The Sound of Music

One of the most world-famous musicals of all time is The Sound of Music. This beloved tale originated from the true story of Georg Ritter von Trapp and Maria Augusta von Kutschera. Georg Ritter von Trapp was born on April 4, 1880 to August Ritter von Trapp and Hedwig Wepler. Following in the footsteps of his father, Georg became a naval officer in the Austro-Hungarian Navy in 1902. He had a fascination with submarines and while in command of three (a U-5, a U-6, and a U-14), he sunk eleven cargo vessels totaling 45,669 tons, sunk the French armored cruiser Leon Gambetta and the Italian submarine Nereide, captured one cargo vessel, and had nineteen war patrols on his wartime record. However, after the end of the First World War, Austria no longer had a coast and he lost his position. Georg’s first wife was Agathe Whitehead, the granddaughter of Englishman Robert Whitehead, inventor of the torpedo. Married in January 1911, Georg and Agathe had seven children. Their names were Rupert (11/1/1911), Agathe (3/12/1913), Maria Franziska (8/28/1914), Werner (12/21/1915), Hedwig (7/28/1917), Johanna (9/7/1919), and Martina (2/17/1921). Agathe Whitehead von Trapp died of scarlet fever in September of 1922. Maria Augusta von Kutschera was born on January 25, 1905. Because her mother died when she was two years old, Maria was raised by an elderly cousin of her father in a little cottage on the outskirts of Vienna. During her college years, Maria heard a sermon by Father Kronseder that dramatically changed her life. She joined the Nonnberg Abbey in Salzburg to become a nun. However, while she was there, it was decided that she would be sent to the Trapp Villa for a year to work as a governess for the captain’s daughter, Maria Franziska, who was confined to bed with rheumatic fever. Maria never went back to the abbey. She married Georg Ritter von Trapp on November 26, 1927. Not too long after, they had three more children: Rosemarie (2/8/1929), Eleonore (5/14/1931), and Johannes (1/17/1939). Because of the economic pressure in Austria, the von Trapps had little or no money. To provide them with a livelihood, Maria arranged singing engagements for the family. Although they didn’t really flee from a Nazi order, the family did leave Austria in 1938 and go to Italy. From there, they toured in America for eight months and then went to back to Europe to tour in Scandinavia in 1939. Finally, they came back to the United States and lived in Pennsylvania briefly before settling down in Stowe, Vermont in 1941. The von Trapps bought a 660-acre farm and made it the Trapp Family Lodge. Georg died in 1947 of lung cancer and Maria passed away in 1987. Of the von Trapp children, five have died and five remain living.

The Broadway musical opened for the first time in November 1959. It was directed by Vincent J. Donehue and choreographed by Joe Layton. Sadly, this was the last musical written by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II, the famous musical pair. Oscar Hammerstein died of cancer nine months after The Sound of Music premiered on Broadway. But the Broadway musical is not the most well-known version of The Sound of Music. For most people, it is best remembered as the film starring Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer. Made in 1965, this film met with overwhelming success. However, the story line was not completely accurate and some changes were made, such as the children’s names. Despite these inaccuracies, The Sound of Music won the following five Academy Awards in 1965: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Sound, Best Film Editing, and Best Scoring of Music-Adaptation. This beloved story has been adapted for nineteen other countries, making it world-famous.

My favorite song from this musical is “Edelweiss”. Sung by Christopher Plummer as Captain von Trapp, “Edelweiss” symbolizes the loyalty of the Austrians to their country. However, I pretty much like all the songs in this musical! As for my favorite one-liner, the line I remember the best happens in a conversation between the Captain and Maria after she and the children return from their afternoon out of the house and are dumped in the river. Maria is arguing with the Captain concerning all the little things he is missing with his children and he is denying it. As she goes on and on, he has finally had enough.

Maria: I am not finished yet, Captain.
Captain von Trapp: Oh yes, you are, Captain! … Fraulein.

He makes a mistake by calling her “Captain” instead of “Fraulein”, which is a German courtesy or title for an unmarried woman. However, the best part of the conversation including that line is the rapid exchange between the two actors and the expression on Maria’s face. I encourage you to watch this musical on your next free weekend or rainy day. It is a little lengthy. It is definitely the most popular movie musical of all time. But don’t just take my advice, see for yourself. Thanks for reading my post and feel free to leave a comment or post. Until next time… enjoy!