The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-07-18
REMARKABLE CHILD PERFORMER
GIVEN HONORS.

u
| GIVEN HONORS.
In Oae Of Her Audiences were the
King and Queen Of England, the
Emperor and Empress OF Ger
many and Others.
Miss Theresa Wallen, who 10 yet only
thtld in her teens. and who was born
and reared at Moulton Heights, sub
urb OF the Decaturs. but who for the
past three years has been In Berlin,
Germany. studying music, has just writ
ten an interesting letter to The New
| Decatur Advertiser of New Decatur.
| Among other things, she says she
has played Tor King Edward and Queen
alexandra Of England, and the Emper-
or and Empress of Germany, and that
she was presented with handsome pres
| ents of diamonds by these crown
heads.
| Miss wallen has often been called in
America the wonder child on account of
her remarkable musical talent which
was first manifested long before she
reached her teens. At the age OF IS
years she graduated from the Con-
servatory of Music in Cincinnati, o.. and
| 10 said to have been at that time the
| youngest graduate OF music in Amer
| lea. A few months after graduation
she won q handsome gold medal at the
| ST. Louis Worlds Fair for her remark
able playing. At the tender age of
years she had mastered the keyboard
| of the piano and at 5 years of age she
| was able to play any ordinary music.
Nearly three years ago Miss Wallen's
mother, Mrs. Ed M. Wallen. took her
to Berlin, where she has been studying
music under the best masters ever
since. Miss Wallen's father was a well
known contractor of Decatur. He died
In New York several years ago. while
there on business.
Miss wallen comes from a musical
family. Her father was quite u musi-
clan and her mother is also a musician,
as are all the members of her mothers
family.
Miss wallen's letter follows:
u have tried very often during the
| past six months to let my friends in the
South know how I am progressing in
my studies, but it seems impossible for
me to get letter finished. I have so
many studies. and there are SO many,
friends whose calls I am obliged to re-
turn, that it Is almost impossible for
me to find time to write letter. Be-
sides, for the past winter I have been
taking dancing lessons and attended
some fashionable balls. My dancing
master Is German. and cannot speak
word of English: indeed we have al
ways resided with German people. and
we never hear word of English in
the house. Mama speaks German very
fiuently now, for no one can get along
here unley they speak German.
81 have some good news to tell my
friends at home. / was awarded
scholarship in voice. Mama and I are
happy over 1t. At first mama was I'M
decided about accepting 1t, but our mu-
steal friends coaxed her to stay here
longer and have my voice cultivated.
and she finally consented.
To Tour England.
60 Erno
mer have played here for an Eng
lish manager and he was getting the
contract ready for mama to sign.
"'My professor in voice is one of the
Kapellmeisters in the Emperor's Thea
tire He speaks all languages. My
first songs were all italian. I love +he
italian language, II Is SO very sweet.
Ny songs now are from Mendelssohn,
with German words. and my exercises
in voice are from Macro Bordongnt.
I am now working on O. 'staccato and
'fugue' on the piano.
81 have two lessons a week in voice,
the same on the piano and the same In
harmony. with one dancing lesson in
addition. have also taken up italian
for as a musician feel obliged to learp
it.
The voice teachers here are not the
same as they are in America. They
claim here that no one can be called
an ATtlSI IN 5ih6AhB VIM SPNAN1 Shh'
one language.
'aThere are many nice Americans
here. They have been taught to sing In
America, and they come here to get
the finishing polish. The teachers here
laugh at them and say they were not
taught right. am so glad that I was
too young in America to have my voice
cultivated. I certainly am getting cor.
rect training here 1t must be very
discouraging TO study so long in Amen
lea and pay out so much money. and
then come here later on and find out
YOU were not correctly taught. There
is quite a contrast between the teach
ers here and in our country. I would
like to Ngive a concert now on the plano.
at home; then you would see what ]
mean when I say the training Is so die-
fereut.
Before Royalty.
IT must not forget to tell you that
7 played for King Edward of England
when he was here. My professor Is n
friend Of the Kings. having played for
him often in England. and he wanted
him to hear me play. for my professor
IL very proud Of me. We went 10 the
Imperial Palace IT was very dIfncult
to have an audience with the King.
hut at last we succeeded.
my listeners consisted OF our En-
peror and Empress. the Crown Prince
and Princess, King Edward and Queen
Alexandra, and the Prince Won Buelow.
Considering they are all fine musicians
themselves and we'll competent to crit
! icize, II was an honor to have them It's