Memories Before and After the Sound of Music Read online

  The 1965 movie was a Robert Wise production for Twentieth Century Fox; Fox bought the movie rights to The Sound of Music from the German film company (according to www.germanway.com/cinema/som_main.html). Ernest Lehman wrote the screenplay. Maria von Trapp met with Lehman to discuss the script because she was not pleased with her husband’s portrayal in the play and hoped that the movie would be more realistic and true to him. The script remained as Lehman wanted to write it, however. The movie featured Julie Andrews as Maria and Christopher Plummer as the Captain.

  Acknowledgments

  It is one of my life experiences that when someone starts a project and others think it is worthwhile, help comes from all sides until the project has reached completion. I believe that this is what happened with my memories when I began to write them down. I would like to extend my gratitude to all the kind and knowledgeable people whose efforts helped to bring my memories into print. Therefore, I wish to say to everyone who assisted me along the way, “I sincerely thank you!”

  Special thanks and gratitude to my friends Janet and Alan Yuspeh, without whose interest, help, and encouragement this book would not have been possible. I appreciate Alan’s patience, our phone consultations, and all the meals we shared. I will always remember Janet fondly when I think of our many valuable and enjoyable work sessions.

  Heartfelt thanks to my faithful friend, Mary Lou Kane, who worked tirelessly in countless ways. Her energy and support enabled me to complete this ambitious project. In our long sessions, Mary Lou and Janet helped me to clarify and translate my images and memories into the book’s current form. Of course, “tea with jam and bread,” contributed by Janet, sweetened the process.

  I am especially grateful to my brothers and sisters for their wholehearted support of my efforts to record my memories of the life we shared for so many years and for their assistance with Chapter 18. My sister Maria, my sister-in-law Erika, and my brother Johannes were always happy to help my fading memory. Also, Maria provided me with special photographs.

  A sincere thank you to William T. Anderson for his many hours of work in preliminary editing, chapter restructuring, and providing suggestions, photos, concert reviews, and programs.

  My appreciation to Hirsch Goldberg for his interest, suggestions, and preliminary editing.

  My special thanks go to University Docent Dr. Walter Brunner for sending me “The Wedding” from the archives in Graz, Austria.

  Thank you to Sara DiRienzi for typing the manuscript; Ryan Hulvat for the photo of The von Trapp Children in concert; and Anita and Steve Shevett for the photo of my eighty-fifth birthday.

  My sincere thanks for their help and encouragement to Ruth Miriam Carey, S.S.N.D., Joyce DiRienzi, Catherine R. Engers, Kathleen Marie Engers, S.S.N.D., Suzanne Ford, Louis Hillman, Susan Kessler, Emmett Sinnott, and Jane Weaver.

  Last, but not least, my gratitude and appreciation to my editorial consultant, D. B. Kellogg, who patiently guided me through the many steps along the way and worked day and night as we prepared the manuscript for publication.

  About the Author

  AGATHE VON TRAPP was born in Austria in 1913. A member of the original Trapp Family Singers, Agathe traveled with the group on their worldwide concert tours in thirty countries. She lives in Baltimore, Maryland.

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  Credits

  Cover photograph courtesy of the author

  Copyright

  This book was first published in 2004 by PublishAmerica, LLLP.

  Scripture verses are from the Holy Bible, King James Version.

  MEMORIES BEFORE AND AFTER THE SOUND OF MUSIC. Copyright © 2004 by Agathe von Trapp. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, down-loaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins e-books.

  FIRST HARPER PAPERBACK PUBLISHED 2010.

  Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available upon request.

  EPub Edition © August 2010 ISBN: 978-0-06-201055-1

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