The fourth series of gripping crime drama Vienna Blood (2 x 90鈥�) 鈥� written by acclaimed screenwriter Steve Thompson (Sherlock, Prime Target, Deep State,) and based on the bestselling Liebermann novels by Frank Tallis 鈥� will air on 成人论坛 iPlayer and 成人论坛 Two.
Filmed in English and on location in Vienna, series four is directed by Umut Da臒 (House of Promises, Breaking Point) with Matthew Beard (The Imitation Game, Dracula, Magpie Murders) and Juergen Maurer (Vorstadtweiber, Tatort) reprising their roles as crime-fighting duo Doctor Max Liebermann and Detective Inspector Oskar Rheinhardt.
The fourth series, unlike the previous three series, features a single story 鈥� entitled Mephisto Waltz - told over two mysterious and thrilling episodes.
It鈥檚 Vienna, 1909 and the double murder of an arms dealer in police custody and a senior public official has shaken Vienna to its core. Doctor Max Liebermann has only just returned from a lecture tour when Inspector Rheinhardt asks for help in what could be the most dangerous case of their career. Oskar and Max discover a conspiracy that leads to the heart of government. Can the Freudian psychoanalyst and detective do enough to stop a seditious mole known as 鈥楳ephisto鈥� from bringing the Austro-Hungarian Empire to destruction? And will their lives ever be the same again?
Sue Deeks, 成人论坛 Head of Programme Acquisition, says: 鈥淭his is such an exciting event 鈥� a Vienna Blood case so big it needs to be told over two thrilling episodes. What a treat we have in store!鈥�
Carlo Dusi, Managing Director of Endor Productions, says: 鈥淲e could not be more proud of this special new season that we have produced with our friends at MR and brings a thrilling new storyline with the highest of stakes to fans of Vienna Blood. There truly could be no better showcase for the combined talents of our wonderful writer Steve Thompson, brilliant director Umut Dag and incredibly talented cast and crew, led as ever by the unique pairing of Matthew Beard and Juergen Maurer. It has been an honour and a pleasure to work again with our partners at ORF, ZDF, 成人论坛, PBS and Red Arrow Studios International in bringing the luminous characters and world originally created in Frank Tallis鈥檚 Liebermann Diaries to the screen, and we are sure that audiences will not be disappointed.鈥�
Oliver Auspitz and Andreas Kamm of MR Film add: 鈥淲e can鈥檛 wait to bring this very special season of Vienna Blood to a worldwide audience. Having one case spanning two episodes will push Max and Oskar to limits never seen before. Thanks to our trusted partners Endor Productions, Red Arrow Studios International, ORF and ZDF. With the support of Austria鈥檚 rebate system FISAplus, Television Fund Austria and TV-Filmfund Vienna and all the creatives involved we鈥檙e delighted to continue this (hi)story!鈥�
Rodrigo Herrera Ibarguengoytia, VP Scripted Acquisitions & Co-Productions, Red Arrow Studios International, comments: 鈥淲e are thrilled to return to early 1900s Vienna for Max Liebermann and Oskar Rheinhardt鈥檚 most ambitious and consequential case yet. Vienna Blood has been a hit around the world, from the UK to the US and from Austria to Australia and we cannot wait to bring this compelling new season to global broadcasters and their audiences.鈥�
The producers of Vienna Blood are Jez Swimer for Endor; Oliver Auspitz, Andreas Kamm and Catrin Strasser for MR Film; commissioning editors are Klaus Lintschinger and Kerstin Bertsch for ORF and Wolfgang Feindt for ZDF; executive producers are Steve Thompson; Carlo Dusi for Endor; Rodrigo Herrera Ibarguengoytia for Red Arrow Studios International and Hilary Bevan Jones.
Other funding partners include FISAplus, Film in Austria (ABA), Televisionfund Austria, TV-Filmfund Vienna and Land Nieder枚sterreich.
Red Arrow Studios International will distribute the series globally.
- Watch Vienna Blood series 4 on 成人论坛 iPlayer and 成人论坛 Two from Sunday 4 August at 9pm
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Meet the cast of Vienna Blood
Juergen Maurer (Oskar Rheinhardt)
Where do we find Oskar at the start of series four?
