'Copying Beethoven'

[CaptainStigmata]

Who is the Spanish distributor and do you know the Spanish release date?

[terry]

I ask the same question regarding Italy...
An Italian film about Beethoven and philosophy is on the screen in Italy. Its title is "Musikanten". But I'm longing for the American one!

[OB]

Hi SR, any news about the movie?

[terry]

Any news? Where may we find something on the web about this? I mean,something very recent,I read all last months

[Joy]

The movie is completed and should be out sometime this Fall. The movie will be shown at the NAPA Film Festival in Napa, Calfornia. Here is a site with some excellent pictures and a synopsis of the movie.
http://www.myriadpictures.com/film.php?film=63

------------------
'Truth and beauty joined'

[robert newman]

Great news !

People had to wait for quite a while to hear the 'Missa Solemnis'. I am happy to wait for the chance to see this film on the great Beethoven.

[Euan Mackinnon]

Originally posted by Joy:
The movie is completed and should be out sometime this Fall. The movie will be shown at the NAPA Film Festival in Napa, Calfornia. Here is a site with some excellent pictures and a synopsis of the movie.
http://www.myriadpictures.com/film.php?film=63

Joy

Thanks for the reference. The film sounds bloody (to use an old-fashioned English word)! Worse even than Immortal Beloved. Typical modern media trash, in fact. One day - ONE day - someone will make a film of Beethoven (or Mozart, Schubert, etc) that will stick to the facts. The truth will have a far, far greater impact than this sort of romantic clap-trap.

Euan

[Joy]

Let's not judge this new film too harshly. Even though a woman has been cast as Beethoven's copyist there are plenty of facts to be found here. Try to separate the many facts from fiction and you will enjoy it I'm sure. There are parts in it which will truly move you.

------------------
'Truth and beauty joined'

[robert newman]

It can't be denied that making films about composers seems almost beyond film-makers to achieve to the satisfaction of experts and ordinary music lovers alike. There is a film about JS Bach 'Il Etait une Fois' made in France in 2003 which was murdered by film critics so violently that it never even got to general release in England or the USA. I saw it myself. In fact I'm still trying to get a copy. That film had some beautifully sensitive moments. But the critic described it as the very worst sort of film he had ever seen.

All I can say is that if film makers love their subject (as the makers of 'Copying Beethoven' surely did) we can certainly find great good in this film despite the artistic licence employed in making it a commercially viable project by using a female copyist etc.
There was a truly great film made of Tchaikowsky a long time back (with Richard Chamberlain as Tchaikowsky) - so the task is not impossible. 'Amadeus' has merits too despite, of course, having real and quite obvious flaws. 'Il Etait une Fois' has moments of wonderful poignancy and sensitivity despite it lacking the big budget feel that might have made it a classic.

The whole subject is immensely difficult. Films on composers should be long films with many shots of things that belong to no particular time - so as to give the music maximum effect.

I celebrate the fact that a new film is soon to be premiered on the great Beethoven and wish to congratulate the makers for their great efforts. It may well surprise us with its excellence.

[Euan Mackinnon]

Joy, Robert

I wish I could share your optimism. I expect the whole thing will be centred on the entirely fictitious romance between Beethoven and this female (who just happens to be beautiful - of course!) and will pay scant regard to any factual reality. As they say in today's world of newspapers: don't let the facts spoil a good story.

Robert

I, too, saw the Chamberlain Tchaikovsky film but I'm afraid I came away with a completely different impression from yours. Far from being a "truly great film" I saw it as another travesty albeit rather less of one than this Beethoven film looks like being.

As to Amadeus: well at least it had the merit of being clearly labelled as fictitious.

Euan

[This message has been edited by Euan Mackinnon (edited 05-09-2006).]

[robert newman]

Dear Euan,

I can't disagree with you on anything you've said. But, just to fix things clearly, can you give me (us) an example of a good film you've seen on any of the great composers ?

