The Angel with the Trumpet

Henrietta Stein, daughter of a Jewish academic, is the mistress of the Habsburg crown prince. Unable to marry him, she instead marries Francis Alt, head of the Alt Viennese piano-manufacturing firm. On the day of her wedding, the prince kills himself in despair.

Francis and Henrietta raise their three children in the Alt family home in Vienna, building a life around their business and household. The depth of Henrietta's feelings remains mostly hidden, known only to their mutual friend Baron Hugo Traun. Their orderly life continues for years despite unspoken tensions.

Twelve years after Henrietta's marriage, Baron Hugo Traun visits Vienna, and Henrietta begins an affair with him. She quietly contemplates leaving Francis Alt for a freer life. The liaison marks a turning point in their marriage and in the family's story.

The affair is interrupted when Henrietta's brother-in-law is dying and her son unexpectedly finds her in the baron's arms. She returns home and confesses to Francis Alt, who has just returned unexpectedly. The following morning, Francis kills the baron in a duel.

Four years after the baron's death, World War I begins and Henrietta's husband and all of her sons enlist. The war sets the stage for hardship and upheaval that will test the family's bonds.

During the war, Henrietta's husband is injured on the battlefield and becomes paralyzed, losing the ability to speak. Meanwhile, son Paul takes command of the Alt piano factory, and daughter Monica leaves Vienna with her boyfriend Gino for America to escape the war's hardships.

Herman, Henrietta's son, engages in illegal arms trading and incurs heavy losses, threatening the family's stability. To keep him from jail, she gives him her diamonds and eventually evicts him from the house.

Paul announces his engagement, bringing a glimmer of hope. Henrietta shares all the news with Francis, who writes her a note apologizing for marrying her, and the couple reconciles.

Years later, Herman joins the Nazis, and the Anschluss arrives, bringing persecution. The Nazis arrest Henrietta for not flying their flag on the house.

Before the Nazis can take her away, Henrietta jumps from a third-storey window to her death. Minutes later, Herman arrives with the news that he arranged for her Jewish ancestry to be erased for safety, but she is already dead.

World War II comes to Vienna and the Alt family home is destroyed by bombing, leaving the piano factory in ruins. Paul, his wife, their children and one surviving worker endure the setback together.

In the aftermath of the war, the family rebuilds the factory and produces their first new piano, signaling resilience and renewal for the Alt lineage.