# 'Other' Classical Music Biopics (and related)



## EnescuCvartet (Dec 16, 2016)

And by 'other' I simply mean films other than Amadeus or Immortal Beloved, though if you want to discuss them here, have at it.

I am a big fan of classic era films and of classical music. So this is topic of obvious interest to me. I'm hoping to get a few recommendations for further viewing, or even to shed some light on some of the related films I've seen that may have been overlooked.

And since this is the Classical Music Discussion board, I'll try to give an idea of how worthwhile each film may be, not necessarily as a film, but rather how it might strike the classical music fan. Hopefully I won't run off on many film-talk tangents.

One last thing... The parenthetical 'and related' from the subject header will be other films that may be of interest but aren't biopics, i.e. films with famous performers, etc. It also implies that you should feel free to bring up anything you feel is loosely related.

*Young Chopin* (Mlodosc Chopina - Poland, 1052) IMDb link: 
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0044911/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0

This was among the better overall that will make this list. It's also one that I saw less recent than most of the others, so this will be a very general recollection. The B&W cinematography was stellar, really stunningly beautiful photography. The story focused mostly on - as the title implies - young Chopin, right on the cusp of going to Paris and taking the world by storm. A large part of the film was spent showing, and to great effect, how the Polish uprising made an impact on the young composer. There was much less music in this film than in many other biopics about composers, but the performances and recordings were all well done. Kazimierz Serocki was the musical director and I believe the pianist on record. The actor who played Chopin was Czeslaw Wollejko. He resembled Chopin a good deal more than Cornel Wilde, who played Chopin in the US film I'll discuss.

While I'm still on Chopin I'm going to relate a little anecdote of sorts. Any time anyone sits down to the piano in old films, they always play Chopin. The exceptions are cases where a piece by some other composer is chosen to advance the plot or underline something specific in it, or if the piece is mentioned by name by a character, like Bette Davis in All About Eve asking repeatedly for Liebestraum. But if the piece is played and no mention is made of it, it's always Chopin. I can't tell you how many dozens of times this has happened. It's not just a handful of pieces either, they've chosen seemingly from his entire oeuvre. It must have something to do with the filmmakers wanting to set a general romantic atmosphere, I don't know, but it got to the point where someone would start playing a few bars on screen and I'd tell my dad to name the composer and he knew to say Chopin, even though he doesn't know Chopin from Ringo.

*A Song to Remember* (1945 - Directed by Charles Vidor) IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0038104/?ref_=nm_flmg_act_59

Not a very good movie (though it was entertaining) and probably not a great introduction to Chopin for the uninitiated. I do want to shy away from just giving film reviews, but there are some points that need addressed. There are plenty of inaccuracies. He gets consumption too soon, for one, but many of them can be excused as they wanted to include as much of Chopin's time in the limelight as they could fit in 90 minutes. If I recall correctly, Miklos Rozsa was the musical director for this, and he was one of the great film composers, but this wasn't among his finer achievements. Blame it on Hollywood trying to be bigger and more impressive for opening a film about a man who composed almost solely for the piano, with an orchestrated version of one of his works - I can't recall which, perhaps a Nocturne? Jose' Iturbi recorded the piano score, so again we're in good hands with the music. How about Merle Oberon as "The Sand", as Wilhelm von Lenz calls George Sand again and again in his 'Virtuoso' book. I suppose that bit of casting was done to make us understand why Chopin was so transfixed by her. Oberon was a great beauty. Paul Muni, who I've liked in earlier, 30's roles, hams it up big time, but it seems he was having fun. There is one great scene - probably on youtube - just after Chopin plays his first concert to a very lukewarm reception (another inaccuracy), Liszt does Chopin a good turn, tricking a salon party into believing that he, Liszt, by candlelight, is playing the Revolutionary Etude when in fact, it was that reprobate Chopin all along! Imagine! Sounds corny but it worked. Liszt here is relegated to his usual role in composer biopics, that of supporting player. Apparently his sole purpose was to admire others and to make them look good. The Wagner movie and the Schumann/Wieck/Brahms film also do this. See also Lola Montes, by Ophuls, though that is a different case of secondary role for Liszt.

*The Life and Loves of Beethoven* (Un grand amour de Beethoven - France, 1936 - Directed by Abel Gance) IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0028438/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_1

This isn't the best movie on this list, but it's my favorite. Gance was a great director. Sometimes he could misfire though, and this film doesn't have the cohesion of some of his great works, but it does have magic. This is another one I saw some years ago, and I can't recall how well they handled the musical aspects. But I remember that I loved it. Harry Baur was one of France's greatest actors, and sadly among those interned in a concentration camp, where he stayed long enough so that he died shortly after getting out, emaciated and beaten down. The imagery here was remarkable. The scenes where he is realizing the extent of his deafness are handled very artistically and powerfully.

