The Great Composers Portrayed on Film, 1913 Through 2002 [1 ed.] 9781476609850, 9780786445868

Citation preview

The Great Composers Portrayed on Film, ¡9¡3 through 2002

The Great Composers Portrayed on Film, ¡9¡3 through 2002 CHARLES P. MITCHELL

McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers Jefferson, North Carolina, and London

ALSO BY CHARLES P. MITCHELL AND FROM MCFARLAND The Devil on Screen: Feature Films Worldwide, ¡9¡3 through 2000 (2002; paperback 20¡0) The Hitler Filmography: Worldwide Feature Film and Television Miniseries Portrayals, ¡940 through 2000 (2002; paperback 2009)

BY PAUL PARLA AND CHARLES P. MITCHELL Screen Sirens Scream!: Interviews with 20 Actresses from Science Fiction, Horror, Film Noir and Mystery Movies, 1930s to 1960s (McFarland 2000; paperback 2009)

The present work is a reprint of the illustrated case bound edition of The Great Composers Portrayed on Film, ¡9¡3 through 2002, first published in 2004 by McFarland.

LIBRARY OF CONGRESS CATALOGUING-IN-PUBLICATION DATA

Mitchell, Charles P., ¡949– The great composers portrayed on film, ¡9¡3 through 2002 / Charles P. Mitchell. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 978-0-7864-4586-8 softcover : 50# alkaline paper ¡. Composers in motion pictures. I. Title. PN¡995.9.C553M58 20¡0 79¡.43'652878 — dc22

2004006368

British Library cataloguing data are available ©2004 Charles P. Mitchell. All rights reserved No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying or recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. Cover photograph: Gary Oldman as Beethoven in the ¡994 film Immortal Beloved Manufactured in the United States of America

McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers Box 6¡¡, Je›erson, North Carolina 28640 www.mcfarlandpub.com

To my wife, Roberta Mitchell, with all my love

Acknowledgments The author wants to thank the following individuals and organizations for their assistance and encouragement in the preparation of this volume: Jane Agee, Bangor Public Library, Bruce Beresford, John Berrien, Philip Berquist, Eddie Brandt’s Saturday Matinee, Robert Brosch, Paul Carr, William Chadwick, Linda Christian, Vincent Colarco, Duke University’s Lilly Library, Richard Gordon, Joe “Phantom of the Movies” Kane, Dewayn Marzigalli, Marty McGee, Jean and Dick Norris, Tony Palmer, Paul & Donna Parla, Dennis Payne, William S. Reder, Robert Rotter, Ken Russell, Vincent Schiavelli, Dr. Ronald & Amelia Schwartz, Paul R. Sclafani, Roger Smith, James and Janet Smyth, John Soister and the University of Maine’s Fogler Library. In addition I would like to thank various musical societies dedicated to the memory of classical composers who have posted sites on the Internet. Finally I would like to thank the many conductors and performing artists who helped nurture my love of classical music. The first group contains musicians I was fortunate enough to hear in person, including Leonard Bernstein, E. Power Biggs, Karl Bohm, Jorge Bolet, Pierre Boulez, Van

Cliburn, Aaron Copland, James DePriest, Arthur Fiedler, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, Lukas Foss, Virgil Fox, Carlo Maria Guilini, Aram Khachaturian, Erich Leinsdorf, James Levine, Raymond Lewenthal, Christa Ludwig, Igor Markevitch, Jean Martinon, Zubin Mehta, Jessye Norman, David Oistrakh, Eugene Ormandy, Seiji Ozawa, Mstislav Rostropovich, Gennady Rozhdestvensky, Peter Schickele, Maxim Shostakovich, Isaac Stern, Leopold Stokowski, Igor Stravinsky, George Szell, Andre Watts, Earl Wild and many others. The second group is composed of those artists whose work I most treasured through recordings alone, particularly Albert Coates, Wilhelm Furtwängler, Serge Koussevitzky, Willem Mengelberg, Pierre Monteau, Charles Munch, Artur Rodzinski, Hermann Scherchen, Bruno Walter and Heinz Zednik. Photos used in this volume were provided by Eddie Brandt, Robert Brosch, Tony Palmer, Paul Parla and the author’s private collection. Although many of the films reviewed in this book are available on commercial video, some of the more unusual collector’s items can be obtained through Darker Image Video (PO Box 479, Medway, Maine 04460), a reasonably priced source for video rarities.

vii

Contents Acknowledgments vii Preface 1 Isaac Albéniz Johann Sebastian Bach Arnold Bax Ludwig van Beethoven Vincenzo Bellini Hector Berlioz Georges Bizet Johannes Brahms Anton Bruckner Frederic Chopin Aaron Copland Claude Debussy Frederick Delius Gaetano Donizetti George Gershwin Mikhail Glinka Charles Gounod Percy Grainger Edvard Grieg George Frideric Handel Franz Joseph Haydn Victor Herbert Bernard Herrmann Charles Ives

Scott Joplin Constant Lambert Franz Liszt Gustav Mahler Marin Marais Bohuslav Martinu Pietro Mascagni Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Modeste Mussorgsky Carl Nielsen Jacques O›enbach Ignace Jan Paderewski Niccolò Paganini Giovanni Battista Pergolesi Giacomo Puccini Henry Purcell Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov Sigmund Romberg Gioacchino Rossini Camille Saint-Saëns Pablo de Sarasate Erik Satie Franz Schubert

7 8 15 16 33 38 41 43 49 51 59 60 62 64 68 71 74 76 78 82 90 93 97 100

ix

103 105 107 121 130 133 134 135 151 153 154 158 161 172 173 178 179 184 185 191 192 192 195

x

Contents

Robert Schumann and Clara Schumann 201 Dmitri Shostakovich 208 Jean Sibelius 215 Bedrich Smetana 217 John Philip Sousa 218 Leopold Stokowski 222 Johann Strauss, Jr., and Johann Strauss, Sr. 0227

Richard Strauss Igor Stravinsky Arthur Sullivan Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky Giuseppe Verdi Heitor Villa-Lobos Antonio Vivaldi Richard Wagner Peter Warlock

Appendix A: Films about Fictional Composers 285 Appendix B: Composers on Series Television 291 Bibliography 295 Index 299

238 241 245 252 264 267 267 269 279

Preface “How can you hope to do justice to a man’s life in two hours?” he said dismissively. “Tchaikovsky condensed his whole life into the Symphonie Pathétique, he said so himself, and that runs for less than an hour.” “That is a work of art. Your film is commercial bombast,” he said, “devoid of fact…. You have denigrated a great Russian hero.” “Great heroes are the stuff of myth and legend, not facts.” Ken Russell in discussion with his Soviet guide at the Tchaikovsky Museum Altered States: The Autobiography of Ken Russell

Filmmaker Ken Russell identified the critical issue during his heated exchange about filmed biographies at Tchaikovsky’s home in Klin. Fact may be plain, dry and mundane, whereas legend is alluring and inspiring. How can these ingredients be blended into a dramatic presentation that remains essentially true to the life of the person it portrays? At what point does it cross the line and become distortion? Ever since Socrates attended a performance of Aristophenes’ play The Clouds in ancient Athens and stood in the audience to show how he was di›erent from the character of Socrates as portrayed on the stage, the question of dramatic authenticity has been discussed and debated. The Great Composers Portrayed on Film, ¡9¡3 through 2003 is the first in-depth attempt to study feature film portrayals of the life and times of the major figures of classical music. It will not only analyze the e›ectiveness and quality of the motion pic-

tures, but also study how accurately they depict the man and his music. The book will also separate myth from reality, a remarkably di‡cult task given the complexities of human nature, history and culture. In the case of Mozart, for example, most of the screen depictions are based on myth. For Beethoven, a number of key documents, including the Heiligenstadt Testament, the “immortal beloved” letter and his conversation books, have provided the basis for most of the films, and in the case of the letter, a mystery to be solved. On the other hand, film depictions of Franz Schubert are based on operettas that are largely fantasy. Richard Wagner, it has been said, practically transformed himself into a myth during his lifetime. Conversely, in the case of Dmitri Shostakovich, his character was transformed into a myth by the Soviet state during his lifetime, and his authentic personality and convictions came to light only after his death, in part

1

2

Preface

The authentic Shostakovich (left) with Ben Kingsley’s screen portrayal in Testimony.

through motion pictures such as Testimony and Rothschild’s Violin. In any case, this book will try to penetrate the veil between reality and myth. Motion pictures, however, not only inform but also entertain. A completely accurate film, such as Mozart: A Childhood Chronicle, can be a failure because it is static and tedious, while a fanciful and totally misleading picture such as Voices from a Locked Room, or even a bad one such as Magic Fire, can be delightfully entertaining. The Great Composers Portrayed on Film, ¡9¡3 through 2003 is intended to be a useful resource not only for educators and students, but also for the general public, for film lovers and music lovers alike. Readers will find it packed with useful information, anecdotes, film criticism and analysis. Biographical films (or biopics as they are frequently called) were among the earliest films at the very beginnings of cinema. The first screen depiction of a composer was quick-change artist Leopoldo Fregoli’s ¡898 short titled Maestri di Musica, in which he impersonated Giuseppe Verdi and others. The first legitimate fea-

ture length composer biopic is The Life of Richard Wagner (¡9¡3), and the latest film to be included is Eroica (2002), a BBC telefilm about Beethoven. For purposes of this study, I am concentrating on feature films (although I have included every silent film portrayal of composers due to their rarity and historical interest). I have interpreted “feature films” quite broadly, however, including works as short as 52 minutes in order to include the brief films produced by David Devine known as the “Composers Specials Series.” Foreign films are included as well in this study. I have also interpreted the term “classical composers” as widely as possible, including any composer who intended his works to be performed in a concert hall or opera house stage, including Scott Joplin and Sigmund Romberg. Perhaps the only composer I considered who failed to make the cut was Stephen Foster, who basically limited himself to writing popular songs. A final qualification was that the film had to be a dramatization. Biographical films can fall into several di›erent categories. First there is the traditional biopic,

