The heroine of The Last Waltz, Amalia Faulhaber, comes onstage as an innocent socialite with a strong personality in the nervous splendor of the last days of the Hapsburg Empire. It is the "Golden Age" of music, art, fashion, cuisine, and drama.
Amidst the sparkle and neuroses of Vienna, Amalia has been educated in the fine art of flirtation by her aristocratic grandmother and in matters of conscience by her socialist uncle. She shapes and is shaped by her relationships with the men in her life—a Prussian soldier, a Polish doctor, and an Austrian baron--always remaining faithful to her own growing ideals. The story of Austria's descent into fascism is counterbalanced by the developing love that she feels for her husband with whom she has a "marriage of convenience." As flawed characters are transformed, the theme of the piece emerges as the redemptive power of love.
The book is a virtual journey into the events before, during, and after World War I. An understanding of this period is critical for us to comprehend why democracy failed in Germany and Austria. This understanding lays the foundation for a true perspective of present domestic politics and international relations with the Western and Eastern European Countries.
The photograph is of the Vienna Opera House, taken in the early 1900's.
copyright 2009 G.G. Vandagriff No copyright claimed to original art or photos.