We find Oskar in his regular job confronted with a very hard task. He is not with Therese because she dumped him at the end of series 3. Oskar is still the lone wolf he used to be.
How do you feel about rooftop scenes and stunts?
I love to do my own stuff. But am very seldom allowed to. So, whenever you see Oskar run over roofs or jump through windows鈥�. the fighting is pretty much me - fist fights or physical action - but not the things that have risk from the surroundings for insurance reasons. And I would love to do them!
Does it make a difference to the atmosphere of the show to shoot in authentic locations?
Of course. It makes a huge difference to play in actual historic surroundings. All the possibilities of CGI and animated backgrounds, which are nice and very interesting, give filmmakers endless opportunities to create worlds. But filming in the actual historic ambient surroundings is just breathtaking for me. And it brings back Vienna to my eyes. When you live in the city and you see those things every day, they tend to become normal. Then you come to set, to a place that you pass maybe three or four times a year but now set as a historic picture, you see it again. You think, 鈥極h yes. Yes, that is where I live, that is Vienna.鈥� The potential is there but you lose sight of it if you live here. It's incredibly beautiful.
What is your favourite Vienna Blood location?
We have so many precious places. And you will always shine with a castle, St Stephen's Cathedral or with the big things. Personally, my favourite, because it didn't change over the episodes and we always return, is Oskar鈥檚 apartment. It's a small, very modest backyard of an old Viennese house. And the apartment is tiny, stuffed with old things and has an incredible atmosphere to it.
The image of that modest backyard apartment that is on the ground floor with one room and a kitchen immediately brings me to the character. When I go there I feel Oskar and that is, I think, one of the most beautiful things that the location can do to an actor.
Oskar takes a huge risk in series four. Who takes bigger risks Juergen Maurer or Oskar Rheinhardt?
Oskar is prepared to take higher risks. I'm not a risky kind of guy. I like to have security and order in my private life. I'm a motorcycle rider but that's about as risky as it gets. I like to go quick but try to contain myself.
What can you tell us about Oskar and Max鈥檚 relationship?
The relationship between Oskar and Max has evolved over the episodes and so did our relationship as actors because we got to know each other better and we got closer. I hope I'm not exaggerating when I say we like each other very much and are good friends! We also enjoy the work. It has a certain touch of being complete together and the shoot brings that too. We start shooting and we put on our costumes and stand next to each other and click clack, there we are.
As actors we are quite near to where the characters are with each other. We have one scene at the end of an episode, Max and Oskar are talking about friendship and one asks the other 'Are we friends?' and the other one says 鈥榊ou really don't know by now?鈥� That was a nice moment because it was very real.
Like yes, of course we are friends!
Matthew Beard (Max Liebermann)
Where do we find Max at the start of the series?
At the beginning of series four, Max returns from a successful lecture tour in New York where he has been spreading Freudianism very successfully. And he's got a promotion. He is the Director of the Neurology department. There's a lot going on in his life and I think he's enjoying all of that. But I also think he's particularly happy when Oskar shows up with a new case for him.
What are the best aspects of working on Vienna Blood?
Working on Vienna Blood is a lot of fun. You're working in this beautiful city with these incredible actors and great directors. For me a returning season has been a joy because you get to come back and see these people again, which is a real treat.
As soon as I put the costume on and see the call sheet, we're in a new location and another amazing place with incredible history. I take hundreds of pictures on my phone of everywhere we go because it's such a stunning office. That's certainly been a highlight for me.
Your character Max goes to a casino in this series, would you say Max is big risk taker?
I think Max is a big risk taker but I don't think he'd see it that way. I think he has tunnel vision. When it comes to his work, he believes very passionately in one way of doing things and it being the right way. I don't think he'd even consider it a risk because I don't think he'd see any alternative. But I think as an actor and as a viewer, you can see Max taking big risks.
Who is better prepared to take bigger risks, Matthew Beard or Max Liebermann?
Well, I've taken some big risks in my life but I've never found myself hanging by one hand from the Riesenrad so I think the bigger risk taker is Max, for sure!
