Austrian Folk Dances
Part One – The Ländler
Chapter I
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"The truest expression of a people is in its dance and in its music. Bodies never lie."
Agnes de Mille
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There was little talk of anything else at the Trapp villa other than the upcoming grand and glorious party. Not even the reluctant host, Captain Georg Ritter von Trapp himself was immune to the general excitement – although he tried to hide it behind his usual stoic mask. The children were delighted, and nearly hysterical with so much agitation, especially after Maria had the idea of having them perform a song for when they said goodnight to the guests. She had hoped that this would help them to keep their attention on something else, rather than waltzing madly in the hallways, annoying their father with their appalling lack of orderliness and decorum.
"Fräulein, isn't it time you do something about controlling your charges!" the Captain spat, rather furiously, one morning, after he was nearly knocked down by the clumsy waltzing pair formed by Kurt and Brigitta, followed by Marta and Gretl singing at the top of their lungs.
"My charges? You mean your children, Captain?!" His lips thinned, and his eyes narrowed dangerously. She was becoming quite used to that reaction – lately. It seems that any two words they exchanged quickly developed into a heated argument. He thought that she was more brazen than ever. She felt that she had nothing to loose, now that September and her subsequent return to the convent were so fast approaching. Compelled to once again show him the error of his ways, she dictated, "It is not their fault they had to live in a military warship for the last couple of years. They are just trying to make up for the lost time." Maria's eyes went wide as the words left her mouth. Her deliberate honesty was about to get her into trouble, again.
"You will watch your tongue, Fräulein. How I chose to raise my children in the past is none of your concern. You may be in charge of their future upbringing, but the past is in the past and I do not want it repeatedly dredged up."
Maria could tell that she had hit a sensitive spot, and immediately replied with a timid, "yes Captain." She was in charge of their upbringing? She felt the urge to tell him that it was the lady of the house's position to be in charge of child rearing, and that meant Baroness Schraeder. However, being freshly scolded she held her tongue on that point and asked, "And what would you have me do Captain? Lock them up in the attic?" A look of sheer horror crossed her face as soon as she mentioned the attic, and she could tell that she had again, unintentionally this time, struck a nerve with the Captain.
Thankfully, he decided to ignore it.
"Do what you have to do, Fräulein. Anything. As long as you keep them reasonably under control until the night of the party."
"Ahemmm – anything?" She could barely contain the smirk emerging on her lips.
He glanced towards his study and confirmed, "Anything."
Her wicked sense of humor got the best of her, and before she could control her tongue she replied, "That might be a very dangerous thing to say to me, Sir."
He spun around and looked at her in shock, "Fräulein!" The anger and been evident in his eyes, but she also sensed something else. Could it be, he was amused?
"All right. I shall try, Captain. I shall try." It was then that she had the idea for the farewell song – he had said anything, hadn't he? Even his children performing in public – although she wondered if he considered the exclusive circle of guests that would be attending the grand event as public.
"I don't know what they are so excited about," Louisa said as she passed her younger siblings in the hallway, giving Kurt a playful smack to the back of his head before being given a glaring look by her governess. She glanced towards her father and sighed, "It will be like looking at something beautiful but not being able to touch it." Louisa and Maria began walking towards Louisa's siblings, "We won't be allowed to dance at the ball, or even to have dinner with the guests. Not even Liesl. We'll just watch from the terrace, and we won't be able to go inside unless we are called to be introduced to someone, or to meet an elderly relative we have never seen before."
"Hummm," Maria thought. They would have to do something about that one as well. Maybe their goodbye number would help. "Not even you, Liesl?"
Liesl shook her head sadly. "Baroness Schrader says I must be formally introduced to society first, and that only will happen next Season, at the Opernball, in Vienna."
"Then you won't be able to dance with your father?" Maria said, surprised.
"It is entirely against the rules of etiquette," Liesl informed her. "And I won't be allowed to taste champagne either," she added forlornly.
"When she goes to the Vienna ball, she'll have to wear a tiara and everything," said Marta.
"Can I have a tiara too?" Gretl asked, pulling Maria's skirt.
"I hate debutantes," Louisa scoffed. "I would never be caught in one of those white, flowing, fluffy dresses, I swear I will not! And I'd rather be dead than be caught wearing a tiara."
"Mother used to love balls," Liesl began dreamingly, ignoring her sister's remark. "She used to tell us she fell in love with father while they were waltzing. There were lots and lots of balls here and in Vienna when we were younger, remember Friedrich?"
The boy nodded, and smiled. Brigitta added, "I remember them dancing."
"Oh yes, they danced so beautifully," Louisa exclaimed, this time not able to disguise the dreamy look in her eyes.
"And before the ball they would both appear in the nursery to show us how they looked," said Friedrich.
"Do you think father will wear his medals?" asked Kurt, excitedly.
"Oh yes," Brigitta agreed. "Will he?"
"Of course he will, he always did in those occasions," said Friedrich.
Kurt then turned to Maria: "Did you know that father was decorated fifteen times? And all for fighting under the water, commanding submarines! Can you imagine that?"
"Fifteen times!" exclaimed Maria, not having to pretend she was impressed. "And under the water… That is quite extraordinary, Kurt, it really is."
"A retired officer of the Imperial Navy. A fine man and a brave one", the Reverend Mother had said. But fifteen medals of honor?
