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- [S24] article, New York Times, New York, NY, 17 May 1935, p. 24.
MRS. R. W. WERTHEIM WED TO SMALLENS
Her Divorce From Banker Is Revealed in News of Bridal Ceremony in Reno
BRIDEGROOM A MUSICIAN
He Is Conductor at Stadium and Associate Director of the Philadelphia Orchestra
Alexander Smallens, symphony and opera conductor, and Mrs. Ruth White Wertheim, former wife of Maurice Wertheim, banker, art patron and owner of the weekly publication The Nation, were married on Tuesday in Reno, Nev., according to word received yesterday.
The marriage is of particular interest, because it was unexpected. It was not generally known that the former Miss Ruth White's marriage to Mr. Wertheim had been terminated by a divorce on Monday. This was learned last night in a dispatch from Reno.
This is the third marriage for Mrs. Smallens. Her first husband was Frederic P. Warfield of Port Chester, N.Y., a prominent patent attorney and horse show exhibitor. She was married to Mr. Wertheim in the early Spring of 1930, several months after Mr. Wertheim's marriage to the former Miss Alma Morgenthau, daughter of Henry Morganthau, former Ambassador to Turkey, had been terminated by divorce.
Mrs. Smallens is a composer and had been a patroness of music for several years. She was instrumental in the establishment of the New York Music School in this city and has composed incidental music for Shakespearean productions here.
Mr. Smallens is associate conductor of the Philadelphia Orchestra and for the last two seasons has been conducting at the Lewisohn Stadium concerts. Last Winter he shared the conducting of opera productions of the Philadelphia Orchestra season with Fritz Reiner. Mr. Smallens and his bride will return to New York the latter part of this month, when he will prepare for the eight week season at the stadium, which opens June 26. He will conduct all the opera and ballet performances during this period.
Mr. Smallens was born in St. Petersburg, Russia, now Leningrad, in 1889, the son of a Russian army officer. He was brought to this country as an infant. He was graduated from City College and from the Institute of Musical Art here. He spent two years at the Paris Conservatory of Music, and upon his return became assistant conductor at the Boston Opera House.
In 1917, Mr. Smallens joined the late Anna Pavlowa's ballet company as conductor and for two years toured South America and the West Indies with the famous dancer. Upon his return he conducted at the Chicago Opera Company for three years. It was at Chicago that he conducted the world premier of Prokofieff's "Love for Three Oranges."
Mr. Smallens went to Philadelphia in 1924 and became musical director of the former Philadelphia Civic Opera Company.
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