Für den Ruhm des Geliebten (1916)

Young Marietta earns her living as an ordinary worker in a cigarette factory. One day, while visiting friends, she meets Rolf, a virtuoso violinist. They get along well, and before long their acquaintance blossoms into a deeply felt love. Rolf’s fondest wish is to own a really fine violin one day—an Amati—on which he can demonstrate the full extent of his talent. Since he is just as poor as his girlfriend, Marietta is willing to sacrifice herself for the man she loves so that his dream may soon come true. A certain Count Guarnero has been pursuing her with professions of love for some time, and she eventually agrees to become his mistress. From then on, Marietta has to lead a double life: she wants to make it possible for Rolf to buy an Amati, but she also does not want to lose him through her relationship with the aristocrat she does not love. Night after night, Marietta secretly leaves the squalid attic room and goes to the Count’s palazzo, where she plays the grand lady at his side and brings a touch of glamour to social occasions. Using the Count’s money, she actually buys a genuine Amati from an antique dealer and arranges for it to reach Rolf by way of an intermediary. He is also told that he will henceforth receive regular payments, so that he can continue his musical studies. Although her sacrifice for her beloved’s future fame is immense, Marietta watches with great satisfaction as the unsuspecting Rolf rejoices at this turn of fate. But this happiness, founded on lies and secrecy, does not last long. A foolish coincidence brings everything to light. At a masked ball attended by Count Guarnero and Marietta, Rolf is also present, having been hired to play in place of a colleague who has fallen ill. He immediately recognizes his Marietta, of course. She makes herself scarce at once and runs back to the little attic room she shares with Rolf. There, Marietta quickly changes out of her elegant masked-ball gown and into her plain everyday clothes. The violinist hurries after her to see whether he might have been the victim of an illusion. At home, he finds Marietta just as he knows her, and genuinely believes that he was mistaken at the masked ball. Marietta herself knows things cannot go on this way, so the next day she goes to see the Count and tells him she will put an end to this humiliating charade of a double existence. But he is by no means willing to end their arrangement and threatens to tell Rolf everything. Marietta is utterly distraught and even harbors thoughts of murdering Guarnero. But the Count makes the decision for her: after his attempt to blackmail Marietta fails, he shoots himself in the presence of his mistress. As if in a trance, Marietta runs home, trying to get away from it all. There she finds Rolf, who holds out to her with disgust the dress she wore to the masked ball and that he found in her wardrobe. The furious violinist leaves the room, and Marietta collapses. Despite what has happened, she still wants to ensure that her great love will continue to be provided for, so he can devote himself entirely to his great art. Marietta takes all the valuables she has left, especially her jewelry, to the antique dealer once more and sells them, so that Rolf’s financial support will continue. Meanwhile, the Count’s body is discovered, and Marietta is arrested. Although it is established that she was innocent of the old man’s death, all the turmoil of recent times has taken a severe physical and mental toll on her. When the antique dealer sees her in this condition, he remembers the name of the person to whom he was supposed to send the proceeds and tells Rolf about Marietta’s seemingly endless path of sacrifice. Rolf rushes to her at once, determined from then on to be there for the beloved companion of his life. But Marietta has given up on life and asks him only to play the violin for her one last time. With a smile in her heart, she sinks down as she listens to Rolf’s virtuoso playing and dies.