What is it about Max and Clara's will they/won't they relationship that audiences enjoy?
I think it's great for an audience because you want an answer - as do the characters. But also, I think it reflects real life and relationships: taking twists and turns and nothing ever being simple. Their relationship also reflects the attitude of the show which is interested in complexity and psychology and depth of feelings.
Do you have a favourite Max & Oskar moment?
I do have a favourite but it鈥檚 a very, very small moment. It鈥檚 where Max is leaving to go and do some detective work. Oskar鈥檚 going to leave him on his own and says, 鈥楾ry not to get stabbed鈥�. Max says, 鈥楾hat's good advice, thank you鈥� and he just carries on regardless! By that point in our relationship, we had reached a place where we could have this back and forth and very dry humour whilst keeping the stories moving forward. I really enjoyed that scene because it felt like we really found the show in that moment.
What have you learnt as an actor through working on this series?
I've matured with the character I think and learned a lot. Making television is difficult. Apart from all these joys, locations and wonderful people we also move very quickly, and I've learned how to adapt and relax actually which I think most actors will say is the best thing for their work and hardest to do. How to have fun with the work really is what I've learnt.
Amelia Bullmore (Rachel Liebermann)
How does it feel to be back with the Liebermann family?
I'm very happy to be back with my family this season. It's always really good fun. More and more so over the years. We're very comfortable with each other.
Do you have a favourite location?
It's great to go back to the Liebermann house. We didn't think we would go back because we'd understood it had been sold. It's amazing to come back to the old house. It's full of memories because you remember things that happened and scenes you shot there. You remember when you were new and when it was all new. It's like layers and layers of familiarity.
Do you think Rachel as an English, Jewish woman would have felt comfortable in Vienna in 1909 (with an openly antisemitic mayor)?
I think Rachel towards the end of these stories is feeling uneasy. She says so. She wants to feel safe. She wants her family to be safe and not under threat. She's got an instinct to get back to England.
How does Rachel feel about the dark crimes Oskar and Max bring into the family home?
I think it's complicated for Rachel. She thinks Max is pretty wonderful but the world he's got into is pretty dark. I think if she had her way, he'd be in the family business. That's what would have happened in Rachel's fantasy, and everything would be calm. But he's in this darker, more complicated world and she goes with it. Rachel likes Oskar. She knows Oskar is Max's friend. But every time he turns up, she knows it means trouble.
What risks do you think Rachel considers worthwhile, if any? And what's too dangerous?
I think Rachel would risk anything for her family. I don't know what her limits would be but if her family was under threat, I think she would really be ruthless. I think that's an area where she would be a 鈥榮he wolf鈥�, with her family. I don't think she's daring in other ways. I believe she's conventional, has a great sense of propriety and likes people to behave well.
Who's prepared to take bigger risks Ameila Bullmore or Rachel Liebermann?
I think I'm more prepared to take risks than Rachel. But that's not saying much. It's not like I'm a big risk taker but she really isn't a risk taker. By the yardstick of Rachel or me, it's got to be me!
Conleth Hill (Mendel Liebermann)
How did it feel to be back with your family in the Liebermann home this series?
It feels great to be back with the family again. It does genuinely feel quite familial. Matthew and Amelia and Charlene, it's just great to work with them always.
Any favourite scenes across all the series' of Vienna Blood?
The scenes with the family are always enjoyable. We've had some great parties in the house for different occasions: engagement parties (that wasn't to last!) and anniversary parties with our amazing composer [Roman Kariolou] playing piano.
I've enjoyed every scene that I've been involved in. But one of my favourites would be the auction scene with Charlene and I bidding against each other which was last season. That was a lot of laughs.
Do you think Mendel as a Jewish, Englishman would have felt comfortable in 1909 in an increasingly antisemitic Europe?
I think Mendel would have felt uncomfortable wherever he was in the world at this point in time. I think there was a prevalent antisemitism going on all over Western Europe. He thought that Vienna was a safe place to bring his family but whether that proves to be true or not is always up for question.
What do you like about Mendel?
