A phenomenon: This film, with 1.2 billion (!) viewers one of the most watched films in history, is virtually unknown in Germany. Robert Wise, most famous for his film adaptation of “West Side Story,” created “The sound of music” based on the musical of the same name, which premiered on Broadway in New York in 1959. The stage play was based on the real story of the Trapp family, who founded a successful chamber choir in Salzburg with their ten children and emigrated to the USA in 1938 to escape the Nazis.

The novice Maria becomes the governess of the children of Captain von Trapp, who falls in love with her and marries her. The film is a ravishing tribute to Austria, a dance and music film in a class of its own. The piece “The hills are alive” by Nikolaus Habjan and Neville Tranter was based on motives from this film.