Rhapsody (film)
- Elizabeth Taylor: Louise Durant ( German Speaker: Marion Degler )
- Louis Calhern: Nicholas Durant
- John Ericson: James Guest
- Michael Chekhov: Prof. Schuman
- Barbara Bates: Effie Cahill
- Richard Hageman: Bruno Fürst
- Richard Lupino: Otto Krafft
- Celia Lovsky: Woman Sigerist
- Stuart Whitman: Dove
- Madge Blake: Mrs. Cahill
- Jack Raine: Edmund Streller
Symphony of the Heart is an American feature film ( love story ) directed by Charles Vidor from 1954. The film is an adaptation of the 1908 published novel Maurice Guest by Henry Handel Richardson and was produced for Metro -Goldwyn- Mayer. Elizabeth Taylor plays a young woman torn between two men, the violinist Paul, played by Vittorio Gassman, and pianist James, played by John Ericson.
Action
The scene is initially Southern France, the time of the present. The assertive and spoiled young Louise explains her rich father that she is determined to marry her admirer Paul, even if the still do not know anything of it. Paul studied violin in Zurich, where she follows him and enrolls as a piano student. Prof. Schuman, remain the not hidden their motives for studying and their lack of musical interest and talent, she warns about marrying a musician. How right he is, shows up as Paul prepares to Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto in D major, which he is to play as a soloist with the Zurich Philharmonic. Louise noted this fact quickly that the music goes to him about anything and that he in the exercise periods has little time for her. Her father, who gets to know Paul while vacationing in St. Moritz, she cautions that Paul will never need as much as they wish.
Further tensions and clashes follow. After the concert, which is a great success for Paul, Louise watched as Paul kissing a classmate, and takes a suicide attempt. James, an American piano student, with whom she has made friends in Zurich, saves her life. James loves her, and although she rejects him at first, she is moved by his behavior.
The time goes by. Paul traveled as a famous violinist the world, comes to Paris and arrange to meet, after a chance encounter with her father, with Louise at the bar of the Ritz. There he encounters James, who gave him - unhappy and drunk - reported that he married Louise now. Louise is ready to leave for Paul, who still loves her, a divorce, but is rejected by him.
After her father suggests, to do more than ever for her husband, as this will eventually make a favorable impression on Paul, Louise urges James to return to Zurich and to the conservatory, where they patiently supported him in the following period. As before is James' first concert, she takes again on contact with Paul, who - as she had intended that - moves of their character change and is willing to live with her. As Louise James before the concert says that she will go to the event with Paul, he is deeply unhappy. Louise tries to explain why she had yet to speak to the concert with him him. He must believe in themselves, and he was also able to afford without their help big. That would have nothing to do with her. During the concert, the James plays brilliant despite this impending tragedy, Louise remembers, however, and decides to stay with her husband.
Production and reception
A part of the shooting for the film produced in Technicolor was held in Pontresina, Graubünden. Other locations in Switzerland were Zurich and St. Moritz and the French capital, Paris. Filming began in early June and lasted until 10 August 1953.
Michael Rabin, who performs the violin solos in the film, was at the time of the shooting 17 years old. The piano solos were played by Claudio Arrau. In the film music of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky ( Violin Concerto ), Sergei Vasilievich Rachmaninoff is heard (2nd Piano Concerto ) and Pablo de Sarasate.
The film premiered in New York City on March 11, 1954, played in the U.S. alone $ 1,300,000 a. In Austria he was first shown on September 10, 1954, in the Federal Republic of Germany on 17 September 1955.
Reviews
The Newsweek ruled: " The Taylor floats beautifully to the sounds of Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky or Rachmaninov ... the perfect image of a woman in luxury. " Otis Guernsey from the Herald Tribune was: "The story is but only aims Elizabeth Taylor in attractive robes, sobbing in loneliness or radiant at a concert highlight ... It's almost as if Miss Taylor robbed all the mind, so that the film actually lives only by their undeniable charm. "