Preface

such as The Story of Gilbert and Sullivan or Song Without End about Franz Liszt. Then there are docudramas, productions which blend dramatization with elements of the straight documentary, such as Battle for Music, To Live I Must Die or A Good Dissonance Like a Man. Faux biographies are films with scripts that are totally fictionalized, such as the ¡937 MGM version of The Great Waltz or La Valse de Paris. Most of the films I researched for the book could be classified as traditional, but often with a moderate degree of fictionalization. Besides biopics, there are a number of di›erent genres considered in which composers appear, including historical pictures (Suez), adventure (Song of Scheherazade), romance (Moonlight Sonata), musicals (Moulin Rouge), fantasies (Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure), comedies (Adventures of Picasso), children’s films (Beethoven Lives Upstairs) and even horror (Phantom of the Opera). Straightforward documentaries are included in a special listing at the end of each chapter. Using this criteria, sixty-four composers are covered in sixty-two entries (since Robert and Clara Schumann, as well as Johann Strauss, Sr., and Johann Strauss, Jr., father and son, share their chapters). It may be surprising that some well-known composers, such as Carl Maria von Weber, Ottorino Respighi, Alexander Scriabin and Bela Bartok are absent, but no films could be identified that included them. A number of other major figures such as Felix Mendelssohn, Maurice Ravel and Sergei Rachmanino› appear only in passing cameos in chapters about other composers. It is puzzling why certain composers have been overlooked in feature films. On the other hand, a few lesser-known composers, such as Arnold Bax, Marin Marais and Bohuslav Martinu, wind up with their own chapters. The best-known composers are not always the ones who are selected to appear in films. In the ultimate irony, the

3

only composer portrayal to win an Academy Award for best actor was F. Murray Abraham in the role of Antonio Salieri, a truly second-rate composer. The layout of the book is simple. The entries are arranged alphabetically by the composer’s last name. Each may cover from one to thirty one films. These titles are arranged in chronological order at the start of each entry, together with the names of the actor playing the composer. After a brief profile of each composer, the films are analyzed in terms of importance, style, factual accuracy and overall approach. In some cases the film may be a full-fledged biopic. In others, the composer may make only a fleeting appearance. Some films will appear in several di›erent entries. For example, Song Without End, the Liszt biopic, is also covered under Chopin and Wagner, with each composer’s appearance highlighted in the appropriate entry. The films are judged for overall quality, appropriate use of the composer’s music and entertainment value. The success of each actor’s interpretation of the composer is also considered. As far as possible, all films were viewed by the author. In cases where the films were lost or simply unobtainable for viewing (as in the case of many foreign productions), secondary sources, such as critical reviews, were consulted. After the critiques, production credits are listed, including production company, cast, film composer and performers, writer, cinematographer, editor, producer and director, running time and original language if other than English. After the credits, a section titled “Noted Documentaries” is featured, which includes titles and running times of these works. These documentaries can be of any length, and a short commentary on them is included. If no documentaries can be identified for any composer, then this section is omitted. Two appendices complete the book. Appendix A examines films about fictitious composers.

4

Preface

Celebrated composer Erich Wolfgang Korngold (right) coaches Alan Badel to appear as a credible conductor for his performance as Wagner in Magic Fire.

Nine films are presented in which the leading character is a classical composer. The manner in which these characters are presented, occasionally mad, sometimes obsessed, but usually driven by a mysterious inner force that compels them to write music, can be meaningful. Like a distorted mirror image, these e›orts o›er additional insight into composer films as a whole. Appendix B looks at a variety of composer portrayals in miniseries and regular series television. Among the various directors who made composer films, two individuals are particularly prominent — Ken Russell and Tony Palmer. Both are British filmmakers who have a passionate love of music. They have produced operas on stage and made

traditional documentaries as well as feature films about composers. Since their work is essential to this book, a brief outline of their accomplishments would be useful. Ken Russell was born in Southampton, England, in ¡927. After serving in the merchant navy and the RAF, he worked as a ballet dancer, an actor and still photographer before launching his career as a filmmaker with the BBC in late ¡950s. His first composer project was a ¡96¡ documentary about Serge Prokofiev, titled Portrait of a Soviet Composer. The following year he completed a fifty-minute documentary about Sir Edward Elgar, which proved so popular that it launched his work into feature films. His first big-budget film was Billion Dollar Brain, a spy

Preface

thriller in the Harry Palmer spy film series starring Michael Caine. In subsequent years, he made additional documentaries for television about artists, dancers and composers, including Bela Bartok, Georges Delerue and Ralph Vaughn Williams. He also started making composer biopics, such as Song of Summer (¡968), his feature-length telefilm about Frederick Delius, which became an international sensation. Russell became famous for his flamboyance, creative imagination and audacious imagery, traits that particularly characterized his theatrical film work. Among his major features are Women in Love (¡969), The Devils (¡97¡), Savage Messiah (¡972), Tommy (¡975), Valentino (¡977), Altered States (¡980), Gothic (¡987) and Lair of the White Worm (¡988). His composer feature films include The Music Lovers (¡970), Mahler (¡974), Lisztomania (¡975) and later telefilms about Anton Bruckner and Sir Arnold Bax. His most recent project was a second film about Elgar titled Portrait of a Composer on a Bicycle (2002), with narration by Russell and featuring the music from the Enigma Variations. Tony Palmer has over a hundred films to his credit, and he largely specializes in music documentaries. After graduating from Cambridge, Palmer joined the BBC, serving as an apprentice to Ken Russell on his documentary Isadora Duncan in ¡966. He soon began making his own films, starting with The Art of Conducting with Sir Georg Solti. Palmer also worked as a music critic for The Observer, as a columnist for The Spectator and as an author of eight books, including All You Need Is Love, a history of American popular music which was also the basis of a seventeen-part television series. Palmer’s work has been recognized with over forty major international prizes, including ten medals at the New York Film and Television Festival. His topics of his documentaries have included actors (Peter Sellers and Richard Burton),

5

musicians (Maria Callas, Yehudi Menuhin and Renée Fleming) and celebrities (Liberace and Hugh He›ner). His composer profiles of Benjamin Britten, William Walton and Sergei Rachmanino› are renowned. Although many of his documentaries are outside the scope of this volume due to their less than feature length or nondramatized approach, they are highly recommended and worthwhile for readers to track down and watch whenever possible. Some of his other films about classical composers are Dvorak in Love (¡988), Hindemith — A Pilgrim’s Progress (¡989) and Symphony of Sorrowful Songs (¡993) about the Third Symphony by the contemporary Polish master Henryk Górecki. Many of Palmer’s works fall under the criteria for inclusion in the chapters on Berlioz, Brahms, Chopin, Handel, Puccini, Purcell, Shostakovich and Wagner. In fact, some of the best work reviewed in this book is by Tony Palmer. Hopefully, the caliber of his work and that of Ken Russell will inspire future filmmakers, particularly when they attempt screen portrayals of the great composers. Before concluding, a word about the spelling of composer names and titles. My very first position was as Music Librarian at the Paterson (New Jersey) Public Library, where I catalogued recordings for a consortium of fifty libraries. We adapted the ANSCR system which standardized composers’ names and their works. In some cases, the titles are those in the original foreign language, while at other times the English translation is favored. The system was based on the popular preference by the top three music guides to determine the most popular usage. I have retained this system for Great Composers on Screen, so among Puccini operas, for example, you will find Il Tabarro instead of The Cloak, but Girl of the Golden West instead of La Fanciulla del West. The house lights have started to dim, and the overture is about to begin.

Isaac Albéniz Screen depictions

passed through New York, Cuba and South America before his parents could track him down. As an adult, Albéniz retained his love of travel. Both films are reported to be fairly accurate in their portrayals. Serenata Española, however, was better distributed, and it was even marketed in the United States in a subtitled version that was titled Spanish Serenade.

