Austria: Trapp-ed in the 'Sound of Music'
Original: A photo of the original Von Trapp family which was the basis for the characters in the movie 'The Sound of Music'.Picture: David Bowden
Sunday, October 5, 2008
WHEREVER you go in Salzburg, Austria the sounds of classical masters such as Mozart, Strauss and Schubert resonate and enchant the current generation of tourists with sounds that have been music to the ears of music lovers for centuries.
!In 1965 a usurper to the musical throne in the form of The Sound of Music brought the snow-capped peaks, picturesque lakes and historic buildings in and around Salzburg to the Hollywood screen and into the hearts of the then and subsequent generations of devotees. Julie Andrews has managed to sing her way across home entertainment systems ever since and brought the plight of the Von Trapp Family who fled Nazi-controlled Austria during World War II into the minds of those who travel to one of Europe's most romantic cities.
!Interestingly enough, the two countries that are not included as fans of the Hollywood box office hit are Austria and Germany because of the negativity associated with the Nazis from whom the Von Trapps fled. The movie has never been shown commercially in Austria although my Salzburg lodgings, the Park Hotel Castellani, were looping the movie on their in-house movie channel.
!The Von Trapp Family featured in the Sound of Music was just what Hollywood producers needed — a cast of colour characters, cherub-faced kids and lots of them, romance, goodies and baddies, a touching family saga and, a happy ending.
!Director Robert Wise claimed that the other important element was that the movie was based upon a real story as portrayed in Maria Von Trapp's autobiography The Story of the Trapp Family Singers and the script of the 1950's German movie Die Trapp Familie.
!The Hollywood movie's success and its ten Oscars that it received must also be attributed to the memorable saccharin-sweet music and lyrics composed by the team of Richard Rogers and Oscar Hammerstein. Who could forget "Do-Re-Mi", "Edelweiss", "Climb Every Mountain" and "Sixteen Going on Seventeen"?
!The last piece in the Sound of Music jigsaw puzzle has finally been put in place with the recent opening of the Villa Trapp in suburban Salzburg.
While the old villa did not feature in the movie it is the actual house that the family lived in before fleeing to the United States just prior to the outbreak of WWII.
The boutique hotel has been developed by Christopher Unterkofler and his family while the building remains the property of the monks of the Order of the Brotherhood of Precious Blood who have occupied it since the Von Trapps departed.
!The hotel's opening has not been without controversy though as the residents of the sleepy suburban Salzburg location initially complained that busloads of tourists would soon be gawking down the peaceful byways and narrow streets in which the hotel is located.
!This has been resolved and the 14-room property has now received its first guests. Guests can experience a little of the nostalgia of staying in the house that originally housed the hordes of kids of the famous family.
Maria Von Trapp visited the old family house recently and was moved to tears upon seeing the childhood refuge that she once called home from 1923 to 1938. Her seal of approval was given and the first guests have checked into the hotel that retains lots of authenticity while incorporating contemporary essentials demanded by present-day travellers.
!Breakfast is served in a large communal downstairs dining room and special evening meals including themed Von Trapp dinners are available to in-house guests and visitors. These gala dinners can accommodate just 20 diners and include various dishes prepared from original Von Trapp recipes. Dinner concludes with a serving of the famous Villa Trapp cake.
!The property is surrounded by lots of parkland with many mature trees. These are the largest privately-owned parklands in Salzburg and they are available for guests' recreation or for private parties in a grand white marquee.
Weddings are a specialty of the romantic setting of Villa Trapp. The villa staff will arrange for brides to be escorted to the property in a horse-drawn carriage for a wedding ceremony in the villa's upstairs chapel. They also have a very romantic wedding suite to complete a memorable wedding day.
These days, Salzburg's tourism is very much dependent upon the movie and the tours conducted in and around the city to see the various scenic locations used in the movie. Several companies take busloads of tourists around the city and surrounding district to look at sights such as the Mirabell Gardens, Hellbrunn Palace and its Gazebo, the Place of Leopoldskron, Nonnberg Abbey, St Gilgen beside Lake Wolfgang and the Church at Mondsee where Baron Von Trapp married Maria in the movie.
