In this video we hear Blanche Arral (1864-1945) imitate various bird calls….in “VALSE d’ OISEAU,” from Louis Varney’s brilliant operetta, “L’ Amor Mouille, which is her best-known recording—made for Victor in 1909.
Like most of the world’s most famous coloratura sopranos of the 19th century, she studied in Paris with the famous Mathilde Marchesi.
One day, during a lesson, Nellie Melba entered the studio and started a conversation with Mme. Marchesi, which annoyed “Clara,” as she was then known. Clara continued to sing, which steamed Melba and prompted her to comment, “The little thing might amount to something with a great deal of hard work, counselling to be less impertinent, and lots of soup to grow taller.” The fledgling soprano stood around 5 feet.
While Blanche Arral-—real name Claire Lardinois—made 82 recordings, the first 48 were Bettini cylinders, cut in 1898, NONE of which survives.
Whatever happened to the best of Bettini’s fabulous cylinder collection is the biggest musical mystery–and musical tragedy—of
the century!
Arral made a Columbia test pressing that was rejected and then disappeared. What remain are the Edison and Victor
recordings, all made in 1909. Then, too, there are a number of transcriptions of her 1935 radio programs, which are very entertaining. She LOVED the microphone.
Blanche Arral—born in Liege, Belgium, in 1864–was the youngest of 17 children of Count Lardinois, whose family was very musical.
Arral went on to live a wild life for a woman of any century. After performing at the Opera Comique in Paris, she honed her singing talents on the international opera circuit, met and married a Russian prince (who died soon after), and performed for the sultan of Turkey before barely escaping
from a harem.
Her autobiography, completed in 1937, is a fascinating read. In her twilight years, she had married an educator 25 years her junior who induced her to pen her memoirs. Her life-story reads like fiction.
Arral died in Palisades Park, New Jersey, in 1945.
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