In order to keep Maria from having any doubts, Kurt began reciting the full list. "Ritterkreuz Militär - Maria Theresien Orden; Promotion, Ritterkreuz Leopold-Orden., Orden der eisernen Krone, Militärverdienstmedaille, Silberne Tapferkeitsmedaille für Offiziere, Bronzene signum laudis, Silberne Tapferkeitsmedaille, Karl Truppenkreuz, Militärverdienstkreuz, Jubiläums-Erinnerungsmedaille, Militär-Jubiläums Kreuz, Deutsches Eisernes Kreuz, Russischen Stanislaus-Orden and the Ottomanische Goldene Liakat Medaille… I hope I did not forget any".
"No, that makes fifteen, you have them all," said Friedrich.
"I am impressed, Kurt. How on earth do you manage to know all that?" Maria asked, and the answer to her was obvious. It was his father, and his biggest hero.
"Oh, mother made as all memorize them," Louisa said. "She was so incredibly proud."
"As you all should be," said Maria.
"The most important is the Maria-Theresien Cross," said Friedrich knowingly.
"I hope he will wear it," said Louisa.
"Oh, he must!" exclaimed Brigitta. "It is beautiful – it is worn around his neck, with a red and white ribbon."
"I have not seen it in years," said Liesl. "That was how he received his title. He is a Baron, and also a Ritter – a knight, and all by his own merits. Did you know that, Fräulein?"
"No, I did not!" So Captain Georg Ritter von Trapp had not been born a nobleman. He had become one because of his fortitude, his acts of bravery while fighting for his country.
"Father used to wear it whenever they attended a party or a ball. I heard mother saying once that she was jealous because of that Maria wrapped around his neck all the time."
"Whaaat?" Maria asked.
Brigitta giggled "Father did not understand it either, and then she explained that she was talking about the Maria-Theresien Cross."
"Uh… What was that given to him for?" Maria asked.
It was Friedrich´s turn to show off his knowledge about military orders. "Successful military acts of essential impact to a campaign that were undertaken on an officer's own initiative, and might have been omitted by an honorable officer without reproach."
Marta and Gretl giggled.
"Ahem… would you mind repeating that again, slowly this time, Friedrich?" The boy did what she asked. "Hummm. I see." Maria was frowning.
Brigitta studied her governess, "What are you thinking, Fräulein?"
"How do you know I have something in mind, Brigitta?" Maria asked mischievously.
"You have that look in your face."
"Which look?"
Brigitta, ever the observant one replied earnestly, "The one you have when you give father a taste of his own medicine."
"Oh well," Maria shrugged. Brigitta was smart, observant, and had a penchant to speak her own mind, which could be quite disconcerting at times. She tried to play off Brigitta's observation, "I think I will keep this one to myself for now."
It seemed interesting to Maria that Captain von Trapp was awarded specifically for acting against an explicit superior order! She could not help but smile at the thought, but it would not be wise of her to share such a conclusion with the children. Bits of several arguments she'd had with the Captain flashed in her mind.
"Fraulein, did I not tell you that bedtime is to be strictly observed in this house?"
"Well, the children were upset by the storm, so I thought that if I – You did, sir."
"And do you or do you not have difficulty remembering such simple instructions?"
"Only during thunderstorms, sir."
And, on the very first day she arrived at the Trapp villa…
"You are the twelfth in a long line of governesses, who have come to look after my children since their mother died. I trust that you will be an improvement on the last one. She stayed only two hours."
"What's wrong with the children?"
"There's nothing wrong with the children - only the governesses. They were completely unable to maintain discipline. Without it, this house cannot be properly run. You will please remember that, Fraulein."
"Yes, sir."
"Every morning you will drill the children in their studies. I will not permit them to dream away their summer holidays. Each afternoon, they will march about the grounds, breathing deeply. Bedtime is to be strictly observed, no exceptions..."
"Excuse me, sir, when do they play?"
"You will see to it that they conduct themselves at all times with the utmost orderliness and decorum. I'm placing you in command."
She had mockingly saluted him, which had earned her the first "Captain's stare" as she now referred to it. For some reason his scowling stare at her hadn't been disconcerting – she was much too used to be scowled at by some of the nuns at the Abbey. It had been what happened next - he had blown that silly whistle… That piercing shriek of the boatswain whistle had startled her, but it wasn't what had disturbed her. It had been him – or something about him that had made her breath catch. She still didn't know quite what it was, or even what she felt, but there was something about him that disturbed her. She was drawn from her reverie by Louisa.
"So, what are we going to do at the party?"
Maria looked at the children around her and smiled. "Well, I have an idea…"
The children began dancing around the room in anticipation of their Fraülein's idea. They would be able to participate in the party, and not only that – they would get to sing too. As the children continued to discuss the merits of Maria's idea, Maria's mind was elsewhere. She thought about the Captain, and how he might react to their performance. And then an absolutely wicked thought crossed her mind – he had been rewarded for acting against orders – for deliberately acting against what his superior officers thought would be the best thing to do at the moment.
The Captain was a strategist, and Maria had just found a kink in his armor.
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A/N: The impressive list of military medals recited by Kurt was obtained in a website about the real Captain von Trapp.
My thanks to maxisback, for correcting the information I had about the Viennese ball in which Liesl would be a debutante.