A film that continues to delight an audience seeking lightness. (Credit: Photo taken from the official "Sound of Music" account.)
"The hills are alive with the sound of music, with songs they have sung, for a thousand years…"
The lush Austrian hills in the background have been ringing ever louder with these songs since 1965, the year they served as the setting for the musical film "The Sound of Music," which made history.
Even today, 60 years later, "Do a deer" or "Edelweiss Edelweiss" are still on the lips of many fans and nostalgics of more innocent days. The anniversary is being celebrated in grand style.
The highlight will be a big gala set for Oct. 23, with performances by the Salzburg Mozarteum Orchestra at the Salzburg National Theatre. Among the guests of honor, of course, are the descendants of the Von Trapp family, whose fate — famously — was the basis of the musical.
The (true) story that has made generations dream, sing, and cry is that of an Austrian naval commander whose seven children were gifted with beautiful voices. A widower, he eventually marries Maria, the quirky, musical nanny who came to take care of this brood and turned them into a magnificent choir.
The Von Trapps and their Vermont Austria
What the film doesn't say is that the Von Trapps emigrated to the United States as World War II approached. There, they continued to perform in public for some time.
Today, the current members of this family are settled in Vermont, where they own the Von Trapp Family Lodge & Resort, complete with ski slopes, tennis, and hiking trails.
It all feels like a piece of Austria recreated, to the point that the meadow next to their main lodge is one of the main sites of Vermont's annual Mozart festival. Still, their name remains forever tied to "Sound of Music," so much that now people flock from all corners of the world to celebrate its 60th anniversary in its land of origin, Salzburg.
Total immersion in the filming locations
A real pilgrimage has already begun for fans of all ages, and they won't be disappointed — several programs offer a total immersion in the filming sites and their settings.
These include visits to Schloss Leopoldskron, an 18th-century baroque mansion that partly served as the Von Trapp family home in the film, as well as Schloss Frohnburg, and a stop at the rococo-style pavilion of Schloss Hellbrunn, used as the setting for the "Edelweiss" scene.
In Salzburg Cathedral, a true baroque gem, visitors can remember the wedding ceremony of Maria and Captain Von Trapp. Don't forget to sing, just like in the movie, the timeless "Do-Re-Mi" in the beautiful Mirabell Palace gardens. On a normal day and without a special occasion, these now-legendary sites attract more than 350,000 fans from around the world, all coming to soak up the atmosphere that still fascinates. It also generates a thriving tourism industry.
The other big event: Julie Andrews turns 90
Preceding the gala on Oct. 23 and more specifically on Oct. 1, another celebration will take place—around a cake with 90 candles to be blown out by the eternal star of "Sound of Music," Julie Andrews.
Dame Andrews, thus honored by the late Queen Elizabeth II, is now enjoying calm days in Los Angeles and works to provide housing for the homeless. Recently, she posted this reflection on her Facebook page: "People often ask me why our film resonated so much. I think it's certainly thanks to the wonderful songs by Rodgers and Hammerstein, and of course to the landscapes and sounds of beautiful Salzburg. But, I also think it's because the film is about family and children, music, mountains, and the sincere joy we all felt making it."
And for all those who imagined a romance with her co-star Christopher Plummer, who died in 2021, she clarifies: "He was dangerously handsome! He was discreet during the day, but in the evening, he loved to drink, as you probably know from his autobiography. But it was wonderful working with him, and we became close friends."
Born in England in 1935, Andrews started studying music and theater at a very young age. Her extraordinary four-octave voice launched her to Broadway, where she starred in "My Fair Lady" (1956) and "Camelot" (1960). Walt Disney gave her the role of "Mary Poppins" in 1964, which won her an Oscar for best actress.
The following year, she confirmed her talent with "The Sound of Music", one of the most successful musicals in film history. Next came "Victor/Victoria" (1982), showcasing her comic talent and earning her a Golden Globe. Despite losing her singing voice after surgery in the 1990s, she reinvented herself as a children's book author and occasional onscreen performer, appearing in films such as "The Princess Diaries" (2001) and voicing roles in animated films like "Shrek."
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