• Pedro López Lagar in Albéniz (¡947) • Antonio Vico in Serenata Española (¡947)

Isaac Albéniz (¡860–¡909) was the first nationalist Spanish composer to win international recognition. A pupil of Franz Liszt, he toured the world as a virtuoso. His best-known compositions are for solo piano, such as Iberia, Catalonia, Rapsodia Cubana, Goyescas and his Serenata Española. He also composed operas, including Pepita Jiménez and Merlin, which was originally intended to be the first part of an operatic trilogy about King Arthur. His final composition, Navarra, was left unfinished at the time of his death and was completed by another famous Spanish composer, Enrique Granados (¡867–¡9¡6). Interestingly, two major productions were based on the life of Albéniz in ¡947, one in Argentina and the other in Spain. Based on critical reviews, the Argentinean film Albéniz is the better. In fact, it won the equivalent of the Academy Award in Argentina as the best film made in the country in ¡947. Both films are fairly accurate, concentrating on Albéniz the wanderer. In real life, Albéniz was a prodigy like Mozart, who started giving concerts at the age of four. As he grew older, Albéniz rebelled, frequently running away. When he was thirteen, he took o› and

Production Credits Albéniz (¡947) Argentina Sono Films Cast : Pedro López Lagar, Sabina Olmos, Marisa Regules, Pedro Aleandro, Amadeo Novoa, Mercedes Diaz, Eduardo Otero, Lilian Valmar, Adolfo Linvel, Pastora Soler, Eugenio Nigro, Berta Ortegosa, Vincente Climent and José Maria Gutiérrez. Music by Isaac Albéniz and Guillermo Cases; Written by Pedro Miguel Obligado; Cinematography by Antonio Merayo; Edited by Jorge Garate; Produced and directed by Luis César Amadori. Original language Spanish B&W ¡07 minutes. Serenata Espagñola (¡947) Colonial Cast: Antonio Vico, Maruchi Fresno, Julio Peña, Maria Martin, Ricardo Acero, Manuel Luna, Juanita Reina and Jesús Tordesillas. Music by Isaac Albéniz and Manuel L. Quiroga; Written by Juan de Orduña based on a story by Eduardo Marquina, Luis Marquina and Antonio Mas Guindal; Cinematography by Willy Goldberger; Directed by Juan de Orduña. Original language Spanish B&W ¡20 minutes.

7

8

Johann Sebastian Bach

Johann Sebastian Bach Screen depictions • Phillip Manning in Die Tänzerin von Sans Souci (¡932) • Eugen Klopfer in Friedemann Bach (¡94¡) • Vladimir Gardin (?) in Anton Ivanovich Gets Mad (¡94¡) • Gustav Leonhardt in Chronik der Anna Magdalena Bach (¡968) • Brian Cox in The Cantor of St. Thomas’s (¡984) • Robert Noble in Bill and Ted’s Bogus Journey (¡99¡) • Ted Dykstra in Bach’s Fight for Freedom (¡995)

Johann Sebastian Bach (¡685–¡750) is regarded as the culminating figure of the Baroque era and absolute master of the contrapuntal style. Critics assert that he anticipated the future direction, if not the style, that music would take for the next fifty years. Ironically, his own work fell out of favor during this period but was revived largely through the e›orts of Mendelssohn and his contemporaries. Since then, Bach’s reputation as one of the greatest composers has never been challenged. Bach saw himself as totally dedicated to the service of God, and his sacred works, including over three hundred church cantatas, together with his Mass in B minor, his Passion according to St. Matthew and his Christmas Oratorio, are at the heart of his creative output. His works for the organ form another prominent component of his music. His Toccata and Fugue in D Minor, his Passacaglia and Fugue in C Minor, his “Little” Fugue in G Minor, his chorale preludes and his Orgelbüchlein (Little Organ Book) are considered to be the finest works ever written for the instrument. Other major com-

positions include his six Brandenburg Concertos, four orchestral suites, numerous concertos for harpsichord, piano or violin, with the Concerto in D Minor for Two Violins being the crowning jewel. Bach’s solo keyboard music, such as his Chromatic Fantasy and Fugue, The Goldberg Variations and The Art of the Fugue are treasured by music lovers. Bach had numerous o›spring from his two marriages, and four of his sons became well-known composers: Wilhelm Friedemann Bach (¡7¡0–¡784), Carl Philipp Emanuel (C. P. E.) Bach (¡7¡4– ¡788), Johann Christoph Friedrich Bach (¡732–¡795) and Johann Christian Bach (¡735–¡782). American composer and humorist Peter Schickele invented the character P. D. Q. Bach as a parody, being the last and least talented of Bach’s children. With numerous recordings, concerts and compositions, including operas such as The Stoned Guest, Schickele’s caricature has proven to be enormously popular and durable, as well as being a most unusual tribute to the historic Johann Sebastian Bach. Although one of the greatest composers, Bach was considered too bland a figure to be featured in many motion pictures. A genuinely devout man, he traveled little and concentrated his activities on his family, his music and the duties of his various court and church positions. His first depiction is in a ¡932 German film about Barberina, a dancer at the court of Frederick the Great, King of Prussia, at Sans Souci, his palace in Potsdam. Titled Die Tänzerin von Sans Souci, the film stars Lil Dagover, the heroine of The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (¡9¡9) and Dr. Mabuse the Gambler (¡922). Bach appears briefly, portraying his May ¡747 visit to King Frederick II. Dr. Phillip

German poster art for Friedemann Bach with Gustav Gründgens.

10

Johann Sebastian Bach

Manning, not a professional actor, was reportedly hired because of his resemblance to the elder Bach. In real life, Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach held a position at Frederick’s court. Bach improvised a fugue for the king, who was himself an amateur flautist and composer of many works including over a hundred flute sonatas and four flute concertos that are given an occasional performance. Frederick composed a theme for Bach, who later wrote Das Musicalisches Opfer (A Musical O›ering) based on it. Friedemann Bach, a somewhat controversial film, was produced in ¡94¡ by the Nazi film industry, one of a series of biographical films on figures from German history such as scientist Robert Koch (¡939), writer Friederich Schiller (¡940) and sculptor Andreas Schlütter (¡942). By implication, these figures usually represent traditional German values embodied in Hitler’s regime. At least that was the subtle propaganda message intended by the Nazi overseeers of the film industry, as a balance to the blatantly anti–Semitic films such as Jew Süss (¡940). Wilhelm Friedemann Bach, however, fails to fit the pattern since he is portrayed as an utter failure. Therefore, it is Johann Sebastian Bach himself who represents the German ideal, but the film chooses not to focus on him since his religious nature is not an image with which the Nazis were comfortable. Another Nazi taint in the script is the malicious depiction of gypsies, seen as a corrupting influence upon German virtues. Eugen Klopfer plays Johann Sebastian Bach, who appears in several scenes early in the film. Klopfer is excellent in the role, strong willed, shrewd but compassionate, and his makeup and costume are first rate, making him the perfect screen image of the composer. In fact, the elder Bach is the first figure seen in the story, which seems to open in ¡747 or ¡748. Bach is playing the harpsichord, accompanied by two of his sons on adjoining keyboards, conducting a class for his music stu-

dents. Wilhelm Friedemann Bach is played by the superb actor Gustav Gründgens, familiar as the notorious head of the underworld in Fritz Lang’s M (¡93¡) and as Maximilien Robespierre in Danton (¡93¡), the first film banned by the Nazis when they came to power. He is simply known as Friedemann throughout the script. When Friedemann enters the music room, his father instantly gestures him to assume his place at the harpsichord. After completing the piece, Friedemann announces that he has resigned his position as church organist in Halle. The historical fact, however, is that Wilhelm Friedemann Bach was music director and organist in Halle from ¡747 to ¡764, not resigning until fourteen years after his father’s death. Bach tells his son that he is worried about him and his inconsistencies, saying that he is worried about his inability to stick with any position. He advises that a professional musician has to learn to work with patrons, boards and committees. Of course, Bach had his own battles with patrons and committees earlier in his own career. The next scene is dinner with the composer’s large family gathered together for the meal. A royal courier from Dresden interrupts the repast. The King of Saxony has requested that Bach travel to the court for a series of concerts. Bach declines and instead sends Friedemann as his surrogate. Again, this development makes no sense historically. Friedemann is portrayed as a stranger in Dresden, when he actually served as organist and music director at St. Sophia in the city for thirteen years, from ¡733 to ¡746. At the court, Friedemann wins a music contest with the composer Louis Marchand. The king praises him but warns him not to be a musical revolutionary but to stick with the style of his father. Friedemann is then persuaded by the leading ballerina to compose a whimsical ballet about nymphs, which is a great success, but it is criticized by some musicians as too frivo-

Johann Sebastian Bach

lous a work to be written by a son of Bach. He has a love a›air with the ballerina but believes his true love to be Antonia, one of his aristocratic students, and he promises her that in the future he will compose only works worthy of a Bach. This entire episode is pure fiction. In fact, the Marchand contest was with Johann Sebastian Bach, not Friedemann, and it occurred about thirty years earlier in ¡7¡7. In the next and final scene with Johann Sebastian Bach, Carl Philipp Emanuel is helping his father transcribe a musical score. He asks why his father always prefers Friedemann and why he himself is never recommended for a post. Bach replies that Friedemann has an unsettled nature and needs his support more, whereas C. P. E. has a stable nature and will always be able to find his own way. He then tells C. P. E. that he will be recommended to the court of Frederick the Great in Prussia. Bach then complains that his vision seems to be failing and he is having di‡culty completing his manuscript for The Art of the Fugue. He stands up and says, “I’m o› to give lessons at St. Thomas Church. I do not need my eyes there, only my ears, and they are still sound.” There are again inaccuracies in this scene. For example, C. P. E. Bach was appointed Kapellmeister for the Prussian court ten years earlier, in ¡740. Friedemann Bach, at the time of his father’s death in ¡750, held only two posts and appeared to be quite settled in his career. Bach did have failing eyesight during the last two years of his life, and in fact he was treated by the same doctor who cared for Handel and his loss of vision. Bach’s death is presented in a beautiful cinematic sequence. A hymn (Come, Sweet Death) is sung as the camera passes over the darkened music room, focusing on a manuscript with black ribbons on the harpsichord, then fading to a portrait of Bach draped in black and finally ending with a shot of the composer’s grave. It is

