Copying Beethoven - Ed Harris

[Joy]

Originally posted by srivele:
Well, it seems our film is going into production. Ed Harris is starting to put on weight, taking piano lessons and learning how to conduct. Diane Kruger will be coming out to LA after the first of the year to begin rehearsals. I want you all to know that I have made the changes to the script which the members suggested, and will continue to keep you informed of our progress. Happy holidays to you all. And thanks as always.

Very good news indeed! It'salways interesting to see how the actors have to learn so much and work so hard in preparation for a roll. Good luck to you all! Thanks for keeping us up to date so often and so well informed. We all appreciate it and Happy Holidays to you and yours as well!

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'Truth and beauty joined'

[This message has been edited by Joy (edited 12-18-2004).]

[KyleC]

boy oh boy im looking foward to seeing this.
When do you think it will come out?

[This message has been edited by KyleC (edited 12-18-2004).]

[srivele]

Originally posted by KyleC:
boy oh boy im looking foward to seeing this.
When do you think it will come out?

[This message has been edited by KyleC (edited 12-18-2004).]

If all goes well (which it rarely does in filmmaking) it could be out by next Christmas. If I were betting, however, I'd say it will be ready for the early festivals in 2006 and in the theaters that spring. I'll keep you posted.

[Rutradelusasa]

Originally posted by srivele:
I'll keep you posted.

And we will keep on fingers-crossed. Good luck with the film, and I hope Ed Harris can walk looking down with hands on his back as good as Gary Oldman . I hope your movie can counter that one in regards of the image of a deaf madman they left, so, good luck indeed with your production, I hope all goes well,

Artur.



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"Wer ein holdes weib errungen..."

[~Immortal Beloved~]

Originally posted by Rutradelusasa:
I hope Ed Harris can walk looking down with hands on his back as good as Gary Oldman .

that would be good to watch.

[heidi]

Originally posted by srivele:
Well, it seems our film is going into production. Ed Harris is starting to put on weight, taking piano lessons and learning how to conduct. Diane Kruger will be coming out to LA after the first of the year to begin rehearsals. I want you all to know that I have made the changes to the script which the members suggested, and will continue to keep you informed of our progress. Happy holidays to you all. And thanks as always.

What else had Ed Harris done to prepare for this role. Has he seen this forum? I read when Gary Oldman was getting ready to play Beethoven he asked Sir George Solti who conducted the score to Immoratal Beloved, what he could do to better prepare for the role and Sir Solti told him to 'just listen to his music'. One can really get an idea of what Beethoven was like by his music.

[srivele]

Originally posted by heidi:
What else had Ed Harris done to prepare for this role. Has he seen this forum? I read when Gary Oldman was getting ready to play Beethoven he asked Sir George Solti who conducted the score to Immoratal Beloved, what he could do to better prepare for the role and Sir Solti told him to 'just listen to his music'. One can really get an idea of what Beethoven was like by his music.

Ed is a method actor and so he prepares thoroughly for every role. For this one, he is taking piano lessons and conducting lessons, putting on about thirty pounds, researching the effects of Beethoven's deafness, and reading the dozen-or-so books I have given him, as well as listening to my set of the complete Beethoven recordings, with special attention to the late works. I'd be interested in any suggestions as to what books you all think he should look at especially. I have urged him to read (and given him) Sullivan's 'Beethoven: His Spiritual Development', Barry Cooper's recent biography, two books of reminiscences of Beethoven by his contemporaries and some studies of the late piano sontatas and string quartets. He is also, of course, trying on wigs. Merry Chirstmas to all of you, and thanks for your help. We look forward to making our film in the new year.

[Peter]

Originally posted by srivele:
I'd be interested in any suggestions as to what books you all think he should look at especially

I think he'd find the selected letters of Beethoven useful - Emily Anderson edited by Alan Tyson. It presents a good cross-section of around 180 letters (Out of nearly 1600!) and gives a good insight into Beethoven's dealings with people.
http://dogbert.abebooks.com/servlet/...magefield.y=17

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'Man know thyself'

[urtextmeister]

I'm glad to hear the Mr. Harris is taking piano lessons.
I love movies and love to partake in the illusion. That illusion is shattered when I see a lot of Hollywood classical music scenes. Many of these involve string instruments--hearing a lovely vibrato while looking at a stiff, limp hand on the the fingerboard, for instance.
Here is what drive nuts about pianists in movies:

-Ignoring the register.
The music shifts to the upper register of the piano and the pianists remains in the middle of the instrument.

-Gazing off into the distance during virtuosic passages.
At certain points during almost any piece, a pianist will look at the keyboard. At least a few glances!

-Playing a small historic instrument in a concert hall and producing the sound of a modern nine-foot Steinway in a small recording studio.

