Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-06-08
THERESA, ONCE
IDOL Of PARIS,
. DIES UNKNOWN
Singer Who Entertained Empress
Eugene Returned to Peasantry
From Which She Came.
BY CHARLES HENRY NEITHER.
Special Correspondent of Hearst's
Sunday American.

BY CHARLES HENRY NEITHER.
Special Correspondent of Hearst's
Sunday American.
PARIS, June In 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
T forgotten. Yet in an earlier time.
{ the time Of Hortense Schneider, the
7 Empress Eugene and Offenbaeh, she
was a power
Theresa Tor 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
I bert at her best has never known her
/ vogue. Yyette indeed, has attempted
I 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 a little village for she was
in her own way an artist Of tremen-
dous power rose from the peasantry.
/ Her maiden name was Emma Nala
don, and she was born, over three
quarters of century ago, In vii
. lage She began her strange and tur-
buIent career as a dressnaker Then,
being bitten by a bee, she made her
debut In a very humble way, in a
play by Victor Sejour called lie Fills
I de Ia Mutt"
Though curlously dramatic, she
was not destined to "a regular stage
life. Ere long she left the theateI
/ for the music hall. She scored her
I first successes az the Alcazar, where
/ by the fire and force and humor OF
her singing, she soon conquered
Paris.
Theresa was Dy 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. Il
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, yet something
tragic. she could sink into the abysse'
OF vuIgaritv and soar to lofty heights
OF patriotism.
Her interpretations OF such ribalc
. songs as "t'eSt dams L. mex que "a
me chatouille." "Ricn NEST sacre pouI
mo sapeur." La Femme a Barbe ant
many other ancient favorites OF th'
cafe-chantants made her the idol o.
the crowd
Later she sometimes strayed into
tho sinister and pathetic fields.
Long after the war ~ 1870, wher
she was old and was still a stu
dent In Paris, ! heard Theresa sinl
cor. rather deClaimD that appalling
and wonderful work. La Glu.' OF
Richepia I have never forgotten the
tragic impression she made as she
told how. to content a worthless WON
an. a SON cut out his wretched moth
or's heart
Theresa reigned in turn az the Al
cazar at the cafe Moka and at the
Colorado. She became big, coarse
burly. vulgar woman. But she re-
NAMED a genius.
From time TO time, when the oc'
casion served. she appeared in light
opera al the Gaiete, the Menus Plais'
ire. the Varieties and the Chatelet,
Just twenty years ago, after ben
,6t" she retired. She went back tC
her old peasant ways and life, 10 raisi
chickens plant potatoes and grow
plums.
And with her passing we have lost
one OF the few great, picturesque
relies OF her day.