Beethoven in Movies

[Bob the Composer]

We've been arguing a lot lately, so I though perhaps I should post something a bit more fun. After thinking about it for a while, I came up with the following idea. Music is very important in movies, and sometimes it is written for the movie, other time it is something that has already been written. Lets say there's a movie that had origional music written for it, but you think it might have been more appropriate to use some Beethoven pieces instead. Suddenly, you are hired to direct a restoration\new cut of the movie, and you have the opportunity to replace the bad movie music with some Beethoven Music. What movie would it be, what pieces would you use, and why?

Bob

P.S. I AM NOW A MAN!!!!!

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I am not a number, I am a free man!

[This message has been edited by Bob the Composer (edited 07-21-2001).]

[Rod]

Originally posted by Bob the Composer:
We've been arguing a lot lately, so I though perhaps I should post something a bit more fun.

I thought we were having fun arguing.

Originally posted by Bob the Composer:

After thinking about it for a while, I came up with the following idea. Music is very important in movies, and sometimes it is written for the movie, other time it is something that has already been written. Lets say there's a movie that had origional music written for it, but you think it might have been more appropriate to use some Beethoven pieces instead. Suddenly, you are hired to direct a restoration\new cut of the movie, and you have the opportunity to replace the bad movie music with some Beethoven Music. What movie would it be, what pieces would you use, and why?

Can't think of anything.

Originally posted by Bob the Composer:


P.S. I AM NOW A MAN!!!!!

Have you had it confirmed?


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

[Joy]

Originally posted by Bob the Composer:
We've been arguing a lot lately, so I though perhaps I should post something a bit more fun. After thinking about it for a while, I came up with the following idea. Music is very important in movies, and sometimes it is written for the movie, other time it is something that has already been written. Lets say there's a movie that had origional music written for it, but you think it might have been more appropriate to use some Beethoven pieces instead. Suddenly, you are hired to direct a restoration\new cut of the movie, and you have the opportunity to replace the bad movie music with some Beethoven Music. What movie would it be, what pieces would you use, and why?

Bob

P.S. I AM NOW A MAN!!!!!

Good question, Bob. I certainly had to think on this one. Sorry I can't come up with replacing music with Beethoven's. How about replacing Beethoven's music with something else? i.e. Stanley Kubrick's 'Clockwork Orange'. I don't much care for the use of Beethoven's music in connection with violence, etc., as Kubrick did so much in that movie. However, I still think Kubrick was brilliant in some of his work, "2001: A Space Odyssey" for example. Excellent meld of classical music and movie.

Joy
P.S.: What were you before??

[Peter]

Originally posted by Bob the Composer:
We've been arguing a lot lately, so I though perhaps I should post something a bit more fun. After thinking about it for a while, I came up with the following idea. Music is very important in movies, and sometimes it is written for the movie, other time it is something that has already been written. Lets say there's a movie that had origional music written for it, but you think it might have been more appropriate to use some Beethoven pieces instead. Suddenly, you are hired to direct a restoration\new cut of the movie, and you have the opportunity to replace the bad movie music with some Beethoven Music. What movie would it be, what pieces would you use, and why?

Bob

P.S. I AM NOW A MAN!!!!!

Brief Encounter - I'd replace it with the 2nd movement of the Emperor, because the film is so syrupy it doesn't need Rachmaninov to add any more sugar!

Seriously I'd find any Beethoven a distraction to a film - inevitably when there is any classical music in films I find my concentration wandering to the music!

I always assumed you were a man! just goes to show!

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'Man know thyself'

[This message has been edited by Peter (edited 07-22-2001).]

[joel fienen]

Bob
There is a movie about Beethoven and it is called. The man who lives upstairs. It is the most awesome movie I have seen in a long time.

If beethoven had a written a piece for a movie. It would be the 9th symphony.

[Joy]

Originally posted by joel fienen:
Bob
There is a movie about Beethoven and it is called. The man who lives upstairs. It is the most awesome movie I have seen in a long time.

If beethoven had a written a piece for a movie. It would be the 9th symphony.

I've seen that movie, Joel. It's a great way for people to get introduced to Beethoven's music and the man himself.

