# Movies about music



## danae

As far as I've seen, there is no such topic in this forum, therefore I'm starting one. I will of course begin with movies about classical music, of which I can think of the following:

Tous les matins du monde
The pianist
Shine
The competition
Immortal beloved
Copying Beethoven
Amadeus
Madame Sousatska
The piano 
Music of the heart
Prova d’ orchestra
La pianiste
Impromptu
Mr Holland’s Opus
August Rush
The red violin
Hilary and Jackie
Les choristes


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## Weston

There is a movie from the 1950's called _A Song to Remember_ starring Cornell Wilde as Chopin. It's an odd name considering there are no songs involved that I recall. Must be a Hollywood thing.


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## Margaret

Very late one night when I couldn't sleep I turned on the TV. There was this period movie, foreign language (non-English) about a female cellist. The movie seemed pretty good but I was really tired so kept drifting in and out of it. I've always wanted to see the movie again, from the beginning this time, but never knew the name of the movie. 

At the time what I found intriguing about it was the cellists all used an underhand bowing technique which I'd never seen before. Since then I've gotten interested in art and have noticed that in the older paintings when a group of musicians are shown the cellists are using that same underhand bowing.


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## danae

Then the instrument you saw was probably not the cello but its predecessor, the viola da gamba, and the movie was Tous les matins du monde, with Gerard Depardieu, a French movie about a viola da gamba player and composer named Marin Marais. You should check him out.


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## Margaret

danae said:


> Then the instrument you saw was probably not the cello but its predecessor, the viola da gamba, and the movie was Tous les matins du monde, with Gerard Depardieu, a French movie about a viola da gamba player and composer named Marin Marais. You should check him out.


Thanks for the information. Never heard of the composer but would like to watch the movie again. I see it was at the top of your list.


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## Weston

Here's a few more I just thought of.

_Wagner: The Complete Epic _- starring Richard Burton, this however is utterly unwatchable, even by the staunchest music fan.

_Beethoven Lives Upstairs_ -- this is a short piece, more of a coming of age story or after school special than it is about Beethoven, but not bad overall.

_Eroica_ -- this is part film, part documentary about the private debut of Beethoven's Symphony No. 3. It is far more fiction than fact -- for instance it shows Haydn at the premier and if I remember my history correctly he was not. There is a very nice scene in which the actor paying Haydn (and he looks very much like him) has a poignant, proud, yet slightly sorrowful look as he realizes the young Beethoven has changed music forever. I enjoyed this film.


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## Aramis

_Lisztomania_: a reliable biography of Franz Liszt. Makes you understand what music really is, and how great composer Liszt was.


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## danae

Weston said:


> Here's a few more I just thought of.
> 
> _Wagner: The Complete Epic _- starring Richard Burton, this however is utterly unwatchable, even by the staunchest music fan.


Oh yeah I've seen that one!! I remember it! It's really really bad isn't it? It's fun though, in this mazochistic wierd sort of way...


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## Rasa

La tourneuse des pages: A girl completely breaks down a pianist's career and personal life (epic win)

Le roi danse: dramatised version of Luly at Louis XIV's court.

Farinelli


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## Margaret

Fantasia (both of them)
Thirty Two Short Films about Glenn Gould
Prova d'orchestra
Mahler
The Music Lovers (about the life of Tchaikovsky ironically played by Richard Chamberlain long before he came out of the closet)
Waltzes from Vienna (about Johann Strauss)
The Great Waltz (also about Strauss)
The Opera Lover
Song Without End (about Liszt)
The Great Mr. Handel
Appassionata
Broken Strings
Concerto in B Flat Minor


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## Cyclops

Ok its not classical but August Rush is a great film! 
I also loved Shine but my partner hated it! (I hope my kids grow up to like classical so i have someone to share it with)
The only musical film I have is Amadeus which is fun if not historically correct.
Now the first film at the start of this thread,Tous les matins du monde, I'm sure thats the film I saw a few years ago and couldn't remember the title. Concerns Scarlatti?


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## wolf

Cyclops said:


> ...The only musical film I have is Amadeus which is fun if not historically correct....


You can say that again! Pure crap, designed to appeal to the lower instincts. As for the music, it's rotten, being of 'Marriner' design. The great Mozart-killer. How the critics raved, everything he did was SOOO fantastic. They stopped praising him, one by one, and today - luckily - he is seldom mentioned among the greats.

Listen to Mozart when Karajan directs for instance, what a difference! Marriner is dry as sandpaper in comparision.

