film project about the swedish fairy tale a rtist john bauer · 2013-08-03 · battle with the...
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John Bauer & The MounTain King © BörJe PeraTT 2010
John Bauer &The Mountain King
Film project about the Swedish Fairy Tale artist
Producer Börje Peratt © Draupner Film aB 2010
John Bauer & The MounTain King © BörJe PeraTT 2010 John Bauer & The MounTain King © BörJe PeraTT 2010
John Bauer, the Swedish fairy tale artist whose
images of the forest trolls and creatures of nature
became the world’s fabulous treasure. Despite his
timid nature, he knew early what he wanted and as
a 16-year-old he knocked at the Royal Academy’s
gate. Too young, he was back two years later and
accepted. At College he meets Esther (Fairy Tale
Princess) and they become trapped by each other
in a battle worthy of a relationship in a Strindberg
drama. Esther, was constantly surrounded by men
and cavaliers, and received a lot of attention. She
loved it and needed this kind of confirmation. While
John wanted the deep forest Esther’s life was in
the lounges in the city. Although she tried to live in
the cabin in the woods where John wanted to stay
alone with his ”princess”.
At age 25 John Bauer illustrated ”Among gnomes
and trolls,” and will be forever a fabulous artist
who gave soul and life to the people of the Nordic
sagas. His development in relation to his wife
is reflected in the images he paints. From the
early romantic princesses to the fertility goddess
Freya, in which Bauer makes the woman into a
sensual and feminine beauty in nature like peculiar
interpretation of John Bauer. John’s dream was to
live out his characters in the theater, and creating
an operatic stage, which took the audience straight
into his bewitching dream world.
Why the Royal Opera chose to use his libretto,
and do the ballet ”Mountain King” without giving
Bauer his rightful copyright is one of the film’s
exciting puzzles.
John Bauer himself could never experience the
sweetness of victory when he was assigned to his
work. He was only 36 years old when the Sea Lake
took his life, the passenger boat Per Brahe sank on
a stormy November night in 1918. The whole world
mourned the far too early departed fairy artist.
Mountain King with the music of Hugo Alfvén was
released 5 years after the death of John Bauer. His
name was not included in the program.
John Bauer’s two brothers took up the copyright
battle with the Royal Opera House in court and
won. Original drawings for Mountain King have
never been found. Perhaps they are in the lake
after the accident.
Here on the bottom of the lake also lies the heart of
the enchanted princess Tuvstarr. An image linking
John Bauer’s paintings with the most beautiful and
fragile of human essence.
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John Bauer (1882-1918) the world renowned Swedish artist died at only 36 years old and his death was on newspaper front pages. John Bauer, portrayed myths and fairy worlds, and his images are a cultural treasure known throughout the world. Telling the story of this highly regarded artist is also to tell of an artistic creation affected by the struggle with and love for esther, his wife and ”princess”.
John Bauer &The Mountain King
3
SYnoPSiS
“Dreamer and World famous artist goes overboard with his fairy tale princess”
John Bauer & The MounTain King © BörJe PeraTT 2010 John Bauer & The MounTain King © BörJe PeraTT 2010
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Approaches and objectives
A film about John Bauer must have the highest
ambition in all respects. Recording is done on
corresponding HD / Red.
The collaboration with experts at John Bauer
museum in Jönköping and ethnologist Ebbe Schön
guarantees facts and credibility of interpretations.
The team’s extensive experience will ensure
high professional quality. Estimated production
time is 36 months.
The aim is to produce a story that depicts both
the artist’s life, relationship to his wife Esther, his
images and the creative process, his development
as an artist, his struggle to create a work for opera
and his untimely death in the spectacular sinking
of Per Brahe. The goal is a film that can become
a recurrent matter of course at Christmas. Even a
documentary is planned.
International influence
John Bauer’s background with a German father
and Swedish mother and his studies in Italy and a
strong international reputation lead to believe that
financing can be strengthened by an International
co-production. This in turn opens the door for the
EU Media and EU support. John Bauer also had
influence on Walt Disney and the effect on the
characters and backgrounds used in such as Snow
White. All this supports the belief in the potential
for international distribution.
