Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1916-09-01
Madame Kur, In wildwood

AN
its climax on last Sunday evening with
the appearance of Nine. Melanie Kurt
with Pfeiifsr's orchestra. We have
been ~singularly fortunate this summer
in the selection of the soIoists for these
Sunday night concerts. Nine. Hurts
reception was a triumph. Her first
selection "Oceap, thou Mighty Mon
ster, . from VonW eber's "Oberon, " was
a wonderful rendition. This aria is
well adapted to test the vocal ability of
even the greatest artists and Nine.
Kurt's rendition was we'll nigh fault
less. Perfect poise OF voice, gesture and
wonderful tonsl beauty 80 enthralled
her hearers that In response to insist
ent demand she sang as an encore
"Cecilie," by Richard Strauss. For
her second appearance Nine. Kurt
selected rDich teureHalle, from Wag-
ner's "Tannhauser.v So pleased were
the audience that they themselves al
most selected the encores. After a first
encore, a Brahms Lied, a second was
demanded, the "Walkyr Cry" of Brun-
hide from Wagner's "Die Waikuere."
After this tremendous burst of music,
it seemed too much to ask more, but
the triumphant voice Of the singer had
reached the innermost depths of her
hearers hearts. More was asked, more
wanted, In fact more demanded and
more given, a repetition of the climax of
the great "Walkyr Cry" Never have
I heard it better sung and the writer
has heard all the great Brunhildes from
Materna, lehman, Ternina, Nordica,
Gadski and now Kurt. One of the
audience voiced the sentiments of
many present. He said to the writer
he had not been fond of German opera.
But he was most insistent for more
afterkurt's second appearance and said
it was a wonderful voice and a splendid
evening. To carry an audience literal
ly off their feet Is something that In
these latter days is almost a miracle.
But such it was; Mime. Kurt received a
beautiful bunch of red roses. warm in
their color as the wonderful warmth of
her reception and voice.
The evening was made complete by
an almost perfect rendition of Gold
marks "Sakuntsla,' overture by the
orchestra, the wierd Slavonic dance OF
Dvorak and a fantasia on the opera
"Faust'' In which the cello had a de-
lightful obIigato. Such nights are
going to give Wildwood a position Sec
ond to none as a music enter.
Now as the season for the orchestra
is drawing to a close, | know l shall
be permitted to say a few kind words
regarding the leader, Mr.. Walter
Pfelffer and his ensemble. Seldom
has a better selection been made of an
enharmonic ensemble.
Mr.. Pfeiffer's energy, as we'll as bis
ability is now known. Here is a man
busy from early morning until mid
2ight, giving bis wonderful nervous
force to his orchestra and latterly to the
choral society. Such devotion should
be fittingly recognized. This week
there Is q full rehearsal of the chorus
after each evening concert and Satur-
day night will reveal the splendid re-
suit of a labor Of love. The more in
timateiy one becomes acquainted with
MI. Pfeifier, the better he is liked and
another year he should begin his sea-
son firmly e~ntrenched in the affection
of the music lovers who now throng
Wildwood. His programmes have
been splendidly diversified, meeting the
varied tastes of all, from symphonic
works down to the popular style, but
the renditioDs have all been given
equal attention and have been received
with especial pleasure as has been
evidenced by the many requests for en-
cores which have been cheerfully given,
delicious little bonmots of music that
have made arabesques for the more
ponderous works. Vive PfeifFer.
And the men of the orchestra should
receive their duemeed ofpraise, one and
all. 1t is difficult to select any
mar as worthy of praise greater than
another. But 1 may be permitted to
mention a few, The concert meister,
Paul Meyer, if ever a man loved his
violin, here is one and the delicious
tones he mas been able to draw from
the instrument, have added greatly to
the success Of the season.
Then, Mr.. Wisman, the ~1utist, has
been a delight, a man of charming