I (Sal) just watched the second half of the Sound of Music before going to bed at work last night (Sunday, September 18th of 2005). I've watched this musical movie umpteenth times. I used to watch this around Easter every year growing up, which I always look forward too. After watching this last night, I decided to re"search" the origins of his movie...
"...In Maria's words, "Now I had heard from my uncle that all of these bible stories were inventions and old legends, and that there wasn't a word of truth in them. But the way this man talked just swept me off my feet. I was completely overwhelmed by it..." When he finished his sermon and came down the pulpit stairs Maria grabbed his elbow and loudly asked, "Do you believe all this?"
A meeting between the priest and Maria changed her beliefs and the course of her life.
Though Maria was intensely devoted to her convent, she was taken away from the outdoor activities she once thrived on. Her doctor was concerned her health was failing due to a lack of fresh air and exercise. This was when the decision was made to send Maria to the home of retired naval captain Georg von Trapp. Her position was not governess to all the children, as the movie portrayed, but specifically to the captain's daughter who was bedridden with rheumatic fever. The rest is truly history. Maria never returned to the convent and married the Captain on November 26, 1927. This is the story that has been made immortalized by "The Sound of Music."
-The Sound of Music - Trailer [1965] [38th Oscar Best Picture] , from youtube.com "In 1930's Austria, a young woman named Maria is failing miserably in her attempts to become a nun.When the Navy captain Georg Von Trapp writes to the convent asking for a governess that can handle his seven mischevious children,Maria is given the job.The Captain's wife is dead,and he is often away,and runs the household as strictly as he does the ships he sails on.The children are unhappy and resentful of the governesses that their father keeps hiring,and have managed to run each of them off one by one.When Maria arrives,she is initially met with the same hostility,but her kindness,understanding,and sense of fun soon draws them to her and brings some much-needed joy into all their lives--including the Captain's.Eventually he and Maria find themselves falling in love,even though Georg is already engaged to a Baroness and Maria is still a postulant.The romance makes them both start questioning the decisions they have made.Their personal conflicts soon become overshadowed,however,by world events.Austria is about to come under the control of Germany,and the Captain may soon find himself drafted into the German navy and forced to fight against his own country."
-Reel Classics
- Rotunda d' Sias The L�ndler: The Lyrics
, from Sound of Music
-History:
The Sound of Music, Unplugged (Part 1 of 2)
"Narrated by travel writer Brett Harriman -- a former Sound of Music tour guide and founder of Harriman Travel Books -- this captivating two-part travelogue explores Sound of Music fact and fiction and the charmingly scenic sites that set the backdrop for arguably the most popular musical film of all time" Sound of Music Salzburg, the real story about the von Trapp Family ... , sound-of-music.com "
Sound of Music, the history of the von Trapp family, Georg Ritter von Trapp, Maria Kutschera (Maria von Trapp), the real story about the escape, the Trapp ... The Sound of Music
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia "..It is based on the memoir of Maria von Trapp, The Story of the Trapp Family Singers. .. Maria von Trapp
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
...The family's former home in Austria became the headquarters of Heinrich Himmler.[6]..In 1957, the Trapp Family Singers disbanded and went their separate ways. Maria and three of her children became missionaries in the South Pacific.... Movie vs. Reality:
The Real Story of the von Trapp Family
By Joan Gearin archives.gov Winter 2005, Vol. 37, No. 4 "....# The family did not secretly escape over the Alps to freedom in Switzerland, carrying their suitcases and musical instruments. As daughter Maria said in a 2003 interview printed in Opera News, "We did tell people that we were going to America to sing. And we did not climb over mountains with all our heavy suitcases and instruments. We left by train, pretending nothing."
# The von Trapps traveled to Italy, not Switzerland. Georg was born in Zadar (now in Croatia), which at that time was part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Zadar became part of Italy in 1920, and Georg was thus an Italian citizen, and his wife and children as well. The family had a contract with an American booking agent when they left Austria. They contacted the agent from Italy and requested fare to America.
..
....Instead of the fictional Max Detweiler, pushy music promoter, the von Trapps' priest, the Reverend Franz Wasner, acted as their musical director for over 20 years...
