December 1944. With the war looking like it is near its end, the USO has resumed entertainment services on the European mainland. One such USO performer is an American symphony orchestra under the direction of famed Lionel Evans who, on their tour, are currently in recently liberated Belgium. They are caught in an ambush under a German counteroffensive and taken into custody to a castle commandeered by the Nazis, that unit under the direction of General Schiller.
The primary standoff in this situation is Schiller's want for the orchestra to perform in a concert for him with Evans conducting, which Evans refuses to do. The command structure between the German military and the orchestra has many parallels including dissension among the ranks under their dictatorial leader. Many of the orchestra members want Evans to do what Schiller asks in believing it their best chance of survival, while Evans believes they will be killed regardless and does not want to provide Schiller the satisfaction.
Who may be able to influence stubborn Evans is cellist Annabelle Rice, the wife of the concertmaster Victor Rice, she who is Evans' former girlfriend, there still being feelings between the two. On the other side, Schiller's second in command, Colonel Arndt, views the orchestra members as any other prisoners that are to be executed immediately.
What influences the decisions on the orchestra's side is the fact that two US Army infantrymen have been able to hide among the orchestra in the melee, some orchestra members who see them as threats to their safety as they being caught means almost certain death for them all, versus others who believe the two are their best chance to escape in getting word to the Allied forces of their captivity.
Play | Title | Artist |
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Counterpoint
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Symphony No. 5 in C minor I. Allegro con brio
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Ludwig van Beethoven:
Performer
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Symphony No. 8 in B minor D. 759 'Unfinished' I. Allegro moderato
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Franz Schubert:
Performer
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Swan Lake, Op. 20 Moderato
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Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky:
Performer
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The Star-Spangled Banner
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Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky:
Performer
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Symphony No. 1 in C minor Op. 68 IV. Adagio
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Johannes Brahms:
Performer
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Overture
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Richard Wagner:
Performer
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