Joy

[MCS]

I'd have to agree with Peter that Beethoven in a film would be distracting, in that your attention naturally gravitates towards him. However, there was a scene in 'Life is Beautiful' where Roberto Benigni puts on a LP of Offenbach's Barcarolle while in the concentration camp. The music seemed to evoke such longing and rememberance for past, better times that I think it would be hard to find a better fit for the scene. Beethoven, however, does longing really well and I'm sure there is a piece by the man that would at least equal the Offenbach. The piece that came to my mind (and I came to it independent of Peter's suggestion above!) is also the 2nd movement of the Emperor. Those who are more familiar with all of LvB's works could probably make other suggestions.

Mary

[Michael]

There's a great scene in the "Shawshank Redemption" where Tim Robbins locks himself in the guard's room and plays a record of Mozart over the prison loudspeakers to the assembled multitude outside.
I always regret that they didn't choose the Prisoner's Chorus from "Fidelio" for that scene - but I suppose that would have been too, too obvious.
Also, I always fancied the opening of B's Ninth would have made a great start to Kubricks "2001", instead of "Also Sprach Whatever".

Michael

[Immortal Beloved]

Originally posted by joel fienen:
Bob
There is a movie about Beethoven and it is called. The man who lives upstairs. It is the most awesome movie I have seen in a long time.

If beethoven had a written a piece for a movie. It would be the 9th symphony.

Beethoven lives upstairs is my favorite movie! *high fives* What is your favorite part in that movie? I love that one so so much!

[Julie]

Originally posted by Immortal Beloved:
Beethoven lives upstairs is my favorite movie! *high fives* What is your favorite part in that movie? I love that one so so much!

I loved that movie too! Watched it 4 times in one week! The music is beautiful, all of the music for the film is Beethoven's own compositions, just wonderful film to watch and listen and the impersonation of Beethoven seems to be quite accurate according to the records of people that had written about him that knew him well. My favorite part was the mom goes to get the son (a lullaby is playing in the background) and they sneek upstairs and start listening to Beethoven rehearsing and he then lets them in, then notices the mom is crying and she says "you must feel it too, your music" and Beethoven replies "composers don't cry, composers are made of fire!" something like that.. I just loved that part!

[Ludwig Amadeus Schubert]

I wonder why no one is mentioning the movie "Immortal Beloved". It's about Beethoven and I think it's better than "Beethoven Lives Upstairs". =\

[Rod]

Originally posted by Joy:

Good question, Bob. I certainly had to think on this one. Sorry I can't come up with replacing music with Beethoven's. How about replacing Beethoven's music with something else? i.e. Stanley Kubrick's 'Clockwork Orange'. I don't much care for the use of Beethoven's music in connection with violence, etc., as Kubrick did so much in that movie. However, I still think Kubrick was brilliant in some of his work, "2001: A Space Odyssey" for example. Excellent meld of classical music and movie.

Joy
P.S.: What were you before??

2001 is one of my favourite film, and the use of music plays a big part of it. Paradoxically the waltz in particular does little for me outside the context of the movie. And J Strauss's music in general I find at best lame and at worst ridiculous. Regardless, the King of movie writing is Morricone!

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

[This message has been edited by Rod (edited 07-23-2001).]

[Julie]

Originally posted by Ludwig Amadeus Schubert:
I wonder why no one is mentioning the movie "Immortal Beloved". It's about Beethoven and I think it's better than "Beethoven Lives Upstairs". =\

I haven't seen "Immortal Beloved" yet, but I heard that in this movie they allude to the fact that perhaps Beethoven was in love with his sister in law? I am not sure of the accuracy of this statement, but like I said, maybe that is why I haven't rented the movie yet, I was afraid it was not accurate in its portrayal of Beethoven. I will definitely rent it if you say it is better than Beethoven lives Upstairs! Is it well documented? And is what I heard about the movie true?

[Bob the Composer]

Originally posted by Peter:

I always assumed you were a man! just goes to show!

I was making light of the fact that that was my 50th post.

Bob



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I am not a number, I am a free man!

[Bob the Composer]

Originally posted by Julie:

I haven't seen "Immortal Beloved" yet, but I heard that in this movie they allude to the fact that perhaps Beethoven was in love with his sister in law? I am not sure of the accuracy of this statement, but like I said, maybe that is why I haven't rented the movie yet, I was afraid it was not accurate in its portrayal of Beethoven. I will definitely rent it if you say it is better than Beethoven lives Upstairs! Is it well documented? And is what I heard about the movie true?

I've seen both movies. I saw Beethoven lives upstairs a long time ago and don't remember much about it. It was probably better than Immortal Beloved. I did not like that movie at all.

Bob

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I am not a number, I am a free man!