Is there anyone here that knows this marvelous trilogy and is longing too for a release of the score? Apparently the Sissi trilogy was very popular here in Europe. I grew up with these films! I'm not sure about USA though..
But unfortunately i doubt that the master tapes will still exist..
I'm afraid you're spot-on. I highly doubt that anything of this score has survived. An unfortunate situation. Unfortunately, there are close to no soundtrack releases to 1950s German/Austrian movies (save for some songs that were released on singles and EPs at the time of the movies)...
I noticed the DVD set of these films a few years ago, and managed to find a copy on sale. It includes the 3 Sissi films, as well as another film, made when she was 15, about the young Queen Victoria. These films made Schneider a European star, upon which she ended up doing a few Hollywood films, which were mostly unmemorable, like THE CARDINAL and GOOD NEIGHBOR SAM, with the best-known of her American appearances as Peter O'Toole's girlfriend in WHAT'S NEW PUSSYCAT?
I actually don't remember the music to the Sissi films: so I can't venture an opinion as to its quality. (I always found her later life more interesting.) Schneider ended up becoming identified with this role, and even played the part later, in Luchino Visconti's LUDWIG.
She is enchanting to watch, and elevates the quality of the films with her personality.
I also doubt that any of the music elements have been preserved. Although, stranger things have happened...
I resurrect the thread because I was wondering about something. In case anyone interested in the trilogy and doesn't know, there have been released some excellent Blurays in Germany, that boast superb quality! The films look like they were shot yesterday!
in addition to that they have a DTS-HD MA 5.1 audio channel. Now, i noticed that if you take out the central channel, which is the dialogue, you have the music with very light SFX (mostly birds chirping). Does that mean that the master tapes exist? I mean, how did they make the 5.1 channel if they had only the mono to begin with?
I had done a research at Beta Film (part of the Leo Kirch group) in Munich more than a year ago about the music mastertapes for the SISSI trilogy. Beta Film nowadays is the rights owner for the films, they produced the Blu-Rays and therefore they have archived all of the original material for the films: http://www.betafilm.com/en/product/do/detail.html?id=1667
And unfortunately they told me that no master tapes for the music itself do exist at all and that they also did never have or find them in their archives. So I suppose only the music & effects tracks from the films are still there. We would have loved to release the original score on Alhambra Records, but it is not possible.
I had done a research at Beta Film (part of the Leo Kirch group) in Munich more than a year ago about the music mastertapes for the SISSI trilogy. Beta Film nowadays is the rights owner for the films, they produced the Blu-Rays and therefore they have archived all of the original material for the films: http://www.betafilm.com/en/product/do/detail.html?id=1667
And unfortunately they told me that no master tapes for the music itself do exist at all and that they also did never have or find them in their archives. So I suppose only the music & effects tracks from the films are still there. We would have loved to release the original score on Alhambra Records, but it is not possible.
Thank you for the information! Well, as i've said the SFX are reduced to just birds chirping, so I guess with a bit of a mixing/mastering job, a good sounding soundtrack could be produced. After, all, wasn't there - i think - Lassie that was released with SFX from FSM?
Surprisingly, a new recording with suites of all three SISSI films has now finally been made in October 2015 in Vienna. The CD on Vienna Classics Records with the title SISI -THE MOVIE TRILOGY SUITE will be available from February 5th in Austria and can be ordered for example here: http://www.hoanzl.at/sisi-the-movie-trilogy-suite.html
The music was reconstructed by Austrian composer Paul Hertel from the original manuscripts by Profes. And famous orchestrator/composer Conrad Pope has conducted the so-called Synchron Stage Orchestra in the same studio in Vienna where the original recordings took placce. On this Austrian site there are more infos about the recording: http://www.ots.at/presseaussendung/OTS_20160129_OTS0056/sisi-filmmusik-erstmals-komplett-auf-cd-bild
Here is the tracklisting of the CD:
PART 1: 20:04 min 1: Titelmusik „SISI“ 2: Sisi als Mädchen im bayerischen Elternhaus 3: Erstes Treffen in Ischl 4: Finden sich Sisi & Franzl? 5: Annäherung, Liebe und große Gefühle 6: Das Kaiserpaar
PART 2: 14:40 min 7: Titelmusik „DIE JUNGE KAISERIN“ 8: Sisi’s erste Tage in Schönbrunn/ungarische Delegation 9: Besuch bei den Eltern/auf der Jagd 10: Fahrt zur Krönung nach Ungarn 11: Das Kaiserpaar 0:22
PART 3: 20:09 min 12: Titelmusik „SCHICKSALSJAHRE EINER KAISERIN “ 13: Sisi in Ungarn 14: Sisi als wilde Reiterin 15: Traurige Tage 16: Erinnerungen an Ungarn/Rückkehr aus Korfu 17: Die Fahrt mit der venezianischen Gondel 18: Am Markusplatz/Die kaiserliche Familie wieder vereint
Great news indeed. Many years ago a close friend of mine approached Profes`s widow about the original tapes, and she couldn't have been less interested ("You'd think someone will be interested in that old stuff?")
