Film project about the Swedish Fairy Tale a rtist John Bauer · 2013-08-03 · battle with the...

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

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SYnoPSiS

“Dreamer and World famous artist goes overboard with his fairy tale princess”


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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.

TreaTMenT FeaTure FiLM


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.

6


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”



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”


“One day I´ll be Mountain King and you my queen”


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.”

11

“A cabin in the middle of the big woods... it’s the only possible way for us to form a home”

TreaTMenT FeaTure FiLM TreaTMenT FeaTure FiLM


12 13

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.”



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”


”There he stood, hopelessly looking out over the lake’s black water.”


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.”



“... 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.


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).

Film project about the Swedish Fairy Tale a rtist John Bauer · 2013-08-03 · battle with the...

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