Figure 1.-- Here we see Lea Bertini at a piano recital of her pupils in their Hamburg flat (c. 1935). Notice that the little girl, one of the pupils, wears long woolen stockings. I think they are meant to be gray, but they look a bit greenish in the photo. I don't think green is the actual color, but the lighting makes them look a little bit green.

The story covers the Bernini family's trials and tribulations from the late 19th century until the end of World War II. The main plot concerns Alf Bertini, who as the name suggests is not of German origins. He has a Swedish mother and an Italian father. Alf is an aspiring concert pianist He marries a girl of Jewish-German birth, who is also musical and a piano teacher. She gives up her promising musical career to care for the children when they begin to arrive. Alf, who is a veteran of World War I and still keeps his uniform as a souvenir, never succeeds as a performing pianist, and his wife, Lea (played by Hannelore Hogen), tries to keep the family together in meagre circumstances by giving piano lessons. The father's failure to become a famous pianist adds a certain psychological sadness and disillusionment to the family atmosphere.

Created: 9:14 PM 12/21/2008
Last updated: 9:14 PM 12/21/2008