Schuberts Frühlingstraum (1931)

The film portrays an episode from the life of the Austrian composer Franz Schubert. A few guests are gathered in high spirits at the popular Viennese tavern “Höldrichsmühle” and ask the landlady, Therese, to sing a song. The young Franz Schubert, who has just started a trial appointment as a schoolteacher at the local school, is asked to accompany Therese on the piano because the tavern’s regular pianist was thrown out by Sepp, its jealous cooper. Schubert has accompanied Therese on the piano several times before, and this time, too, he inspires a storm of applause among the guests—but he does not hear it, having already left the establishment. Outside the tavern, Schubert happens to see Countess Esterhazy stepping down from a carriage. With her are her father, the old count, and Herr von Fekete, whom the countess is soon to marry at her father’s request. Franz Schubert is utterly enchanted by Maria Esterhazy’s appearance and cannot take his eyes off her. Countess Esterhazy greets Schubert with particular warmth because she cannot stand the husband-to-be chosen for her. Schubert gets the wrong idea and now believes that the young, beautiful aristocrat is interested in him. But Maria’s politeness and warmth are meant solely for Schubert the artist, whom she admires as a brilliant musician. Therese quickly realizes that Schubert is getting carried away by his infatuation, and asks Maria to leave the “Höldrichsmühle” as soon as possible. Schubert cannot understand Maria’s hasty departure and is deeply saddened by it. To make matters worse, the talented young composer also loses his job as a local schoolteacher, whereupon he has to sell his finest compositions for less than they are worth just to make a living. Therese, who secretly has a crush on Schubert, once again proves to be his guardian angel and secretly secures him an engagement to perform at a concert in the Esterhazy family’s palace. Schubert himself mistakenly believes that only Maria could be behind the invitation. At the height of the concert, Maria sings a love song Schubert dedicated to her. Schubert then proposes to her and is all the more dismayed when his aristocratic sweetheart gently and kindly turns him down.