*Lover Divine* (Leise flehen meine Lieder - Austria/Germany 1933 - Directed by Willi Forst) IMDb:
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0024249/?ref_=nm_flmg_dr_21

This is one of several Schubert biopics. There was a practice in the early 30's of shooting two versions of a film, often with largely the same crews, but in two different languages. Such is the case here. Anthony Asquith directed the English version, but I seem to recall it is not extent..? Anyhow, this is the first directorial effort from Willi Forst, who was an actor in the Weimar years. He had an outstanding directorial career that spanned a few decades. His Maskerade (1934) is one of my favorite movies. This Schubert movie was mostly a vehicle for Marth Eggerth. In Schubert movies, he suffers a lot and doesn't get the girl. Such is the case here, but it's done rather charmingly. Many of his songs are sung. It was a fun movie. I'd sure like to see the Asquith version if anybody has a line on it.

*April Blossoms* (Blossom Time - UK 1934) Another Schubert film. This time it's Richard Tauber as Schubert. His performances of many of the lieder make the film worthwhile. Otherwise, Schubert suffers a lot and he doesn't get the girl. I love Schubert, he's probably my favorite composer. I wish they would do something a little more soul searching than what I've seen.

*It Was a Gay Ballnight* (Es war eine rauschende Ballnacht - 1939 - Germany - Carl Froelich) https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0031277/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_2

This time Tchaikovsky gets the treatment. He suffers a lot but he does get the girl. Several of them. In fact, he's a regular Lothario. Scads of cuckolds line the walls to challenge Tchaikovsky to duels. As a film, this is not bad. It's well-made and more or less entertaining. You can see for yourself what they did with the facts, however. Musically, there isn't a whole lot here. Some Tchaik. waltzes that are danced to... a few pretty songs sung by maidens out to snag the maestro. Then a super dramatic rendering of the 6th symphony, leading to something akin to Beethoven's thunderous deathbed fist-thrust.

The House of Ricordi (Casa Ricordi - Italy, 1954)
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0046833/?ref_=nm_flmg_act_117

This is an episodic Italian film with a very large cast and lots and lots of opera music. It covers nearly a century of the famous publishing house, and from their perspective, covers bits of Rossini, Bellini, Donizetti (a young Marcello Mastroianni) and Verdi. There are some good scenes, but more not so good scenes. I found it worthwhile and entertaining, nonetheless. Lots of great singing.

*Song of Love* (US - 1947 - Clarence Brown) 
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0039850/?ref_=nm_flmg_act_30

This one's about the Brahms/Schumann/Wieck triangle. Katharine Hepburn impressed me as Wieck. I'm sure she could play the piano some, but she really looked like she was playing the Wieck piano concerto. It was probably the best 'fake' job I've seen in the movies. The story is told and acted well. It's also in color, a saving grace for all you classical kids out there, I'm sure. This focuses on the relationship of the three artists, Schumann's developing madness, and how everybody hated Liszt. Liszt, by the way, was played by Henry Daniell, which, nothing against Mr. Daniell, but Liszt was described as being unspeakably good looking. Why is it that we turn The Sand [up] into Merle Oberon, but turn Liszt [down] into Henry Daniell? Hollywood! A playground for boys.

I'm forgetting a few, but I can just put those in a reply. 
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Now for the related:

*Song o' My Heart *(1930, Frank Borzage) 
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0021401/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1

See this for John McCormack. He actually has an acting role in this. He of course sings a great deal too. Both on set and in an extended concert-setting scene. What a beautiful voice. I first hear him on my Hugo Wolf Society records. Wow! -- This film is interesting also because it's directed by the great Frank Borzage, among the better US directors from the 20's through the 1940's. It also has a very young a beautiful Maureen O'Sullivan. But McCormack is the reason to see it and it is quite a good reason.

*Moonlight Sonata* (UK, 1937 - Lothar Mendes) 
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0030460/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_2

Ignacy Paderewski! There's also a cute but silly little love story intertwined here and there... but Paderewski plays aplenty. The camera captures something special here.

*Forget Me Not* (aka Forever Yours - 1936, Zoltan Korda) https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0027635/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1

Not much of a story and the pace tried my patience at times. A damsel in love leaves her man, owing to a misunderstanding, and bounces right into a marriage with tenor Beniamino Gigli - who is a terrible actor, but has a superb voice. This one I'd only recommend if you are especially fond of Gigli.