Budgetary and economic conditions
Based on a broad-based financing of international
co-producers. Further on collaboration with
Television and the support of Film Institute would
strengthen the project.
Letter of Commitment
Cooperation with Jönköping museum is to ensure
access to archives and the ability to map the
pictures and paintings from the originals.
Realization Plan 2010
Participate in Marché du Film, Cannes 2010th.
Producers Network Accreditation with the goal
to find international partners, co-producer and
distributor.
Create cooperation with Nordic and European as
well as North American TV stations / studios.
Autumn 2010. Develop an image and dialogue
script.
Recording starts in the spring of 2011 and allocated
to different seasons. Opening Christmas 2013.
Project Team Spring 2010
Börje Peratt, Hans Welin (photo), Kim Peratt
Jean-Paul Wall (music), Ebbe Schön (folklore).
Cast list
John Bauer, Esther Ellqvist, Artist Colleagues:
Algot, Axel, Signe et al. Bauer Family: Dad,
Mom, 2 brothers. Hugo Alfvén, Michel Fokin.
Locations
Sweden: Götaland. Around the lake ”Vättern”,
Jönköping, Stockholm. Possibly: Italy, Germany.
Facebook interests
Draupner Film (735) Bauer (100). The interests on
these pages are part of marketing.
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ProJeCT PLan
here on the shore of the lake bottom also lies the heart of the enchanted princess Tuvstarr. an image linking John Bauer’s paintings with the most beautiful and fragile of human beings.
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John Bauer & The MounTain King © BörJe PeraTT 2010 John Bauer & The MounTain King © BörJe PeraTT 2010
The royal opera 1923. People in dress on their
way to the ”Mountain King”. The Bauer Brothers
look in the program and note with surprise that
John Bauer’s name is not mentioned.
Night and storm over the lake 1918.
Dawn. Wreckage floating ashore. Featuring
headlines from the ”Mountain King”, leaving a bag
and dissolved in water.
World News of the fabulous artist John Bauer’s
tragic death is on the front pages.
JOHN: -”Vättern, the lake that I loved and who
inspired my imagination. Here I saw nature spirits
dance in the morning mist. Here I saw the Sea
Spirit seduce and attract fairies mermaid. Now I am
laying on the ground of this lake with my beloved
wife Esther and our dear son Putte. When we would
restart and everything should be fine again, so the
lake liked to have us.”
It is 1890 in Bauer’s villa in the small town Jönköping
just at the southern tip of lake Vättern. John as a
child sitting under the kitchen table drawing.
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Mom bakes. Great-grandmother sitting on a
wooden sofa and performing spells. -”Is the kid
drawing wicked witch again!” John responds
-”Humpe, nice troll.”
Mom turns to her little son. John peering forward.
-”Close your eyes, mother you may see as beautiful
as John.” Mom smiles.
Ten Years later. John Bauer as a young man, only
18, going into the Royal Academy in Stockholm.
JOHN: -”Well I was probably a soul of dreams, I
have on three occasions in my life really sincerely
asked God for something. When I was little I
prayed to God that I would have a crooked nose
when I grew up. I got it. The second time I asked if
I could enter the academy. It got that too. The third
time I asked God to allow me Esther, whom I also
received, and since then I have never dared to ask
God for anything!”
It is a lesson of the Arts. The task is to paint still life
of an apple basket. John finds the subject boring
and weak and quickly turns to a fairy-tale world
of characters and a troll who creeps around in the
apple basket. Esther, who stands with her easel
behind John giggles and smiles at John as he
blushes. A teacher is approaching and suddenly
the troll is transformed into a rickety apple.
The teacher looks at the fresh apples and Johns
Sketch and understands nothing.
Esther is admired and popular. Her breath of life is
to be courted and get confirmation for her beauty.
The competition for her is great, yet she shows
interest in the not-too-beautiful John.
Esther’s world is salons, frivolity, the merry antics,
dancing and cocktails. John can participate in this
environment of leisure but preferably sitting at a
table where you tell anecdotes to each other and
drink a good punch. So even in the same room
John and Esther, live in different places.
