• Silent movie with Eleonora Duse •

Thomas and Kayoko Beckmann offer a silent movie with Eleonora Duse, accompanied with their music since 1991. In contrast to the rather cheerful " Chaplin " - film program this movie features a serious program, combined with classical sonates (e.g. Schubert " Arpeggione ", Mendelssohn D-major, Beethoven, Brahms or Shostakovich).

The silent movie " Cenere " of 1916 is a completely rare film document, since it is the only film, in which the legendary actress Eleonora Duse is to be seen. In Beckmanns concert this covered treasure from America is accompanied with impressionist music. During the film sooting Duse was inspired by the tragic scenes of the Italian Cellisten Livio Boni, who played for her on his instrument parts of the sonate for violoncello and piano of Claude Debussy. This music is a leading motive for the movie in the concert.

Being the big antipode to Sarah Berne, Duse had a magic effect, which can only be compared to todays rock stars. In theatre appearances the audience already cried with tears and contemporary criticisms like that of Lou Andreas Salome in " FreieBühne für den Entwicklungskampf der Zeit " of 1893 comment, as follows:

" The inspiring storm, which Mrs. Duse provoked during her appearance in Berlin, is so more effusively, all borders more scoffing, that it is nearly embarrassing to speak about her in a moderate tone .... ".

When Duse died in 1924, the traffic was stopped for 20 minutes in New York in her honours . She was transferred in a navy battle ship to her homeland Italy. Passing through the strait of Gibraltar, " the Dullio " receives a radio-telegraphic greeting from all by-sailing ships. With the highest honours the native country receives the light, terrestrial load of the eternal pilgrim. In Naples the duchess kneels down and prays at her coffin before she is moved.

Rome expects her. " Peace in God to the restless longing of the Eleonora Duse in the hour of the return from her last pilgrimage " - is written above the gate of Santa Maria degli Angeli. On a carriage, how one honours the heroes, she she passes the last stage of her journey from the church to the station.

Asolo becomes their quiescent place. She had expressed the desire: " I want to rest in Asolo, between the Montello and the Monte Grappa, and over my grave is to stand written:

" Endowed, despairing, trusting. "