Today, however, the experimental Julius Neubronner is better known for his amateur films from the early days of film. With his camera, acquired in 1903, he filmed everyday moments of his surroundings. Among them, above all, his family, with whom he also rehearsed artistic interludes that were performed on the stage installed in his own garden - like the violin playing of his son Willi in the film sequence shown. As a filmmaker, Neubronner was not looking for the grand narrative, but for real, immediate life - whether banal or special. He captured soapbox racing, ice skating or his sons' courtships. You can find more exciting stories about the inventor and tinkerer in the article "New Collections: Julius Neubronner and the early amateur film".
Sounds reawakened
From Kronberg in the Taunus region of the 1910s, we move to the present: in Hamburg, art historian Louisa sits at her laptop and browses through the German Digital Library. Actually looking for architectural photographs, she clicks inspired from object to object and discovers the short film "Willi geigt" on associative detours. How funny and sweet, she thinks as she watches the short film, over 100 years ago a boy named Willi played the violin, as did her younger brother, also a Willi. She immediately forwards the fabulous find to him.
In Berlin, Willi opens the link to "Willi geigt" on his smartphone and follows the silent glide of the violin bow across the strings. Just looking at it, the melodies played resound in his head and a "flitzpeep idea", as he later calls it, won't let him go. Willi knows the piece that the young Neubronner played well over 100 years ago, he still has it in his fingers: "Kavatine" by Joachim Raff (1822-1882). The notes are quickly at hand, the violin anyway. Although Willi from Berlin learned “Kavatine” with a different fingering than Willi Neubronner, on the 5th attempt he succeeded in playing the piece almost synchronously with the 1906 performance. A work of less than half an hour, as he reports, and an unexpected joy for Julius Neubronner's 170th birthday! Just do it and try it out, that was also typical for the birthday boy.
We thank Louisa and Willi for the wonderful revival of this piece! And now clear the stage for Willi and Willi:
