Maria von Trapp
Encyclopedia
Maria Augusta von Trapp (26 January 190528 March 1987), also known as Baroness Maria von Trapp, was the stepmother and matriarch of the Trapp Family Singers. Her story served as the inspiration for a 1956 German film
that in turn inspired the Broadway musical The Sound of Music
.
, a Benedictine
monastery in Salzburg
, intending to become a nun
. While still a school teacher there, she was asked to teach one of the seven children of widowed naval commander Georg Ludwig von Trapp and his first wife, Agathe Whitehead von Trapp. Agathe had died from scarlet fever
. Maria appears to have been pregnant with her first child, Rosmarie, when she and Georg married on 26 November 1927. Their children are: Rosmarie (born 1928), Eleonora (born 1931) and Johannes (born 1939).
. The Captain, to help a friend in the banking business named Mrs. Lammer, had withdrawn the money from the English bank and deposited it in Mrs. Lammer's bank, which soon failed. Austria had been experiencing economic difficulties during The Great Depression.
To survive, the Trapps sent away most of their servants, moved into the top floor of their home, and rented the empty rooms to students of the Catholic University. The Archbishop sent Father Franz Wasner
to stay with them as their chaplain and they started singing.
heard the family sing, and she suggested they perform at concerts. When the Austrian Chancellor Kurt Schuschnigg
heard them on the radio, he invited them to perform in Vienna
.
After performing at a festival in 1935, they became a popular touring act. Shortly before the German annexation of Austria
in 1938, the family traveled to Italy
and then to the United States
for a concert tour, and their home was confiscated by the Nazis.
Initially calling themselves the "Trapp Family Choir", the von Trapps began to perform in the United States and Canada. They performed in New York City
at The Town Hall
on 10 December 1938. The New York Times wrote:
Charles Wagner
was their first booking agent, then they signed on with Frederick Christian Schang
. Thinking the name "Trapp Family Choir" too churchy, Schang Americanized their repertoire and, following his suggestion, the group changed its name to the "Trapp Family Singers". The family, which by then included ten children, was soon touring the world giving concert performances. Alix Williamson
served as the group's publicist for over two decades.
After the war, they founded the Trapp Family Austrian Relief fund, which sent tons of food and clothing to people impoverished in Austria.
, where they ran a music camp when they were not touring. In 1944, Maria and her stepdaughters Johanna, Martina, Maria, Hedwig, and Agathe applied for U.S. citizenship. Georg never applied to become a citizen. Rupert and Werner became citizens by serving during World War II
. Rosmarie and Eleonora became citizens by virtue of their mother's citizenship. Johannes was born in the United States in September 1939 during a concert tour in Philadelphia.
Georg von Trapp died in 1947 in Vermont from lung cancer
.
The Trapp family made a series of 78 rpm discs for RCA Victor in the 1950s, some of which were later issued on RCA Camden
LPs. There were also a few later recordings released on LPs, including some stereo sessions. The family also made an appearance on an Elvis Presley
Christmas record. In 1957, the Trapp Family Singers disbanded and went their separate ways. Maria and three of her children became missionaries
in the South Pacific.
In the mid-1960s Maria moved back to Vermont to manage the Trapp Family Lodge
. In the 1960s, Maria began to turn over management of the Lodge to her son, Johannes von Trapp
, although, at first, she was reluctant to do so.
, three days after an operation.
She had outlived her husband by forty years, he having died before the book, musical, and films appeared. Maria, her husband Georg, Hedwig von Trapp
, and Martina von Trapp
are interred in the family cemetery at the Lodge.
, published in 1949, was a best-seller. It was made into two successful German/Austrian films:
The book was later adapted into The Sound of Music
, the successful Broadway
musical by Rodgers and Hammerstein
, which resulted in a popular U.S. motion picture. The Sound of Music, with music and lyrics by Richard Rodgers
and Oscar Hammerstein II
, opened on Broadway in the fall of 1959, starring Mary Martin
and Theodore Bikel
. It was a success, running for more than three years. The film version set box office records, and she received about $500,000 ($ today) in royalties.
Maria von Trapp makes a cameo appearance
in the movie version of The Sound of Music
. For an instant, she, her daughter Rosmarie, and Werner's daughter Barbara can be seen walking past an archway during the song, "I Have Confidence", at the line, "I must stop these doubts, all these worries/If I don't, I just know I'll turn back."
Maria Von Trapp sang "Edelweiss" with Julie Andrews
on The Julie Andrews Hour
in 1973.
The Trapp Family
The Trapp Family is a 1956 West German film. It is one of the most successful German films of the 1950s. Directed by Wolfgang Liebeneiner, the film is based on Maria von Trapp's memoir, The Story of the Trapp Family Singers...
that in turn inspired the Broadway musical The Sound of Music
The Sound of Music
The Sound of Music is a musical by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II and a book by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse. It is based on the memoir of Maria von Trapp, The Story of the Trapp Family Singers...