11

the most elegant and touching scene in the production, occurring exactly at the midpoint of the film. The remainder involves the decline of Friedemann, who is unable to procure another position due to his reputation as a musical iconoclast. He applies for a position as an organist at a church in Brunswick but is rejected because his composition at his audition is considered too advanced and strange. He is given a second audition and is accepted. However, he is forced to withdraw in disgrace when it is learned that he substituted one of his father’s compositions as his own. After this failure, his true love, Antonia, marries a wealthy nobleman but continues to try to help him. Friedemann comes to resent her obvious pity. Instead, he takes up with a roving band of gypsies. He forges musical manuscripts which he passes o› as authentic works of Johann Sebastian Bach to music dealers. He gets into a fight with a wealthy music collector who insults his father, calling him a “dusty old wig.” Friedemann is stabbed and mortally wounded, and his brother C. P. E is summoned to his bedside. As a last request, Friedemann asks his brother to play their father’s music on the harpsichord. He passes away peacefully as the film fades to black without any end credits. Friedemann appears to be middle aged in his deathbed scene, another distortion since the composer was seventy-four when he died in ¡784. The circumstances of Friedemann’s last years are basically true; he became somewhat of a vagabond before settling in Berlin. He earned money by occasional concerts, and he was still regarded as one of the finest keyboard artists in Germany. Many of his problems were due to alcoholism, but he did leave a wife and daughter when he died (not, however, stabbed in a fight). By shortening Friedemann’s life by twenty years, the screenplay basically eliminated his stable career before the age of fifty-five,

12

Johann Sebastian Bach

making him appear to be a complete failure. In fact, Friedemann would have been a failure as a composer if he had continued to try and compose in the baroque style of his father. Musical tastes had changed, and Bach’s other musical o›spring, Johann Christian and Carl Philipp Emanuel, had changed with the fashion to reflect the “style galant” of the late eighteenth century. If anything, Wilhelm Friedemann Bach was more advanced and occasionally experimental, foreshadowing the Romantic era with his intensely personal style. His shortcoming was that he was inconsistent, retreating to a more conventional manner, making his work seem capricious. The film provides a fine opportunity to hear many examples of his music, which can be impressive. The musical selections of Johann Sebastian Bach are also well chosen, but these familiar selections seem somewhat reserved and too dry in performance. Perhaps that was deliberate so as not to overwhelm the listener in comparison to the works of his son. Vladimir Gardin is credited with playing the role of “Composer Bach” in an o›beat Soviet musical comedy titled Anton Ivanovich Gets Mad. Gardin was one of the pioneers of Russian cinema, an influential director and the founder in ¡9¡9 of the first state cinema school. During the ¡940s, Gardin abandoned directing and concentrated on playing character roles in feature films. The credits, however, do not make it clear if the character is meant to represent Johann Sebastian Bach, one of his sons or even another composer with the same name. For the sake of completeness, however, I decided to include this wartime entry, which reportedly was a very popular film. Dimitri Kabelevsky, the noted Soviet composer, provided the music for the film’s soundtrack. Chronik der Anna Magdalena Bach (¡968) is a rather threadbare film, described by critics as largely a series of concert ex-

cerpts concentrating on Bach conducting and playing various ensembles, while an o›-camera voice reads letters and journals of Anna Magdalena Bach, the composer’s second wife, whom the widowed Bach married in ¡72¡. His first wife, Maria Barbara Bach, was the composer’s cousin. She died while Johann was called away to a spa in Carlsbad by his patron Prince Leopold. Maria Barbara was the mother of Wilhelm Friedemann and Carl Philipp Emanuel. Anna Magdalena Wilcken, daughter of the trumpeter in Bach’s court orchestra, was a singer and harpsichord player and is credited as being a nearly perfect wife to Johann Sebastian. She was the mother of Johann Christoph Friedrich and Johann Christian Bach. Many of the passages in her journals deal with the tragic illnesses of her children (Bach fathered over twenty children between his two wives), and many of the Bach children did not survive their childhood years. In the film, Johann Sebastian Bach is played by a musician, Gustav Leonhardt, well known as a specialist in baroque music. Another famous performer and Baroque specialist, Nikolaus Harnoncourt, plays the role of Prince Leopold. He also serves as conductor for much of the music heard in the film. The quality of the performances were praised by reviewers, but they questioned the static nature of the film which has been described as stagnant and repetitious. At least the information covered in the script is completely accurate, as it was derived from primary sources. The Cantor of St. Thomas’s is a British telefilm covering Bach’s years in his most famous position at the prestigious church in Leipzig, which he held from ¡722 until his death in ¡750. Reportedly, the film had only one showing, which was met with mixed notices, the main complaint being that the picture was tedious and poorly scripted. Most critics, however, highly praised Brian Cox’s performance as the

Johann Sebastian Bach

composer. Ironically, Cox’s very next role was as Hannibal Lector in the first screen portrayal of the serial killer in Manhunter (¡986). Johann Sebastian Bach appeared as window dressing, a sight gag for the comedy Bill and Ted’s Bogus Journey. Set in the future, the plot depicts a golden age for humanity due to the improbable e›orts of a pair of twentieth-century rock musicians, Bill and Ted. A malcontent from the future plans to undo the golden age by sending two robots back in time to eliminate Bill and Ted (the same plot device as The Terminator series). Bach appears in the very beginning, at a history class in the future. Bach arrives in a phone-booth time machine with Thomas A. Edison and other guest speakers from the past. Before he can begin his lecture, the villain appears with his two robots, takes the class hostage, and steals the time machine. Robert Noble, splendidly attired, makes a good appearance as Bach, but unfortunately the script gives him nothing to do, and he doesn’t utter a single line in the film. Bach’s Fight for Freedom, part of the highly regarded “Composers’ Specials Series,” is more substantial and fairly interesting, for both older children and adults. The setting is ¡7¡7, a critical year in Bach’s career, when he served as organist for Duke Wilhelm Ernst of Weimar. Frustrated in his attempts to be appointed Kapellmeister at the court, Bach was o›ered the Kapellmeister position at the court of Prince Leopold of Anhalt-Cöthen. Duke Wilhelm, however, didn’t want to release Bach from his employ and actually imprisoned the composer for three weeks. Bach’s Fight for Freedom dramatizes this incident, as seen through the eyes of Frederick, the twelve-year-old apprentice assigned to Bach when he requests an assistant. Ted Dykstra is refreshing as a dynamic Bach in his early thirties, enthusiastic about composing his own music and resentful of the stifling atmosphere of Duke Wilhelm’s

13

court at Weimar. He is continually told by the Kapellmeister to avoid composition and concentrate merely on performing the old, traditional hymns preferred by the duke in his chapel. Frederick quickly bonds with Bach, whose philosophy he admires more than that of his own father, Joseph, the duke’s valet, who wishes his son to follow in his footsteps. Frederick accompanies Bach when he sneaks away from the court to perform at a recital for Ernst August, the duke’s nephew, who is engaged to marry the sister of Prince Leopold of Anhalt-Cöthen. The duke is furious when he learns that Bach went to play at this event without his permission. Their relationship deteriorates further when he learns that Leopold has o›ered Bach a position. At home, Frederick continues to argue with his father, who always defends the duke no matter how unjust his behavior. When Bach is confined to his chambers, Joseph brings him his meals. He accuses Bach of trying to steal his son’s a›ection and tears apart the score that Bach was composing. “Now where’s your music?” he says in triumph. “You destroyed paper, that’s all,” Bach replies as he plays his new composition on the harpsichord. Bach then taps his head to show where his music is. The composer tells Joseph, “I could no more take your son than you could take my music.” Deeply moved, Joseph has a new respect for Bach, as well as for his own son, with whom he becomes reconciled. Later Joseph and his son confront the duke in an attempt to intercede on the composer’s behalf. Duke Wilhelm decides to release Bach, who takes his family and moves to Cöthen to assume his new position. There are many unforgettable moments in this teleplay. Bach’s recital for Prince Leopold is remarkable, a lively and sweeping reading that brings the Baroque style vividly to life. Young Frederick’s visit to the Bach home is quite memorable, with actress Tanya Posival quite good in the role of

14

Johann Sebastian Bach

Maria Barbara Bach. Friedemann and C. P. E. Bach are also depicted in this lively scene as children. The success of this film is principally due to Dykstra, whose performance as a passionate Bach is a tremendous contrast to the “dusty old wig” portrayed in other films.

Production Credits Die Tänzerin von Sans Souci (¡932) AKA Barberina Aafa Film Cast: Lil Dagover, Otto Gebühr as Frederick the Great, Tosa Valetti, Hans Stüwe, Bernhard Goetzke, Hans Junkerrmann, Hans Mierendor›, Phillip Manning and Leo Monosson. Music by Marc Roland and Johann Sebastian Bach; Written by Hans Behrendt and Fanny Carlsen; Cinematography by Friedl Behn-Grund; Produced and directed by Frederic Zelnik. Original language German B&W 86 minutes. Friedemann Bach (¡94¡) UFA Cast : Gustav Gründgens as Wilhelm Friedemann Bach, Eugen Klopfer as Johann Sebastian Bach, Wolfgang Liebeneiner as Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach, Leny Marenbach, Camilla Horn, Johannes Riemann, Lotte Koch, Gustav Knuth, Ernst Dernburg, Sabine Peters, Otto Wernicke, Werner Scharf, Annemarie Steinsieck, and Paul Bildt, with Lina Lossen as Anna Magdalena Bach. Music by Johann Sebastian Bach, Wilhelm Friedemann Bach and Mark Lothar; Written by Helmut Brandis, Ludwig Metzger and Eckart von Naso; Cinematography by Walter Pindter; Edited by Alexandra Anatra; Produced and directed by Traugott Müller. Original language German B&W ¡03 minutes. Anton Ivanovich Gets Mad (¡94¡) AKA Song of Spring Lenfilm Cast : Nikolai Konovalov, Lyumila Tselikovskaya, Pavel Kadochnikov, Sergei Martinson, Tatyana Kondrakova, Tatyana Glebova, Vladimir Gardin and Alexander Orlov. Music by Dimitri Kabelevsky; Written by Georgi Munblit and Yevgeni Petrov; Cinematography by Yevgeni Shapiro; Edited by Alexander Ivanovsky; Produced by Friedrich Ermler; Directed by Alexander Ivanovsky. Original language Russian B&W 80 minutes.

