vonTrapp.org

2017

by Miriam Bos

The Story of Trapp Family Singers

During the family's touring Maria Augusta Kustchera von Trapp kept a diary of the Trapp Family Singers' experiences. In the early 1940's their publicist, Alix B. Williamson, suggested and encouraged Maria Augusta to turn her journals into a memoir. In 1949, J. B. Lippincott Company of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, published her memoirs as The Story of the Trapp Family Singers.

The resulting book shared Maria Augusta's recollections of the von Trapp family's prior two decades, from their beginnings in Salzburg, Austria, to their musical adventures in America where they escaped from Nazi-invaded Europe. Her story reflected on their tragedies, victories, faith, and the kindness of strangers who had befriended the young family of refugees.

Note: The Georg & Agathe Foundation and their project von Trapp.org are not affiliated with the video provider YouTube; we are not responsible for content nor do we endorsement of any ads.

2015

by Laurence Maslon

Note: The Georg & Agathe Foundation and their project von Trapp.org is not affiliated with the video provider YouTube; we are not responsible for content nor do we endorse any ads.

Photo: Courtesy of Salzburger Landestheater

Photo: © newspapers.com

The Evening Republican May 1, 1915

Meadville, Pennselvanyia

Tutor Arrives: At the start of a new school year, Baron Captain Georg von Trapp's (1880-1947) daughter Maria (1914-2014) was suffering from heart issues connected with contracting scarlet fever five years before. The issue caused her much fatigue and made it difficult to attend school full-time. In October, Georg inquired with the Ursuline High School to see if they had any qualified students to assist; the Director recommended 'Gustl' Maria Augusta Kutschera* (1905-1987), a fifth-grade teacher at the local Nonnberg Abbey ('Gustl' is short for Augusta). Gustl had recently graduated from the State Teacher's College of Progressive Education. Georg was grateful for the recommendation and agreed to hired Gustl; she came to Villa von Trapp as a live-in school tutor for his daughter Maria.

*Gustl was the basis for the "Maria" character in "The Sound of Music", which was inspired by Gustl's 1949 book, "The Story of The Trapp Family Singers".
1965 Hollywood Movie Version:

Similarities - When Gustl arrived at Villa von Trapp, the children did ranged in age from 5 to near 16.

Differences - In the movie, the widowed Baron Captain Georg von Trapp hired Gustl's character 'Maria' as a nanny for all of his children in 1936; in real life, 'Maria' was known as Gustl (short for her middle name Augusta) and came to Villa von Trapp as a school tutor for his 3rd daughter, Maria (12), ten years earlier in 1926.

Yacht Captain Request: After the collapse of the Austro-Hungarian Empire.... After the collapse of the Austro-Hungarian Empire.... After the collapse of the Austro-Hungarian Empire....Although busy with his Rhein-Donau-Express shipping company [see year 1921] and at home chicken-egg farm [see year 1925], Baron Captain Georg von Trapp accepted a request by Mr. Hankey (an American) to captain and sail Mr. Hankey’s yacht from Bremerhaven, Germany to Genoa, Italy.

1965 Hollywood Movie version: N/A - not mentioned in the movie

USA 1976 - Present

The film was first televised on February 29, 1976 on ABC. NBC then purchased the broadcast rights to telecast and aired the film on February 11, 1979. NBC continued to show it annually until 2001, for one year the Fox Network held the rights to broadcast. Since 2003 the film continues to be been aired on ABC. Typically these networks aired The Sound of Music during Christmas time, Easter, and other holidays.

UK 1978 - Present
Also, broadcast around Christmas time, BBC has annually aired the film since December 25, 1978.

The Sound of Music Guide Books:

FAMILY HISTORY: The Sound of Music

Photo: Public Domain

1926

Community Plays & Revivals

Annually the musical The Sound of Music is performed on stages worldwide. From high schools to large-scale productions, here are some of the highlights from over the years:

1961 UK's 1st Production: London premiere at West End's Palace Theatre on May 18, 1961 and starring Jean Bayless & Roger Dann. It ran for 2,386 shows.

1961 1st US, Australia & South Africa Tours: The US tour featured the future TV star Florence Henderson, and went to more than 40 American cities from 1961 to 1963, while major productions also opened in Australia and South Africa.

1981 London Revival: Played at the West End's Apollo Theatre and starring Petula Clark & Michael Jayston. Maria Augusta Kutschera von Trapp (age 76) attended the opening night. For that year, The Guinness Book of Theatre reported: "the show set the highest seating attendance in a single week" at 101% during October 26-31.

