Copying Beethoven - Ed Harris

[srivele]

Originally posted by Peter:

Possibly Marie BIGOT de MOROGUES

Thanks. We may use her music as the basis for our fictional heroine's music.

Six weeks from shooting, and things are going well. Casting should be complete soon. We have a very good crew, and we seem to have found all the locations we need. I am compiling some character touches from my reading for Ed Harris, and would welcome any you may have. Mine are, for example:

Beethoven wore spectacles when he read music.

He wore his tophat on the back of his head.

When someone is trying to read lips, he peers at your mouth when you are speaking, not your eyes, cranes his head, and if you raise your hand to your lips, he pushes it down again.

In this late period he is described by several people as favoring a light blue coat with yellow buttons.

Several people describe him as banging his fist on the table to emphasize points.

Anything along these lines would be appreciated.

[Peter]

This is his Vienna routine in later life:

Wakes at 5/6a.m. Works until 2/3p.m (occasional walks). Main meal 3pm (Guests on Fridays), followed by long walk. Late afternoon: tavern, coffee house for reading. Reads in evenings-Homer, Schiller, Goethe, Shakespeare etc. Retires at 9/10p.m.


BREAKFAST : Coffee (glass coffee maker) - Exactly 60 beans per cup

LUNCH : (Main meal) Macaroni. Stracchino cheese. Verona salami. Fish (Schill) & potatoes. Bread soup (thursdays).

He would personally break and examine eggs -any found to be less than fresh were aimed at the housekeeper!

EVENING : Light snack / soup

DRINKS : Spring water (esp.in summer). Wine (esp.from Budapest). Beer (in evening, reading papers & smoking pipe)

Pre 1817, Beethoven signed his name on manuscripts in Gothic script, after that date he used Latin script.


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'Man know thyself'

[Joy]

Some more tidbits. He wore spectacles early in life and then for some reason didn't need them anymore then in his later life wore them again. He had trouble with his eyes in his later years. They hurt so he protected his eyes from light often with a handkerchief over them. He was interested in astronomy and philosphy, read books, was "a voracious reader". Liked ice in his wine. Played bows and arrows and chess as a youth. Used a walking stick on his many walks. Had a collection of bells. Always made himself notes, even in the middle of the night and upon rising, "lest I forget".

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'Truth and beauty joined'

[srivele]

Originally posted by srivele:

I expect to have a cast list by the end of the week. I'll let you know as soon as it is in.

Had a big production meeting today. They promised me a cast list tomorrow. If I get it, I'll let you know. Otherwise, all goes apace. Ed is in Budapest rehearsing, Diane is in London costuming, and I am in LA rewriting.

[Rutradelusasa]

Originally posted by srivele:

Had a big production meeting today. They promised me a cast list tomorrow. If I get it, I'll let you know. Otherwise, all goes apace. Ed is in Budapest rehearsing, Diane is in London costuming, and I am in LA rewriting.

Just a question: how do you guys plan to "shorten" Ed? I mean, isn't he too tall for Beethoven?


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"Wer ein holdes weib errungen..."

[Chris]

According to IMDB, he's 5'9" which is average height for man today, I suppose. Certainly not tall. I'm sure the height of the other actors, shoes, and shooting from the correct camera angles can give the proper effect. For the love of all that is holy, please don't try to "digitally shorten" him or something. I know I've had my fill of lousy, unrealistic-looking computer graphics in movies for a while.

[srivele]

Originally posted by Rutradelusasa:
Just a question: how do you guys plan to "shorten" Ed? I mean, isn't he too tall for Beethoven?

This is one of the few problems we haven't had to deal with. Having had several meetings with Ed, I would say he is not at all too tall to play the part; he is just not a tall person. He is, however, quite thin, though I am told that he has put on quite a bit of weight and that he looks much stouter now. We are also planning to fit him with a dental device to achieve more of the Ludwig profile, and of course, the wig, the creation of which he has personally supervised. Don't worry - there will be no digital or special effects in the movie.