Academy, natural form bores John and he would
like to opt out. Then there is his father. The stout
and strict butcher who travelled to Stockholm,
he’s brought some hefty pieces of meat in order
to ”build up his son” and set out for him, his
ineptitude in anything but painting. -”You will never
be a good meat trader, like me, so my business
can go to your brothers. But I’ll give you all the
support in your artistic career and I will not allow
you to stop what you started. Is that understood?”
John nods submissively. -”See now to make your
mother happy and proud!”
It is a celebration among artist colleagues and
John can see how Esther disappears on the
terrace with Axel Kleimer. Friend Algot dismisses
John’s outrage as meaningless. -”Why be jealous
of Axel? Esther will one day be my wife, only she
does not know it yet.” -”What do you mean?” John
is wondering somewhat surprised. -”Yes, she is
not yours anyway.” Algot provides John a friendly
tap on the chest. -”The troll and the princess, nah
that misalliance will never be.” Algot laughs and
raises a toast to John who laughs and bows back.
Academy. Portrait Painting. Esther paints John in
an idealized masculine way and John is painting
Esther as an elf. They must then look at each other
and there is no doubt that the language of glances
they exchange. Axel sees them jealously and Algot
looks chipped at the whole situation but amused
by Axel’s troubled countenance.
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“The Trolls and the Princesses, nah that aliance will never be”
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Axel and Esther in the studio
Axel is in agony over his rival John: - ”How can you
choose John? You are two years older and he is pure
baby. Damn he has not even done military service!
Will you wait for him to grow up?”
John is in the military uniform of the regiment
He read a letter from Esther as he folds and puts it
in his breast pocket closest to his heart.
Artist friends met in the team happy and Esther
canvassed as usual and the man closest to her
was always Axel.
John receives a letter from Esther, which is checked
for it’s content. She does not know what she wants
and now she is close to Axel.
John moves out into the woods
John is leaving the military and further out to a
cottage in the woods. With him he has a mission to
illustrate a Fröding poem ”Mountain troll”.
Out there in the forest solitude he finds rest and
feels at home. He goes with his rifle on his shoulder
but is not able to shoot the rabbit that appears in
front of him.
When he comes back to the drawing room, he
finishes ”Mountain troll” and sets it next to a portrait
of Esther: ”I’m Mountain King you are my princess”.
He writes letters to Esther. ”One day you’ll see what I
can do. If you only knew all the beautiful things I see
in my head. The dancing elves in an opera. ”
Esther reads the letter. ”Angel, You seem white,
red and yellow. A light warm-click on the purple. But
not only that. You are so beautifully done and so you
understand everything,
Esther responds: ”Next summer we’re going to paint
on Tjockö camp. It would make me so happy if you
wanted to honor us with your presence. We would
also like to congratulate your beautiful drawings.”
8
Algot seated in an armchair in Esthers flat
The spread of ”An old Mountain Troll,” ahead of
Esther on the desk. A patch is stitched on the
illustration ”One day I’ll be Mountain King and you
my queen / John“. Algot was next to be asked by
Esther if he also would like to congratulate on
John’s success. Algot pretended not to hear, and
Esther smiling. Algot drew a simple drawing of
Esther between the two men and writes: ”If John is
redness of dawn so I am glow of evening, I suppose.
With fire in my heart and conscious of that the day
has light and shadow”.
First Artist camp at Tjockö develops into a
menagerie of love. Signe Carlsson also one of
the female artists colleagues looks jealously at all
the attention that Esther gets. And John looks to
get Esther by herself by painting her as a model.
Something that naturally flatters Esther annoys
the other men and makes them full of envy. No
one can draw like John, Esther’s beautiful figure
and lovely soul. But Esther is not patient and John
can not finish the painting this summer.
Lapland
John has been commissioned to illustrate a
great work on Lapland and has now set off
to the North. Algot follows him to the train and
”toast’s him off” to give him good luck on the
journey. They joke about Axel’s yearning for Esther,
but even if they do not see Axel as a major threat
in the battle for Esther is such competition that’s
ever in their thoughts.
