Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-06-08
ONCE
IDOL Of PARIS,
DIES UNKNOWN
Singer Who Entertained Empress
Eugene Returned to Peasantry
From Which She Came.
BY CHARLES HENRY MELTZER.
Special Correspondent of Hearst's
Sunday American.

PARIS, June I'm other days the
passing Of Theresa would haev con-
vulsed Paris To-day-the news that
she is dead means almost nothing
A score of years ago she was half
forgotten. Yet in an earlier time,
the time OF Hortense Schneider, the
Empress Eugene and Ofenbach, she
was a power.
Theresa Cor, to name her by the
name she bore In private life. Nine.
DonvaD was probably the greatest
and most fascinating popular" sin
ger Of her age and kind. Yvette Gull
bert at her best has never known her
vogue Yvette, indeed has attempted
to sing some Of her old songs But,
by comparison, her rendering of them
seems like the faint Chirruping OF a
sparrow when one has listened to the
blackbird or the cuckoo
Rose From Peasantry.
The great artist who died yester-
day in little village (for she was
in her own way an artist Of tremen-
dous power) rose from the peasantTy.
her maiden name was Emma Nala o.
don, and she was born over three
quarters Of a century ago, In a VII
lage. She began her strange and tur-
bulent career as a dressmaker Then,
being bitten by a bee she made her
debut. in a very humble way, In a
play by Victor Seiour called lie Fills
de Ia Mutt"
Though curiously dramatic, she
was not destined TO a regular stage
life. Ere long she left the theater
for the music hall She scored her
first successes at the AlcaZar where,
by the fire and force and humor OF
her singing she soon conquered
Paris.
Theresa was o. no means beauti-
full She had little charm, no grace
and not much style. But she had
qualities Of an unusual kind She
had life and dash The town soon
made an idol Of this woman. II
learned To love her for her very faults
and frailties.
She was the embodiment OF what
We call The People" Rude and au-
dacious In her art, vet something
tragic. she could sink into the abysses
Of vulgarity and soar 10 lofty heights
of patriotism.
Her interpretations Of such ribalu
songs as "C'est dams le mex que ca
me chatuuille," "Rien nest sacre pOW
up sapeur." La Femme "a Barrie and
many other ancient taNuriteS OF tht
cafe-chantants made her the idol OF
the crowd
Later she somItimes strayed into
the sinister and pathetic fields
Long after the war Of 1870, when
she was old and ! was stih stu
dent in Paris. heard Theresa sing
COR. rather declaim) that appalling
and wonderful work Ia Glu,' OF
Richepil. ! have never forgotten the
tragic impression she made as she
told how, TO content a worthless wom-
an. "a son cut out his wretched moth
eT's heart.
Theresa reignei I'm turn az the Al
Cazar at the cafe Moka and az the
FIdorado She became a big. coarse.
burly. vulgar woman But she re-
manned a genius,
From time 10 time, when the oc-
casiou served she appeared In light
opera al the Gazette. the Menus Plais-
ire the Varieties and the 'hatelet.
just twenty years ago, after a ben
EFT" sh, retired She went back &"
her old peasant ways and life. 10 raise
chickens plant potatoes and grow
plums
And with her passing we have lost
one Of the few great, picturesque
relies Of her day