As for movies, LA TRAVIATA with Violetta Stratas


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## Cyclops

wolf said:


> You can say that again! Pure crap, designed to appeal to the lower instincts. As for the music, it's rotten, being of 'Marriner' design. The great Mozart-killer. How the critics raved, everything he did was SOOO fantastic. They stopped praising him, one by one, and today - luckily - he is seldom mentioned among the greats.
> 
> Listen to Mozart when Karajan directs for instance, what a difference! Marriner is dry as sandpaper in comparision.
> 
> As for movies, LA TRAVIATA with Violetta Stratas


Well I enjoy amadeus anyway. I would like to see an accurate film of Mozart but you see I watch Amadeus as a bit of fun,a romp. The problem is when people take it seriously and say Oh mozart would never behave like that etc. We all KNOW that already, but its possible to enjoy it on a non intellectual level. The only problem with such movies is when non classical fans watch it and imagine thats how things were. 
But really I'll watch any musical biopic,they're shown very rarely and you can guarantee when they are shown I'll miss it!
I do want a few more in my collection,namely Immortal Beloved. Only seen it once. And a film about Schubert would be nice to see!


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## wolf

Cyclops said:


> Well I enjoy amadeus anyway. I would like to see an accurate film of Mozart but you see I watch Amadeus as a bit of fun,a romp. The problem is when people take it seriously and say Oh mozart would never behave like that etc. We all KNOW that already, but its possible to enjoy it on a non intellectual level. The only problem with such movies is when non classical fans watch it and imagine thats how things were.
> But really I'll watch any musical biopic,they're shown very rarely and you can guarantee when they are shown I'll miss it!
> I do want a few more in my collection,namely Immortal Beloved. Only seen it once. And a film about Schubert would be nice to see!


Yes of course. I have seen a real Mozart movie many years ago, a german TV production, then I thought it fantastic, but today I would'nt know. As for ppl thinking that this is what Mozart is, yes I think that is terrible...

A Schubert movie would be great if it was made as a real movie and not just out 'to shock'.

Somebody mentioned " A song to remember" with Cornell Wilde, it was a Godawful stinkie! So bad that one laughed.


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## Cyclops

wolf said:


> A Schubert movie would be great if it was made as a real movie and not just out 'to shock'.


Thats the problem tho isn't it. The big producers are only likely to make a movie is there's some shock value or controversy and I suppose if there is none they make it up! 
But dear Hollywood,not everyone wants shock and schlock,a good story would be nice! And lots of people are interested in such things!


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## sam richards

wolf said:


> Yes of course. I have seen a real Mozart movie many years ago, a german TV production, then I thought it fantastic, but today I would'nt know. As for ppl thinking that this is what Mozart is, yes I think that is terrible...
> 
> A Schubert movie would be great if it was made as a real movie and not just out 'to shock'.
> 
> Somebody mentioned " A song to remember" with Cornell Wilde, it was a Godawful stinkie! So bad that one laughed.


I liked Amadeus, it's a good movie.
*stands defyingly*


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## Cyclops

sam richards said:


> I liked Amadeus, it's a good movie.
> *stands defyingly*


Really? i thought I was the only one on here that likes lo brow stuff


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## wolf

Cyclops said:


> Really? i thought I was the only one on here that likes lo brow stuff


I can take some myself, saw the silent film "The Temtress"from 1926 not long ago, Garbos second american movie, rotten story, but Garbo hypnotized the audience.



sam richards said:


> I liked Amadeus, it's a good movie.
> *stands defyingly*


Formans Amadeus isn't crap, he is a quality director - it's just that when you know so much about Mozart as I do one gets disappointed that focus is on the sensational detais (true or not true) rather than on his life. Classical music has been my absolutely biggest interest for more than 41 years now, and Wolferl the no 1 for 39 of those, it's inevtable that you have read all there is to read. I know all about the subject you might say.

And I certainly got no problem with people like Cyclops, who knows perfectly well that it's full of desinformation and takes it for what it is, a piece of enteretainment. But, oh if you know how many times I've heard, 'Really, but I thought Mozart...' and than comes misunderstandings from the movie. You have a bunch of key eyewitnesses of Mozart, and ALL his, and his familys remaining letters (not a godamn selection) have been printed. But millions of ppl got their picture of Mozart as someone who farthed when he executed his music, laughed like tickled rabbitt and so on.

As for the music it _*has *_happened that Sir Neville succeeded very well on a record/CD or two, even with Mozart (he is better with the 20th centurys composers), but then it's mainly live. I repeat that you should listen to Karajan or Giulini or Swarovsky (dear Lord, what a Mozart director, what lightness and beauty...) or Davis or many others. All the great ones say the same: Noone is harder to deal with than Mozart...


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## Cyclops

Wolf I confess when I first saw Amadeus i was annoyed because I love Mozart,he's just one of THE most amazing figures in history period,so when I saw the film years ago I was like WHAT! But I've since learned that what you see on the screen often has little to do with fact. In other words I know to seperate fiction from fact and that movies are primarily about entertainment. Now strangely I love the film but as a bit of fun rather than a slice of history. Talking of Wolfgang did you see a documentary recently,where they tried to trace his family history from what was supposed to be his skull. The jury remained out on whether the skull was his. I'd so love to visit the Mozart museum in Salzburg. Oh see you got me rambling again but I so love music in history.