[spaceray]

Originally posted by Peter:
This is his Vienna routine in later life

BREAKFAST : Coffee (glass coffee maker) - Exactly 60 beans per cup

A glass coffee maker? If this is so then Beethoven did not drink Turkish coffee. This method requires a metal pot over direct flame. Only coffehouses would have espresso machines,Beethoven must have used a press or drip method in the Italian style.

[Peter]

Originally posted by spaceray:
A glass coffee maker? If this is so then Beethoven did not drink Turkish coffee. This method requires a metal pot over direct flame. Only coffehouses would have espresso machines,Beethoven must have used a press or drip method in the Italian style.

Interesting Space, I've never really thought about the method, rather the horrendous amount of caffeine in 60 beans and how ghastly it must have tasted - I use the teaspoon method!

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'Man know thyself'

[spaceray]

Originally posted by Peter:
Interesting Space, I've never really thought about the method, rather the horrendous amount of caffeine in 60 beans and how ghastly it must have tasted - I use the teaspoon method!

My dear Peter,
I must caution you that the freeze/dried powder to which you add boiling water from your kettle can not possibly be considered
coffee.
It was the sixty beans that led me to believe that LvB was going Turkish in his coffeemaking .It would take that many ground bean in an equal part of fresh water to produce a thick black liquid of syrup like consistancy .You put water and ground coffee in a open metal vessel usually with a single straight handle like a chocolate pot.You move the coffee and water off the flame as soon as it begins to form bubbles and you repeat this process several times before the
water is infused with the beans, then you let it settle for a moment and pour off the top half trying not to get too much of the sediment into your cup.
sounds yummy eh!

I have found in a reference of Schindler's
who says Beethoven made percolated coffee .
I suppose we can trust that this is correct.

[srivele]

Originally posted by spaceray:
My dear Peter,
I must caution you that the freeze/dried powder to which you add boiling water from your kettle can not possibly be considered
coffee.
It was the sixty beans that led me to believe that LvB was going Turkish in his coffeemaking .It would take that many ground bean in an equal part of fresh water to produce a thick black liquid of syrup like consistancy .You put water and ground coffee in a open metal vessel usually with a single straight handle like a chocolate pot.You move the coffee and water off the flame as soon as it begins to form bubbles and you repeat this process several times before the
water is infused with the beans, then you let it settle for a moment and pour off the top half trying not to get too much of the sediment into your cup.
sounds yummy eh!

I have found in a reference of Schindler's
who says Beethoven made percolated coffee .
I suppose we can trust that this is correct.

How do I work this into the film?

[srivele]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by srivele:
[B]

Okay, I'm going to pose the question that is currently bedevilling the production:

Exactly how were the instruments of the orchestra of 1824 different from those of today's symphony orchestra? Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks, SR

[Bessy]

[quote]Originally posted by srivele:
[b]

Originally posted by srivele:


Okay, I'm going to pose the question that is currently bedevilling the production:

Exactly how were the instruments of the orchestra of 1824 different from those of today's symphony orchestra? Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks, SR

[spaceray]

The valves on brass instruments was a brand new invention in 1817.
Sellner's thirteen keyed oboes of the 1820s
wowed the German composers.
The harpsichord disappeared.
Some maniac decided to write a symphony WITH A VOCAL CHORUS in the finale!!!

Generally speaking musicians found Beethoven's writing for the orchestra difficult and sometimes impossible to play.
They complained about it.
Critics were at a loss for words to describe Beethoven's symphonies.One wrote of the ninth ,"in as much as a verdict on this composition may be given after a single hearing -that the master's genius was not present at it's conception ,and that in a purely formal quest for new tonal combinations it has lost it's way."

spacerl

[spaceray]

Originally posted by srivele:
How do I work this into the film?

Clearly the solution here is to have B or some poor unsuspecting soul knock the coffee over.