Das Wiegenlied (1916)

Árpád Szomory is an acclaimed violin virtuoso, accompanied on his tours by his wife, Mia, and their little daughter, Rita. Nothing moves the new mother more than hearing her husband play a lullaby for their little girl on the violin. When Mia finds a letter from a certain Countess S., asking him to spend an evening together, she wants to know the truth and plans to join them in disguise as a flower girl. In a private dining room, she confronts her supposedly unfaithful husband and flees into the darkness of the night, deeply disappointed. Árpád runs after Mia and promises never to do anything of the sort again. Mia doubts him and leaves her violinist husband. Eighteen years have passed since then. Árpád’s career has been in a steep decline, and their daughter Rita has grown into a young woman. Two young men, the painter Knut and his friend Hector Salicz, spot Árpád playing the violin on a street corner and, in a fit of youthful exuberance, invite him to a restaurant, where he is to show off his violin skills. The people there are delighted by Szomory’s talent, and the owner immediately wants to hire the Hungarian as music director. At last, after a long time, Árpád has a steady income again and begins to wonder what became of his wife and their child. In fact, Árpád’s wife Mia has since died, and their daughter Rita makes a living by giving music lessons. But she, too, has little luck with her musical ambitions and now has to follow in her father’s footsteps as a street musician. Using her father’s violin, Rita tries to earn a little money. Once again, it is Knut and Hector who lend a helping hand and come to the rescue of a Szomory. When the young count sees from a window that several young people are harassing Rita, he intervenes and takes the young artist to stay at his mother’s house. Countess Salicz, however, is none other than the mysterious Countess S., whose affair with Rita’s father once tore the family apart. The countess, too, recognizes at once who Rita is, seeing how closely she resembles her mother, Mia. When Rita discovers a portrait of her father in the countess’s villa, she realizes where she has ended up. Although Countess Salicz kindly offers her shelter, Rita flees the house. Completely thrown off course, Rita then plans to end her life, but a kindly older gentleman stops her. He gives her new hope by offering her the chance to pose for a painter he knows. The young artist is none other than Knut. In his studio, Rita discovers a picture of herself as a child. She learns that the painter had made the portrait from a photograph of a street musician playing the violin. Rita’s spirits revive, and she asks Knut to take her to the old violinist. The young man then reunites father and daughter, and they share a deeply moving reunion. Árpád wants Rita to remain devoted to playing the violin and arranges for her to enter a Mozart competition. Rita’s participation proves successful. She goes on to give a concert that marks her breakthrough as an artist. Finally, she also reconciles with Countess Salicz, whom she had blamed for her parents’ unhappiness all this time. The fact that Rita and the young Count Hector have fallen in love also helps.