.
Early life
She was born on 26 January 1905 aboard a train heading from her parents' village in Tyrol to a hospital in Vienna, Austria. She was an orphan by her seventh birthday and graduated from the State Teachers College for Progressive Education in Vienna at age 18, in 1923. She entered Nonnberg AbbeyNonnberg Abbey
Nonnberg Abbey is a Benedictine monastery in Salzburg, Austria.It was founded ca. 714 by Saint Rupert of Salzburg and is the oldest women's religious house in the German-speaking world...
, a Benedictine
Benedictine
Benedictine refers to the spirituality and consecrated life in accordance with the Rule of St Benedict, written by Benedict of Nursia in the sixth century for the cenobitic communities he founded in central Italy. The most notable of these is Monte Cassino, the first monastery founded by Benedict...
monastery in Salzburg
Salzburg
-Population development:In 1935, the population significantly increased when Salzburg absorbed adjacent municipalities. After World War II, numerous refugees found a new home in the city. New residential space was created for American soldiers of the postwar Occupation, and could be used for...
, intending to become a nun
Nun
A nun is a woman who has taken vows committing her to live a spiritual life. She may be an ascetic who voluntarily chooses to leave mainstream society and live her life in prayer and contemplation in a monastery or convent...
. While still a school teacher there, she was asked to teach one of the seven children of widowed naval commander Georg Ludwig von Trapp and his first wife, Agathe Whitehead von Trapp. Agathe had died from scarlet fever
Scarlet fever
Scarlet fever is a disease caused by exotoxin released by Streptococcus pyogenes. Once a major cause of death, it is now effectively treated with antibiotics...
. Maria appears to have been pregnant with her first child, Rosmarie, when she and Georg married on 26 November 1927. Their children are: Rosmarie (born 1928), Eleonora (born 1931) and Johannes (born 1939).
Financial problems
In 1935, Trapp lost his money, which had been safely invested in a bank in LondonLondon
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. The Captain, to help a friend in the banking business named Mrs. Lammer, had withdrawn the money from the English bank and deposited it in Mrs. Lammer's bank, which soon failed. Austria had been experiencing economic difficulties during The Great Depression.
To survive, the Trapps sent away most of their servants, moved into the top floor of their home, and rented the empty rooms to students of the Catholic University. The Archbishop sent Father Franz Wasner
Franz Wasner
Franz Mathias Wasner was the director and conductor of the Trapp Family Singers and a missionary.-Biography:Wasner was born on December 28, 1905, in Feldkirchen, a small town in Upper Austria....
to stay with them as their chaplain and they started singing.
Early musical career
Soprano Lotte LehmannLotte Lehmann
Charlotte "Lotte" Lehmann was a German soprano who was especially associated with German repertory. She gave memorable performances in the operas of Richard Strauss, Richard Wagner, Ludwig van Beethoven, Puccini, Mozart and Massenet. The Marschallin in Der Rosenkavalier was considered her greatest...
heard the family sing, and she suggested they perform at concerts. When the Austrian Chancellor Kurt Schuschnigg
Kurt Schuschnigg
Kurt Alois Josef Johann Schuschnigg was Chancellor of the First Austrian Republic, following the assassination of his predecessor, Dr. Engelbert Dollfuss, in July 1934, until Germany’s invasion of Austria, , in March 1938...
heard them on the radio, he invited them to perform in Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
.
After performing at a festival in 1935, they became a popular touring act. Shortly before the German annexation of Austria
Anschluss
The Anschluss , also known as the ', was the occupation and annexation of Austria into Nazi Germany in 1938....
in 1938, the family traveled to Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
and then to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
for a concert tour, and their home was confiscated by the Nazis.
Initially calling themselves the "Trapp Family Choir", the von Trapps began to perform in the United States and Canada. They performed in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
at The Town Hall
The Town Hall
The Town Hall is a performance space, located at 123 West 43rd Street, between Sixth Avenue and Broadway, in New York City. It seats approximately 1,500 people.-History:...
on 10 December 1938. The New York Times wrote:
There was something unusually lovable and appealing about the modest, serious singers of this little family aggregation as they formed a close semicircle about their self-effacing director for their initial offering, the handsome Mme. von Trapp in simple black, and the youthful sisters garbed in black and white Austrian folk costumes enlivened with red ribbons. It was only natural to expect work of exceeding refinement from them, and one was not disappointed in this.