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Very Loosely related:

*The Czar Wants to Sleep* (aka Lieutenant Kije, aka Poruchik Kizhe, (then) Soviet Union, 1934)
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0025671/?ref_=_158

This is actually a fun little movie. It's worthwhile alone, as a comedy. The music should also make some seek it out because it has a different version of Prokofiev's famous suite than I was accustomed to hearing. The music all has singing and is otherwise arranged slightly different. Good one.

*Deception* (1946 - Irving Rapper)

A Great film with great performances from Bette Davis and Paul Henreid but especially from Claude Rains. The dialogue is crackling, biting, sharp and witty. I include it here because Erich Wolfgang Korngold composed a full cello concerto for the film, to be played by Henreid's character. In that, it is similar to what Bernard Herrmann did for Citizen Kane. I read that Heinreid's character had a double, a professional cellist kneeling behind him for the close shots. So you see Henreid gesticulating with face and torso while someone else stocks their arms through his sleeves and actually plays the celle. If that was the case, I didn't notice.

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Missing list:

I know there are a few Mozart films from Germany from the 40's and 50's but I haven't seen them. Can anyone recommend any of them?

I have not see Klaus Kinski's Paganini film, and I understand it's quite the curiosity. It sounds interesting, to say the least.

I've not seen the Roger Daltry Liszt movie and don't plan on it either.

I'm writing this all away from home, so it's from memory and not from looking through my DVD's, but if anyone shows interest in this thread, I'll add some more later. And if the moderator determine's it should be relocated to somewhere more appropriate then so be it. I did try to keep it focused on music with the intent of making it appropriate for this board, but I'm not sure I succeeded. Anyhow, I hope to hear of some recommendations from you guys.

- James


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## MarkW (Feb 16, 2015)

Just for the record: Amadeus was not a biopic, rather a filmed version of a play of ideas.

The best I know i the BBC's "Eroica" --which telescopes into one afternoon a lot we know about Beethoven (and includes an unrealistically wonderful run-through of the Eroica by John Eliot Gardiner's musicians.)

The hokiest is the MGM costume drama "The Great Waltz" in which Johann Strauss Jr. and his lady friend ride an open carriage (whose horses obligingly clip-clop in 3/4 time) through the Vienna woods while the two piece together the phrases of the main theme of the waltz of the same name --including quoting the most unlikely trumpet call ever sounded by a passing royal coach.


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## Simon Moon (Oct 10, 2013)

Impromptu (1991)- Hugh Grant as Chopin, Judy Davis as George Sand.

Not sure about the accuracy. But pretty good movie.


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## Simon Moon (Oct 10, 2013)

Hilary and Jackie (1998)- Emily Watson as Jacqueline du Pré. Tells of Jacqueline's 'meteoric' rise to fame as a cellist, her affair with Hilary's husband, and Jacqueline's battle with multiple sclerosis.

Well acted, but Mstislav Rostropovich and Julian Lloyd Webber (both worked with Jacqueline) wrote a scathing letter about how inaccurate the negative portrayal of Jacqueline is.


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## Simon Moon (Oct 10, 2013)

La Symphonie fantastique (1942) - French film about Hector Berlioz. 

Haven't seen it.


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## EnescuCvartet (Dec 16, 2016)

Simon Moon said:


> La Symphonie fantastique (1942) - French film about Hector Berlioz.
> 
> Haven't seen it.


That's one I forgot. I own it on a DVD-R, a great print. I expected a lot, not just because if the subject matter, but because Jean-Louis Barrault was such a good actor, and Christian-Jaque, the director made some great movies. There wasn't a lot of Berlioz music in it. There was some, naturally, but the focus here, as usual, was with the subject's love life. The filmmakers had their hands full trying to show something like 40 years of his life. Cherubini makes an appearance and they make him look like a fool, which is apparently what Berlioz thought if him, judging by the memoirs. Thanks for the comments.


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## EnescuCvartet (Dec 16, 2016)

Hokey, yes, but I thought that particular scene was kind of fun. I don't know the singer/actresses name, but she had startling control over her voice. That's another one I forgot to mention. Hitchcock also did a not-very-good Strauss-related film.

They could make a good movie out of the Strauss Sr./Lanner relationship and eventual competition.