Chronik der Anna Magdalena Bach (¡968) Franz Seitz Film Productions Cast: Christiane Lang as Anna Magdalena Bach, Gustav Leonhardt, Andreas Pangris as Wilhelm Friedemann Bach, Paolo Carlini, Ernst Castelli, Joachim Wol›, Rainer Kirchner, Eckart Bruntjen, Walter Peters, Robert von Asperen, Katja Drewanz, Anja Fahrmann, Katherien Leonhardt and Nikolaus Harnoncourt. Music by Johann Sebastian Bach; Performed by Bernd Weickl, Berhard Wehle, Christa Degler, Karl-Heinz Klien (vocalists), Chorus and Ensembles conducted by Gustav Leonhardt and Nikolas Harnoncourt; Written by Danièle Huillet and Jean-Marie Straub; Cinematography by Giovanni Canfarelli, Saverio Diamante and Ugo Piccone; Edited by Danièle Huillet and Jean-Marie Straub; Produced by Gian Vittorio Baldi; Directed by JeanMarie Straub. Original language German B&W 94 minutes. Cantor of Saint Thomas’s (¡984) BBC Cast : Brian Cox, Simon Mulligan, Polly Hemingway and Michael Gough. Music by Johann Sebastian Bach; Written by Colin Nears; Produced and directed by Colin Nears. Color 90 minutes. Bill and Ted’s Bogus Journey (¡99¡) MGM Cast: Keanu Reeves, Alex Winter, George Carlin, William Sadler, Amy Stock-Poynton, Joss Ackland, Pam Grier, Jim Martin, Annette Azcuy, Sarah Trigger, Terry Finn, John Ehrin, Dan Forney, Chelcie Ross, Hal Landon Jr., Hal Landon Sr., Robert Noble and Tad Horino as Confucius. Music by David Newman; Written by Chris Matheson and Ed Solomon; Cinematography by Oliver Wood; Edited by David Finfer; Produced by Scott Kroopf; Directed by Peter Hewitt. Color 98 minutes. Bach’s Fight for Freedom (¡996) Devine Entertainment Cast: Ted Dykstra, Kyle Labine, Ian D. Clark, Rosemary Dunsmore, Kevin Jubinville, Ross Petty, Tanya Posival and Eric Peterson. Music by Johann Sebastian Bach; Music edited by Bernie Clayton and Walter Babiak; Performed by Slovak Philharmonic and Chorus conducted by Ondrej Lenard; Written by Raymond Storey based on a story by Richard Mozer and David Devine; Cinematography by David Perrault; Edited by Michael Pacek; Produced by Richard Mozer and David Devine; Directed by Stuart Gillard. Color 53 minutes.

Arnold Bax

Noted Documentaries • The Joy of Bach (¡978) Educational Video Network; 60 minutes • The Stations of Bach (¡990) Featuring James Buswell; PBS; 90 minutes • Bach: Famous Composers Series (¡996) Written, produced and directed by Malcolm Hossick; SKAN Productions; 37 minutes • BBC Great Composers: Bach (¡997) Narrated by Kenneth Branagh; BBC; 57 minutes • Bach Cello Suite No. 6—Six Gestures (¡997) A film by Patricia Rozema; Rhombus; 58 minutes • Bach: Serving God through Music (¡999) Featuring Jon Kimura Parker; Bravo; 30 minutes

The Joy of Bach is an outstanding effort covering the composer’s life and legacy. Noted actor Brian Blessed appears as Bach in several biographical sketches. Even more impressive is The Stations of Bach, a feature-length documentary hosted by violinist James Buswell, who visits many locations connected with the composer and

15

also includes comments by Bach experts such as Christian Wol› and Paula Sutter Fichtner. The musical selections are very well selected and well performed. Hossick’s series on the great composers provides concise overviews of their lives and careers. Although principally intended for older children, adults will also find the series interesting and informative. The BBC Great Composers series, narrated by Kenneth Branagh, is a more adult approach, occasionally dry, but brimming with detail and first-rate musical examples. Cellist Yo-Yo Ma made a series of films called Inspired by Bach including performances of Bach’s six Suites for Unaccompanied Cello, filled with fascinating visual images. The final entry, Six Gestures, is one of the best episodes. Actor Tom McCampus is also featured as Bach in the production. Jon Kimura Parker is not only a virtuoso pianist, but also a first-rate musicologist whose witty and urbane presentations about the great composers are unique treasures. Twelve titles from his series aired on the Bravo cable network between ¡999 and 2002, and many of them have also been released on video.

Arnold Bax Screen depictions • Ken Russell in The Secret Life of Sir Arnold Bax (¡992)

Arnold Bax (¡883–¡953) is unique among modern composers since he never held a musical post or ever appeared in public in a performing capacity. Upon his graduation from the Royal Academy of Music in London in ¡905, Bax devoted himself entirely to composition. He carved out

a niche for himself for his composition with a Celtic influence. Extremely prolific, Bax is best known for his twenty-two symphonic poems, including In the Fairy Hills, November Woods, Tintagel and The Garden of Fand. In addition he composed seven symphonies, a large body of songs, choral works, solo piano pieces and chamber music. The only film to portray Sir Arnold Bax is a relatively conventional biopic by Ken Russell. An occasional actor, Ken Russell decided to play the role of Bax himself,

16

Ludwig van Beethoven

since he was sixty-five years old and the film depicted the composer at the age of sixty-five. This is the only major part Russell ever played in his own films. The picture also marked the last screen appearance by Glenda Jackson, who shortly after making the film won a seat in Parliament and devoted herself to politics full time. Kenneth Colley appears in the picture as fellow composer John Ireland. The Secret Life of Sir Arnold Bax depicts the composer at a crossroads, having felt he lost his public. He revives his career in part by writing incidental music for films, composing the score for David Lean’s production of Oliver Twist (¡948) with Alec Guinness, Robert

Newton and Anthony Newley. One of the film’s highlights shows the composer sneaking into the movie theater to listen to his music during the end credits.

Production Credits The Secret Life of Sir Arnold Bax (¡992) Dreamgrange cast: Ken Russell, Glenda Jackson, Hetty Baynes, Alan Arthur, Maurice Bush, Melissa Docker, Maureen Murray and Kenneth Colley as John Ireland. Music by Arnold Bax; Written by Ken Russell; Cinematography by Robin Vidgeon; Edited by Xavier Russell; Produced by Maureen Murray; Directed by Ken Russell. Color 60 minutes.

Ludwig van Beethoven Screen depictions • Fritz Kortner in The Martyr of His Heart (¡9¡8) • Albert Steinrück in Lützows Wilde Verwegene Jagd (¡927) • Harry Baur in Un Grand Amour de Beethoven (¡936) • Auguste Bovério in Serenade (¡940) • Albert Basserman in Melody Master (¡94¡) • René Deltgen in Wen die Götter Lieben (¡942) • Memo Benassi in Rossini (¡943) • René Deltgen in The Mozart Story (¡948) • Ewald Balser in Eroica (¡949) • Erich von Stroheim in Napoleon (¡955) • Ewald Balser in Das Dreimäderlhaus (¡958) • Carl Bohm in The Magnificent Rebel (¡96¡) • Donatas Banionis in Beethoven–Tage aus einem Leben (¡976) • Wolfgang Reichmann in Beethoven’s Nephew (¡985)

• Cli›ord David in Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure (¡989) • Neil Munro in Beethoven Lives Upstairs (¡989) • Nikolai Pomenko in Anekdoty (¡990) • Vittorio Gassman in Rossini! Rossini! (¡99¡) • Tony Rohr in Not Mozart, Part 3: Letters, Riddles and Writs (¡99¡) • Gary Oldman and Leo Faulkner in Immortal Beloved (¡994) • Ian Hart in Eroica (2002)

To many music lovers, Ludwig van Beethoven (¡770–¡827) is music’s keystone figure, the man who brought the classical style to its apogee while heralding the start of the Romantic movement. Undoubtedly he transformed the music world to a greater degree than any other composer. He was also a tragic figure, becoming deaf while at the height of his powers at the beginning of the nineteenth century. He composed major works in almost all musical

