Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-08-07
MUSICAL PRODIGY.
Paloma schramm Astonishes Musical
World by Her Wonderful Art.


| Correspondence OF Philadelphia Times.)
Los Angeles, July II.
A marvellous musical genius has beer
found In an ancient but attractive adobe
home In the suburbs OF this city, and all
Southern California is talking about this
phenomenon. Paloma Schramm, a child
years, has been discovered with
gift Of harmony thrilling through her
young veins. bubbling forth in divine out.
pourings from her tender lips, and tingline
into exquisite expression through the lit
tie fingers which ripple over the piano
keys. She is vibrant with melody which
| some musicians say surpasses the gift
! OF the wonderful Mozart, when he startled
the musical gray heads OF Europe with
his playing and composing at the age OF
| II years.
| Mozart was II when he electrified
the world. Paloma is only 8. and she
| has performed greater marvels than Mo-
Fart did with those two years OF seniority
! in his favor. The musical people, who
| have focked to visit this wondrously
gifted child and to hear her play, say
| there is rich promise that she will one
| day become as brilliant yirtuoso as
| there Is in the history OF music. Already
| this child, in short dresses with baby
| lisp upon her lips. executes with correct
ness OF note and expression Chopin's
"Opus TO-; Bachs fugue from "Partita"
Beethoven's "Rondo" on major; God
dards most difficult "Mazurkas," and
many other masterpieces requiring the
most exquisite phrasing and interpreta-
ton. She executes passages which battle
! nf advanced =.
She is inspired with an ear for harmony,
and an instinct of Interpretation and exc
cutting it so exquisitely strung that an
imperfect tone is impossible to her. 1t is
one OF these inexplicable phenomenons
which set at naught the lifelong labors
and studies OF the most painstaking and
ambitious Of mortal minds.
Paloma lives in a suburb OF Los An
geles, amid an environment of retired,
sweet and simple home life. where there
Is no attempt at common conventionality.
In an ancient adobe house, picturesquely
set in the shade of palms and eucalyptus.
| among beds of flowers and fragrant vines
and the song OF birds, this bud of mar
vellous musical genius is bursting into a
consummate flower. Artists, musicians.
and people of unusual literary and drama
tic talent have before now come out or
who have seen Paloma Schramm de-
clare she is far and away the first and
foremost OF them all in that indefnable
heavenly gift which philosophers have
vainly been trying TO tell about for CEN
turtles and which is still broadly covered
by the word genius.
At 3 years she sang with correct
ideas of harmonic succession; at 4 she
accompanied her fathers guitar playing;
at she sang from one hearing long
strains of difficult passages from Lohen-
grin; at 6 she composed pretty melo-
dies, and at 8 she was an accom-
plished pianist.
Paloma is not yet ready to be given to
the world, but out of the world have
come occasional hands to beckon her
forth. The great Paderewski has seen
her. Paderewski sees many promising
candidates in his travels, but he has seen
only one that has thrilled him as Paloma
Schramm did. He came to Los Angeles
on one Of his tours when she was but six
years old. Some one told him of the
child and he langudly consented TO see
her He was so used to being bored by
people who thought they had a special
gift for music that the proposed inter-
view interested him but slightly.
Paloma's father took her to the mas
ter's private car at the railroad station.
That was a famous day for the child.
Paderewsk played several times for his
little visitor and then Paloma played
from memory Cnopin's nocturne, opus Q,
No. q Paderewski had heard musical
prodigies at almost every city in which
he had played. He had become wearied
with childish playing. But Paloma had
not proceeded ten bars before the master
pianist was all attention. When she fin
ished he impulsively snatched her from
the piano stool, and, holding the little
tot In his arms, said In German that she
had the divine spark Of musical genius.
"Ah, Herr Schramm, this child has
mission" he exclaimed to the father
Then Paderewsk played again for the
child. and she, in turn, played for him
from Beethoven and Mozart. Among the
treasures of the Schramm house Is
photograph OF Paderewski and his
friends, taken for Paloma while the
prince Of pianists was in Los Angeles. 80
Paderewsk advised that the musical
education Of so promising a performer be
put in most competent hands. Herr
Becker came from Leipsic to Los Angeles
shortly after. He saw Paloma's remarka-
BILE skill, and at last he consented to
lead the 7-year-old pianist farther
into the realms OF music. For two years
Paloma has been under Herr Becker's
instruction. He advises that in a year
or two more she be taken to Lelpsic,
where ten years course in music may
be had.
II is very difficult for one who never
heard little Paloma Schramm play TO I'M
derstand the wonder she is. The world
has heard for longer than a century how
Mozart, when but IL years old. exc
cuted with sklful technique Tolitio's c.
minor Nine year old Paloma plays God
dard's most difficult mazurka with an in
depreciation and scholarly phrasing that
musicians Of years OF labor do not
achieve.
Hoffman was the talk OF the world for
his playing Of such compositions as Men
delssohn's G. minor concerto and the
Weber-Liszt polacca. But here is a O.
year-od girl who renders from memory
and with thorough clearness of compre-
hension and an artistic phraslng a roper
toire of such masterpieces as would battle
the greatest Of our advanced scholars in
music. At several local concerts this
sweet-faced child has given from memory
sixteen and eighteen numbers from the
greatest compositions the world has
known-a feat that would wear out many
expert pianists.
Not only this. but little Paloma
Schramm Is a composer. Music runs in
all her thoughts. 1t bursts forth while
in her play with her sister Karla with
their dolls. She leaves her rompings in
the door ward 10 run TO a table To Tot