With easel on his back John goes out in the
mountains to seek contact with the Sami people.
Solo out on the plains, he sees a large mountain
mass. -”Mountain ... The King! ... Are you there?”
He starts singing. Out here in solitude, he put
himself on a rock and bawling hymns to the beauty
of nature, the mountains, to its tests.
JOHN: -”I’m crazy when I am alone in the mountains.
I have a lovely voice when I scream out and no
one hears me. Sometimes I am, John Bauer, now
I am wanderer and sometimes ancient man, now
I’m magic. It is essentially a part of the theme of
Wagner ’Nibelungen Ring’ now that I beat up in the
wildest disorder, and in all variations.”
So he meets a bear that is not intimidated by the
song and John are forced to take cover. Here in this
mountain world he’s experiencing himself, John
moved to the beginning of time when the Norse
gods and giants lived.
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“Damn he has not even done military service! Will you wait for him to grow up?”
“One day I´ll be Mountain King and you my queen”
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“One day I´ll be Mountain King and you my queen”
John Bauer & The MounTain King © BörJe PeraTT 2010 John Bauer & The MounTain King © BörJe PeraTT 2010
John alone in the cottage at the lake
In the winter, John finds a cottage in the woods
outside the University. John has lots of material
from Lapland, and he must now perform the job.
As he paints, he goes into the woods with his rifle
on his shoulder. But he never shot an animal. He
wrote to his friend Axel who reads the letter at the
home of Esther:
”Carrying your gun eliminates fear and you do not
have to search your thoughts and not know which
one you choose, and you do not have to ponder on
how crazy this is and how the hell it should be done.
Floods of happiness and elation coming over you
may disturb you, as you become a master of creation
in a beautiful forest. It’s rather like paradise. You’re
standing face to face, at one with those great ideas,
one of which is always hiding, when looking at them.
They beg you and ask to be painted, so it also tells the
story carefully and thoroughly and makes it easily
understood, how to make it really, really beautiful. ”
John continues in a letter to Esther: ”I have gone
on snowy roads and chased the snow-covered forest.
During the race I came to a little grey cottage. It stood
vacant and open. In the middle of the barren forest.
My haunting pleasure took over and I dreamed about
you and me. I measured the height of the room to see
if my bookcase went inside. I dreamed of furniture I
already owned, were they would go. I dreamed about
you and reindeer skin there and it all looked so warm
and homely. Can you be content with anything so
small brief and simple? Say you probably can. Can
you live in such a cabin in the middle of the big woods
in solitude and silence, free from all men? No Esther,
it falls apart as soap bubbles just because it is the
only possible way for us to form our home. ”
To Esther a lake is nothing to yearn for; she would
rather live in Stockholm and by the sea. Then John
writes romantic letters on snow-covered forests,
miles of marshes under high trees, Esther writes of
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their paradise (the attractive Archipelago), where
she hopes that John will come:
”Where you would go with me to the magic stone
where the Lady of the woods dance, we could also
dance, so that we lose consciousness, so that we forgot
about reality then you would go to my mountain.
Where you can look out over my kingdom, islets and
reefs and the endless sea. On my mountain, you
were king.”
John writes to Esther and she reads it to Axel:
-”You could see the air over the water and air over
the ridges and the lake itself, it may well be outside
and in parallel with smooth seas. There is peace
and quiet of the greatness of the inland landscape.
Powerful and quiet are the ridges. The archipelago
and the sea are nervous and bustle of .”
-”John does not like our island”, Axel comments.
Second Artist camp at Tjockö
John leaves his summer cottage to join Esther
and her artist friends the camp of Tjockö in the
archipelago where they were last year.
John stands in the bow of the boat approaching
Tjockö. There she is on the bridge with Axel’s arm
around her shoulder. A pang of jealousy rushed
through John’s heart, but he does not show it. The
grip of Esther is supposed to be friendly but John
knows. Signe is burning with anger, hatred and
jealousy. -”You have John, is it not enough that
you need to get hold of all!” Algot ran to the bridge
to see the performance. He asks Axel to help take
the boat and thereby forced Axel to remove his
arm from Esther.