Ludwig van Beethoven

forms which have become the apex of each genre : nine symphonies, sixteen string quartets, thirty-two piano sonatas, ten violin sonatas, five cello sonatas and eight concertos (five for piano, one for oboe, one for violin and a triple concerto for piano, violin and cello). His output also contains many additional chamber pieces (including the Archduke Trio), piano works (such as the Diabelli Variations), choral works (the Missa Solemnis, cantatas and the oratorio Christ on the Mount of Olives), ballet (The Creatures of Prometheus), incidental music (such as Goethe’s Egmont), a large number of marches, minuets and concert overtures, as well as an immense number of songs. Finally, as if to show that even the greatest composers have o› days, he also penned a number of clunkers such as his tawdry battle symphony Wellington’s Victory, the cantata The Glorious Moment and the dreadful Germania! for bass soloist, chorus and orchestra. Feature films including Beethoven generally fall into two categories: cameos, usually in films about Napoleon Bonaparte or composers such as Schubert, Mozart or Rossini, and regular biopics. The later productions seem to focus principally on the identity of Beethoven’s “immortal beloved” and his battle with deafness. A few cover his tempestuous guardianship of his nephew Karl. Almost all open with the composer’s death, and then tell their story in one or more flashbacks. His struggle to gain recognition for his music, the paramount attribute of most composer films, is a comparatively minor feature in these e›orts. His music is portrayed as assertive, fresh and dynamic, and easily recognized by listeners as the work of a genius. Beethoven’s personality is also depicted as larger than life, and in a sense he became an archetype for the figure of the “heroic artist” in the age of Romanticism. It has even been suggested that major literary characters of the Romantic movement, such as Heathcli› in

17

Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights, were patterned to an extent after Beethoven. Since the concept of “tragic love” is a characteristic feature of the archetype, both writers and filmmakers are naturally drawn to the identity of Beethoven’s unknown love. After his death, a letter was found in a secret drawer of his desk. The ardent letter, addressed to his “immortal beloved,” is quite passionate and intense. But since the letter was in Beethoven’s possession, it is also likely that it was never sent. For years, Beethoven scholars have debated to whom this letter was written. Numerous candidates have been proposed by music historians drawing from the many women of Beethoven’s acquaintance, including four countesses, Giulietta Guiccardi, Therese Brunswick, Josephine Deym and Marie Erdody. Other names proposed include Amlie Sebald, Therese Malfatti, Dorothea von Ertmann, Magdalena Willmann, Betina von Arnim and Antonie Brentano (the leading contender in recent speculation). The most popular theory proposes that the letter was written in ¡8¡2. In any case, the controversy over this letter and the identity of the “immortal beloved” has come to overshadow many of the other events of the composer’s life. Another document written by Beethoven in ¡802 also had a great impact on how the composer is portrayed. This is the “Heiligenstadt Testament,” a letter addressed to his brothers, in which the composer describes the agony of his increasing deafness. Some have interpreted this as a suicide note, but it was also never sent. Simply expressing his deepest thoughts had a therapeutic e›ect for the troubled composer. The biopics have a tendency to concentrate on the identical group of musical selections: the second movement of the Eighth Piano Sonata “Pathétique,” the opening movement of the Fourteenth Piano Sonata “Moonlight,” the opening movement of the Fifth Symphony, the storm passage

18

Ludwig van Beethoven

from the Sixth Symphony “Pastoral” and the second movement of the Seventh Symphony. The “Ode to Joy” melody from the Ninth Symphony “Choral” manages to make an appearance as well, but seldom the same passage. Oddly enough, there is less consistent reliance on the Third Symphony “Eroica.” The earliest of the cameo films is Lützows Wilde Verwegene Jagd by filmmaker Richard Oswald, a film giant who has yet to receive his proper due. This is a silent drama set in Vienna in ¡8¡3 after Napoleon’s retreat from Russia. Poet Theodore Koerner leaves his love, actress Toni Adamberger, to fight with the Lützow battalion against the French. Desperate, Toni seeks him out and finds him dying on the battlefield. This film includes cameos of various historical figures, including Beethoven, Goethe and Napoleon. Beethoven makes an appearance in two other films featuring Napoleon. The first is Sascha Guitry’s elaborate but awkward ¡955 biopic Napoleon. Erich von Stroheim plays Beethoven in one of the last roles of his career. He is present in only one scene, entertaining the Austrian court in ¡8¡0. The camera focuses on him full face as he plays the Appassionata Sonata. Princess MarieLouise has a temper tantrum regarding the gift of a small portrait of Napoleon. She is then informed that a marriage contract has been drawn, and she will become empress of France. Calming down, she looks again at the portrait, this time with fascination. Observing this, Beethoven starts to improvise on themes from the last movement of his Eroica Symphony. In most prints, the scene fades out except for the sound of Beethoven’s playing which continues as the camera switches to a scene of Napoleon traveling in a coach. In the original script and other prints, however, a diplomat approaches Beethoven and questions if the composer originally dedicated this piece to Napoleon. “Ah yes,” he replied, “But then

I crossed out his name. I wrote Eroica — Symphony for a Great Man. Like that, we can guess that it’s for him. It’s best that way.” Even though Napoleon’s name was removed from the dedication, this interpretation suggests that Beethoven remained sympathetic to the French emperor. In fact, after Napoleon’s death in ¡82¡, Beethoven said that the “Funeral March” from his Eroica Symphony had foreshadowed this event. Stroheim does not look very well in his short scene, and it is no more than a perfunctory appearance. Beethoven and Napoleon are both in the sophomoric but amusing time-travel comedy Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure. Unfortunately, the writers miss an opportunity by not having them interact. Bill and Ted are two teenage nerds who are contacted by scientists from the future who seek to help them pass their high school history course. They are given a time machine that looks like a phone booth. Bill and Ted decide to abduct famous characters from history for their “show and tell” history class project. They gather together a diverse group including Socrates, Abraham Lincoln, Genghis Khan, Billy the Kid, Sigmund Freud, Napoleon and Beethoven. The numerous jokes are neither subtle nor clever, and there are few, if any, genuine historical insights tossed into the mix. Beethoven’s deafness, for example, is totally ignored. Bill and Ted whisk him away from a salon recital in Kassel, Germany, in ¡8¡0, just after he finishes playing Für Elise on the piano. In modern times, Beethoven is taken to a shopping mall, where he learns about rock and other contemporary styles while sight reading sheet music on two electric organs simultaneously. When Beethoven is presented to the high school class, Ted says the composer’s favorite musical selections are Mozart’s Requiem, Handel’s Messiah and the songs of Bon Jovi. Cli›ord David brings zest but little perception to his shallow impersonation of the composer.

Ludwig van Beethoven

There are three Schubert biopics in which Beethoven is depicted. Das Dreimäderlhaus is actually a German operetta. Beethoven appears in three scenes, the first one actually opening the picture as Beethoven appears as the soloist at a concert performing his Fifth Piano Concerto “Emperor.” Ewald Balser, star of the biopic Eroica, is excellent in this cameo. Physically, he makes an impressive Beethoven. Balser has no lines but his facial expressions as the camera pans in on him subtly suggest his di‡culty in hearing his own playing. In the second scene, Balser portrays the composer on one of his traditional walks. In his head, he is composing the Egmont Overture and completely oblivious to those around him. In the third scene, he is conducting a rehearsal of Fidelio. He closes his eyes, lost in the music, unaware that the orchestra has broken down and stopped playing. He suddenly opens his eyes and notices that the orchestra members are staring at him in disbelief. He muttered that his conducting career has come to an end, as everyone in the rehearsal realizes that he is now totally deaf. He hands the baton over to the concertmaster, leaving the opera house. As he proceeds down the street, he has a look of both sorrow and resignation. In Melody Master, veteran character actor Albert Basserman plays an eccentric and rather mercurial Beethoven. Ilona Massey, as Anna, a Hungarian girl in love with Schubert, visits Beethoven’s apartment with the manuscript of a Schubert symphony. She finds his door ajar and a pot bubbling away on his stove. She removes it from the heat, and, as she turns, bumps into Beethoven, who says, “An unwatched pot always boils.” Basserman’s Beethoven is playful, continually teasing Massey. Using an ear trumpet, he continually prompts her to speak up, then when she shouts, he sputters, “I’m not deaf, you know.” After some banter, she presents

19

him with the musical manuscript. Beethoven at first declines to look at it. Massey speaks resentfully to him while his back is turned, and he mutters (more to the film audience than to her), “Lucky for you I am deaf.” He then pages through the music score, and the soundtrack plays the opening of Schubert’s Unfinished Symphony. When he concludes his examination, Beethoven demands the third movement. “That’s all there is,” she replies. “He must finish it!” Beethoven declares that the composer is a genius and asks, “Why hasn’t he come himself to see me?” After Beethoven learns that the shy young man is unaware that he has seen the manuscript, he forbids Massey to let him know that he has seen it until the work is finished. Then he wants to surprise him personally and shake his hand in congratulation. Massey joyfully kisses Beethoven, thanking him for his appraisal. Serenade, a French film released in Paris about a month before the downfall of France in World War II, contains a brief Beethoven cameo by Auguste Bovério. Naturally, this film disappeared in the chaos that followed, and when the Vichy regime was created, the film was banned. In real life, Beethoven was aware of Schubert’s music, according to notations in his conversation book. He and Schubert did meet, and the younger man reportedly visited Beethoven during his last illness. Schubert was also a torchbearer at Beethoven’s funeral. In regard to Mozart, Beethoven is included in Wen die Götter Lieben, an Austrian film made during the Nazi era. The production itself seemed untainted by Nazi ideology. After the war, most of the footage was recut under the title The Mozart Story and dubbed for English-speaking audiences. New scenes were added featuring Haydn and Salieri to provide a spoken bridge between the various scenes of the original film. The Beethoven sequence, featuring René Deltgen, appears intact in