1982 Germany's 1st Production: The German-language version was first performed at the Municipal Theatre in Hildesheim under the title Die Trapp Familie on March 9, 1982.

1998 Broadway Revival: From March 12, 1998 - June 20, 1999 the Broadway revival played at the M. Beck Theatre Broadway with 533 performances, starring Richard Chamberlain (1999) & Rebecca Luker. The opening night was attended by several of von Trapp children. It was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Revival of a Musical and subsequently toured North America.

2004 Asia Tour: Largest tour to-date: China, Japan, Kore, and Singapore.

2005 Austria's 1st Production: First German-language version of The Sound of Music played in Vienna, Austria.

2006 London Revival: From November 15, 2006 - February 21 2009, Andrew Lloyd Webber's production of the musical played at the London Palladium Theatre. Beforehand, there was a nationwide casting for the lead role on BBC broadcast, the winner was Connie Fisher and Alexander Hanson. A national tour followed.

2007-2015 London Palladium World-Tour: Performing throughout UK, Australia, and Asia.

Turn of the 21st Century, Europe & Middle East: Major productions toured Italy, Portugal, the Netherlands, and Israel.

2011-present 1st Salzburg Production: On October 23, 2011, the first production premiered at Salzburger Landestheater in Salzburg, Austria. The Landestheater Intendant Carl Philip von Maldeghem commented,"This musical is worldwide one of the most successful and frequently performed of all time. And the Hollywood film of 1965 became famous everywhere in the world. It's one of the most popular films in cinematic history and has shaped the image of Salzburg in many countries across the globe - and still does today." The opening was attended by several von Trapp family members.

Sing-a-Long's

2010

by William Anderson

& Linda Graves

Salzburg Home - Villa von Trapp: Three years after his first wife, Baroness Agathe Whitehead (1891-1922), passed away from scarlet fever, Baron Captain Georg von Trapp (1880-1947)** purchased a home for his family in Aigen (a small suburb of Salzburg, Austria). At the time, the von Trapp children were Baron Rupert Ritter (Knight) von Trapp (15), Baroness Agathe von Trapp (13), Baroness Maria von Trapp (12), Baron Werner Ritter (Knight) von Trapp (11), Baroness Hedwig von Trapp (9), Baroness Johanna von Trapp (7) and Baroness Martina von Trapp (5). The Aigen house was built in 1863 by the Friulian Architect Valentin Ceconi and later enlarged by an owner, Salzburg’s governor Count Hugo Lamberg. When Georg bought it, he again remodeled it to suit his family's needs. Villa von Trapp came to be their family

Photo: © NBC

The Sound of Music Live!

2006

by Marget Springly

& Regine Ortel

Note: The Georg & Agathe Foundation and their project von Trapp.org is not affiliated with the video provider YouTube; we are not responsible for content nor do we endorse any ads.

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*In 1938, as political refugees, the family was forced to abandon their home and belongs to seek asylum in the U.S.A. After WWII, when the family received their house back during reparations, they sold it to an Order of monks. In 2008, it was leased and opened as a hotel. In the movie, ‘Villa von Trapp’ was filmed at Schloss Frohnburg, a 17th century country house, now the Mozarteum Music Academy.
**Baron Captain Georg Riiter (Knight) von Trapp was elevated to Baron from Knight with his 1918 'Maria Theresa Military Order', awarded during WWI by the Austro-Hungarian Imperial & Royal War Navy; he was officially granted his title in 1924, when he submitted the proper paperwork and application. This entitled him, his wife and his descendants to carry the title Baron and Baroness.
1965 Hollywood Movie version:

Similarities- Baron Captain Georg von Trapp was a widowed, WWI Navy hero with seven children, living near Salzburg, Austria.

Differences - In the movie, his children's name's were changed, as well as the birth order of his first two children; in the movie, the eldest is Liesl von Trapp (real name Agathe von Trapp & actually the second child, eldest daughter), Friedruich von Trapp (real name Rupert von Trapp & first child, eldest son), Lousia von Trapp (Maria von Trapp), Kurt von Trapp (Werner von Trapp), Brigitta von Trapp (Hedwig von Trapp), Marta von Trapp (Johanna von Trapp) and Gretl von Trapp (Martina von Trapp). Also, a key difference was Georg's portrayal as stiff, distant and strict; in reality, his children all describe him as loving, humorous, their 'rock' in the family and highly engaged & interested in his children's lives.

