Philharmonic

This article deals with the film from 1944. For the name of an orchestra (member) and related terms, see Philharmonie ; on the Austrian bullion coin, which is also known as the “Philharmonic” for short, see Vienna Philharmonic (coin) .

Movie
Original title	Philharmonic
Country of production	Germany
original language	German
Publishing year	1944
length	79 minutes
Age rating	FSK 12
Rod
Director	Paul Verhoeven
script	Erich Ebermayer , Paul Verhoeven
production	Tobis-Filmkunst GmbH (Berlin) , production group Herbert Engelsing
music	Heinz-Friedel Heddenhausen , Alois Melichar
camera	Friedl Behn-Grund
cut	Hans Heinrich
occupation
Eugen Klöpfer : Father Schonath Will Quadflieg : Alexander Schonath Malte Jaeger : Hans Schonath Theodor Loos : Orchestra director Herbert Hartwig Irene von Meyendorff : Maria Hartwig Erich Ponto : Orchestra servant Straehle Kirsten Heiberg : Heddy Lindt Elisabeth Flickenschildt : Concert Agent Fuchs OE Hasse : Urdoi concert agent Franz Schafheitlin : Ministerialrat Erika von Thellmann : Mrs. Brettschneider Eduard von Winterstein : Doctor Erich Fiedler : Philharmonic Snowman Paul Verhoeven : Philharmonic Grode Oscar Sabo : Philharmonic Schulz Karl Etlinger : Philharmonic Weidner Herbert Gernot : Philharmonic Ullmann Paul Rehkopf : Mack Philharmonic Curt Ackermann : Director of the Rio Bar

Philharmonic is a music film by Paul Verhoeven from 1944.

content

Germany before 1933: The financial situation of the Berliner Philharmoniker has worsened, and although the musicians remain loyal to the orchestra, it is first violinist Alexander Schonath, who has just been accepted into the orchestra, who has turned his back on the Philharmoniker. He went as a violinist to a group that played popular music and was now considered a traitor by the Philharmonic. Alexander's father, in particular, as one of the oldest members of the orchestra, cannot forgive his son.

In reality, however, Alexander acted for good motives. Originally he had moved around as a solo violinist with a dance band, which led to a first break with his father. Alexander's always ailing brother Hans, who is also a musician, has meanwhile become concertmaster with the Philharmonic. Hans became engaged to the daughter of the orchestra board, Maria. At that time, Alexander unexpectedly appeared in Berlin and began an affair with Maria. She subsequently managed to reconcile Alexander with his father. She was also able to convince her father, the orchestra director, to hire Alexander with the Philharmonic. The sudden competition from his brother in both personal and professional life was too much for Hans, who passed out during a concert. When the doctors told Alexander that any excitement could be fatal for Hans, Alexander left the Philharmonic even though he was now considered a traitor.

In 1933 the financial situation of the Philharmonic improved significantly. Hans dies during a tour abroad and Maria meets Alexander a short time later by chance. At first she met him negatively, but learned from the singer Heddy the true background of Alexander's disappearance at the time. Maria still loves Alexander and reconciles him with his father again. The talented violinist will now finally become a member of the Philharmonic, and he and Maria will become lovers.

production

Filming for the Philharmonic took place from November 26, 1942 to March 1943, among other places in the old Berlin Philharmonic, which was destroyed in 1944, and in Vienna . The film construction was done by Otto Erdmann , Arthur Nortmann and Franz F. Fürst .

In November 1944, the film testing agency classified the Philharmonic Orchestra as “free for young people over the age of 14” and awarded this film the title “ artistically particularly valuable” .

The film premiered on December 4, 1944 in Berlin's Tauentzien Palace.

In the film, in addition to the actors, the Berliner Philharmoniker can be heard and seen. Works by Anton Bruckner , Franz Liszt , Richard Strauss and Johannes Brahms will be heard under the conductors Richard Strauss , Hans Knappertsbusch , Eugen Jochum and Karl Böhm , who appear in the film . At the beginning of the film, Ludwig van Beethoven's 5th Symphony is heard . With regard to conductors, contemporary criticism emphasized that the "masters of their craft, the names of the world who are amateur actors in front of the camera ... the masters of the mask!"

criticism

Contemporary critics praised the Philharmonic as a "musical feast for the ears and a feast for the eyes". He managed to “release music from its absolute self-importance and to link it with the private episodes of human fate.” At the same time, he managed to “make the majesty of music visible.” Other critics emphasized that the plot is less important in the film , rather than “the experience of music, which in turn drives the development of an orchestra.” Paul Verhoeven would have captured “atmospheric moments” and “concerts of haunting effect” in the Philharmoniker . The achievements of the actors who “unconsciously achieved the highest naturalness of art on the podium” were also highlighted, for example “the violinist of German film” Will Quadflieg would be “the absolute virtuoso of his life and his art” and Irene von Meyendorff shows “ more talking warmth ... in the look and feeling than it can and should otherwise be in her medal-shaped face. "

The Lexikon des Internationale Films rated the Philharmoniker in 1990 as a "music film with good camera work and excellent acting." It offers "perfect music-making by the Berlin Philharmonic under the leadership of Richard Strauss, Eugen Jochum and Hans Knappertsbusch."

See also

• List of German feature films premiered in the German Reich during the Nazi era

Web links

• Philharmonic in the Internet Movie Database (English)
• Philharmonic at filmportal.de
• Philharmonic at murnau-stiftung.de

Individual evidence

1. ↑ ^{a b c d e} Richard Biedrzynski: Music around Maria. For the premiere of the Tobis film in the Tauentzien Palace: “Philharmonic” . Deutsche Zeitung Berlin, December 5, 1944.
2. ↑ ^{a b c} Cornelia Herstatt: With conductors and mimes. “Philharmoniker”, a new Tobis film in the Tauentzien Palace . Review of a Berlin newspaper, December 5, 1944.
3. ↑ Will Quadflieg: We always play. Memories . Fischer, Frankfurt am Main 1976, p. 112. Quadflieg was often used as a violinist in his films, for example in Kora Terry , Die Zaubergeige , Schwarze Augen or Die Försterchristel .
4. ↑ ^{a b} The Lexicon of International Films . Volume 6. Rowohlt, Reinbek bei Hamburg 1990, p. 2943.