F
or many people, the mere mention of
Rodgers and Hammerstein’s
The Sound
of Music
conjures fond memories of
hearing the music of the 1959 Tony Award-
winning musical, or seeing the 1965 Academy
Award-winning movie for the very first time.
With enchanting songs, beautiful lyrics and a
charming story of a family bound by love for
each other, love for music and a will to survive,
it is a timeless classic. While the story is based
on the historic, real life von Trapp family, both
the musical and the movie tell a fictionalized
and somewhat romanticized version. Here we
tell the true story of Maria von Trapp and her
family.
Maria von Trapp
Maria August Kutschera was born on a train
bound for Vienna, Austria on January 25, 1905.
When her mother died of pneumonia Maria
was only two years old. Her father sent her to
live in Kagran on the outskirts of Vienna with
his cousin, a woman in her 60s. Maria had
four foster brothers and sisters, but only one of
them lived at home and she was much older.
With no children her age living at home, she
was extremely lonely. She saw her father only
occasionally in Vienna.
After her father died when Maria was only
nine years old, Uncle Franz became her legal
guardian. He was a judge, married to her foster
mother’s daughter. Uncle Franz was a cruel
man who would punish her, often violently,
for no reason. By the age of thirteen, Maria
decided she no longer wished to live in fear.
She became outspoken and unruly. She acted
up at school, or skipped class and explored the
mountains and meadows surrounding her home.
Her uncle punished her, but she didn’t care.
Although she was a challenge to her teachers,
Maria was studious and managed to get good
grades. When she graduated from high school,
she applied to the State Teachers’ College of
Progressive Education in Vienna.
While studying in Vienna, Maria fell in love
with the rich musical heritage the city had to
offer. She attended classical music concerts
of the Vienna Philharmonic and the Vienna
Boys’ Choir as well as opera. She visited the
cathedrals and churches to hear the music that
came from within.
During her last year of college, Maria walked
into a church on Palm Sunday expecting to
hear music. Instead she heard the priest give a
sermon. Maria had her doubts about religion,
but she was enchanted by the priest’s words.
Later, after she had graduated, Maria went on
a weeklong hiking trip in the Alps. One day
during the hike, Maria was overcome by the
beauty of the nature around her, she flung her
arms in the air and decided in that moment to
give up everything and devote her life to God.
Impulsive as always, Maria walked down
the mountain, caught a train to Salzburg and
climbed the 144 steps to the Nonnberg Abbey
where she was admitted as postulant, the first
stage to becoming a nun.
Hans Altwies and Kirsten deLohr Helland star as the Captain and Maria von Trapp in The 5th Avenue Theatre’s production of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s
The Sound of Music. Photo by Mark Kitaoka.
Climb ev’ry mountain: The real story of the von Trapp family
4
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2015 |
Sponsored Newspapers In Education Content