One of the things I love about Mendel is that he does indulge his son to the extent that he will help with advice about chinoiserie, furniture, or lending clothes, pretending to bid on something he's not interested in or even allowing his home to be used as a trap to catch an intruder. He's up for everything.
How does Mendel feel about the dark crimes that Oscar and Max bring into the family home.
Well, I think Mendel is torn between allowing his children to be who they want to be but also paternally being protective of them. Those two sides of him come to loggerheads at times. But I think his children and his family always come first. He will indulge them and help them even though it puts himself at risk.
Who is prepared to take bigger risks Conleth Hill or Mendel Liebermann?
I think Mendel takes a lot more risks than I ever would. To move his whole family from one country to another鈥� you wouldn't get me doing that!
You鈥檝e done so much as an actor, what鈥檚 left for you to learn?
Well, I think as an actor, if you believe you know everything you're kind of done for. Working and continuing to work - which I'm very grateful for - is a constant education and you can always learn something. You always pick up some information or some kind of education from the whole process.
Charlene McKenna (Leah Liebermann)
How do you feel to be back with your family for the fourth series?
I feel very, very, very happy to be back with the Liebermann family. It really feels like a family off-screen. We have a little text group and we get very excited to come back together every year. We just pick up where we left off and fill each other in on the year. Oftentimes, the acting gets in the way of the catching up. But it's just really lovely. We're very, very blessed.
What鈥檚 your favourite Leah escapade?
It's a toss-up between the auction [series three] and the casino but I think I have to pick the casino [series four]. My lines were so funny and Leah was so over the top with her excitement to be in this casino. To play that was a lot of fun.
Who is prepared to take bigger risks Charlene McKenna or Leah Liebermann?
My instinct is to say 鈥榤e鈥�. But would I in 2023 harbour a fugitive and go undercover at a giant casino? Let alone do that in 1909? I don鈥檛 know. It was really not the norm in 1909! Maybe I would have to say 鈥楲eah鈥� but then would Leah pursue an acting career because that's kind of crazy?
How does Leah feel about the dark crimes that Oskar brings into the family home?
Quite mixed, I think. Because the part of her that doesn't have enough of an outlet for her intelligence and maybe her creativity and need for drama... I think this is very titillating for that side of her and it's exciting. But the other side of the coin is concern for her brother - will he be okay? I think if Leah were to sit down with a psychologist, there would be pros and cons to unpack.
As an English, Jewish woman would Leah have felt comfortable in Vienna in 1909 (with an openly antisemitic mayor)?
I think the short answer would be 鈥榥o鈥� with everything that's mounting. But I also think Leah tends to live in her own world and bubble. I don't know what newspapers she would be reading. I don't know how deep she would delve into the darkness that was brewing because, she likes a nice time.
What are the best aspects of working on Vienna Blood?
I think the fact we're here eleven films later proves just how much we love working on the show. To do eleven films with the same people and come back year after year, just wouldn't happen if we didn't really, really enjoy working together on and off the screen. I adore working with Amelia and Conleth and Matthew and Juergen and Luise. There's such an ease on-set and off-set that it doesn't feel like work.
It's such a privilege. They're such good actors that everyone just kind of switches in and out with such ease. It's one of the good jobs.
Luise von Finckh (Clara Weiss)
Do you enjoy playing Clara Weiss?
Clara is such a great character. She's fun. She's provocative and flirty but she's also smart. I really enjoy playing Clara.
What does this fourth series hold for Clara?
I'm very proud of Clara's development. Whenever I read the scripts I'm so delighted that Clara鈥檚 always braver and taking more risks. That鈥檚 all thanks to our writer Steve Thompson. I think it's nice [this season] that she is an antagonist to Oskar and Max in a way. Clara is not really friends with them but they need her. They really take notice of her this season.
Is Clara a big risk taker?
I feel Clara is taking every risk for her independence and her freedom that is worth taking. She broke off the engagement with Max Liebermann because she felt it wasn't right and wasn't happy with it and she started building her own career because she didn't want to depend on men. That's very brave for her especially at that time. Then breaking into her boss's office [this season] is also a way of trying to help a situation.
Who is braver Luise von Finckh or Clara Weiss?