..When the Nazis annexed Austria in 1938, the von Trapps realized that they were on thin ice with a regime they abhorred. Georg not only refused to fly the Nazi flag on their house, but he also declined a naval command and a request to sing at Hitler's birthday party. They were also becoming aware of the Nazis' anti-religious propaganda and policies, the pervasive fear that those around them could be acting as spies for the Nazis, and the brainwashing of children against their parents. They weighed staying in Austria and taking advantage of the enticements the Nazis were offering—greater fame as a singing group, a medical doctor's position for Rupert, and a renewed naval career for Georg—against leaving behind everything they knew—their friends, family, estate, and all their possessions. They decided that they could not compromise their principles and left...
In 1956, Maria, Johannes, Rosmarie, and daughter Maria went to New Guinea to do missionary work. Later, Maria ran the Trapp Family Lodge for many years. Of the children, Rupert was a medical doctor; Agathe was kindergarten teacher in Maryland; Maria was a missionary in New Guinea for 30 years; Werner was a farmer; Hedwig taught music; Johanna married and eventually returned to live in Austria; Martina married and died in childbirth; Rosmarie and Eleonore both settled in Vermont; and Johannes managed the Trapp Family Lodge. Maria died in 1987 and was buried alongside Georg and Martina....
*see GoodnewsEverybody.com Asian-Papua New Guineans of Papua New Guinea
-Interviews: Today Show (Sound of Music), from youtube.com "My Favorite Movie with Christopher Plummer and Julie Andrews
SOM Tour in Salzburg
From http://www.christopher-plummer.com/videoaudioclips.html"
The Sound of Music Cast Reunites on Oprah
"The hills are alive once more! Julie Andrews, Christopher Plummer and all of the Von Trapp children are here for their first reunion in 45 years. The Making of The Sound of Music
The Oprah Winfrey Show | October 28, 2010 ".."As Maria says in the movie, 'When God closes a door, somewhere he opens a window,'" Julie says. "I began to write with my daughter and we began a small publishing collection, called the Julie Andrews Collection. And one day I said to my Emma, 'You know, I am missing so much,' and she said the most wonderful thing. She said, 'Mom, you've just found a different way of using your voice.'"..
Five months before shooting began in Salzburg, The Sound of Music director Robert Wise set out to find seven perfect children to play the Von Trapp children. He interviewed more than 200 hopefuls, including a young Richard Dreyfuss, Kurt Russell and Mia Farrow. The Sound of Music Reunion pt 1 , from youtube.com
Where Are the Sound of Music Stars Now?-
Forty-five years have passed since The Sound of Music was released. Catch up with your favorite cast members!
The Oprah Winfrey Show | October 28, 2010 The Sound of Music Trivia
Discover 11 behind-the-scenes secrets from the set of one of America's favorite movie musicals.
The Oprah Winfrey Show | October 28, 2010 "
Kym Karath, the actress who played little Gretl, will never forget the day they filmed the rowboat scene. When the children toppled into the water with their governess, Kym was the only cast member who couldn't swim. "I was scared to death," she says.
Originally, director Robert Wise considered a stunt double, but Kym says he changed his mind. "Robert Wise liked things to be extremely authentic, so they asked if I would be a trooper, and I said yes," she says.
Julie was assigned to catch Kym as she fell out of the boat, but that was easier said than done.
"I went over the back of the boat," Julie says. "I've never done the breast stroke or the crawl or whatever it was so fast in my life."
Kym went under for a moment and swallowed a lot of water, which she says she then vomited all over Heather Menzies-Urich, the actress who played Louisa."...
Growth spurts, especially among the boys, were a challenge on the set. Nicholas Hammond, the actor who played Friedrich, grew 6 inches in six months...
If you blinked during the "I Have Confidence" scene—when Maria is leaving the convent for the Von Trapp home—you may have missed a very special extra. The real Maria von Trapp, her daughter and granddaughter appear for a split second in the background....
The last scene the actors shot—when the children are singing "The Sound of Music" for the
baroness—was one of the most emotional. "We knew that, when they said cut, the movie was
over for us," Nicholas says. .... The Von Trapp Family Timeline-
Their story inspired The Sound of Music, but the facts are more inspiring than fiction. How the real Von Trapp family persevered.
