Berlin, die Sinfonie der Großstadt & Melodie der Welt

Walther Ruttmann is a pioneer of modern multimaedia art. His first short films are unique experiments with forms, colors, and rhythm, his innovative commercials connected abstract animation art with concrete messages. The symphonic documentary Berlin, die Sinfonie der Großstadt is one of the most famous silent classics, the travelogue Melodie der Welt became the first German sound feature film. With the radio play Weekend Ruttmann created the first "sound film without images" while his short In der Nacht transforms music to images and is a prototype of modern music videos. The 2-disc DVD combines for the first time all surviving works by Walther Ruttmann from 1920-1931 in newly restored and reconstructed versions, often with original scores. It also includes lobby cards, posters, programs and text documents as well as little known paintings and drawings by Ruttmann.

DVD 1

• Berlin, die Sinfonie der Großstadt 1927, 65'
• Original orchestral score by Edmund Meisel
• Chapter selection
• Lobby cards and original artwork
• Lichtspiel Opus 1 1920, 11'
• Original orchestral score by Max Butting
• Opus 2 1922, 3'
• Piano score Joachim Baerenz
• Opus 3 1924, 3'
• Original orchestral score by Hanns Eisler
• Opus 4 1925, 4'
• Orchestral score by Helga Pogatschar
• Der Sieger 1922, 3'
• Piano score by Joachim Baerenz
• Das Wunder 1922, 3'
• Piano score by Joachim Baerenz
• Das wiedergefundene Paradies 1925, 6'
• Piano score by Joachim Baerenz
• Der Aufstieg 1926, 4'
• Piano score Joachim Baerenz
• Spiel der Wellen 1926, 3'
• Piano score by Joachim Baerenz
• Dort wo der Rhein... (koloriert) 1927, 3'
• Piano score by Joachim Bärenz
• Paintings and drawings by Walther Ruttmann 1911-1920

DVD 2

• Melodie der Welt 1929, 48'
• Chapter selection
• Weekend 1930, 11'
• In der Nacht 1931, 7'
• Radio feature Walther Ruttmann, der Visionär bewegter Rhythmen 1987, 86'
• Unrestored version of Lichtspiel Opus 1 1921, 7'
• Different digital transfers of Dort wo der Rhein... 1927, 3'
• Side-by-side comparison of the existing prints of Melodie der Welt 1929, 48'
• Photos from the Congress of the Independent Film in La Sarraz 1929
• Texts by and about Walther Ruttmann, program booklets and original scores as ROM features
• 20 page booklet with essays about Walther Ruttmann

Edited by: Filmmuseum München, Arte, Bundesarchiv-Filmarchiv and Goethe-Institut
DVD-Authoring: Ralph Schermbach
DVD-Supervision: Stefan Drössler