I had made some research there a few years ago, but they told me that no tapes of the original SISSI recordings had been in the estate at all. But probably the original manuscripts were there and could now be used for the new recording.
That's interesting news, indeed. I'm really looking forward as to how this will sound...
Perhaps another thought on the original recordings: I've read some time ago that the movies we know today are not the same as Ernst Marischka edited them back in the mid-1950s, but rather totally new versions culled together from various alternate takes (since the original takes were found in too bad shape to be digitally restored). If so, a totally new sound mix should have been created in the mid-1990s. Obviously all of the music would have to be re-dubbed in this process. So, either the music-only masters existed back then or there should be various asynchronous sound effects in the copies currently in circulation...
To say I am excited is an understatement. Those are some of my all time favorite films and the scores are absolutely fantastic. And to have those suites recorded at the original scoring stage by Dennis Sands and conducted by Conrad Pope. I mean how much better can it get? Well maybe if they would have recorded the complete scores.
To Stefan Schlegel: sorry if my question has no direct connection with this topic but it regards another German composer: do you think we can expect any release by Hans Posegga? I'm indeed very fond of his unique style to be heard for instance in such TV scores as DER SEEWOLF, LOCKRUF DES GOLDES, ZWEI JAHRE FERIEN, TÖDLICHES GEHEIMNIS and I think he entirely deserves to be more much represented on CD. The great score to TÖDLICHES GEHEIMNIS was for instance released on LP but didn't get a full CD reissue so far (only 2 tracks on a compilation and I think they didn't even stem from the master tapes into the bargain). I also regret he wasn't granted a whole career anthology in the Bear Family Records series entitled 'Deutsche Filmkomponisten' like the ones dedicated to Martin Böttcher, Peter Thomas, Gert Wilden and others. Thanks in advance for your answer.
Hello Laurent, I am no expert on Hans Posegga at all, although I also have the quite nice LP of TÖDLICHES GEHEIMNIS (DAS GEHEIMNIS DES CALEB WILLIAMS). Honestly said, I don't think that we can expect some Posegga CD releases in the near future here in Germany. I don't know of any label which would be interested in such releases - if possible at all. For example at Alhambra there are no plans for any Posegga score on CD. As far as I know, Alhambra also has no contacts to the Posegga family or to any estate. And Bear Family who did the "Abenteuer Klassiker" CD box many years ago have in the meantime more or less given up releasing such older German film scores. Even their "Deutsche Filmkomponisten" series has been stopped about two years ago and will certainly not be continued.
Thanks for your answer. It's a great pity that such a talented composer as Posegga is now completely forgotten and I'm afraid we'll have to live with it. I will treasure the few CD's I have as well as the ABENTEUER-KLASSIKER two-CD anthology all the more. I seize this opportunity to congratulate you for your great expertise of French film music (Jarre, Delerue, etc). Whenever I read your posts on this matter, I get the feeling you have a deeper knowledge of it than most of the French film music buffs have.
I'm really curious to know what people will think about this release. It is, of course, a landmark recording and anybody interested in Golden Age music should catch it - if only for the reason that (unless a miracle happens) this will be the only Anton Profes release we are going to see. After having heard it - it's definitely worth more than one listen
It's a real shame that Bear Family stopped that series. The composer entirely missing on both vinyl and CD is Johannes Fehring. He mostly scored light comedies in the 1950s and 1960s - and also re-used his themes many, many times. A release of one score would thus cover not only this particular title but would be pretty representative for most of his output...