The Oprah Winfrey Show | October 28, 2010 "..1942 The Von Trapps move to Stowe, Vermont—a town that reminded them of Austria—and buy a farm on top of Luce Hill....
1950
The Trapp Family Lodge (still operating today) opens to guests...
1965
The Sound of Music movie is released and later wins an Oscar® for Best Picture.
von Trapp Children on Oprah
Sound of Music - 40th Reunion - Julie Andrews & 7 Children
"I love this one, but Kurts voice scares me a little, he sounds like the kid who sang "Walking in the air", but anyway. here is number 9 in my sound of music series!"
Do Re Mi - Sound Of Music - Julie Andrews
""Do-Re-Mi" is a show tune from the 1959 Rodgers and Hammerstein musical The Sound of Music. Within the story, it is used by Maria to teach the notes of the major musical scale to the Von Trapp children who learn to sing for the first time, even though their father has disallowed frivolity after their mother's death. The song is notable in that each syllable of the musical solfege system appears in its lyrics, sung on the pitch it names.
.."
-Theatre Performances: Do Re Mi (Full Version), from youtube.com "Renaissance Performing Arts Association's Summer 2006 production of The Sound Of Music. I had such a wonderful time playing Liesl (the one standing behind Maria's chair in the begining) along side great people. I love you all..
My Favorite Things - The Sound of Music
"Here's a clip of me and the kids singing "My Favorite Things" from "The Sound of Music".
Sorry- for some reason the sound and the mouths aren't quite matching up" What's My Line The Sound of Music OBC, Original Broadway Cast. from youtube.com
"When Helga Schamaun returned to Morris recently to attend her 50th Morris High School reunion last week, she was looking forward to reuniting with former classmates, like Gretchen (Leuty) Weiler.
But she had in mind a reunion of a different sort, as well.
Fifty years ago, Schamaun was the first American Field Service (AFS) exchange student at Morris High School. So this Morris visit would mark not only her high school reunion, but also a reunion with her Morris “mom,” Marion Beck. Beck and her husband, the late Howard Beck, hosted Schamaun -- then Helga Rainer -- during her senior year at MHS.
Schamaun had traveled by boat in 1958 from Salzburg, Austria, to the U.S., and then by Greyhound bus to Morris.
“I didn’t know what would happen to me,” she said.
Beck, who taught for 23 years in Morris elementary and junior high schools, recalled the 16-year-old Schamaun: “She was a typical teenager, very outgoing,” she said. Schamaun, who had left behind her mother and a younger sister, called Marion and her husband “mom and dad.”
“She was a delight to have,” said Beck.
“I asked her to bring along recipes when she first came,” said Beck. “She brought a cookbook.”
Schamaun was surprised to eat corn on the cob, which was fed in her homeland only to the pigs. However, corn was soon a favorite, along with other foods, especially Beck’s apple pie.
“She asked me one day,” said Beck with a laugh, “’Mom, are you the best cook in Morris?’”
As a young girl in Austria, Schamaun had lived through some of the history she was learning about in her Morris classes. During World War II, Schamaun’s mother had taken the family into the mountains to escape bombings. As a soldier, her father had been killed just as he was preparing to return home from the war.
Happier memories of Morris include the occasion of Schamaun’s 17th birthday celebrated in the Morris High School auditorium when the band played and the football team sang “Happy Birthday.”
Although they haven’t seen each other in 30 years, Schamaun and the Becks have kept in touch. In 1974, Schamaun returned for a brief visit to Morris and, following the birth of her second son, the Becks visited her current home in Switzerland.
Now a retired doctor of anesthesiology, Schamaun looked fondly at her Morris “mom” and remarked, “How fine ‘mom’ looks. I remember that it was hard to leave Morris; coming here was a good experience. My mom had a really good feeling about my coming here and I was lucky to have found a family like ‘mom and dad.’"
"
Once the center of power for the large Austro-Hungarian Empire, Austria was reduced to a small republic after its defeat in World War I. Following annexation by Nazi Germany in 1938 and subsequent occupation by the victorious Allies in 1945, Austria's status remained unclear for a decade. A State Treaty signed in 1955 ended the occupation, recognized Austria's independence, and forbade unification with Germany. A constitutional law that same year declared the country's "perpetual neutrality" as a condition for Soviet military withdrawal. The Soviet Union's collapse in 1991 and Austria's entry into the European Union in 1995 have altered the meaning of this neutrality. A prosperous, democratic country, Austria entered the EU Economic and Monetary Union in 1999..."