Charles Wagner
Charles Wagner
Charles Wagner was a French reformed pastor whose inspirational writings were influential in shaping the reformed theology of his time.-Biography:...
was their first booking agent, then they signed on with Frederick Christian Schang
Frederick Christian Schang
Frederick Christian Schang III was a talent agent and later president of Columbia Artists Management.-Biography:...
. Thinking the name "Trapp Family Choir" too churchy, Schang Americanized their repertoire and, following his suggestion, the group changed its name to the "Trapp Family Singers". The family, which by then included ten children, was soon touring the world giving concert performances. Alix Williamson
Alix Williamson
Alix Williamson was an American publicist who specialized in promoting musical artists both in the United States and abroad. A graduate of Hunter College, she promoted the Juilliard String Quartet for 23 years and the The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center for 22 years...
served as the group's publicist for over two decades.
After the war, they founded the Trapp Family Austrian Relief fund, which sent tons of food and clothing to people impoverished in Austria.
Move to the United States
In the 1940s the family moved to Stowe, VermontStowe, Vermont
Stowe is a town in Lamoille County, Vermont, United States. The population was 4,339 at the 2000 census. Tourism is a significant industry.-Geography:...
, where they ran a music camp when they were not touring. In 1944, Maria and her stepdaughters Johanna, Martina, Maria, Hedwig, and Agathe applied for U.S. citizenship. Georg never applied to become a citizen. Rupert and Werner became citizens by serving during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. Rosmarie and Eleonora became citizens by virtue of their mother's citizenship. Johannes was born in the United States in September 1939 during a concert tour in Philadelphia.
Georg von Trapp died in 1947 in Vermont from lung cancer
Lung cancer
Lung cancer is a disease characterized by uncontrolled cell growth in tissues of the lung. If left untreated, this growth can spread beyond the lung in a process called metastasis into nearby tissue and, eventually, into other parts of the body. Most cancers that start in lung, known as primary...
.
The Trapp family made a series of 78 rpm discs for RCA Victor in the 1950s, some of which were later issued on RCA Camden
RCA Camden
RCA Camden was a budget record label of recordings, first introduced by RCA Victor.-History:The label was named after Camden, New Jersey, original home to the Victor Talking Machine Company, later RCA Records. It specialized in reissuing historic classical and popular recordings from the RCA catalog...
LPs. There were also a few later recordings released on LPs, including some stereo sessions. The family also made an appearance on an Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....
Christmas record. In 1957, the Trapp Family Singers disbanded and went their separate ways. Maria and three of her children became missionaries
Missionary
A missionary is a member of a religious group sent into an area to do evangelism or ministries of service, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care and economic development. The word "mission" originates from 1598 when the Jesuits sent members abroad, derived from the Latin...
in the South Pacific.
In the mid-1960s Maria moved back to Vermont to manage the Trapp Family Lodge
Trapp Family Lodge
The Trapp Family Lodge is a , three-and-a-half-star resort located in Stowe, Vermont, United States. The lodge is managed by Sam von Trapp and his father Johannes von Trapp.- History :...
. In the 1960s, Maria began to turn over management of the Lodge to her son, Johannes von Trapp
Johannes von Trapp
Johannes von Trapp is a former member of the Trapp Family Singers, whose lives were the inspiration for the play and movie The Sound of Music...
, although, at first, she was reluctant to do so.
Death
Maria von Trapp died of heart failure on 28 March 1987, in Morrisville, VermontMorrisville, Vermont
Morrisville is a village in Morristown, Lamoille County, Vermont, United States. As of the 2000 census, the village population was 2,009. Morrisville has 2 country clubs, a hospital, a school featuring Greek architecture and an airport. The hospital and one of the country clubs are named after...
, three days after an operation.
She had outlived her husband by forty years, he having died before the book, musical, and films appeared. Maria, her husband Georg, Hedwig von Trapp
Hedwig von Trapp
Hedwig Maria Adolphine Gobertina von Trapp was the fifth child of Georg Ludwig von Trapp and his first wife Agathe Whitehead . She was a member of the Trapp Family Singers, whose lives were the inspiration for the play and movie The Sound of Music...
, and Martina von Trapp
Martina von Trapp
Martina von Trapp was a member of the Trapp Family Singers and was the seventh child of Georg Ludwig von Trapp and his first wife, Agathe Whitehead. She was a member of the Trapp Family Singers, whose lives were the inspiration for the play and movie The Sound of Music...
are interred in the family cemetery at the Lodge.