Esther paints the archipelago ”Calm” (1905).
A response to John’s letter on the archipelago
as ”nervous and chase.” Now John completes
the painting ”Fairytale Princess” he began the
summer before.
But this summer will not be tolerated Esther’s
flirting and she even got into a fight with Signe
on Axel. -”Good God how we fought you and I on
Tjockö but who spoke afterwards about the causes,
which as often as it was yours it was also my fault. I
am angry and calm, and I probably avenge the bad
names I suffered. The memory of our Tjockö stay
still alive in all of us with fair words as bright and
droll as was in his last letter to Adeline Lanner he
talked with such intensity on the togetherness and
so will you talk nonsense.”
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“A cabin in the middle of the big woods... it’s the only possible way for us to form a home”
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John Bauer & The MounTain King © BörJe PeraTT 2010 John Bauer & The MounTain King © BörJe PeraTT 2010
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Escape from Love
Both Esther and John are torn by the love
between them. Passion brings such a frightening
vulnerability that they are fleeing each other and
John travels back to his cottage in the woods.
John Bauer in letters to Esther. ”I have set you so
high Esther. And up there I want you. I get sad when I
look weak it’s the human trait of you. Esther, forgive
me that I require so much.”
The autumn of 1905 is difficult both for John and
Esther. John is depressed and writes: ”I am full
of contradictions, nothing to hold onto. I just glide.
Where I do not know. Your letter, I must tell you I
read not with the same joy as before. I have you on
my conscience. I have visions of you and me clutching
firm, which is worse than nothing ... A life test you
cannot be filled with kisses and dreams and I tremble
for the reality and gravity and my own feeble insight.
Do you understand me? Because I sometimes don’t.
I am 23 years old and a gifted artist who they say are
loved by you, I know, and still try.”
Self destruction
Esther reads John’s letter drunk from a bottle of
wine with a revolver in her hand.
Both Esther and John are in suicidal plans, if
not so serious, their longing and anguish are so
painfully difficult that the two cannot stand. They
cannot be together and they cannot be apart. John
will also receive a letter from Algot who says he
found Esther weeping and broken with a revolver
in her hand.
Later John writes. ”I have learned to despise John
Bauer. I dare not trust him, not in the least, for he is
irresponsible in his weakness. Just this horrible fact.
You tortured my poor Esther. I agree so much with
you. We need hope. Answer me honestly my love. Has
it been your major decision to shoot yourself? Would
you really, on the same day, same hour, socializing
with the same plan as me. I am sick my love, I cannot
tell you the whole truth. It would be more than an
offence if I made you do it for me. But my love, I
cannot even do it myself for you.”
”Among Gnomes and Trolls”.
”My dear Esther / ... / The snow lies deep in the forests
and to walk a couple of miles is tiring. I find it hard
to work. I go everywhere in the woods with my little
dog. I chop my wood and clear the way to the barn
and shed. It is a little cramped here at the small table.
There is a pile of compositions. Ancient humans,
angels, devils, trolls, giants, dragons, princesses and
sea spirits.
John gets a contract to do the illustrations for
”Among Gnomes and Trolls” is a great job and
it should be inspiring. “But I never start with the
per formance. I do not know where I should start. The
piles on the table grow”.
”Gnomes and Trolls”, will be John Bauer’s big
breakthrough. The cabin is filled with pictures of
the magic and essence of fabulous and mythical
nature.
Gossip and slander
Axel will not give up Esther and John gets letters
from artist friends and the gossip Pontus.
Rumors spread also to Esther, who is told that
John has met someone else.
Esther hits Signe: -”You little idiot, shut up what
Pontus says. I never deign to call him and he
slanders everything and everyone. Well John Bauer
he who will not be so distrustful. He favors you so
you cannot take the world in the belief out of him
and John does look good by your side then I think
he John should smile at slander.”
“I am full of contradictions, nothing to hold onto. I just glide. Where I do not know.”