"As Lately We Watched, a traditional Austrian carol is performed by the Lee's Summit 1st Nazarene Christmas Choir. Solo: Valerie Hall (1975-2008) pre-recorded. Arranged by Stan Hall."
"...Austria is a parliamentary representative democracy comprising nine federal states[4] and is one of six European countries that have declared permanent neutrality[5] and one of the few countries that includes the concept of everlasting neutrality in its constitution[6]. Austria has been a member of the United Nations since 1955[7] and joined the European Union in 1995.[8]
The German name Österreich is derived from Old German Ostarrîchi "Eastern Territory".[9] The name was erroneously Latinized as "Austria" (Latin auster "south wind", metaphorically "south" thus austrālis "southern" and so on. There is no evidence for the region being called "South" anything in any other language). Reich can also mean "empire", and this connotation is the one that is understood in the context of the Austrian Empire/Austro-Hungarian Monarchy, Holy Roman Empire, although not in the context of the modern Republic of Österreich. The term probably originates in a vernacular translation of the Medieval Latin name for the region: Marchia orientalis, which translates as "eastern marches" or "eastern borderland", as it was situated at the eastern edge of the Holy Roman Empire (and of the Duchy of Bavaria, respectively), that was also mirrored in the name Ostmark, for a short period applied after the Anschluss to Germany....
Missions
Mission in Wien
"We're a german-korean Missionary family, and we serve in Austria. In this Video we introduce ouself and have some austrian believers share why their Country is Mission Field. At the end there are some interviews taken on the street which show what people over here do believe and there are also some pictures of our open air Evangelism."
"We had a glorious walk with the cross in Austria. We began at the border of Liechtenstein and Austria and carried the cross east to Innsbruck. My son, Joshua, was with me and he would drive the Land Rover up the road in front a few miles and then wait for my arrival. At Innsbruck all my other children joined us. They are Gina, Joel, Joy, Joseph and Jerusalem.
We carried the cross on to Salzburg and then on to the capital Vienna.
Imagine one of the most beautiful scenes possible. I was walking with the large cross and Jerusalem one of my sons was carrying his small cross. Joshua another of my sons was behind him carrying his cross down the roadside in this lovely country. What joy to have two of my sons walking with me, both carrying their crosses. After a long walk we stopped for lunch along the roadside. Soon after finishing my meal I leaned back to rest and as I looked up, seven-year-old Arthur J. was standing by the highway with his cross standing straight up. I called out to him, "What are you doing?" He answered,
"Well, Daddy we weren't carrying the cross, we were just resting. I wanted to hold up the cross so that people could see it and think about Jesus." That was just too much, tears poured from my eyes. It's one of the sweetest things that I have ever seen anyone do. Even though he was tired and when most children would be sitting down resting or complaining. Jerusalem was holding the cross up for the world to see. Hallelujah.
Today we are still in Austria and I have that old Amazon River feeling. We carried the cross only a few feet away from the waterline along the Danube River - it was incredible.
After a long mid-afternoon walk some men came out and were waiting alongside the road near a rock quarry where they worked. One big man could speak English, and he was so deeply moved, he had tears in his eyes. He was standing drinking a beer and as I witnessed to him and asked him to give his heart to Christ he just kept shaking his head no. But he couldn't believe that we had walked so far. He looked at me so intently and he said, "Would you give me your shirt and I will give you mine?" I was wearing my favorite blue jean shirt. A shirt I'd had for years with so much road character. I would have given him my money but my shirt - it was so difficult, but I thought, “What would Jesus do?' A big pot bellied heavy drinker, and a dirty, sweaty shirt that had just came out of a rock quarry. Well Jesus said, “If a man asks for your shirt, give it to him.' So I did. And he gave me his stinking dirty T-Shirt and I put it on. Praise God.
This was a beautiful cross walk and I met wonderful people. Many people prayed to receive Jesus as Savior and Lord.
Arthur and Joshua and Jerusalem and Joseph Blessitt
I had a glorious time with my children as we carried the cross in this fabulous country.