I think you are way beyond falling into any of these traps, but I needed to vent my frustration.

It would be a fascinating project to try surmise what Beethoven would have looked like playing the piano. Would he have looked noble and aristocratic like Rubinstein (Artur) or all scrunched up like Gould? Painful emotion in his face or a placid exterior? Did he sit low or high?

[Joy]

I have read Sullivan's 'Beethoven: His Spiritual Development' which is a good choice also Barry Cooper's biography is very informative and should be very useful to Mr. Harris. Also Peter's recommendation of the Beethoven letters is an excellent suggestion. I also have "Beethoven's Letters with explanatory notes" by Dr. A.C. Kalischer which has a lot of useful information. Another helpful book would be "Memories of Beethoven From the House of the Black Robed Spaniard" by Gerhard von Breuning who was a little boy at the time of Beethoven's death and was with him a lot of the time through his final sickness and death. His father was Beethoven's close friend Stephen von Breuning. He wrote a lot about Beethoven's llst few months and final moments. Hope this helps! Merry Christmas!

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'Truth and beauty joined'

[This message has been edited by Joy (edited 12-24-2004).]

[Michael]

Somebody may have suggested this already, but Martin Cooper's "Beethoven - The Last Decade" is a superb book. I bought it about ten years ago and it was published by the Oxford University Press. The first part of the book deals with B's life from 1817 to 1827, and the second part is concerned with the music of that period. Best wishes with your film.

Michael

[Hofrat]

Originally posted by Joy:
Another helpful book would be "Memories of Beethoven From the House of the Black Robed Spaniard" by Gerhard von Breuning who was a little boy at the time of Beethoven's death and was with him a lot of the time through his final sickness and death.

Yes, this is an excellent book. Gerhard, nicknamed "Hosenknopf" by Beethoven, died on 6 May 1892 at the age of 78. He also has the distiction of being the last person to ever see Beethoven alive!

[srivele]

Originally posted by urtextmeister:
I'm glad to hear the Mr. Harris is taking piano lessons.
I love movies and love to partake in the illusion. That illusion is shattered when I see a lot of Hollywood classical music scenes. Many of these involve string instruments--hearing a lovely vibrato while looking at a stiff, limp hand on the the fingerboard, for instance.
Here is what drive nuts about pianists in movies:

-Ignoring the register.
The music shifts to the upper register of the piano and the pianists remains in the middle of the instrument.

-Gazing off into the distance during virtuosic passages.
At certain points during almost any piece, a pianist will look at the keyboard. At least a few glances!

-Playing a small historic instrument in a concert hall and producing the sound of a modern nine-foot Steinway in a small recording studio.

I think you are way beyond falling into any of these traps, but I needed to vent my frustration.

It would be a fascinating project to try surmise what Beethoven would have looked like playing the piano. Would he have looked noble and aristocratic like Rubinstein (Artur) or all scrunched up like Gould? Painful emotion in his face or a placid exterior? Did he sit low or high?

These are all excellent points, which I will pass along to Ed and the director. The only scenes in which Beethoven plays the piano are in his apartment, when he is huddled under the copper resonating hood. (We have very good descriptions of him conducting in his later years; his movements were apparently quite theatrical, and sometimes compared to those of an ape.)As for the string players, we will use actual musicians playing on period instruments, so that will not be a problem. I have a gravure showing the inside of Beethoven's flat which I will give to the art director. Are there any other depictions of his living quarters that anyone is aware of? Do we know what the inside of the Karntnertor Theater looked like? Does anyone know where Schlemmer's office was and what it may have looked like? Any other thoughts regarding art direction would be appreciated. Thanks as always. And Happy New Year.

[srivele]

Now that I think of it - does anyone know what the copper hood over Beethoven's piano looked like? And I have read that he had the legs shortened to intensify the vibrations; is that true?

[Joy]

As far as the shortened legs on his piano there's always been a myth that Beethoven cut off the legs of his piano and played sitting on the floor cross legged to 'feel' it's vibrations. Many people think that this is impossible to play the piano in this fashion and the plausible answer is more that the legs were removed for transport which was often. I think some of the legs were even lost in transport and had to be replaced.
As far as his many apartments (he might have had over 60 lodgings in his life)it was mostly in disarray, music sheets strewn about everywhere, half eaten (and spoiled)plates of food left on chairs, and on one description a half emptied chamber pot kept under the piano! Just a mess! The only thing he was very meticulous and organized about was his music. Hope this helps!
I don't know how far you are going in your movie concerning his death and funeral but have you a copy of Franz Grillparzer's oration composed for Beethoven's funeral and are you planning on having it read? In other words, are you taking the movie all the way to Beethoven's funeral?

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'Truth and beauty joined'