20

Ludwig van Beethoven

both films, except dubbed into English for The Mozart Story. Beethoven appears unexpectedly at Mozart’s door, and the weary composer agrees to meet him. He asks Beethoven to play one of his compositions at the piano, and Beethoven plays a short mélange of themes from works composed many years later, such as the Moonlight Sonata. Mozart is very impressed and compliments Beethoven on his bold new approach. He warns him, however, that he will have to fight to get his music accepted. The scene is interesting, although it has several flaws. René Deltgen appears far too mature to play Beethoven here, since the composer was only seventeen years old when he met Mozart in ¡787. In real life, Mozart actually agreed to give Beethoven lessons and predicted that one day his pupil would “astound the world.” However, Beethoven’s mother fell seriously ill shortly thereafter, and Beethoven returned to his home in Germany. By the time he reappeared in Vienna, Mozart had died. The ¡99¡ anthology film Not Mozart also includes a Beethoven portrayal in the third of the six parts, titled Letters, Riddles and Writs. The setting is the celestial Composer’s Hall of Fame, as the busts of Beethoven and Haydn come to life and wonder why there has been a delay in Mozart’s induction into the Hall of the Immortals. The two composers share their reminiscences of Mozart and his music, and in a vision they visit the composer on his deathbed. Beethoven laments how hard Mozart had to struggle to earn his living, and Haydn replied that only Beethoven alone would be able to make the aristocracy pay a composer what he is worth. At the conclusion, Mozart’s bust joins Beethoven and Haydn in their place of honor in the afterlife. Finally, Beethoven is portrayed in two Rossini films. One of them, Rossini! Rossini! was intended for a major release in America, but the production met numer-

ous delays and finally fell between the cracks in terms of distribution. It was finally released only sporadically in several European markets. A video release had been promised but has not yet appeared. The other film was one of the last releases by the Italian film industry before the fall of Mussolini in ¡943. Il Duce was later rescued and propped up in a puppet state in northern Italy by the Nazis. In any case, Rossini was apolitical and was a rather well-done e›ort. The Beethoven segment is five minutes long, and in fact it is the finest cameo of them all. Set in ¡822, Rossini is escorted to Beethoven’s dark and gloomy apartment during a stormy night. The second movement from Beethoven’s Seventh Symphony is used as background music for the sequence. The cinematography is magnificent, shot entirely in shadows and half-light. Memo Benassi plays a somber, pensive, almost mystical figure. His chambers are dimly lit by a few candles and cluttered with manuscripts. A black cat is shown slinking away in the darkness as his housekeeper pours the composer a cup of tea. He waves her away, then rises to warmly shake Rossini’s hand, expressing his pleasure with his opera, The Barber of Seville, as the finest example of comic opera. Rossini asks if he knows his serious works, such as the operas Moses or Otello. Rossini reverently expresses his admiration to Beethoven, but the elderly composer points to his ear, signaling that he does not understand him. Rossini’s companion goes to Beethoven’s bookshelves and locates the scores of the two operas. He hands them to Beethoven. “Yes, I have read them, but you are better with mirthful music. Your every harmony is an expression of joy.” Beethoven suggests that he does not understand tragedy. As Rossini leaves, he tells Beethoven that he is a genius. His companion writes down his words for the composer. In reply, Beethoven sighs that he is an unhappy man. With this poignant line,

Ludwig van Beethoven

the camera shifts to the windows as the rain pours down and the scene slowly fades out. Turning to Beethoven biopics, the first actor to play Beethoven on screen was Fritz Kortner, a noted Viennese playwright, director and character actor who starred in a number of biographical dramas such as Dreyfus (¡930) and Danton (¡93¡). He also wrote the screenplay for his first American film, an alternate history drama, The Strange Death of Adolf Hitler (¡943). The Martyr of His Heart was his third screen appearance. The film, produced by Sascha, the leading Austrian film studio, debuted in August, ¡9¡6, and it is arranged in five acts, or “movements,” each portraying Beethoven at a di›erent point in his life, starting in Bonn in ¡790 up to his death in ¡827. Franz Joseph Haydn and Franz Schubert appear in cameos in the film as well. Events are fictionalized somewhat as the film focuses on the character of Baron Trautenfels as the villain of the story, continually attempting to thwart Beethoven. The baron manages to interfere in the composer’s love a›airs, including Anna, the daughter of an innkeeper, Countess Giulietta Guiccardi and Countess Therese Brunswick. Later Baron Trautenfels causes trouble by taking advantage of Beethoven’s nephew, Karl. The young man incurs heavy gambling debts to the baron, who drives him to attempt suicide. Filmographies occasionally list Kortner as starring in a film simply titled Beethoven in ¡927; however, no additional information seems to be available about this film, and it is probably a revival or reworking of The Martyr of His Heart. Once considered lost, a copy of The Martyr of His Heart was eventually located in Brazil, and the picture was reconstructed and revived in ¡996 with a soundtrack designed by Lynne Straub. The brilliant and innovative French filmmaker, Abel Gance, decided to make a film about Beethoven in the ¡930s. An ear-

21

lier Gance film, La Dixième Symphonie (¡9¡8) was a melodrama about a composer, Fred Ryce, who was obsessed with writing one symphony more than his idol, Beethoven. Un Grand Amour de Beethoven is a fascinating film with some magnificent moments, but it is also an uneven work with a number of awkward sequences. It becomes almost humorous at times, whenever Beethoven faces a crisis, to hear the opening notes of the Fifth Symphony blaze forth on the soundtrack. This is not really a biographical portrait of the composer, but a series of impressionistic vignettes, some based on historical events but others completely imaginary. At times, the picture dissolves into a montage of briefly seen images such as fragments of a musical score or scenery. The opening scene illustrates this. Beethoven is passing in the street, when he hears a commotion coming from a ground floor apartment. He peeks in and sees a mother lamenting her daughter who has just died in her bed. Beethoven enters the apartment, takes o› his coat and hat and sits at the piano. He plays the second movement of his Eighth Piano Sonata “Pathétique.” The mother stops crying, and images of her daughter, alive, appear on screen. These are her memories, inspired by Beethoven’s music. When the movement is finished, Beethoven quietly puts his coat back on and leaves, while the mother thanks him for his kind gesture. The only flaw in the scene is that the soundtrack switches to an orchestral arrangement of the music rather than leaving it as a piano solo, which would have been more e›ective. Harry Baur, sensational as Jean Valjean in Les Miserables (¡934) and as the mad monk in Rasputin (¡938), seems miscast in the opening scenes of the film, being too old and unconvincing to portray Beethoven at the age of thirty. He grows into the part, however, as Beethoven enters

22

Ludwig van Beethoven

middle age. Baur later provides a few unexpected surprises in his performance as well, such as when he sings a fragment of a Beethoven song quite movingly. As the title indicates, Beethoven’s frustrations in love form the core of the largely fictitious screenplay. The superficial Countess Giulietta Guiccardi is portrayed as Beethoven’s “immortal beloved,” whereas Countess Therese Brunswick is seen as being genuinely devoted to the composer, who instead pines for the mercurial Giulietta. One of the film’s finest moments occurs early in the film, in which Giulietta visits Beethoven for a piano lesson. She asks the composer to improvise on the piano while she breaks the news that she is ending their engagement. On the spot, Beethoven composes the opening movement of the Moonlight Sonata (which in fact is dedicated to the historical Giulietta Guiccardi). Baur is excellent, managing to hide his crushed feelings from Giulietta but not from the film audience. Beethoven’s increasing deafness is also well presented in the story. Gance makes innovative use of sound to contrast Beethoven’s reduced hearing with the normal hearing of those around him. Another highlight of the film is when Beethoven moves to a creaky, abandoned mill, reminiscent of the setting of the climax of Frankenstein (¡93¡). There, Beethoven writes out the Heiligenstadt Testament, expressing his despair over his loss of his hearing. Later, during a thunderstorm, his hearing is temporarily restored, and he apparently composes his Sixth Symphony “Pastoral” in appreciation. In fact, Beethoven was working on his Second Symphony at the time of the Heiligenstadt Testament; however, in terms of the combination of the visuals and the music, the scene is unparalleled, foreshadowing not only Fantasia (¡940) but also the concept of music videos. Beethoven comes to terms with his condition, but he undertakes a curious re-

venge on Giulietta, locking himself in the loft of the cathedral during her marriage ceremony and performing a dirge on the organ instead of a wedding march. Later, Beethoven announces his engagement to the faithful Therese but keeps putting o› the wedding date, and years pass. Just before the marriage, the fickle Giulietta leaves her husband and visits Beethoven, hoping to reignite their romance. Her ploy works at first, and Beethoven is overjoyed. He writes the “immortal beloved” letter to give to Giulietta. Therese, however, discovers the letter, and sheepishly Beethoven pretends he has written it for her. Therese takes the letter, and when she encounters Giulietta, she triumphantly shows it to her rival to demonstrate how much Beethoven loves her. Reading the letter, Giulietta is shattered and decides not to pursue Beethoven. At the end, the composer cancels his wedding to Therese. So deftly Gance transforms the “immortal beloved” letter into a tragic farce, with only Beethoven knowing to whom the letter was actually composed. Beethoven encounters Giulietta on two later occasions. In ¡8¡3, he runs into her and her young daughter at his publisher’s. The composer is now totally deaf, and he is unable to respond to her comments. He merely introduces Giulietta to his nephew Karl, who is about the same age as her own daughter. The screenplay then jumps to ¡827. Beethoven is dying, largely abandoned by Karl, who is presented as a wastrel. Giulietta, herself now destitute, lives near Beethoven’s lodgings and takes up an a›air with Karl, so she can hear news about Beethoven. When she learns the composer is dying, she stands outside his quarters in a blizzard and shrieks, “Ludwig!” The dying composer somehow senses she is there and seems to respond. He screams as a clap of thunder peals. The composer’s last moments are intercut with a concert of his Fifth Symphony. When he