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## EnescuCvartet (Dec 16, 2016)

MarkW said:


> Just for the record: Amadeus was not a biopic, rather a filmed version of a play of ideas.
> 
> The best I know i the BBC's "Eroica" --which telescopes into one afternoon a lot we know about Beethoven (and includes an unrealistically wonderful run-through of the Eroica by John Eliot Gardiner's musicians.)
> 
> The hokiest is the MGM costume drama "The Great Waltz" in which Johann Strauss Jr. and his lady friend ride an open carriage (whose horses obligingly clip-clop in 3/4 time) through the Vienna woods while the two piece together the phrases of the main theme of the waltz of the same name --including quoting the most unlikely trumpet call ever sounded by a passing royal coach.


I replied to you but the response is a few posts below. I didn't realize you have to include a quote to the precedent user to have it appear underneath the one you want. As it sits now, you can't really tell it's a reply to you. Anyhow, thanks for the line.


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## hammeredklavier (Feb 18, 2018)

Simon Moon said:


> Impromptu (1991)- Hugh Grant as Chopin, Judy Davis as George Sand.
> Not sure about the accuracy. But pretty good movie.


It's half-fictional, like Amadeus and Immortal beloved. The real Marie d'Agoult never acted in the way portrayed in the movie. It's also disparaging of Liszt's music, in the ending.


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## hammeredklavier (Feb 18, 2018)

EnescuCvartet said:


> I know there are a few Mozart films from Germany from the 40's and 50's but I haven't seen them. Can anyone recommend any of them?


I know this French miniseries from 1982


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## consuono (Mar 27, 2020)

I never watched it, but I wonder if anyone has seen the Ken Russell Mahler movie from the 70s. Just based on reading *about* it, it seems pretty weird...which I guess you'd expect from that director.


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## hammeredklavier (Feb 18, 2018)




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## hammeredklavier (Feb 18, 2018)

there used to be a priceless comment (which got deleted somehow) on this video,
FtG: "Can he also execute this fugue in 11 voices?"
JsB: "Sire.. Why are you looking at my.."


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## MarkW (Feb 16, 2015)

EnescuCvartet said:


> I replied to you but the response is a few posts below. I didn't realize you have to include a quote to the precedent user to have it appear underneath the one you want. As it sits now, you can't really tell it's a reply to you. Anyhow, thanks for the line.


I got it. Thanks.


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## hammeredklavier (Feb 18, 2018)




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## Olias (Nov 18, 2010)

*Eroica* is marvelous. It's a BBC produced recreation of the private premiere of Beethoven's 3rd with some fantastic actors and well-researched dialogue.









*Copying Beethoven* is a feature film about the premiere of the 9th and the creation of the late string quartets. It's a guilty pleasure for me because it has some historical inaccuracies, BUT the actors are top notch (Ed Harris and Diane Kruger), the location shooting is marvelous, the music is great, and there are several really strong scenes. In my personal humble opinion, it's way better than Immortal Beloved and should have gotten more attention when it was first released.


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## EnescuCvartet (Dec 16, 2016)

I forgot this:

Magic Fire (1955, US - William Dieterle)

This one is about Wagner and his magic fire that consumes everyone around him. It's over dramatic at times, but mostly handled well. I didn't know many of the actors aside from Yvonne de Carlo and Valentina Cortesa, but the cast was fine. Here again was Liszt playing a secondary role, used to make the main character look good. Musically, it covers all the major operas and gives some context about how they were generally perceived when new. I didn't think they stressed enough how radically different these works were compared to those of his contemporaries. William Dieterle's direction seemed uninspired, which is a shame because he was once great (The Devil and Daniel Webster, Portrait of Jennie, etc). The film spends some time showing Wagner's relationship with King Ludwig II, but this was better shown in a film called Ludwig II: Glanz und Ende eines Königs, also from 1955, directed by the severely underrated Helmut Käutner (Käutner was and is underappreciated no doubt because he directed in Nazi Germany, even though he did not make propaganda films). At least, I liked the German film better because I think the story of the two men is more interestingly told from Ludwig's perspective. Apologies for the lack of links but I'm typing this on my phone.


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## EnescuCvartet (Dec 16, 2016)

Olias, thanks. Those both sound good. I'll have to check them out.


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## Rogerx (Apr 27, 2018)

The Music Lovers 

British drama film directed by Ken Russell. The screenplay by Melvyn Bragg, based on Beloved Friend, a collection of personal correspondence edited by Catherine Drinker Bowen and Barbara von Meck, focuses on the life and career of 19th-century Russian composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky.