TV Broadcasts: The Sound of Music (1979-Present)

2009

Adapted by Bert Fink

1991 Japan Series

Published by Tankobon

2015

by Marianne Dorfer & Mag. Christopher Unterkofler

UK 2015 -

The Sound of Music Live

Aired: ITV televised live production first broadcast on December 20, 2015

December 2015

Creative Director: Coky Giedroyc
Starring: Kara Tointon and Julian Ovenden
Location: 3 Mills Studios in London, United Kingdom
Viewership: The program was watched by over 3.82 million U.K. viewers
Awards: British Academy Television Craft Award for Best Director - Multicamera

German Movie 1956 & 1958

2015

by Carol Flynn

2015

by Tom Santopietro

2010

by Charmian Carr

1987

Salzburg Guide

2015

by Paul Simpson

The Captain's Fame (1915)

United Kingdom
United States
Canada
Australia/New Zealand
Netherlands
Sweden

home for the next 13 years. Later, it has been immortalized as the backdrop to the beginning of the "The Sound of Music".

Photo: Copyright unknown

The Sound of Music Live

Photo: © Newspapers.com

1927 - Wedding of Baron Captain Georg von Trapp &

Baroness 'Gustl' Maria Augusta Kutschera

Japanese Animae:トラップ一家物語 Trapp Family Story (1991)

1926

Best Music - Scoring of Music Adaptation or Treatment: Irwin Kostal
Best Sound Mixing: James Corcoran & Fred Hynes

Photo: © The Rodgers & Hammerstein Organization

1961 Starred Florence Henderson

1966 Golden
Globes Awards

Best Motion Picture Musical/ Comedy: Robert Wise
Best Motion Picture Actress - Musical/Comedy: Julie Andrews

Story by Maria Augusta Kutschera

Photo: © newspapers.com

Honolulu Star Bulletin May 18, 1915

Honolulu, Hawaii

Blockbuster

Building on the momentum of The Sound of Music's success on Broadway, the Hollywood rendition hit the silver screen in 1965. The screenplay was adapted by Ernest Lehman; it was produced and directed by Robert Wise; Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer starred in the leading roles.

The film went to be a global success. In France it is known as La mélodie du bonheur "The Melody of Happiness"; in Germany Meine Lieder, Meine Träume "My Songs, My Dreams"; in Italy Tutti insieme Appassionatamente "All Together with Passion"; in the Netherlands De mooiste muziek "The Most Beautiful Music"; in Spain Sonrisas y Lágrimas "Smiles and Tears". In Portugal it is Música no Coraçno "Music of the Heart", while in Portuguese-speaking Brazil, it is A novica rebelde "The Rebel Novice".

The Sound of Music went on to become the most well-known musical, having earned (adjusted for inflation as of 2017) the third highest box-office gross of all time in the United States, and eighth worldwide. Fifty years after the release of the movie, it is estimated to have been seen by over 200,000,000 people globally.

In 1998, the film was added to the American Film Institute’s (AFI) list of the 100 Best Films of all Time, in 55th place and in 2007 it climbed to 40th place. Then in 2006 the film made into it the AFI list of 25 Greatest Musical Films of all Time, coming into 4th place.

German Movie: Die Trapp Family / The Trapp Family (1956 & 1958)

LEARN MORE: Georg's Naval Career

Photo: Courtesy of schlosshotels.co.at

Photo: Courtesy of Villa Trapp

USA 1987 -

The Sound of Christmas

Aired: December 16, 1987
Starring: Julie Andrews, John Denver, Placido Domingo, and The Kings Singers
Director: Dwight Hemion
Location: Filmed at Schloss Leopoldskron, Salzburg, Austria - one of the original buildings used in the 1965 The Sounds of Music film

Awards: 1988 won 5 Emmy Awards and 1 Directors Guild of America

Hollywood Movie: The Sound of Music (1965)

1925-

1930s

1958 - Trapp Familie America

West German comedy drama, directed by Wolfgang Liebeneiner and starring Ruth Leuwerik & Hans Holt.

Photo: © ABC

Remembering A Global Cultural Phenomenon

Share your memories and experiences with the musical, The Sound of Music. When was the first time you saw the musical? Were you in a play production? We'd love to hear you stories!