Children
| Name | Birth | Death | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rosmarie von Trapp | 8 February 1928 or 1929 | In Maria's Declaration of Intention of January 1, 1944 and her Petition for Naturalization signed on May 26, 1948, she stated under oath that she was married on November 26, 1927, and that Rosmarie was born on February 8, 1928. However Maria used the year 1929 in her book and the year 1929 is used at the Von Trapp family website. | |
| Eleonora von Trapp | 14 May 1931 | Married Hugh David Campbell in 1954 and had seven daughters with him, currently lives with her family in Waitsfield, Vermont. | |
| Johannes von Trapp Johannes von Trapp Johannes von Trapp is a former member of the Trapp Family Singers, whose lives were the inspiration for the play and movie The Sound of Music... |
17 January 1939 | Married Lynne Peterson in 1969 and had one son and one daughter with her. He became manager of the family lodge in the 1970s. | |
The Sound of Music
Maria's book, The Story of the Trapp Family SingersThe Story of the Trapp Family Singers
The Story of the Trapp Family Singers is a memoir written by Maria Augusta von Trapp, whose life was fictionalized in the musical The Sound of Music. The book was published in 1949 by J. B...
, published in 1949, was a best-seller. It was made into two successful German/Austrian films:
- The Trapp FamilyThe Trapp FamilyThe Trapp Family is a 1956 West German film. It is one of the most successful German films of the 1950s. Directed by Wolfgang Liebeneiner, the film is based on Maria von Trapp's memoir, The Story of the Trapp Family Singers...
(1956) - The Trapp Family in America (1958).
The book was later adapted into The Sound of Music
The Sound of Music
The Sound of Music is a musical by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II and a book by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse. It is based on the memoir of Maria von Trapp, The Story of the Trapp Family Singers...
, the successful Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
musical by Rodgers and Hammerstein
Rodgers and Hammerstein
Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II were a well-known American songwriting duo, usually referred to as Rodgers and Hammerstein. They created a string of popular Broadway musicals in the 1940s and 1950s during what is considered the golden age of the medium...
, which resulted in a popular U.S. motion picture. The Sound of Music, with music and lyrics by Richard Rodgers
Richard Rodgers
Richard Charles Rodgers was an American composer of music for more than 900 songs and for 43 Broadway musicals. He also composed music for films and television. He is best known for his songwriting partnerships with the lyricists Lorenz Hart and Oscar Hammerstein II...
and Oscar Hammerstein II
Oscar Hammerstein II
Oscar Greeley Clendenning Hammerstein II was an American librettist, theatrical producer, and theatre director of musicals for almost forty years. Hammerstein won eight Tony Awards and was twice awarded an Academy Award for "Best Original Song". Many of his songs are standard repertoire for...
, opened on Broadway in the fall of 1959, starring Mary Martin
Mary Martin
Mary Virginia Martin was an American actress and singer. She originated many roles over her career including Nellie Forbush in South Pacific and Maria in The Sound of Music. She was named a Kennedy Center Honoree in 1989...
and Theodore Bikel
Theodore Bikel
Theodore Meir Bikel is a character actor, folk singer and musician. He made his film debut in The African Queen and was nominated for an Academy award for his supporting role as Sheriff Max Muller in The Defiant Ones ....
. It was a success, running for more than three years. The film version set box office records, and she received about $500,000 ($ today) in royalties.
Maria von Trapp makes a cameo appearance
Cameo appearance
A cameo role or cameo appearance is a brief appearance of a known person in a work of the performing arts, such as plays, films, video games and television...
in the movie version of The Sound of Music
The Sound of Music (film)
Rodgers and Hammerstein's The Sound of Music is a 1965 American musical film directed by Robert Wise and starring Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer. The film is based on the Broadway musical The Sound of Music, with songs written by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II, and with the musical...
. For an instant, she, her daughter Rosmarie, and Werner's daughter Barbara can be seen walking past an archway during the song, "I Have Confidence", at the line, "I must stop these doubts, all these worries/If I don't, I just know I'll turn back."
Maria Von Trapp sang "Edelweiss" with Julie Andrews
Julie Andrews
Dame Julia Elizabeth Andrews, DBE is an English film and stage actress, singer, and author. She is the recipient of Golden Globe, Emmy, Grammy, BAFTA, People's Choice Award, Theatre World Award, Screen Actors Guild and Academy Award honors...
on The Julie Andrews Hour
The Julie Andrews Hour
The Julie Andrews Hour is a television variety series starring Julie Andrews that was produced by ATV and distributed by ITC Entertainment. It aired on the ABC network in the United States....
in 1973.
Writings
- The Story of the Trapp Family Singers (1949)
- Around the Year with the Trapp Family (1955)
- A Family on Wheels: Further Adventures of the Trapp Family Singers (c. 1959)
- Yesterday, Today and Forever: The Religious Life of a Remarkable Family (1952)
- Maria (1972)
External links
- History of the Trapp Family from the Trapp Family Lodge web site
- Site for the Von Trapp great-grandchildren
- The documentary film "The von Trapp Family: Harmony and Discord"