A pilgrim follower of Jesus,
Arthur Blessitt
Luke 18:1
Music
-Acapella
Regez Sisters, a female christian-evangelical accapella group
*saw article on the Twin Cities Pioneer Press on Dec. 26th 2006 Singing sisters entertain at Dorothy Day "5 singing sisters, 1 cause As part of a world tour to share their Christian faith, the Regez Sisters from Austria brought some holiday cheer to a surprise concert Monday at the Dorothy Day Center."
BY BRIAN BONNER
Pioneer Press "Thanks to a chance encounter with a homeless man, five young Austrian sisters showed up at St. Paul's Dorothy Day Center on Christmas Day to spread cheer and perform an impromptu concert.
Fred Woods, the downtown center's program director, said it's not unusual for the homeless to be entertained by singers during the holidays. "But this is special, all the way from Austria," Woods said.
The Regez Sisters � Priscille, 26; Rebekka, 24; Corrine, 21; Daniela, 19; and Marion, 18 � brought their own "Sound of Music" to nearly 300 people who came for their noon-hour meal at the downtown shelter.
The sisters are part of an evangelical Christian network that tours the world, taking the message of Jesus Christ to audiences a cappella and also with guitar and piano accompaniment.
The five young women are from Linz, Austria. They met Richard Johnson, a Crystal police investigator and chaplain, on a mission in Israel three years ago. When Johnson heard their voices, he was impressed. He offered to host them if they came to Minnesota.
"These girls sing a cappella in a way that will knock your socks off," Johnson said. "These girls could sell $100 tickets."
Terry McCoy, one of the homeless in the audience, agreed. "They were real nice," McCoy said. "I loved it."
Since Dec. 13, the sisters have been taking their upbeat energy to churches, elder care centers and prisons or jails in Minnesota.
A few days ago, while traveling with Johnson in a van, the sisters saw a homeless man by the Lexington Parkway exit off Interstate 94. He was holding up a sign asking to work for food. The group stopped, started talking with him and learned that he stayed at the Dorothy Day Center.
"He gave us the idea to come here and sing," Johnson said. "We were close and wanted to come and give a Christmas concert."
When Johnson stopped by the shelter about 11:30 a.m. Monday and told Woods that five lovely Austrian sisters were ready to entertain, the Dorothy Day Center's program director didn't hesitate to invite them inside.
The final Minnesota performance of the Regez Sisters will be Wednesday before juvenile inmates of the Hennepin County Home School in Minnetonka. Then it's off to Florida before starting a South American tour in January.
Daniela Regez said the sisters have been singing with their parents, Rudi and Christine, since they were young. They started performing at concerts several years ago. Last September, they decided to start a world tour, performing wherever they lined up invitations and hosts.
She said their aim is to share their faith, "not to get famous or get money by selling CDs."
But for those who want to hear their music or buy their CDs, the sisters have a Web site with samples, schedules and contact information at www.regezsisters.com. It's in German and in English.
Daniela Regez said the sisters don't like to identify with any specific branch of Christianity. "Jesus came for every person in the world," she said. "The world needs a savior."
The faith that inspires their singing and their travel has been tested: They had a sixth sister, Stefanie, who was killed when a truck ran into the family's car in Austria in 1998. But they say their relationship with Christ and the chance to spread their message of peace and hope has helped them overcome their sibling's death.
One of their best memories of Minnesota was their Christmas Eve show before female inmates at the Hennepin County Jail in Minneapolis. Marion Regez said the emotional event brought audience and singers to tears. "It was so wow," she said.
The sisters don't yet know who will organize all their South American appearances, nor do they know what they'll do after they stop touring in September. For now, they're just enjoying the stops along the way.
Or, as their Web site says: "We love life and we love God, who gave it to us."
Brian Bonner can be reached at bbonner@pioneerpress.com.
or 651-228-2173.
-Rock
"A scene were Maria prays for the children and family she would later help out with on her first night. When do you pray to your Heavenly Father? Do you pray before going to bed? Do you pray for your love ones? Daily?"
" http://WatchMojo.com/ presents a video travel guide on the amazing country of Austria. Known as Mozart's birthplace, Austria has plenty to engage visitors, check it out!
"
Vienna Austria Travel Austria Europe Video Movies
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