tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-539078140121436702.post6706299776753213489..comments2023-10-19T12:41:17.051-04:00Comments on Österreichologie: The Sound of MusicÖsterreichologiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11639864482166860349noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-539078140121436702.post-51433670496929338432010-09-06T20:16:00.784-04:002010-09-06T20:16:00.784-04:00The songs that Frau Schraeder, Max, and Georg sing...The songs that Frau Schraeder, Max, and Georg sing in the stage version are called "How Can Love Survive" and "No Way to Stop It". "How Can Love Survive" is where the audience learns that Frau Schraeder is very wealthy and quite a dominant personality, unafraid to pursue what she desires. "No Way to Stop It" is an extremely powerful political song. Max and Frau Schraeder admit that while they do not necessarily side with the nazi party, they do not intend to risk their lives or livelihoods by going against this new movement. They plan to sit back and will try not to be affected by the situation. This disgusts Georg, and is the main reason that he chooses to end his relationship with Frau Schraeder. This song paints an incredible picture of the political situation in Austria. While in the film there are "the good guys" and "the bad guys", in the stage version, there are "the good guys", "the bad guys", and "the ambivalent guys".<br /><br />So, that's my rant about "The Sound of Music". I'm not attempting to argue with you or change your opinion of the stage production you saw. I just wanted you to know that these changes you speak of were not necessarily changes. The film changed many things from the stage version. Some of these changes were for the better and some for the worse, in my opinion. But all in all, I adore the stage version.<br /><br />Oh, and just a little bit of trivia since you mentioned something about Christopher Plummer's voice. His singing was dubbed in the film, as was Peggy Wood's.Smart Asshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09954010233116933321noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-539078140121436702.post-85300778119651056352010-09-06T20:15:20.303-04:002010-09-06T20:15:20.303-04:00In the stage version, Rolf does not turn in the fa...In the stage version, Rolf does not turn in the family at the end, while in the film, he does. Again, we could argue about whether the film or the stage version treats this scene more effectively. And again, I go with the stage version. Rolf enters the stage in search of the family. At first he does not see them, but right before exiting, he notices that they are hiding. He calls out to his lieutenant, and then Liesl steps forward. At the last second, his love for Liesl overpowers his nazi training. He decides he cannot betray the family. It's very powerful, in my opinion. However, one could argue that the way this scene is handled in the film is also powerful. I just prefer the stage version.<br /><br />The line during the final scene that you reference is written in the stage script as "I've always thought of these mountains as our friends, standing here protecting us. Now they seem to have become our enemies." He's speaking of how the mountains have protected Austria from past invasions, and yet now these mountains are preventing his family from escaping the dangers within the country - a country that he loves very much.<br /><br />You are correct, however, that walking from Salzburg to Switzerland would be quite a trek across Austria, not just up and over some mountains.<br /><br />The original score was written as you described and song placement was changed for the film. Maria and the Reverend Mother sing "My Favorite Things" as a duet in the stage version. They bond over this tune that they both grew up singing. Maria then uses "The Lonely Goatherd" to distract the children from the thunderstorm. I will admit that I prefer "My Favorite Things" during the thunderstorm, though I still love the duet between Maria and the Reverend Mother. The recent worldwide Andrew Lloyd Webber productions of the musical chose to have the song sung by both Maria and the Reverend Mother and then during the thunderstorm. "The Lonely Goatherd" was placed before the party scene. In the 1998 Broadway revival and subsequent national touring production, "My Favorite Things" was not sung by Maria and the Reverend mother, it was sung during the thunderstorm, and "The Lonely Goatherd" was moved to the festival concert scene (it replaced "Do Re Mi: Reprise".) Many major professional productions choose to place these songs more in line with the film, however many still choose to leave the songs in their original locations.<br /><br />"I Have Confidence" was written specifically for the film, as was the song "Something Good". Neither appeared in the original stage version. I personally do not think either of these songs fit very well into the musical. They were written entirely by Richard Rodgers after Oscar Hammerstein's death. In the stage version, Maria sings "My Favorite Things: Reprise" where she sings "I Have Confidence" in the film, and a song called "An Ordinary Couple" in the stage version was replaced with "Something Good" in the film. I am not a fan of "An Ordinary Couple" either, and in fact the song was going to be changed prior to the original Broadway opening, but Oscar Hammerstein was too ill to write a replacement song. "I Have Confidence" and "Something Good" can be added to both professional and amateur stage productions, even though they were written for the film. The Grazer production chose not to add "I Have Confidence", I guess.Smart Asshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09954010233116933321noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-539078140121436702.post-54879981601517201302010-09-06T20:14:29.858-04:002010-09-06T20:14:29.858-04:00Yes in the stage version, after a bit of quick thi...Yes in the stage version, after a bit of quick thinking, Maria convinces Herr Zeller and Admiral von Schreiber to allow the family to perform in the festival concert. This performance is, of course, something Georg is opposed to, but it provides their only chance to flee. In the film, Georg comes up with the ruse, but I don't think this small change makes much a difference in terms of which version is superior.