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Blanche Arral

Blanche Arral (10 October 1864 – 3 March 1945) was a Belgian coloratura soprano.

Born Clara Lardinois in Liège, Belgium, the youngest of 17 children, she studied under Mathilde Graumann Marchesi in Paris. She debuted in a small part in the 1884 world premiere of Jules Massenet's Manon. Arral performed in various opera houses in Brussels, Paris and St. Petersburg before moving to the United States.

In 1901 she was with a touring company in Indochina, while waiting for the 1902 Exposition of Hanoi to open, performing at Haiphong and the Hanoi Opera House.

In October 1909 she debuted at Carnegie Hall and joined the Metropolitan Opera for the 1909–1910 season. She received her voice instruction from Mathilde Graumann Marchesi. Arral was married to Hamilton Dwight Bassett, a journalist from Cincinnati. Author Jack London based the character of Lucille Arral in his short story collection Smoke Bellew on Blanche Arral.

She died in Palisades Park, New Jersey.

Birth and Death Data: Born October 10, 1864 (Liège), Died March 3, 1945 (Palisades Park)

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1909

Roles Represented in DAHR: soprano vocal

= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.

Recordings

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Victor C-6903 12-in. 3/18/1909 Ah! fors' è lui Blanche Arral ; Victor Orchestra Soprano vocal solo, with orchestra vocalist, soprano vocal  
Victor C-6904 12-in. 3/18/1909 Roméo et Juliette : Valse Blanche Arral ; Victor Orchestra Soprano vocal solo, with orchestra vocalist, soprano vocal  
Victor B-6905 10-in. 3/18/1909 Czardas Blanche Arral Soprano vocal solo, with orchestra vocalist, soprano vocal  
Victor C-6906 12-in. 3/18/1909 Polonaise Blanche Arral Soprano vocal solo, with orchestra vocalist, soprano vocal  
Victor C-6907 12-in. 3/18/1909 Air des bijoux Blanche Arral ; Victor Orchestra Soprano vocal solo, with orchestra vocalist, soprano vocal  
Victor C-6911 12-in. 3/19/1909 Nightingale song Blanche Arral Soprano vocal solo, with orchestra vocalist, soprano vocal  
Victor B-6912 10-in. 3/19/1909 Valse d'oiseau Blanche Arral Soprano vocal solo, with orchestra vocalist, soprano vocal  
Victor B-6913 10-in. 3/19/1909 El bolero grande Blanche Arral Soprano vocal solo, with orchestra vocalist, soprano vocal  

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Arral, Blanche," accessed March 18, 2024, https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/108827.

Arral, Blanche. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved March 18, 2024, from https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/108827.

"Arral, Blanche." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 18 March 2024.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/108827

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