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"Ich weiss, es wird einmal ein Wunder geschehen" (I know one day a miracle will happpen) is perhaps Zarah Leander's most famous song. It was composed by Michael Jary and Bruno Balz and featured in her 1942 movie "Die grosse Liebe" (A great love). This video features the popular Willy Berking and his orchestra with vocals by Helmut Terpe (one would have wished for a different singer).
A lot has been written about the popularity of the movie "Die grosse Liebe". It was made in 1941/42 and tells the story of a singer, Hanna Holberg, (Leander) who falls in love with a pilot of the Luftwaffe (Viktor Staal). The movie depicts the effects of war on the couple, their constant separation and Hanna's revolt against this situation... While "Die grosse Liebe" certainly serves a propaganda purpose it does not glorify nor jusitfy the war (unlike many propagandafilms of its time, such as "Stukas"(1941), the infamous "Heimkehr" (1941) or "Über alles in der Welt" (1940). "Die grosse Liebe" is in essence a "woman's picture" in which Hanna Holberg has to realize that personal happiness in time of war is nearly impossible. Aptly directed by Rolf Hansen who directed Leander in her last 3 movies for Ufa "Die grosse Liebe" is quite a good film and Leander delivers one of the best performances of her movie career (one only has to compare it to similarly themed yet incredibly clumsy 1940 "Wunschkonzert" which starred Ilse Werner and Carl Raddatz).
"Die grosse Liebe" resonated with the movie going public and became Zarah Leander's highest grossing picture for UFA (and one of the most seen movies in Germany). More surprisingly perhaps was its success in occupied Europe (as well as neutral countries - it received very favourable reviews in Switzerland). Apparently the movie struck a chord with many women who had been separated from their men by the war.
Michael Jary and Bruno Balz composed the songs for "Die grosse Liebe": "Ich weiss, es wird einmal ein Wunder geschehen", "Davon geht die Welt nicht unter", "Mein Leben für die Liebe" and "Blaue Husaren". The first two songs are often featured in war documentaries usually accompanying sequences of destroyed cities or the desperate battles on the Eastern front. They are very often cited as so called "Durchhalteschlager" (songs intended to give the war weary people courage and boost morale)
The story behind these songs however is quite different. The lyricist Bruno Balz - who was gay - had been arrested by the Gestapo and was in prison when he thought of the lyrics for "Ich weiss..." and "Davon geht die Welt nicht unter". Only after intervention by Michael Jary and Leander was Bruno Balz liberated. Zarah Leander and Bruno Balz remained life long friends. Furthermore when "Die grosse Liebe" was released on the 12th of June 1942, Germany was still very much winning the War and morale boosting songs were not yet in high demand. After the war however the two major songs of "Die grosse Liebe" were interpreted differently - especially by film historians. Ironically Bruno Balz - who by all accounts had been a victim of the nazi regime - had to justify himself before an allied tribunal in 1946 which forced him to out himself in court (which also meant admitting that his marriage was a sham). He was acquitted by the American authorities in October 1946 and resumed his career.
More information on Bruno Balz and his work can be found here ;
English
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bruno_Balz
German
http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bruno_Balz
Website dedicated to Bruno Balz :
http://www.bruno-balz.com
About the record:
Imperial
25125 / KC 28 991
Berlin,
1942
Record in quite bad condition.
This record was recorded with an Nagaoka MP10 cartridge with 3,5mm 78rpm stylus as well as 78rpm phono preamp. The restoration was done as truthfully as possible.
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Music in Berlin, 1942 footage with Karl Böhm.by jozefsterkens25,909 views
Einfach schön, die Musik und das Video! Herzlichen Dank.
MrSwingtime 1 month ago
Klinkt voor mij als muziek in mijn oren,
M.vr.gr.
GerritWilbrink 1 month ago