I would say Clara takes more risks than Luise, considering the period and what she's doing at that time. I'm very proud of her: the way she lives her life and has this romantic situation going on without trying to get the man back. She accepts that it is the way it is. For that reason, I think she's braver than I am.
What do you enjoy about working on Vienna Blood?
As a viewer, Vienna Blood is such a nice show to watch because you get to see this period - the opulence, the culture, the costumes and all those nice spaces we're working in. As an actor, it's even greater because you wake up in your normal life in the morning, you go to set, get into this beautiful costume with beautiful hair and then go to the greatest venues and even watch an opera. You get paid for that! To come to a set which is stunning compared to some modern shows is a completely different feeling. It's an amazing atmosphere.
Do you have a favourite location?
I really enjoy shooting in Schloss Belvedere [Belvedere Palace] which is right in the heart of Vienna. We always have to shoot around the times when the tourists come so we either shoot early in the morning from 4am till 6am or in the evening. You're there in your costume in a different period. It's very nice to experience that in such a magical and historical place. This season I had a beautiful gown and we were riding in a car not a horse carriage and it was dark鈥� it was just beautiful!
Why do Clara and Max struggle so much with their relationship?
It's Max's problem not Clara's! Max must accept that Clara is not only a romantic partner but also a business partner. He must also accept her independence. On the other hand, I feel they can both be very happy with what they have because they've known each other for such a long time. They love each other and have this business partnership. Why do they have to put a name on it? Why do they have to decide if it's love or business? It's working out well the way it is. They're there for each other and they like each other. I think it's a modern love - they're having a 'situation-ship'!
What鈥檚 it like to work on an international set?
It's very nice to work on an international set. It's very inspiring and seeing how people from different countries work is very interesting for me. I do have to admit that Conleth and Charlene are the funniest people on set.
Meet the creatives of Vienna Blood
Steve Thompson, Writer & Executive Producer
Where do we find the Oscar and Max at the start of this series?
The new season of Vienna Blood is set in 1909 and it's a year since we last saw the characters. Oscar and Max's lives have changed and they've gone in different directions. Oscar's career has not gone quite as well as he'd hoped. He's made a terrible mistake at work and as a result is facing demotion.
Max's career, by contrast, is on the ascent. The first time we meet Max, he's just come back from New York. He's been giving a lecture tour. He's suddenly the name on everybody's lips and become a famous name in his field. When they meet again, they're very, very different people. They're not the buddies they were before. There's a little bit of distance between them because they're in incredibly different places.
One theme in these episodes is gambling. What drew you to the theme?
Frank Tallis [author of The Liebermann Papers] uses gambling and a casino in his world. There are so many cultures and subcultures within the city itself. I think one of the things about Vienna Blood is that every season, every episode, has its own very distinct flavour. We go to a different part of Vienna and we peel back the surface of something we've not seen before - a hotel, a monastery, a boy's school, the opera.
I began this season鈥檚 process saying, 鈥渢ell me about a culture we've not been to鈥�. I had a long conversation with Andreas, our Austrian producer, about gambling and Baden just outside Vienna, where there was a famous casino and how at that time, it had become part of the lifestyle of the rich and famous.
This is a show about psychology and the psychology behind gambling is fascinating. I think Max says at one point in the drama, that gamblers put themselves on the line all the time because they feel they deserve to be punished. I thought this was a world that was both very glamorous and unlocked a psychological question we've not addressed before.
When you set out to include a casino, did you have other films in your mind as points of inspiration?
I confess, I watched one or two other movies set in casinos when I was writing this. I did watch Scorsese's movie Casino which I've seen before but it was thrilling to watch again. Largely because of the way he films the actual gambling. It has a ritualistic quality to it. I think the cinematography, the way he films the gambling tables was instructive. You know that gambling is basically a silent pursuit, watching five people around a table in silence make calculations and decisions in their head. So you need to use the camera to explore and find the drama for you. That was very useful.
Can you talk a little bit about setting a drama not long before WW1?
