Nordwand
Suite

Philipp Stölzl’s »North Face «(2008) tells the story of Toni Kurz and Andreas Hinterstoisser, the mountaineers from Bavaria who, in the summer of 1936, failed to be the first humans to climb the infamous Eiger Nordwand in the Bernese Alps. Christian Kolonovits, a multitalented Austrian composer/arranger who has so far (unfortunately) only taken part in few cinema productions, contributed the grand orchestral score. He musically enhanced the breathtaking and equally oppressive images that illustrate human helplessness when facing the forces of nature with a score in which he skilfully used the post romantic orchestral means of Richard Strauss and Gustav Mahler. The score is comprised of several catchy themes. Alongside the mysterious theme for the hostile mountain itself, which initially descends upon us in three four-note-groups in a grim minor key and is then resolved in major, one has to mention the suitably tragic love theme for Toni and the photographer Luise, as well as a warm serenade for string instruments in the epilogue.