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## PartisanRanger

wolf said:


> You can say that again! Pure crap, designed to appeal to the lower instincts.


What in the world are you talking about? Amadeus is a fantastic movie.


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## handlebar

One of my favourites is "The Music Teacher" with Jose Van Dam. If you like lush french locales,great music (Verdi,Mahler,Bellini) lieder and some wonderful arias, this is a grand film for you. Van Dam is not the best actor but the cinematography is worth the time.

The "Wagner" epic is not great but IMHO is watchable in parts. There are some good scenes.

Impromptu is one of my all time favourites as well. Wonderful comedy that showcases many who went on to become rather popular.

Jim


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## Cyclops

I once saw part of a movie about Grieg,I think it was called Song of the South? Keep hoping it will come on TV again.


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## Ciel_Rouge

I like to revisit this thread as I have watched many of the films mentioned since it started. However, I wonder if there are any good films about Tchaikovsky, Dvorak, Debussy, Saint Saens? Or maybe not films about composers but some fictional plot set in the nineteenth century or earlier but accompanied with music by major classical composers? For example, I recently watched "La marquise" with Sophie Marceau and it was a very interesting story featuring music played by Jordi Savall.


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## tahnak

Ciel_Rouge said:


> I like to revisit this thread as I have watched many of the films mentioned since it started. However, I wonder if there are any good films about Tchaikovsky, Dvorak, Debussy, Saint Saens? Or maybe not films about composers but some fictional plot set in the nineteenth century or earlier but accompanied with music by major classical composers? For example, I recently watched "La marquise" with Sophie Marceau and it was a very interesting story featuring music played by Jordi Savall.


Ken Russell has made a movie on Tchaikovsky. Dvorak, Debussy and Saint Saens have not been covered yet.
Two have been made on Beethoven - The Immortal Beloved and Copying Beethoven.
Ken Russell has made one on Mahler too!


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## Il Seraglio

One movie that always springs to mind for me is Michael Haneke's the Piano Teacher. The titular character is a woman who lives a double life. During the day she is a cold, sadistic music academic who treats her students like dirt and by night is a mentally deranged sex addict who lusts after her own mother.

I'm actually surprised it didn't put me off music for life.


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## TWhite

The French film "The Page-Turner" is absolutely delicious! Very quiet, understated and absolutely devastating. 

Other favorites of mine about music: 
The Red Violin
Impromptu
Ken Russell's Mahler (weird but kind of fascinating, with the Scottish Highlands masquerading as the Austrian Alps)

And though I enjoy the heck out of "Amadeus" just as a movie, it's based on a play that only used the characters Mozart and Salieri as stand-in examples of 'genius' compared with 'mediocrity'. It's certainly NOT a biographical film about Mozart. But it's a lot of fun, IMO. 

Tom


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## jurianbai

Chanel Coco & Igor Stravinsky, I wonder anyone watched this.


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## mamascarlatti

"4"

Saw this at a Suzuki violin summer camp - it's about Vivaldi's four seasons, with each movement played during the appropriate season in a different country - eg Spring in cherry-blossom Japan. The most striking movement is Winter, in snow-bound Finland, with the soloist apparently on something powerful and illegal. The kids went around for the next few days imitating him in fits of giggles.


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## Air

I just finished watching two films about classical music, _Song of Love_ and _Mahler_.

_Song of Love_ (1947), starring Katharine Hepburn, Paul Henreid, and Robert Walker, dramatizes the love triangle between Clara Wieck, Robert Schumann, and Johannes Brahms. Though I admit that Hepburn was a great actress, not the least in the role of Clara (though the other Hepburn is still miles ahead in beauty), the drama was far too exaggerated and actually made me feel a bit sick. This is a movie for hopeless romantics, in other words, not me.

_Mahler_ (1974) was more my type of film. Ken Russell's editing is fascinating and each concept is portrayed so vividly (and often, sexually). The whole piece consists of "flashbacks" that occur as Mahler and Alma are sitting on a train. Music is used exceptionally well here - while in the Schumann film we got a sappy _Traumerei_ tying the work together (though I am very fond of this work when it is not used in a film like this), Ken Russell (or whoever helped in the production) seemed very keen on the _music_ of Mahler, which was used very appropriately and effectively, especially in the more surreal scenes (like the one of Cosima Wagner and the cross).

Here are the youtube links to the two movies if anyone is curious:

_Song of Love_ (director: Clarence Brown) - 



_Mahler_ (director: Ken Russell) -


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## bassClef

I wonder if this will be any good:
http://www.spillvillethemovie.com/

Tom Hanks playing Dvorak apparently... hmm


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## danslenoir

Duet for One is a 1986 film starring Julie Andrews about Jaqueline du Pré's struggle with MS, though the character in the film plays a violin rather than a cello. 

I can't comment on the film as I haven't seen it, but I've seen the play it's based on and it was great.


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