Directed: Kôzô Kusuba
Produced: Yoshihisa Tachikawa (Eps 1-25), Minoru Wada (Eps 26-40),
Takaji Matsudo
Written: Ayo Shiroya
Music: Shin Kawabe
Original Network: Fuji TV, from January 13, 1991-December 28, 1991

[from Wikipedia]

Help Preserve & Share History

Unknown

Published by Tandem

National Board of Review

Top Ten Films of 1965: The Sound of Music

About the von Trapp Family:

From Reality to Legend

It's not widely known today, but the very reason that the von Trapp story was ever told on stage and screen was because of the family's four decades of prior notoriety - starting with Baron Captain Georg von Trapp's WWI achievements, and then later, his family's professional singing career and global touring as the Trapp Family Choir & Trapp Family Singers (1934-1956).

Their popularity, in parallel with post-WWII cultural conditions, combined for the perfect moment in time to produce what is today one of the world's most beloved, enduring, and popular musicals. Inspired by real-life, their story of leaving Austria before WWII was the basis for Rodgers & Hammerstein and Lindsay & Crouse's musical, The Sound of Music.

1930

1993

by Julia Antopol Hirsch

1995 for Japan

text by William Anderson & photography by David Wade

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von Trapp Cookbooks:

Books: 1980 - Present

With the success of the global stage productions, movie, and televised film versions, many books have been written about the real-life of von Trapp family, as well as the behind-the-scenes making of The Sound of Music movie.

Note: A percent of the sales from books lists in our Shop benefit the Foundation's projects. The book list is for informational purposes only and does not necessarily represent an endorsement by the Georg & Agathe Foundation or their project vonTrapp.org. Unless listed in our Shop, the Foundation does not financially benefit from book sales.

Photo: © The Rodgers & Hammerstein Organization
Richard Rodgers, Oscar Hammerstein II,

Howard Lindsay, and Russel Crouse

1966 Writers

Guild of America

Best Written American Musical: Howard Lindsay, Russel Crouse, and Ernest Lehman

Salzburg, Austria at night

The city was the backdrop to the 1965 movie The Sound of Music

FREE: Updates and history trivia

German Movies

In 1956, Wolfgang Reinhardt approached Maria Augusta Kustchera von Trapp to turn her book, The Story of the Trapp Family Singers into a German movie. They offered an immediate cash advance of $9,000. Without consulting a business manager, she accepted. The contract did not include future royalties and therefore the family did not receive any additional revenue once the film became successful in Germany.

Directed by Wolfgang Liebeniner and starring Ruth Leuwerik and Hans Holt, it opened in October 9, 1956 in West Germany and April 19, 1961 in the United States. The films were known as "Heimatfilm" (Fatherland film), a genre that was extremely popular in the post-war German-speaking world. Die Trapp Familie/The Trapp Family and its sequel Die Trapp Familie in Amerika/The Trapp Family in America were a big success in Germany and later in Europe and South America.

Note: The below list is for informational purposes only and does not necessarily represent an endorsement by the Georg & Agathe Foundation or their project vonTrapp.org. The Foundation does not benefit financially from any of their activities.

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1925-1938, Villa von Trapp, Aigen, Salzburg, Austria

2008

by Maria von Trapp

(Georg von Trapp's daughter)

1966

Laurel Awards

General Entertainment: The Sound of Music
Musical Performance - Female: Julie Andrews

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2011

by Fred Bronson

1925-

1938

Photo: By Blogger Beth Spotswood on December 2010
San Francisco, California

1960 Tony Awards

The Broadway production The Sound of Music won five Tony Awards

Best Musical
Best Actress: Mary Martin
Best Supporting Actress:
Patricia Neway
Best Set Design: Oliver Smith
Best Conductor & Musical Director: Frederick Dvonch

1960 Grammy Award

Best Musical Show Album (Music Recording)

Broadway Musical: The Sound of Music (1959-1963)

Baron Captain Georg von Trapp

During WWI, Captain Georg von Trapp was an Austro-Hungarian submarine commander. He gained notoriety and fame in Europe for his naval achievements, becoming a household name.

At the time he was married to his first wife, Agathe Gobertina Whitehead. Whitehead's family was also well-known, as her grandfather, Robert Whitehead, (assisted by her father John) invented the torpedo. Georg & Agathe had seven children: Rupert (Friedrich in the musical), Agathe (Liesl), Maria (Louisa), Werner (Kurt), Hedwig (Brigitta), Johanna (Marta), and Martina (Gretl).

Tragically, in 1922, Agathe Whitehead passed away from Scarlet Fever, leaving Georg to care for their seven children. Five years after later, Georg married his second wife Maria Augusta Kutschera. Together they had three children: Rosmarie, Eleonore, and Johannes.