Such a thing is surely very difficult to achieve. The great composers lift us far beyond the tedious and mediocre, but the problem is of course portraying these two quite different and often incompatible things.

Regards

[sjwenger]

Is the soundtrack for the movie available on CD (yet)?

------------------
To learn about "The Port-Wine Sea," my parody of Patrick O'Brian's wonderful Aubrey-Maturin series, please contact me at
susanwenger@yahoo.com

To learn about "The Better Baby" book, ways to increase a baby's intelligence, health, and potentials, please use the same address.

[Nightklavier]

I think we're lucky movie makers even want to do a film about composers. Even if the historical accuracy is compromised, who didn't laugh at Wolfie in Amadeus when he played Salieri's little march (really a Mozart composition), improved it with rich embellishments and after the little *duh-d-duh* last three notes, looks up and gives that childlike laugh? People either hate that laugh or love it. While I concede that W.A. Mozart probably did not laugh like that, I still found it funny.

Who didn't watch with excitement in "Immortal Beloved" when Julia Guicciardi starts to tell Schindler about Beethoven and you see a young Ludwig pounding out the first movement of "Pathetique"? I also found that scene where he plays Moonlight sonata a memorable moment.

I thought the whole premise that the director in "Immortal Beloved" took in fabricating Johanna as the Immortal Beloved was stupid. I mean it was just dumb. But that didn't prevent me from enjoying it and appreciating little moments like Beethoven talking about his Eroica symphony as he shoves past a few nobility in the streets. I think even if somehow Mozart and Beethoven are rendered so askew in films that it pushes me to the point of cringing and wretching in the movie theatres, I'm still going to enjoy watching a period piece where my favorite composers come alive.

One of my favorites is the movie "Impromptu" which focuses around Chopin (played by Hugh Grant). It may not have followed the history books but it was still a good, touching, funny movie, and one of the only movies with Chopin in it. There's a few others like "A Song to Remember" and "Chopin: Desire for Love" which, while I admit they could have been better, I still liked them because it was a chance to see Chopin in 19th century Paris playing his etudes.

This is what appeals to me about movies based on composers. I'll leave it to the great biographers to give me every little facet and detail about their lives. What I want the movies to do is put that composer on screen and illuminate the period and the music. It never hurts to shed light on the genius too.

I'm actually waiting for a Liszt movie. I think that guy has a great life attached to his name and would make for an amazing movie. I mean, he's the first rock star with the exception of Paganini. Just picture the trailer: "Before Elvis... Before the Beatles...Before Michael Jackson..." then show a scene of Liszt's virtuoso piano playing, hands flying and creating a storm of music with women screaming and throwing jewelry at him.

I think the classical music snobs (not saying you guys are) need to lighten up and not take it so personally. We should be glad they're even doing a movie about Beethoven.

[This message has been edited by Nightklavier (edited 05-10-2006).]

[Peter]

Originally posted by Nightklavier:
I'm actually waiting for a Liszt movie. I think that guy has a great life attached to his name and would make for an amazing movie.

There has been one - the dire 'Song without end' starring Dirk Bogarde in what he himself regarded as a lamentable production!



------------------
'Man know thyself'

[srivele]

Originally posted by terry:
Any news? Where may we find something on the web about this? I mean,something very recent,I read all last months

The film was test screened recently in San Diego, and I am happy to report that it received very high marks. Audience members of all ages and demographics rated it highly, people laughed at the right moments, gasped at the right moments, and seemed especially to enjoy Ed Harris' performance and the Ninth Symphony premiere sequence. So I have high hopes for the film's success.

I attended a screening of the finished film at CAA for Ed Harris and some members of the producing team, and I found it, at a shortened (100 minute) length to be much more satisfying than the previous longer version. Audience respose was very gratifying. I think it is the best work Ed has ever done, and he seemed pleased with it as well.

[This message has been edited by srivele (edited 05-10-2006).]