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The fight for each other
John writes to Esther: ”Battle against him, he is
my opposite. He was the strong, sober and good,
benevolent and helpful. He was the most energetic.
That love is unfortunately his fate. I like him and he is
my friend. All the best in the world I do not begrudge
him but you. No, you are mine, my love you.”
The letter of reply from Esther is full of hugs, smells
of perfume and has painted lips on the front in form
of kisses.John intimidated by Esther’s fiery letter.
”It is your words in your letter, which is great for me. I
am afraid of them. I know that you expect more from
me than what I can give. That ”big beauty” as you see
in my art and that you believe to be me, I might not. I
have at least never found it in me. Do you know me?
Esther, my dear. You know what I am? I want you to
be my little wife but you must not expect too much.
Ester if that you dare to be my little wife in spite of
my changing moods and shifting.”
Before Christmas the same year Esther and John
married and Esther accompanies John to the
neighboring lake. John is happy but Esther cannot
adapt. On the contrary, she was frightened of the
night time and becoming increasingly nervous and
worried.
Despite the attention and John’s success, Esther
falls into a depression.
Italy
John’s parents visit the cottage and the father sees
that John is not looking good. A completely broken
pair. His mother finds Esther unworthy of her son
John, but his father would instead help the couple
and sends them on a dream trip to Italy, Capri and
Florence, Siena and Volterra. It is a happy and
exciting time for the young artist couple.
-”Almost every evening we go out to one of the
small villages outside of Florence. These trips in
the evenings, while the cool air is wonderful. Italy’s
small villages are in their best. It would take too
much paper to describe the forces that seek such
a thing. Small cosy taverns with good wine and
food. We’ve had evenings so rich that they cannot
be forgotten.”
John and Esther newly in love
They will return to Sweden and move from the
forest to the ”Villa Birch Cape” which is beautifully
situated on a peninsula at the lake but close to
John’s beloved lake. There is a concession to
Esther’s desire to live near water. The sea with its
endless horizon, is what satisfies her desire for
freedom and openness.
Esther’s flight back to the big city
But a lake is not enough she is still feeling trapped
and moved back to Stockholm. Here Esther resumes
her painting. John drops into his illustration work it
will be marked by his state of mind.
John and Esther’s separate worlds going again in
the pictures.
14 15
“It is your words in your letter, which is great for me. I am afraid of them”
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”There he stood, hopelessly looking out over the lake’s black water.”
John Bauer & The MounTain King © BörJe PeraTT 2010 John Bauer & The MounTain King © BörJe PeraTT 2010
Ballet - ”The Mountain King”
1913 Bauer writes to his parents that he had an
exciting but secret mission. The contemporary
world-famous Russian choreographer and ballet
dancer Mikhail Fokin discovered the Bauer pictures
in a used bookstore in Old Town. Fokin was taken
and inspired. He envisioned an opera with Bauer’s
figures. John’s artistry would characterize both the
set design and costume.
Fokin invited John Bauer to a meeting in Stockholm
and here he presented the task of writing and
artistic design to stage the story of the Opera. It
came at just the right moment when Bauer himself
long wanted to do something for the theater.
John Bauer had thoughts quickly the ideas from a
draft of a libretto. Now, his magic and essence of
figures will dance on stage. Now, his inner visions
become real.
Project ballet “Mountain King” going on and off for
many years with constant twists and setbacks.
Although cooperation is not flowing as he continues
to portray the story of the mountains, the captured
girl, boy herding and troll Humpe. He may borrow
a studio in Stockholm where he can experiment
with sketches of the theatrical scenes. John is also
developing a libretto on the figures he had in his
head since he was a child. He is now investing
everything in this life dream. He eagerly hopes for a
response from the Royal Opera House about how
they look at his life’s work and the libretto ”The
Mountain King”. But no answer comes. Mikhail
Fokin was kicked out of the project and was
replaced by his pupil, the Swedish choreographer
Jean Börlin. The same year 1914 the First World
War breaks out. Fokin moving back to Russia and
the last link to Bauer is broken. In a newspaper
article in 1916 it says that Bauer allegedly sold his
idea to the Opera. Three days later they ask Bauer
in this same newspaper, and he writes that he
feels violated and robbed. John Bauer’s paintings
are now given grim and sad characters. Artist
Colleagues in Stockholm see how John Bauer
breaks down the way the opera treat him and try
to give their support to Bauer. Hugo Alfvén, who
has been commissioned to compose Mountain
King, proceeds on his own. John moves back to
the woods.
