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 cassics, 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.
The films
Berlin, die Sinfonie der Großstadt - Germany 1927 - Directed and written by: Walther Ruttmann - Photographed by: Karl Freund - Music by: Edmund Meisel - Produced by: Deutsche Vereinsfilm AG, Berlin - Premiere: September 23, 1927 (Tauentzien-Palast, Berlin)
Melodie der Welt - Germany 1929 - Directed and written by: Walther Ruttmann - Photographed by: Reimar Kuntze, Wilhelm Lehne, Rudolph Rathmann, Paul Holzki - Music by: Wolfgang Zeller - Cast: Ivan Koval-Samborskij, Renée Stobrawa, Bernard Shaw, Grace Chiang, Wilhelm Cuno - Produced by: Tonbild-Syndikat AG (Tobis), Berlin - Premiere: March 12, 1929 (Mozartsaal, Berlin)
Lichtspiel Opus 1 - Germany 1921 - Directed, written and photographed by: Walther Ruttmann - Music by: Max Butting - Produced by: Walther Ruttmann, Munich - Premiere: April 1, 1921 (U.T. im Schwan, Frankfurt/Main)
Opus 2 - Germany 1922 - Directed, written and photographed by: Walther Ruttmann - Music by: Joachim Bärenz (2008) - Produced by: Walther Ruttmann, Munich - Premiere: April 1922 (Frankfurt/Main)
Opus 3 - Germany 1924 - Directed, written and photographed by: Walther Ruttmann - Music by: Hanns Eisler (1927) - Produced by: Walther Ruttmann, Munich - Premiere: May 3, 1925 (U.T. am Kurfüstendamm, Berlin)
Opus 4 - Germany 1925 - Directed, written and photographed by: Walther Ruttmann - Music by: Helga Pogatschar (2008) - Produced by: Walther Ruttmann, Munich - Premiere: May 3, 1925 (U.T. am Kurfüstendamm, Berlin)
Der Sieger - Germany 1922 - Directed, written and photographed by: Walther Ruttmann - Music by: Joachim Bärenz (2008) - Produced by: Julius Pinschewer, Berlin
Das Wunder - Germany 1922 - Directed, written and photographed by: Walther Ruttmann - Music by: Joachim Bärenz (2008) - Produced by: Julius Pinschewer Werbefilm GmbH, Berlin
Das wiedergefundene Paradies - Deutschland 1925 - Directed, written and photographed by: Walther Ruttmann - Music by: Joachim Bärenz (2008) - Produced by: Julius Pinschewer Werbefilm GmbH, Berlin
Der Aufstieg - Germany 1926 - Directed, written and photographed by: Walther Ruttmann - Music by: Joachim Bärenz (2008) - Produced by: Julius Pinschewer Werbefilm GmbH, Berlin
Spiel der Wellen - Germany 1926 - Directed, written and photographed by: Walther Ruttmann - Music by: Joachim Bärenz (2008) - Produced by: Julius Pinschewer Werbefilm, Berlin
Dort wo der Rhein... - Germany 1927 - Directed, written and photographed by: Walther Ruttmann - Music by: Joachim Bärenz (2008) - Produced by: Julius Pinschewer Werbefilm, Berlin
Weekend - Germany 1930 - Directed and written by: Walther Ruttmann - Produced by: Walther Ruttmann, Munich - Premiere: June 13, 1930 (Berliner Funkstunde)
In der Nacht - Germany 1931 - Directed and written by: Walther Ruttmann - Kamera: Reimar Kuntze - Music by: Robert Schumann - Cast: Nina Hansom - Produced by: Tobis-Melofilm GmbH, Berlin - Premiere: Oktober 12, 1931 (Titania-Palast, Berlin)
Walther Ruttmann, der Visionär bewegter Rhythmen - West Germany 1987 - Directed by: Irene Schuck - Drehbuch: Jeanpaul Goergen - Produced by: Bayerischer Rundfunk, Munich - Premiere: May 8, 1987 (BR 2)
DVD features (2-disc DVD)
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
First edition November 2008, Second edition March 2009, Third edition October 2009, Fourth edition February 2010, Fifth edition August 2010, Sixth edition November 2010, Twelfth edition March 2016, Thirteenth edition November 2018, Fourteenth edition December 2020
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