V005: »Der Narr von Wien«; Lichtspielszene;
»Anton Weberns Tod« (Fragment)

Non-commercial, VHS (PAL), color, in German, 2:03:30.

Time Description
0:00 Newscaster introduces upcoming film, "Der Narr von Wien," a film by John Goldschmidt about poet Peter Altenberg (played by Kurt Sowinetz)
0:15 Film begins; music by Ravel (La Valse) and Johann Strauss; characters portrayed include Karl Kraus, Egon Friedell, Adolf and Bessie Loos, Lina Loos, Helga Malenberg, the Ashanti. Locations in and around Vienna include Café Central, Steinhof, Stadtpark, Postsparkasse
1:30:30 Credits
1:32:00 Newscaster introduces upcoming film (her comments are cut off)
1:32:15     New segment begins. Jean-Marie Straub introduces Schoenberg's biography and his production of Begleitmusik zu einer Lichtspielszene. Photos of Schoenberg flash by, someone reads from Schoenberg's correspondence with Kandinsky.
1:38:30 Music (Lichtspielszene) begins in the background while man continues to read.
1:43:20 Woman sits with cat. Another man reads from the correspondence.
1:44:50 Photo of people in graves, footage of crew preparing an airplane for attack, footage of air battle, World War II newspaper headlines
1:47:20 Titles
1:47:50 Film, "Anton Weberns Tod," begins abruptly. Monologues by an actor playing Webern alternate with bizarre scenes of an empty, run-down apartment building and the disturbed, disheveled man (Raymond Bell) who lives there. Johann Strauss's Schatzwalzer accompanies his meanderings around a gutted dance hall in Mittersill.
2:01:00 Credits
2:03:30 End

Credits

»Der Narr von Wien«
Produced by John Goldschmidt
Screenplay by Felix Mitterer

Begleitungsmusik zu einer Lichtspielszene
Directed by Jean-Marie Straub
With: Günter Peter Straschek, Danièle Huillet, Peter Nestler

»Anton Weberns Tod«
Idea and text: Gert Jonke

Anton Webern: Peter Fitz
Raymond Bell: Stuart Rudin