<br /><br />In the stage version, I wouldn't say that nazi officials just "happen to show up". Herr Zeller and Admiral von Schreiber arrive at the von Trapp villa the day that Georg and Maria return from their honeymoon inquiring about why there has been no response to a telegram. In the film, Herr Zeller runs into Max while Georg and Maria are still on their honeymoon. It's a similar situation, and I wouldn't say either version is more effective.<br /><br />I am not sure how exactly the Graz adaptation was translated, but Frau Schraeder has a great deal of personality in the original stage version. She is quite different from the Baroness in the film, however. <br /><br />In the stage version, Frau Schraeder and Georg plan to marry more for convenience and politics than for love.<br /><br />Frau Schraeder does not overtly dislike the children in the stage version, but she is overwhelmed by them and never takes much interest in getting to know them. This, of course, is the opposite of the nurturing Maria.<br /><br />The film seems to create a villain in Baroness Schraeder by having her dislike the children and Maria. Frau Schraeder in the stage version is less of a villain, and I would argue a more developed character. We don't dislike her. In fact, she's quite sympathetic. We just would rather see Georg end up with Maria, because she is the woman he truly loves and she cares deeply for his family.<br /><br />We could argue about whether it is more effective for Frau Schraeder or Brigitta to confront Maria about Georg's feelings for her. Again, I prefer the stage version. In this version, Frau Schraeder is not as jealous of Maria as Baroness Schraeder is in the film. Frau Schraeder, as an extremely wealthy woman, is not threatened by Maria. Maria is, after all, only staff. So I find it very effective for Brigitta to have an innocent discussion with Maria that scares her into heading back to the abbey. I would say that in the stage version, there is just as much indication by this point in the story that Georg has feelings for Maria as there is in the film. They have sung "The Sound of Music: Reprise" and danced "The Laendler" together.<br /><br />Yes, in the stage version, Frau Schraeder insists that the children sing at the party, despite Georg's wishes that they don't (as opposed to the film version where Maria announces that the children have planned something special.) I think this effectively shows that Frau Schraeder is a selfish woman who does not take the wishes of Georg (and presumably his children) into consideration.<br /><br />Perhaps it was the translation or the staging, but in the stage version, the older children are hesitant to welcome Maria initially, though she quickly wins them over with "Do Re Mi". Aside from Louisa claiming to be Brigitta, the pranks that the children play on their governesses are only mentioned and not seen onstage. In the film, there is a prank involving a frog and then a prank involving a pinecone. As with the Franz situation discussed earlier, I don't think anything is lost in the stage version in regards to the pranks not being seen.Smart Asshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09954010233116933321noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-539078140121436702.post-85618523006158702782010-09-06T20:13:18.865-04:002010-09-06T20:13:18.865-04:00I am going to have to post this as several comment...I am going to have to post this as several comments.<br /><br />I came across this blog while searching for information about the Graz production. Please excuse my lengthy comment, but "The Sound of Music" is one of my favorite musicals and I must defend the stage version.<br /><br />I did not see the Graz production, so I cannot comment specifically on how it was translated or directed, but many of your qualms seem not to be with this specific production, but with the stage version (as opposed to the film) overall.<br /><br />The original stage production (which opened on Broadway in 1959) is slightly different from the 1964 film.<br /><br />In the stage version, we learn that Franz indeed supports the nazi agenda by the fact that he heils Hitler, but no, he never alerts the authorities that the von Trapp family is planning to escape (which he does in the film.) In fact, it's never mentioned whether Franz is even aware of the escape in the stage version. It seems as if only Max is informed of the plan. Franz betraying the family was written specifically for the film. It's a great touch, but I don't think the stage version is inferior in any way because of this. In fact, I prefer the way the scene on stage where Georg is asked to report to Bremerhaven transitions directly from the von Trapp family giving a preview of their concert piece to the festival concert.Smart Asshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09954010233116933321noreply@blogger.com