1998

text by William Anderson & photography by David Wade

Book (1949)

Celebrating the von Trapp musicians who inspired the musical The Sound of Music

Listen:

Captain Georg von Trapp

1965 Academy Awards

Best Picture: Robert Wise
Best Director: Robert Wise
Best Film Editing: William H. Reynolds

Photo: © 20th Century Fox

Producer & Director Robert Wise

Global Stage Productions: The Sound of Music (1961-Present)

For children
Trapp Family Story (トラップ一家物語 Torappu Ikka Monogatari) is a Japanese anime series by Nippon Animation first broadcast in 1991. In this version the animae children's names are their real von Trapp children's names. The series first used Doremi no Uta "Doremi Song" as the intro theme during earlier broadcasting, then the DVD and video version uses Hohoemi no Mahou "Smile Magic".

1925-1938, Villa von Trapp, Aigen, Salzburg, Austria

1926

Books: von Trapp Family & The Sound of Music (1980 - Present)

2004

by Agathe von Trapp

(Georg von Trapp's daughter)

Note: The below list is for informational purposes only and does not necessarily represent an endorsement by the Georg & Agathe Foundation or their project vonTrapp.org. Nor does the Foundation benefit financially from any of their activities.

2007

by Irmgard Wöhrl

Summer, Camping in Istria & Dalmatia: The Italian WWI blacklist/ban within Istria and Dalmatia* for WWI Central Power military personal had finally been lifted after fourteen years [see year 1914 and year 1918]. After WWI and the fall of the Austro-Hungarian Empire (on the Central Power side), the Empire's coastal territories were annexed to Italy (on the Allies side). Italy’s blacklist had previously prevented Baron Captain Georg von Trapp (1880-1947) from returning to his birth place in Dalmatia and his prior home & life with his 1st wife Agathe Whitehead** (1891-1922) in Istria [see years 1880 - 1922]. Georg took the opportunity with the lifting of the blacklist, to organize a sailing and camping trip for his family; this would help reunite his children with their past and to introduce his second wife, 'Gustl' Maria Augusta Kutschera (1905-1987), to his prior life. At the time his children with Agathe Whitehead ranged in age from

Note: The Georg & Agathe Foundation and their project vonTrapp.org are not affiliated with the video provider YouTube; we are not responsible for content nor do we endorsement of any ads.

Photo: Courtesy of Panorama

1998 New York, USA , von Trapp family and von Trapp cast recognized by Salzburg Vice Governor

for their contributions to Salzburg

1932 - Veruda, Istria (today Croatia), Baron Captain Georg von Trapp

with his children and nephew & nieces

Partial Listing of Sources:
"Memories Before & After The Sound of Music" by Agathe von Trapp, "The World of The Trapp Family" by William Anderson and David Wade, Rodgers & Hammerstein Organization www.rnh.com, Correspondence between Baron Captain Georg von Trapp & his brother-in-law Captain Robert Lutz, Memoirs by Johanna von Trapp, newspaper articles, and Wikipedia

Rupert (20), Agathe (19), Maria (17), Werner (16), Hedwig (15), Johanna (12) and Martina (11). His two daughters with Gustl were too young for the trip and stayed in Aigen, Illi (3) and Lorli (1). Georg charted the cargo vessel 'Archimede' and travelled around Istria, Dalmatia (stopping in Zadar, Georg's birth place - see Winter 1932) & Bocche de Cattaro. Georg also took the time to give sailing and kayaking instructing to his children; he envisioned practising to one day take his family on an around-the-world sailing trip. The family also played music together throughout their vacation.
*Prior to WWI, Istria and Dalmatia were areas within the Austro-Hungarian Empire's territories. After WWI, it was annexed to Italy. After WWII, it was incorporated into a new country Yugoslavia. After the fall of the communism, the areas became part of the new country of Croatia.

**Agathe Whitehead had passed away in 1922 after complications with scarlet fever, contracted by caring for her sick children.
1965 Hollywood Movie Version: N/A not mentioned in the movie

20+ Years As Professional Musicians

By 1934 the family had lost a large part of their wealth due to a global depression and a banking failure. To stabilize their financial situation Georg worked on several endeavors, including writing his WWI memories, lecturing, and exploring some engineering ideas. The family was able to stay at their home in Aigen, near Salzburg, Austria, but they took on boarders to help cover their expenses.