While many tourists are happy to waltz around Salzburg to relive the enchantment of the movie, others can enjoy the complete experience and stay in the house that once was home to the famous Von Trapp Family.
The Brunei Times
!In 1965 a usurper to the musical throne in the form of The Sound of Music brought the snow-capped peaks, picturesque lakes and historic buildings in and around Salzburg to the Hollywood screen and into the hearts of the then and subsequent generations of devotees. Julie Andrews has managed to sing her way across home entertainment systems ever since and brought the plight of the Von Trapp Family who fled Nazi-controlled Austria during World War II into the minds of those who travel to one of Europe's most romantic cities.
!Interestingly enough, the two countries that are not included as fans of the Hollywood box office hit are Austria and Germany because of the negativity associated with the Nazis from whom the Von Trapps fled. The movie has never been shown commercially in Austria although my Salzburg lodgings, the Park Hotel Castellani, were looping the movie on their in-house movie channel.
!The Von Trapp Family featured in the Sound of Music was just what Hollywood producers needed — a cast of colour characters, cherub-faced kids and lots of them, romance, goodies and baddies, a touching family saga and, a happy ending.
!Director Robert Wise claimed that the other important element was that the movie was based upon a real story as portrayed in Maria Von Trapp's autobiography The Story of the Trapp Family Singers and the script of the 1950's German movie Die Trapp Familie.
!The Hollywood movie's success and its ten Oscars that it received must also be attributed to the memorable saccharin-sweet music and lyrics composed by the team of Richard Rogers and Oscar Hammerstein. Who could forget "Do-Re-Mi", "Edelweiss", "Climb Every Mountain" and "Sixteen Going on Seventeen"?
!The last piece in the Sound of Music jigsaw puzzle has finally been put in place with the recent opening of the Villa Trapp in suburban Salzburg.
While the old villa did not feature in the movie it is the actual house that the family lived in before fleeing to the United States just prior to the outbreak of WWII.
The boutique hotel has been developed by Christopher Unterkofler and his family while the building remains the property of the monks of the Order of the Brotherhood of Precious Blood who have occupied it since the Von Trapps departed.
!The hotel's opening has not been without controversy though as the residents of the sleepy suburban Salzburg location initially complained that busloads of tourists would soon be gawking down the peaceful byways and narrow streets in which the hotel is located.
!This has been resolved and the 14-room property has now received its first guests. Guests can experience a little of the nostalgia of staying in the house that originally housed the hordes of kids of the famous family.
Maria Von Trapp visited the old family house recently and was moved to tears upon seeing the childhood refuge that she once called home from 1923 to 1938. Her seal of approval was given and the first guests have checked into the hotel that retains lots of authenticity while incorporating contemporary essentials demanded by present-day travellers.
!Breakfast is served in a large communal downstairs dining room and special evening meals including themed Von Trapp dinners are available to in-house guests and visitors. These gala dinners can accommodate just 20 diners and include various dishes prepared from original Von Trapp recipes. Dinner concludes with a serving of the famous Villa Trapp cake.
!The property is surrounded by lots of parkland with many mature trees. These are the largest privately-owned parklands in Salzburg and they are available for guests' recreation or for private parties in a grand white marquee.
Weddings are a specialty of the romantic setting of Villa Trapp. The villa staff will arrange for brides to be escorted to the property in a horse-drawn carriage for a wedding ceremony in the villa's upstairs chapel. They also have a very romantic wedding suite to complete a memorable wedding day.
These days, Salzburg's tourism is very much dependent upon the movie and the tours conducted in and around the city to see the various scenic locations used in the movie. Several companies take busloads of tourists around the city and surrounding district to look at sights such as the Mirabell Gardens, Hellbrunn Palace and its Gazebo, the Place of Leopoldskron, Nonnberg Abbey, St Gilgen beside Lake Wolfgang and the Church at Mondsee where Baron Von Trapp married Maria in the movie.
While many tourists are happy to waltz around Salzburg to relive the enchantment of the movie, others can enjoy the complete experience and stay in the house that once was home to the famous Von Trapp Family.
The Brunei Times
Business Besides Oil
