Beethoven's Hair - the film

[Agnes Selby]

We watched the film about Beethoven's hair
on TV tonight. It was disappointing.
The book by the same title is most interesting but the film version leaves a lot to be desired. The scientific findings
do not mention DNA testing so the proof that this is indeed Beethoven's hair is not established in this version of what should have been a fascinating documentary.
Regards,
Agnes.

[Rod]

Originally posted by Agnes Selby:

We watched the film about Beethoven's hair
on TV tonight. It was disappointing.
The book by the same title is most interesting but the film version leaves a lot to be desired. The scientific findings
do not mention DNA testing so the proof that this is indeed Beethoven's hair is not established in this version of what should have been a fascinating documentary.
Regards,
Agnes.

I've yet to see a really good TV documentary concerning classical music, whatever the composer. I've seen a few about Beethoven but they've all missed the mark. By coincidence last night I watched on TV the BBCs re-enactment of the first performance of the Water Music on the river Thames. Another rubbish production, and the playing of the English Consort directed by Manze was awful too.

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"If I were but of noble birth..." - Rod Corkin

[This message has been edited by Rod (edited 06-25-2006).]

[Agnes Selby]

The one documentary I would gladly recommend is in "Search of Mozart".
It is beautifully produced and the
artists and commentators are excellent.

It is available on DVD.

Regards,
Agnes.

[Rod]

Originally posted by Agnes Selby:

The one documentary I would gladly recommend is in "Search of Mozart".
It is beautifully produced and the
artists and commentators are excellent.

It is available on DVD.

Regards,
Agnes.

Fair enough. The Water Music production is also on DVD and is to be avoided. Personally I wouldn't divert my funds towards this kind of thing (ie a CM documentary) good or bad.


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"If I were but of noble birth..." - Rod Corkin

[PDG]

Originally posted by Rod:
I've yet to see a really good TV documentary concerning classical music, whatever the composer. I've seen a few about Beethoven but they've all missed the mark.

I agree 100%, Rod. Once theatrical or film "luvvies" involve themselves, the whole project, whose subject matter seems always above their heads, invariably veers towards the "how can I be made to look great in this project?" angle. This latest "Copying Beethoven" film - I understand the ambiguous title, etc. but will the project ever see the light of day? If it does, please let it not be made to pander to the shallow Hollywood types (critics and "celebs" alike) as always they have seemed to be.

[AlexOv]

I also watched this doco, which screened here in Australia on last Sunday night. Unlike Agnes, I enjoyed it. It had lots of musical snippets to interest those who don't know much of Beethoven. Why the need for DNA testing! Plenty of people had faith over the years since 1827 that the hair was genuinely Beethoven's and the story of how the hair travelled from Vienna duringl those years was fascinating. It could easily have been lost during the Nazi years. When a few strands were finally analysed at the atomic research laboratory at Cern, it was revealed that the person from whom the hair had come had suffered from lead poisoning. The symptoms of this are exactly the symptoms Beethoven exhibited, including deafness and personality disorders. At the end of the show, they had an interview with an Australian who, suffering the same symptoms, had had lead poisoning from a mine in Western Australia. I put two and two together and come up with this: the hair in question gets the benefit of the doubt; I believe it was, in fact, Beethoven's hair. Please don't be so negative, Agnes. The doco also clearly demonstrated the tremendous physical suffering Beethoven endured at the hands of his doctors and the medical technology of the time. The hair analysis revealed that Beethoven did not take opiate-based painkillers, which were common and readily available. Why not? Probably to keep his mind as focussed as possible on continuing to write his music for all of us here in his future. Aren't we lucky? Try to look on the bright side, please..

[Agnes Selby]

Originally posted by AlexOv:
I also watched this doco, which screened here in Australia on last Sunday night. Unlike Agnes, I enjoyed it. At the end of the show, they had an interview with an Australian who, suffering the same symptoms, had had lead poisoning from a mine in Western Australia. I put two and two together and come up with this: the hair in question gets the benefit of the doubt; I believe it was, in fact, Beethoven's hair. Please don't be so negative, Agnes. Aren't we lucky? Try to look on the bright side, please..

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Dear Alex,

I have read the book therefore I had
great expectations from the documentary.

The old film segments from the early 20th century, interspersed throughout the documentary, seemed to have nothing to do
with the actual story of the hair or the
scientific research.

The book of the same title is excellent and
it is available in major bookshops in Australia and on Amazon com.

As for the Australian from Perth who suffered from lead poisoning, my doctor
husband was very surprised that his symptoms were no diagnosed without the help
of Beethoven's hair.
Kind Regards,
Agnes.

[AlexOv]

Thanks for that, Agnes. I know how you must have felt, being disappointed with the doco after reading the book. I guess they figured they had to fill the hour and a half with whatever they could find to fill up that hour and a half, because they had the budget agreed already for a doco of that length. C'est la vie! You would think that there would be enough material in the book, for the hour and a half, which, after all, would take a lot longer than that time to read. I will keep my eyes open for the book. Sounds good.

I don't think the program implied that the miner's problems were only diagnosed after Beethoven's hair was analysed: just that there was a coincidence there. By my guess, lots of miners must have had lead poisoning. For example, in Cornwall,where they mined lead, you may recall they even designed a pastry handle, on the top of their traditional mealtime pasties, which was thrown away because lead from the miners' fingers came off onto it, and was therefore not ingested. Before then, lots of miners must have had the same symptoms as Ludwig. As well, historically, in the US, lots of poor people in ghettoes got lead poisoning when it was common to use lead-based primers under oil paints which eventually peeled off and were not repainted by greedy landlords. Well, that's the way I remember hearing it a few decades ago... I'll get off my high horse now!!!