In 1934 the first seven children ranged in age from 14 to 20. That summer, the famous German/Austrian opera singer, Lotte Lehmann, visited Villa Trapp and the family entertained her with music. She encouraged them to enter a folk song competition and their surprise they won a prize in the multiple voice category. With that prize came several radio appearances, encouraging the group to formalize.

In 1935 they were joined by Rev. Dr. Franz Wasner as Musical Director. For the next 20+ years, the family toured, first as the Trapp Family Choir (1936-1940) and then as the Trapp Family Singers (1940-1956).

The family sang in over 2,000 performances, in venues ranging from high school auditoriums to iconic concert halls, bringing joy and comfort to over 3 million people throughout 30 countries. In their day they were a household name within the United State and Europe, becoming known as "the most booked attraction in U.S. history".

Photo: ©Studio Nippon Animation

Japanese Animae Series

Born February 8: Baroness 'Illi' Rosmarie von Trapp (b.1929, eighth child, sixth daughter) born in Salzburg, Austria to parents Georg & Gustl. Later, Illi was a member of the Trapp Family Singers; however, Illi is not represented in "The Sound of Music".

1965 Hollywood Movie Version:

Difference - In the movie, Georg & Gustl's character 'Maria', meet, marry & leave Austria between 1936 and 1938. However in real life, Georg & Gustl meet in 1926, marry in 1927, have two children in 1929 & 1930 and leave Austria, together with all the nine children, in 1938. In order for the movie to span less years, the movie timeline is shortened and therefore, Illi is not featured in the movie.

Sold 2nd Shipping Company - Rhein-Donau-Express: In 1921, Baron Captain Georg von Trapp (1880-1947) founded his second merchant shipping enterprise the “Rhein-Donau-Express-Schiffahrt’s-A.G.” [1st company see year 1919, 2nd company see year 1921]. For nine years, Georg built up a successful and lucrative business, capturing so much of the Rhein and Donau shipping market that his fellow competitors bought him out.

1965 Hollywood Movie Version:

Difference - Since the movie version takes place between 1936-1938, Georg's success with his shipping business is not featured as it takes place between 1919-1930, after his Naval career ends in 1918 due to the aftermath of WWI [see year 1918].

Born May 14: Baroness 'Lorli' Eleonore von Trapp(b.1931 ninth child, seventh daughter) born in Salzburg, Austria to parents Georg & Gustl. Later, Lorli was a member of the Trapp Family Singers; however, Lorli is not represented in "The Sound of Music".

1965 Hollywood Movie Version:

Difference: In the movie, Georg & Gustl's character 'Maria', meet, marry & leave Austria between 1936 and 1938. However in real life, Georg & Gustl meet in 1926, marry in 1927, have two children in 1929 & 1930 and leave Austria in 1938, together with all the nine children. In order for the movie to span less years, the movie timeline is shortened and therefore, Lorli is not featured in the movie.

Spring High School Graduation & United Kingdom Trip: As a high school graduation gift, Baron Captain Georg von Trapp (1880-1947) sent his two eldest, Rupert (19) and Agathe (18), to the United Kingdom. It was to visit to their Great-uncle 'Bertie' Robert Bovil Whitehead (1867-1945)* and his wife, 'Rosie' Rosalie Emily Lecky Phelps (1872-1941). While there they, also visited their Great-aunt the Honorable Maria Cecilia Broderick (####-####); unfortunately, her husband & the von Trapps Great-Uncle 'Bede' Sir James Beethom Whitehead (1858-1928)* had passed away a few years earlier. *Sons to British engineer Robert Whitehead (1823-1905), the inventor of the underwater, self-propelled torpedo [see year 1905] and Uncles to their mother Agathe Whitehead (1891-1920).

1965 Hollywood Movie Version: N/A not mentioned in the movie

Official 1965 Movie Poster

South Brisbane, Australia

Netherlands KvK-nummer 63503336 | Terms of use and disclaimer

USA 2013 -

The Sound of Music Live!

Aired: NBC televised live production first broadcast on December 5, 2013 and December 14, 2013.

Produced: Craig Zadan and Neil Meron

Starring: Carrie Underwood and Stephen Moyer

Written: Austin Winsberg

Directed: Rob Ashford and Beth McCarthy-Miller

Location: Grumman Studios in Bethpage, New York, USA

Viewership: The Sound of Music Live! was watched by over 25 million U.S. viewers and brought NBC its highest Thursday night viewership for an entertainment program, since 2004.