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## hammeredklavier (Feb 18, 2018)




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## Handelian (Nov 18, 2020)

Simon Moon said:


> Hilary and Jackie (1998)- Emily Watson as Jacqueline du Pré. Tells of Jacqueline's 'meteoric' rise to fame as a cellist, her affair with Hilary's husband, and Jacqueline's battle with multiple sclerosis.
> 
> Well acted, but Mstislav Rostropovich and Julian Lloyd Webber (both worked with Jacqueline) wrote a scathing letter about how inaccurate the negative portrayal of Jacqueline is.


I think just about everyone who actually knew Jackie said that. She was not the sainted figure some made her but deserved better than that spiteful portrayal


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## Handelian (Nov 18, 2020)

Olias said:


> *Eroica* is marvelous. It's a BBC produced recreation of the private premiere of Beethoven's 3rd with some fantastic actors and well-researched dialogue.
> 
> View attachment 147957
> 
> ...


Eroica is of course just an impression not an historical film. The musicians certainly wouldn't have played the difficult and revolutionary work at sight as Gardiner'sband does! But entertaining nevertheless and the portrait of Beethoven is good.
'Copying Beethoven' has the distinction of being the worst film with the best music. Awful tripe.


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## Handelian (Nov 18, 2020)

If Amadeus the movie is pretty bad history, then the stage version I saw at the National was abominable. Schaefer appeared to have the theory that because a man wrote crude personal letters and told crude jokes to friends then he behaved in a crude way to everyone. Mozart was brought up knowing how to behave in public even though there was the touch of the rebel. We know (eg) that Bernstein’sbehaviour could be shocking but it doesn’t mean he behaved that way all the while! Mozart was a highly sophisticated and intelligent man who spoke numbers of languages. Amadeus just annoys me.


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## pianozach (May 21, 2018)

Rogerx said:


> *The Music Lovers*
> 
> British drama film directed by *Ken Russell*. The screenplay by Melvyn Bragg, based on Beloved Friend, a collection of personal correspondence edited by Catherine Drinker Bowen and Barbara von Meck, focuses on the life and career of 19th-century Russian composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky.


Speaking of Ken Russell, everyone seems to be ignoring the elephant in the room, *Lisztomania* (1975), which he also directed. Notable for it's cast which included Roger Daltry as Franz Liszt and Paul Nicholas as Richard Wagner (with cameos by Ringo Starr and Rick Wakeman [who also did the score]), it's main focus was on Liszt's rock star status.

No one would mistake this film as being historically accurate.

Strangely enough, Russell also directed *Mahler* (1974), and there were plans for him to make one about Wagner as well.

Both *Lisztomania* and *Mahler* feature the controversial Cosima Wagner, Liszt's daughter and Wagner's 2nd wife.


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## Olias (Nov 18, 2010)

Handelian said:


> 'Copying Beethoven' has the distinction of being the worst film with the best music. Awful tripe.


We will just have to disagree then. I've enjoyed the film many times. It is a flawed work, granted, but I've seen a lot worse.


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## MarkW (Feb 16, 2015)

Handelian said:


> If Amadeus the movie is pretty bad history, then the stage version I saw at the National was abominable. Schaefer appeared to have the theory that because a man wrote crude personal letters and told crude jokes to friends then he behaved in a crude way to everyone. Mozart was brought up knowing how to behave in public even though there was the touch of the rebel. We know (eg) that Bernstein'sbehaviour could be shocking but it doesn't mean he behaved that way all the while! Mozart was a highly sophisticated and intelligent man who spoke numbers of languages. Amadeus just annoys me.


As I said previously, Amadeus wasn't meant to be factual -- but Schaeffer used poetic license to examine the supposed unfairness of Gods distribution of gifts. Not a biopic and never so intended.


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## consuono (Mar 27, 2020)

hammeredklavier said:


>


Well the opening few minutes certainly do look like Ken Russell. :lol: I'll have to watch the whole thing sometime.


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## hammeredklavier (Feb 18, 2018)

*Wolfgang A. Mozart (1991)
part 1: 



part 2: 



part 3: 



*


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## hammeredklavier (Feb 18, 2018)

pianozach said:


> Strangely enough, Russell also directed *Mahler* (1974), and there were plans for him to make one about Wagner as well. Both *Lisztomania* and *Mahler* feature the controversial Cosima Wagner, Liszt's daughter and Wagner's 2nd wife.


Not a biopic, but this particular production of Die meistersinger seems interesting:


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## Pat Fairlea (Dec 9, 2015)

Handelian said:


> I think just about everyone who actually knew Jackie said that. She was not the sainted figure some made her but deserved better than that spiteful portrayal


An elderly friend who had known Du Pre would simply say "Jacqui could be difficult...", usually with a sad shake of the head.


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