16 17
Reunification
Esther’s visit to Stockholm became increasingly
protracted and what she longed for is not at all
back ”home” again. The couple lived apart for long
periods at times and the letters between them are
talking about divorce. They agreed however to
hold together. He is experiencing his marriage to
Esther as a prison, which finds a new path and
release when they have a child.
1916 sees the birth of their son, ”Putte” and the
formation of a family seems to weld John and
Esther together. But Esther would still live in
Stockholm.
1917 John Bauer may be asked to create a
painting for a girls’ school. He is planning a mural
and studied carefully the conditions in the room.
The preparatory work will result in a two-meter
high oil painting depicting Freya, Nordic Aesir
goddess of love, beauty and fertility. Esther, now
after a child with the more mature woman’s shape
and charisma is expressed in full bloom. From the
habit, innocent fairy girl grows a powerful mother
goddess forward, radiating sensuality and vitality.
”Freya”, friends teasingly called the painting ”bust
of Mrs. Bauer” and only a blanket covering her
legs. Perhaps not the right motive in a school
for Young women. But John in his naive world of
artistic thinking doesn’t fully understand how the
board of the school think. They will not have it
on the wall.
That doesn’t concern John too much. He is happy
with the result and paints it in various ways. Esther,
John and Putte are finally family. John can sit for
hours and watch the child. He even enjoys the
screams.
All talk about other fathers, he cares not.
-”You know I love this child and I love his mother
more than anything else. It is the only thing that
matters. Let’s make Esther happy and move to
Stockholm.”
TreaTMenT FeaTure FiLM
John Bauer & The MounTain King © BörJe PeraTT 2010 John Bauer & The MounTain King © BörJe PeraTT 2010
“... it’s been many years since. Tuvstarr sits there and looks wondering into the water after her heart. Princess is gone, now it’s just a flower with Tuvstarr’s name, a little white flower on the edge of the pond. now and then the elk comes, stops and looks at the small f lower. he is the only one who knows who she is - he’s an old friend - but to follow him back, then she is no more, as long as the spells binding. The spell is down there. Far, far away down there is a mended heart.”
From Tuvstarr by Helge Kjellin
Wreck and downfall
“At a neighboring port Per Brahe is loaded with
sewing machines that are not fastened properly. An
exited family with a nervous Esther is boarding the
ship. Well-meaning sailors and other helping hands
carry their bags. John carries his bag of sketches
to The Mountain King. The storm increases in
strength. He had not stood so close to his wife in a
long time. Esther had not been so near to him for
years. He was concerned over the waves, but was
still not frightened. On the other side of this storm,
waits of course a new life, he thought, where the
dream house is waiting on Djursholm. And he
would finally leave the fairy tale illustrations and let
the art take new paths.
The storm grew in strength. The Sea roared, the
wind picked up, it ripped through the water to form
a cloth of roaring, foamy froth. The waves lashed
the hull and some looked like leopards leaping
across the steamer. The rain stung like razor sharp
poison darts in the skin. Suddenly a sailor cried
from the stern. The rudder is cracked. Per Brahe
is just disabled, drifting freely with the broad side
facing the waves. And the loads vibrating, begins
to beat her. Sewing machines are loaded carelessly
and inadequately lashed. Within minutes Per Brahe
lies at a thirty degrees list. The engineer gives up.
Shouts of rage and madness in the wind. No, he
has not stood so close to his wife in a long time.
Esther has not sunk her teeth into him for years.
He knows now fear penetrates the marrow and
bone, it pulls in the reptilian brain. He is charged by
instinct, and keeps his family, clinging on to those
leads and rods. Crewmen climbing and fighting,
linking chains. When the wires go, a sailors
shortcomings of nerves. One can no longer walk
on their legs on board. Per Brahe is now beaten
for forty degrees to starboard, almost entirely on
the side. Intense flashes of lightening. The storm
drives up the new angry, swirling breakers.