This story takes place in 1909 but anybody who watches it will be conscious, I think, of the events of 1914 and the start of World War One. Vienna at that time was a very beautiful and glittering society. But we, the audience, are watching this world, knowing that it's fragile and that in a matter of years it's going to be broken and the world is going to be destroyed by the advent of the world war. Whilst we're tuning in for murder mysteries and adventures, we go with Max and Oscar into new worlds. But at the same time this one does have a darker edge.
How much do you enjoy the musical elements of Vienna Blood?
Music is a critical ingredient of what we do and it's always thrilling to make that part of the tapestry.
Film Two [in the first season] was set in the opera and the opera taking place was The Magic Flute. Filming was a wonderful experience. I watched the soloists one after another, come on and sing two or three lines of an aria. The director would then yell 鈥楥ut!鈥� and they鈥檇 traipse offstage and somebody else would come on and sing two more lines of another aria. That day we got this strange and rather fractured version of The Magic Flute with these brilliant soloists who performed for us but only getting to sing tiny snatches. At one point, the singer who was playing the Queen of the Night sang her famous aria and for the rest of the day, the entire crew were wandering around the building, humming, or singing it.
Everybody. The sparks, camera team鈥ouldn't get The Magic Flute out of their heads.
How does Max and Oskar鈥檚 relationship change over the series?
In Film One of the first season, we see Max and Oscar meeting for the very first time and obviously if you've seen it, I'm sure you'll know that they're very cold towards one another. They don't fit very well and they're not very fond of each other. They come from very different social worlds and they're very different personalities. Oscar thinks Max is very fond of the sound of his own voice and Max finds Oscar impenetrable. They really don't get on at all.
Then during that first season and the second season, you get the sense that gradually they've moved from tolerating one another to having a strong friendship. What we then move onto in Season Three, to a degree, is Max becoming Oscar's therapist, listening to his personal problems, but also with the skills of a therapist trying to help his friend. In this most recent season, those roles are almost reversed and it's Oscar trying to help and save Max. That's quite a big journey for both of them.
Umut Da臒, Director
Where do we find our characters at the start of the fourth series?
We begin one year after the last season. Max comes back from America after a big lecture tour and is now a well-known neurologist. Oskar has made mistakes as a police officer. They are both in different situations in their lives and haven't had much to do with each other for quite a long time so they almost begin again but with a different feeling.
How did you approach directing this series of Vienna Blood?
As a director and creative, your approach is always to progress and do better. We wanted to keep as much as we could of the environment that we all know and love from the previous season but also add a little bit more to get a fresh feeling and be closer to the characters. I hope the audience will feel it.
One theme in these episodes is gambling. How do you explore this?
Gambling is a very generous subject because you have all these rich visuals: you have roulette tables, cards, money, and chips. We wanted to enhance the richness of the casino. But of course, gambling is not always a good thing. If you get too into it then you can get lost. It is very intriguing and compelling to explore the different sides of gambling.
In terms of the composed music for series four. What were you looking for?
The main thing for me always is the authenticity of the emotion and acting. That and the tension in the scene between characters and in the story. If this is right, the music will help everything around it and shouldn't be something on the surface which flattens everything. Roman Kariolou [Vienna Blood鈥檚 composer] is a great companion to work with.
You have some fabulous locations in Vienna Blood. Were there any places it was particularly important to film?
In the first episode we began with the Riesenrad and if you think of Vienna you think of the Riesenrad and St. Stephen's Cathedral. It would be a shame to have four seasons of Vienna Blood and not show St. Stephen's. Of course it's not easy. We had to be very creative about decision making there but I think it will be intriguing, very suspenseful and thrilling for the viewer. If you take a moment and zoom out, you'll see the picture and feel the scale of it. But hopefully the audience will forget it鈥榮 a special thing to be in St. Stephen's because the story is not about exteriors it's about our characters.
What did you want to do with Clara and Max in this series?
Clara and Max always had a complicated relationship. We wanted to take this relationship and try to give it a new spin so that the dynamics are different. I don't want to spoil too much but I think it will develop in a certain way which is unexpected and will be emotional. I think we will feel for them both.
How does it feel to come back to a show you鈥檝e worked on before?
