The score was prepared by Maud Nelissen and Frank Mol (composer and pianist at the Nederlands Filmmuseum) who used music for piano and French songs from late 19th and early 20th century; typically characteristic of this period is the “bonne chanson”, elaborated by romantic-impressionist musicians. Together with music by famous composers as Debussy, Fauré and Poulenc, we will hear works by less famous authors as Chaminade, Schindler and Durand. Baritone Willem Korteling studied with Bep Ogterop in Amsterdam and with Bernhard Diamant and Lucia Meeuwsen. He sang in choirs and ensembles and as a soloist in poeras and operettas. Since years, he is member of the Nederlandse Opera.  Maude Nelissen obtained the diploma in 1990 as pianist at the Utrecht conservatorium. Then he performed as soloist and in chamber orchestras. Already in her study years she worked on music for films. From 1994 she works opn productions for the Nederlands Filmmuseum. Also the soprano Wynanda Zeevaarder completed her studies at the Utrcht conservatorium. Then she dedicated herself to chamber music and musical accompaniments for silents. She was invited in many festivals (Paris, Groningen, Utrecht, Rotterdam and Bologna)

“La belle dame sans merci, won the favour of all those who saw in Germaine Dulac one of the apostles of the silent art. Once again it was Irene Hillel-Erlanger to provide the subject for the film: an actress, now a great star, who was in the past seduced and abandoned by a man of the world, takes her revenge on all men and becomes a ‘beautiful woman without mercy’. A subject which some, among whom Maurice Kéroul, judged to be a little weak; and others, such as Henriette Janne, a bit long and weighed down by useless details. But a subject of which everyone recognised the excellent realisation. The film contains some startling photographic ideas, the performance is excellent: in short, the screenplay was brilliant. Luis Delluc, whose testimony is not without interest wrote about this film: ‘La belle dame sans merci includes, in the midst of numerous elegant and animated minutes, a beautiful picture. One would think oneself at the Bernheim brothers. This is the vision of the swimming pool with the fatal and soave Tania Daleyme. The tact, sensibility, sense of synthesis, a sort of style, make one think of the best Manets’. A few months later, Delluc returned to the fray: ‘In the moment in which the press ignored Germaine Dulac we vehemently praised Ames de fous and Le bonheur des autres. The taste, the aesthetics, the profundity of this director’s ability are further attested to by La fête espagnole and La cigarette […] “.

Charles Ford, Anthologie du Cinéma, 1968