Awards: It won a 2014 Emmy for Outstanding Technical Direction, Camerawork, Video Control for a Miniseries, Movie, or Special.

1929

2004

by Marshall Faye

1981

by Patricia Metten

2001

Illustrated by Renée Graef

50th Anniversary DVD Cover

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2017

Salzburg Guide

2017

by Daniel Roode

The Sound of Music:

TIMELINE: Professional Musicians (1936-1956)

Sound of Music Children Books:

1983

by Hans Wilhelm

Married November 26: Baron Captain Georg von Trapp (47) & Baroness 'Gustl' Maria Augusta Kutschera* (22) married at the Nonnberg Abbey Church, in Salzburg, Austria. Gustl was 25 years younger; Georg's own parents had 19 years between them. The von Trapp children by Georg & Agathe, at the time, were Baron Rupert (17), Baroness Agathe (15), Baroness Maria (12), Baron Werner (13), Baroness Hedwig (11), Baroness Johanna (9) and Baroness Martina (7).
*Gustl was the basis for the "Maria" character in "The Sound of Music", which was inspired by Gustl's 1949 book, "The Story of The Trapp Family Singers".

1965 Hollywood Movie Version:

Similarities - Georg & Gustl did marry at the Nonnberg Abbey Church, in Salzburg, Austria.

Differences - Georg & Gustl married in 1927, not 1938.

Tourism: Salzburg, Austria (1965 - Today)

Photo: Courtesy of richardchamberlain.net

1999 Richard Chamberlain

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On Broadway

The musical was born out of a collaboration between Rodgers & Hammerstein and Lindsay & Crouse. The music was by Richard Rodgers, the lryics by Oscar Hammerstein II, and the play writting by Howard Lindsay & Russel Crouse. Mary Martin and Theodore Bikels played the lead roles.

The Broadway show opened at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre on November 16, 1959, with record-breaking advance ticket sales of $2 million. The production later moved to Mark Hellinger Theatre in 1962, and closed on June 15, 1963 after 1,443 performances. Their The Sound of Music production earned several Tony Awards and a Grammy. This was the last collaboration by Rodgers & Hammerstein, culminating their 17-year working relationship.

1925-

1938

1956 - Die Familie Trapp

West German comedy-drama, directed by Wolfgang Liebeneiner and starring Ruth Leuwerik & Hans Holt. (Dubbed in English 1961)

Reissued 2007 from 1935

by Captain Georg von Trapp,

translated by Elizabeth Campbell (Georg von Trapp's granddaughter)

1966 Directors

Guild of America

Outstanding Directorial Achievement on Motion Picture: Robert Wise

1927

Salzburg Schools & Music: The von Trapp children were now all of school age, the girls enrolled into the Ursuline convent school and the boys the local public school. When his children were home, Baron Captain Georg von Trapp (1880-1947) sang with his children, old navy songs & ballards accompanied by his guitar. He also taught his son Rupert (####-####) & daughter Maria (####-####) how to play the accordion, his daughter Agathe (####-####) the guitar and daughter Johanna (####-####) & Maria (####-####) the violin. Musical evenings were a daily occurrence practising marches and folk dances; Georg played first violin, Rupert or Maria played the accordion, Agathe accompanied with guitar, with later Johanna joining with second violin. This arrangement is called "The Schrammel Quartet" - a Viennes specialty.
1965 Hollywood Movie version:

Similarities - Georg did play the guitar.

Differences - In the movie, Georg did not initially make music with his children; in real life, music was central to much of the time he spent with his children. He taught them songs and how to play musical instruments, as well as provided them with formal music lessons.

Captain's Whistle:Baron Captain Georg von Trapp (1880-1947) did use a captain's whistle to call his children, with each child having a different whistle sound.

1965 Hollywood Movie version:

Similarities - Georg did use a whistle to call his children; he learned the skill as a Navy Captain.

Differences - However, the whistle was used for practicality & fun, the estate they lived on was quite large and the whistle was a convenient way of calling his children when needed. Unlike the movie, his children enjoyed having their own whistle sound and saw it as a sign of affection from their loving father, the Captain.

Chicken-egg Farming: While still a Director for his Rhein-Donau-Express shipping company [see year 1921], Baron Captain Georg von Trapp (1880-1947) also embarked on chicken-egg farming, located on part of the Villa von Trapp property. He sold eggs to the local Salzburg hotels. It lasted for several years, ending when a chicken flu epidemic killed off most of the birds.