Season four is a very special thing of course because you know all the characters. You know all the actors and the team and you grow together. You're part of everything. To do justice to this big show is a great responsibility, to do it in a way that everyone, the audience, especially our fans, will be happy with, is the biggest weight on my shoulders.
Frank Tallis, Author of the Liebermann Novels
The story in your novel Mephisto Waltz revolves around a plot to kill the Archduke. What led you to choose this as its background?
The drama. If we look at an empire, like the Habsburg Empire, it was an old empire and very traditional in which figureheads were very important. The figure of the emperor and the royal family had enormous symbolic value so they were very attractive targets for political radicals and anarchists. If you could attack the monarchy, you were sending a message that was very powerful. Clearly, that's very attractive if you're a novelist because the stakes are very high.
You write a lot about the music of the period in your novels, is that a love of yours?
I'm unequivocally passionate about music. I've always loved music. When I was younger, I actually wanted to compose, and I used to play the piano quite a lot - for about five hours a day - so it was really a very important part of my life.
I also enjoy writing about music. There's a quote, that I often think is misattributed to Frank Zappa 鈥渢here鈥檚 as much point to writing about music as there is to be dancing about architecture鈥�. I couldn't disagree more. It's the fact that it's so difficult to do 鈥� in a sense it is impossible but that pushes you technically. You must find ways of converting something that is quite difficult to describe into words and I find that very, very interesting as a challenge.
Was early 20th century Vienna as exciting a time for music as it was for psychology?
There couldn't really have been a more exciting time for music. There was Gustav Mahler at the Opera House writing his symphonies which have since become arguably the most popular symphonies in the repertoire. There was also Arnold Schoenberg revolutionising music, creating what was effectively a modern form of music鈥� atonal music. I think this is interesting because it corresponds with changes in psychology and Freud's revolution in psychology. It's almost like Freud is describing new states of mind that require a new soundtrack.
Why did you choose to have a partnership in the novels rather than a single investigator?
It's important to understand that a detective novel is a kind of puzzle and the reader is asking questions for which there are answers throughout the novel. It's quite important to make that dramatically interesting and the way to do that is to enliven that kind of discussion with characters.
You can write a novel where you just have a single person who is doing the investigation but usually the process is invisible. You need to write what they're thinking and that isn't as interesting for readers or when it's dramatised as having two people bouncing ideas off each other.
If you look at the history of the detective novel, as soon as you get to Conan Doyle, Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson work so well as a device it is almost impossible to go back after that. You're obliged to have some sort of relationship at the heart of any kind of investigative fiction to enliven the process.
In the novels, did you want Max to remain unsatisfied in love?
I think that sexual tension energises storytelling so if the audience is uncertain about what's going to happen, that, I think, keeps their interest. People are interested in relationships. They want to know how things are going to go, particularly with respect to romance. I think it's a very useful device to keep things unresolved.
I was also influenced by the writing of the period. If you look at the great writers who were publishing in Vienna in Max's time you have people like Arthur Schnitzler. A very typical Schnitzler character is a young man who is looking for love but uncertain about what he really wants. At that time, big questions about the nature of relationships were being asked. What kind of relationship would make you happy? What role does having a relationship play in the rest of life? It was almost something that was a philosophical pursuit as well as a romantic pursuit. I think I was a little influenced by the literature of the time, in that respect, keeping things unresolved. If something is unresolved that allows you to ask more questions.
Did you visit many of the Viennese landmarks that appear in your novels?
Before writing the books, I made many trips to Vienna. That was very much a part of the writing process. There's nothing in the books that I didn't go to see. It was important to me to get it right. Get the flavour of the environment and soak up the atmosphere.
Any favourite places?
I'm very attached to the Belvedere Gardens which I think are an extraordinary open space and they're filled with large sculptures of sphinxes. In a sense, the landscape is quite surreal. Sphinxes are of course part of the Oedipus legend and the Oedipus complex is the cornerstone of psychoanalysis. It's almost certain that Freud would have gone for walks in the Belvedere Gardens, stood by those sphinxes and considered the significance of the story of Oedipus. Cracking the riddle of the sphinx in the same way that he was cracking riddles of the mind to create psychoanalysis.