The Power of Music: ‘Moonlight Sonata’ the Film

gettyimages-522788809.jpg, default, Polish pianist and statesman Ignacy Jan Paderewski playing the piano, August 1936, photo: Evening Standard/Hulton Archive/Getty Images, The Power of Music: ‘Moonlight Sonata’ the Film

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Music has the power to bring people together. Think of the audience of relatives and friends watching a married couple share a first dance. Or a country’s national anthem being sung during war. A shared playlist between friends, blasted during car rides on summer trips.

One famous Polish pianist whose music brought people together was Ignacy Jan Paderewski. Paderewski’s global appeal includes the Polish opera Manru, for which he composed the music, which made its American premiere at the Metropolitan Opera in 1902. Paderewski also played music – including his ‘Menuet in G, Opus 14’ – for the film Moonlight Sonata, which he also starred in.

'Manru' by Paderewski, directed by Marek Weiss [gallery]

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Far-Reaching Film

Before it did so with its music – even before being released at all – Moonlight Sonata brought people together in the production process. The English language film, which was released in 1937, included many different nationalities: the director was a German named Lothar Mendes, the screenplay was co-written by an American screenwriter named Edward Knoblock, and the English actress Barbara Greene had a very prominent role in the film. The film was all brought together with the Polish star, Ignacy Paderewski.

Sounding Off

The drama opens with music. Mr. Paderewski plays a nearly uninterrupted 21-minute concert. He starts with ‘Polonaise in A Flat Major’ by Frederic Chopin, then proceeds to play ‘Second Hungarian Rhapsody’ by Franz Liszt. Mr. Paderewski’s concert is later interrupted by a little girl, whose ball rolls towards the stage.

This gets the plot rolling. The little girl picks up the ball and walks onstage, causing her parents, Eric and Ingrid, to follow. The rolling ball leads the three to a face-to-face encounter with the famous pianist. Delightfully, Ingrid begs Mr. Paderewski to play the Moonlight Sonata by Beethoven, and he obliges. We then jump in time to after the concert, where Mr. Paderewski gathers with his friends. He talks about how music is a miracle, as it can create a lasting effect on its listeners. Mr. Paderewski then unlocks a memory key. He reminisces about a time five years ago in Sweden, when music brought him and the little girl’s parents together.

A Stalled Relationship

The next scene shows Eric and Ingrid in a Swedish forest. Their scenery is unlike their relationship, which has an unnatural character. Eric’s feelings for Ingrid have blossomed for quite some time, and they share a kiss. Eric mentions to Ingrid about the possibility of proposing to her at midnight when she turns eighteen. Ingrid doesn’t know if she wants to step into a relationship with Eric, however, and the nervous tension between them is interrupted by a rapidly descending plane

Poster for 'Moonlight Sonata', photo: Museum of Cinematography in Łódź

The immobile plane, after safely landing and being unable to continue without repairs, brings in lots of activity. Eric takes the plane’s passengers, one of whom is Mr. Paderewski, to stay at the Baroness’s castle. This is a wonderful idea, because the Baroness lives nearby and employs Eric. The Baroness and her granddaughter Ingrid bring Mr. Paderewski up to speed about how much his music means to them, mentioning that Ingrid’s mother met her husband at one of Mr. Paderewski’s concerts, and Ingrid’s father proposed to her mother after they listened to Mr. Paderewski play the Moonlight Sonata.

A Relationship Crescendo

Another passenger, Mario de la Costa, has a bumpy arrival in Sweden. Mr. de la Costa sees the plane’s pit stop as a tremendous inconvenience, since he must now stay in the Swedish wilderness instead of going to Paris. His mood changes when Eric brings him to his new lodging, the Baroness’s castle. When the Baroness throws a dinner party for the passengers, Ingrid eats up all of Mr. de la Costa’s stories about his prominent life, his rich multicultural heritage, and his planned travel destinations. This makes the nearly 18-year-old Ingrid (who has never left Sweden) grow fond of him. But while Eric tells Ingrid that he does not fully trust Mr. de la Costa, she does not take stock of Eric’s judgments.

Mr. de la Costa plays his cards right. He pretends to have overslept to skip a trip organized by the Baroness to visit her holiday house for sick children. Instead, the infatuated Mr. de la Costa spends some one-on-one time with Ingrid. He uses palmistry on Ingrid, tightening his grip on her. She becomes convinced that she must travel the world with her new soulmate.

A Solo Farewell

Poster for the film 'Moonlight sonata', 1937, photo: Wikipedia

A storm breaks out after everyone has left the castle, and Eric enters to close all the windows. The gusts blow open Mr. de la Costa’s suitcase, allowing Eric to discover Mr. de la Costa’s secret: a flyer advertising Mario The Magician and a photo from Mario’s wedding. Eric tries to make the magician disappear by punching him, but Mario has some tricks up his sleeve, as he reappears at dinner with Ingrid and everyone else.

The dinner with the famous Polish musician is quite silent. The Baroness asks Eric what happened between the two men, and the action reaches a crescendo as Mario asks the Baroness for approval to marry Ingrid. The Baroness does not fall into a trance. She knows that he is a married man who is only seeking her heir’s future inheritance. The Baroness sends him out of her house.

Hitting the Right Notes

In the scene’s poignant aftermath, Ingrid asks Mr. Paderewski to play the Moonlight Sonata. Mr. Paderewski agrees to play so that he can try to make the song speak to her. Yet Mr. Paderewski’s performance doesn’t occur until after Mario leaves the Baroness’s house. Ingrid blames Eric and her grandmother for Mario’s departure. This is until she literally gets the full picture as her grandmother shows her the photo of Mario’s wedding. Ingrid’s mood descends as she sobs over her behaviour towards Eric.

Mr. Paderewski ends his stay at the Baroness’s house on a high note. His plane is ready for takeoff, but he delays his departure on account of another emergency. The Baroness tells Mr. Paderewski that he can’t leave yet due to the stressful situation with Ingrid. Mr. Paderewski helps Eric and Ingrid’s relationship flourish after he plays the Moonlight Sonata. Mr. Paderewski’s playing wafts through the house. His song transports Eric and Ingrid from different places within the house to the outside where they share a kiss in the night.

Ignacy Jan Paderewski, 1921, photo: collections of United States' Library of Congress — Ignacy Jan Paderewski, 1921, photo: collection of the United States Library of Congress

Ignacy Paderewski does not have a lot of speaking lines in Moonlight Sonata. He sits in front of the camera as a mostly silent observer until he is called to perform. But does this diminish his performance? Paderewski’s film brings together the soulmates Eric and Ingrid. Moonlight Sonata reflects Paderewski’s real-life desire for unity. The musician was Poland’s Prime Minister when he signed the Treaty of Versailles in 1919, which brought World War I to an end.

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