1965 Hollywood Movie version: N/A - not mentioned in the movie

Music in the Mountains: The summer of 1926, Prince Karl Auersperg (####-####) and wife Priness Eleonore von Breunner (####-####)(Agathe's Uncle & Aunt), with their children, arranged a three-week camping trip for his extended family in the "Die Nideren Tauern" Austrian mountain range. He invited Baron Captain Georg von Trapp (1880-1947) with his four eldest children, Frank Whitehead (####-####) (Agathe's brother) with his wife & son, Countess Johanna von Auersperg (####-####) (Agathe's cousin) with her husband, Count Rudolf Meran (####-####) & their children and the Auersperg's music teacher, Mr. Mastalier. Making music played an internal part to the camping itinerary, Georg played the violin, Karl the accordion, Mr. Mastalier the guitar and all the rest participated in song. This experience had a long last effect on the von Trapp child, who when they returned to Salzburg. As his eldest daughter Agathe wrote in her autobiography "... the music remained and became part of our repertoire. With Rupert on the accordion, Papa on the first violin, Maria on second violin and me on guitar. We made music whenever we could find time!"
1965 Hollywood Movie version:

Differences - Georg and his 1st wife Agathe Whitehead's family introduced music, musical training and group music making to all their seven children from small on. Their eldest daughter wrote in her autobiography, "In the play and film, it appears that our second mother was solely responsible for teaching us the joys of music. In reality, not only did we play instruments and sing with Papa in our house in Salzburg before we had even met our second mother, but we also sang very early in our lives at the [Zee am See house] during WWI, when Mama [Baroness Agathe Whitehead (1880-1922)], Gromi [Grandmother Countess Agathe von Bruenner (####-1945)] and the Aunts sang and played piano."

Singalong to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the film of The Sound of Music

Sing-a-Long-a

The sing-a-long phenomena, where people dress-up in character and sing-a-long to a movie, has gained popularity around the world. The Sound of Music is among many of the featured favorites.

Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, The Pittsburgh Press, December 21, 1959

2015

Edited by Ben Nussbaum

Trapp Family Musicians (1934-1956)

2015

by Barry Monush

LEARN MORE: Trapp Family Musicians

Note: The Georg & Agathe Foundation and their project vonTrapp.org is not affiliated with the video provider YouTube; we are not responsible for content nor do we endorse of any ads.

von Trapp and 'The Sound of Music' Tourism

For many years people have visited Austria and Salzburg based primarily on the musical, The Sound of Music. Annually it is estimated that nearly 300,000 people visit Austria specifically because of the musical and connection to the von Trapp family. In recognition of their contribution to Salzburg tourism, Vice Governor, Arno Gasteiger, presented the living von Trapp children at the time with the state's highest civilian decoration, the Golden Decoration of Honour. He also presented the seven actors who played the von Trapp children in the movie with medals of distinction. The commemorative event was hosted in New York City and coincided with the 1998 New York Broadway Revival.

Salzburg, Austria Tours

After the premiere in 1965 American fans started coming to Salzburg to visit the locations where the movie had been filmed. The first tour company to satisfy this tourist niche was Panorama, which today still offers the Original Sound of Music Tour with the iconic large tour bus. Later others followed such as Maria's Bike Tour and Bob's Tour which offers for the small tour experience.

The Sound of Salzburg Dinner Show
The dinner show performed by the Salzburg Sound of Music Singers features songs from The Sound of Music, Mozart's operettas, and others from Salzburg’s musical past They have been successfully operating in Salzburg, Austria, for 20 years.

Salzburg Marionette Theatre
For over a century this large theatre with "small actors" has charmed audiences with performances of Mozart's Magic Flute, the Salzburg classic The Sound of Music, Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker ballet, Peter and the Wolf, Shakespeare's Midsummer Night's Dream, Saint-Exupéry's The Little Prince, as well as Rumpelstiltskin.

Salzburger Landestheater
In October 2011 The Sound of Music was performed on stage for the first time in the von Trapps' hometown, Salzburg, Austria. The response at the premiere was overwhelmingly successful. This production continues today.

Villa Trapp
Located in Aigen, Salzburg, the original Salzburg residence of the von Trapp family, currently is open to the public as a hotel.

Hotel Schloss Leopoldskron
Schloss Leopoldskron, built in 1736, was the Hollywood set of the Villa Trapp used to shoot the movie The Sound of Music. Today it is a hotel, wedding venue, and conference center.

TIMELINE: Professional Musicians (1936-1956)

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