.’ mm. 13–15. 248 Example 61: ‘Esprits de l’air.’ mm.