No, he and Esther have not been so desperate
for each other for years. They shake together in a
storm the night a pattering leather whip. Everything
blends together in front of their eyes. Steamer, the
water, screaming, the sky and the rain become a
stirred porridge. They lose each other in the turmoil.
John turned bloody against the walls of the cabin,
Esther and Putte with Utterly hopeless protection
in the aft saloon.
Lake flaming. Magnesium Light of lightning.
Lake blackens. The day after low water and still.
Completely quiet and completely empty.”
18 19
”Battle for justice”
Royal Opera House February 7, 1923. Happy and
excited people are coming out from the premiere
of the show ”The Mountain King”. A journalist, who
reviews the performance, studying the program,
writes in his review of John Bauer’s name is
conspicuous by its absence.
Bauer brothers reacting angrily. - “John may be
dead but we live and this sacrilege that John
suffered cannot be left unpunished.” The other
brother is responsible. - “But how do you think
we should be able to battle against the Royal
Opera and Hugo Alfvén, Sweden’s most famous
composer and conductor? We are likely to resolve
in court! We will be ruined.” The first brother
replies: - “If this is the last thing I do I’ll restore
John’s name.”
John Bauer’s brothers pulled the idea theft to court
and won the battle. John Bauer was recognized as
the source of the Mountain King. The composer
Hugo Alfvén found this experience extremely
offensive, saying that ”I work as a composer and
gave my living soul for about a year of intensive
work together, seemingly having to wait 25-30
years before I can reach the same income” (which
requires the Bauer brothers to claim injury and theft
of Ideas). Brother Bauer: - “Yes, yes, our brother
was working on the story for 30 years so what the
work is concerning, you cannot compare with the
short time Mr. Alfvén used and he was also paid
for.” John Bauer was attributed the libretto for ”The
Mountain King”. But in 2010 still stands as Jean
Börlin author of the libretto of the Royal Opera
biography of the ”The Mountain King” ballet.
TreaTMenT FeaTure FiLM TreaTMenT FeaTure FiLM
John Bauer & The MounTain King © BörJe PeraTT 2010
ConTaCT & inFo
Börje Peratt MoBiLe +46 70 55 66 994 Phone +46 8 768 41 11
aDreSS Manus aV-produktion aB/Draupner Film aB, norrhagsvägen 10 a, Se-18247 enebyberg Sweden
e-MaiL [email protected] WeB www.peratt.com/draupnerfilm
ManuS aV-ProDuKTion started by Börje Peratt in 1976 and was converted to aB (company) in February 1981. Börje Peratt worked as reporter and producer for Swedish Public Broadcast radio and moved on as director at SVT Swedish Public Broadcast Television where he also wrote and produced shorts for TV shows such as “Pep Talk”. “Treasure hunt” was a TV-series in coproduction by TV-house, SVT and ManuS. Later ManuS got the opportunity to produce 29 independent sections in the popular TV-series “Fishing Tour” that received extraordinary ratings. over 50% of the youth audience (SVT 1989-91). Börje Peratt has produced award-winning short films and the feature “Bella & real - The Movie” (2010). “Child from the Sea” (1999) is a 15-minute pilot for the feature film “Land of Wooden gods” depicting the emancipation of slaves during the Viking era. This particular project is in corporated Draupner Film aB.Börje Peratt has also written lyrics and composed music for radio, film and musicals. The theme for Bella & real “Freedom in foreign land” has topped radio charts in spring 2010.
Besides being an independent TV- and Film making company, Manus aV-produktion aB also has an outstanding record producing for community, transportation an environment that has led to many forms of media assignments, slide shows, videos, exhibitions, publications, community campaigns, corporate presentations, educational films, music cassettes, CDs, multimedia and so on.
Clients cover the entire market from ministries, municipalities and counties to companies, associations and organizations with missions in nature, recreation, health, safety and skill development. education has been transferred to Visam aB (1987).