Ludwig van Beethoven

mutters in bed, “The comedy is over. Applaud,” it is followed by a shot of an ovation at the concert hall. Gance’s merging of sound and image is remarkable during the last sequence, including snatches on the soundtrack of the Fifth Symphony, the Egmont Overture and a song arrangement of the opening movement of the Moonlight Sonata. After Beethoven dies, his eyes are forced closed, and a close-up of his face fills the screen as the “Ode to Joy” from the Ninth Symphony accompanies the abbreviated end credits. In spite of the film’s obvious power and moments of genius, Un Grand Amour de Beethoven is ultimately weakened by the focus on Giulietta. The interpretation becomes a prism which distorts rather than o›ers insights into the life and times of Beethoven. The ¡949 Austrian film Eroica had limited distribution after its initial release, which is unfortunate because many reviews acclaimed Ewald Balser’s interpretation of Beethoven, particularly in his scenes with Oscar Werner, appearing in one of his earliest films as the nephew Karl. Judging by the e›ectiveness of Balser’s cameo in Das Dreimäderlhaus, he undoubtedly had a powerful conception of Beethoven in Eroica. The principal elements of the film concentrated on the composer’s battle with deafness and his increasing isolation. The ¡976 East German film, Beethoven—Tage aus einem Leben, received little distribution outside the Iron Curtain countries except for Finland. Donatas Banionis, who played Beethoven, was one of the most popular actors from Lithuania during this period, principally in Russian films. The Magnificent Rebel, one of the most unusual Disney projects, is more sophisticated than his usual productions, but it also contains a certain amount of hokum that prevents the film from being genuinely first rate. The Magnificent Rebel was released theatrically in Europe but debuted

23

as a two-part episode on Walt Disney Presents on American television. Briefly, the plot follows Beethoven from ¡792 through ¡824, concentrating on his failed romance with Giulietta Guiccardi, his struggle to compose his music, his battle with deafness and his eventual acceptance of his condition. Beethoven is played excellently by Carl Bohm, who had recently played Schubert in Das Dreimäderlhaus. Bohm is the son of conductor Karl Bohm, one of the leading conductors of the twentieth century. So Bohm is completely convincing during scenes in which he conducts or plays the piano. Being a younger actor at the time this film was made, Bohm is completely successful in portraying Beethoven at age twenty-two in the opening scenes. Then, with superb makeup, he is aged quite e›ectively for the composer’s middle and later years. The script ignores the “immortal beloved” episode and eliminates nephew Karl entirely. It is uneven, however, and scrambles facts indiscriminately. For example, the very first minute of the picture contains a number of errors. The year is given as ¡792, and Beethoven tells another passenger in his coach that he is making his first visit to Vienna. This is incorrect, because Beethoven was in Vienna in ¡787, when he was briefly a pupil of Mozart. Then the narrator claims that France is looking to Napoleon for leadership. Again, this is false, since Napoleon was an unknown o‡cer in ¡792 who didn’t distinguish himself until the siege of Toulon in December, ¡793. Other errors abound. While taking a walk in the country, Beethoven sits down under a tree and starts to jot down some music using a modern pen, a clear anachronism. However, the film is scrupulous about using pianos of the proper era and organs that require pumping. Beethoven is depicted as actively hostile to the aristocracy, which is somewhat misleading. The composer readily accepted

24

Ludwig van Beethoven

their patronage, but he demanded that he be treated as an equal, if not a superior, due to his status as an artist. Beethoven’s deafness is first noticed at the debut of his Fifth Piano Concerto “Emperor,” which was composed in ¡809, almost ten years after his hearing problems first arose. Then Beethoven is depicted as being unable to conduct the debut of Fidelio due to his deafness, yet in ¡806, the composer successfully performed as a conductor in leading the revised version of the opera, which initially debuted one year earlier. Even more confusing, the film substitutes the Fifth Symphony for the successful ¡800 concert at which Beethoven debuted his First Symphony. Toward the end of his career, Beethoven is depicted as composing his hymn “Der Ehre Gottes in der Natur” (“The Worship of God in Nature”), while walking with a young blind boy who helps him accept his disability (one of the artificial and corny scenes). However this composition was actually written many years earlier, in ¡803. In spite of these numerous inaccuracies, The Magnificent Rebel has many unforgettable moments, as well as exceptional cinematography, fine acting by all the players, wonderful art direction and excellent musical excerpts, such as when Beethoven improvises the opening of the Fifth Symphony on the piano when his landlord knocks at his door or when he and Giulietta play his Turkish March from The Ruins of Athens arranged for piano, four hands. The two concert sequences are simply breathtaking and are the highlights of the film. The first is the concert performance of the Fifth Symphony, brilliantly filmed and edited, and includes a generous portion of the symphony. For example, the opening few minutes of the symphony are heard complete. The camera then cuts away to Giulietta and her father passing by in a carriage. Forbidden by her father to attend, Giulietta stares longingly at the con-

cert hall as a fragment of the second movement is heard. When the camera returns to the hall, the bridge passage leading from the third to the fourth movement is played. The last movement is heavily edited, but it is intelligently cut. The concert scene lasts almost a full eight minutes, a remarkable length in a feature film. The Magnificent Rebel concludes with a fairly accurate recreation of the premiere of the Ninth Symphony on May 7, ¡824. One notable error, however, is the depiction of Prince Carl Lichnowsky as sponsoring the concert. Lichnowsky, one of Beethoven’s most dedicated patrons, died in ¡8¡4. The length of this scene is also eight minutes, but the editing of the music is less skillful. The first three movements of the piece are ignored, making it seem that the symphony opens with the fourth movement. As described by eyewitnesses of the actual concert, Beethoven stands to the right of the conductor, score in hand, following the music. Although stone deaf at this point, the composer was able nevertheless to feel the vibrations of the massed instruments, particularly the percussion. Bohm manages to convey this with his facial expressions and gestures. The entire sequence is very poignant, especially when Beethoven is turned to witness and acknowledge the enthusiastic reaction of the audience. The debut of the Ninth Symphony is repeated in the remaining Beethoven features, but none more accurately or impressively than in The Magnificent Rebel. Beethoven’s Nephew is a rather bleak film, concentrating as it does on the composer’s obsessive relationship with his nephew Karl, when he served as his guardian beginning in ¡8¡5. Except for a brief flashback to that year, most of the picture focuses on the last five years of the composer’s life, when after years of litigation with Johanna, the boy’s mother, Beethoven’s custody is confirmed. Although

Ludwig van Beethoven

based on a novel, most of the events in the film are fairly close to the historical record. The principal flaw is that events are too often telescoped together, so that it appears that Karl’s suicide attempt occurs a few days after the premiere of the Ninth Symphony in May ¡824, when in actuality it occurred over two years later in July ¡826. The film suggests that Karl brought on his uncle’s death after he caught a chill in a December carriage trip to Vienna. The film portrays Beethoven as dying immediately afterward. The actual record is somewhat di›erent. Beethoven recovered from his chill but then had a relapse somewhat later which brought on jaundice and dropsy, and most historians blame Beethoven’s death on cirrhosis of the liver. Despite the actual cause of the composer’s death, it is clear that he was an oppressive guardian to Karl, sometimes brutally strict, at other times doting and sentimental. Any child raised under these circumstances from the age of nine would undoubtedly be scarred for life. Karl felt persecuted by his uncle, and after the suicide attempt, Beethoven aged dramatically as he realized how he had failed in his relationship with his nephew. Wolfgang Reichmann is admirable and convincing as the dark, driven and most unpleasant Beethoven. He instinctively knows how to control the nuances of his performance, particularly when to relent and show the composer’s softer side. When Uncle Ludwig catches Karl fornicating with the maid while visiting Countess Erdody, his anger passes quickly. He doesn’t carry on raging and bellowing but confesses to Karl that he was just like him at his age when he picked up the venereal infection that resulted in his deafness. Karl, played with appropriate hardness by Dietmar Prinz, looks at his uncle with rare compassion after this admission. Many viewers might find Beethoven’s Nephew di‡cult to watch, since Reichmann’s Bee-

25

thoven and Prinz’s Karl are both rather unlikable. Nathalie Baye, Karl’s actress girlfriend Lenore, is the only character to show true humanity. When Beethoven comes to appeal to her to give up Karl, she is greatly moved by his plea, especially when he tells her that Karl means far more to him than even his music. She writes a note in the composer’s book, but the message is never shared with the audience. Instead, she quietly leaves, acceding to Beethoven’s request. There are a few irritating flaws in the production. Beethoven’s deafness is not well portrayed. At this point in his life, Beethoven was stone deaf, but in the film it seems to vary. At times, Reichmann responds to comments made behind his back. At other times, he seems unable to lip read when someone is speaking slowly and directly at him. The premiere of the Ninth Symphony is poorly staged. The film has Beethoven himself starting to conduct the first movement, but the orchestra breaks down after a few measures. The composer is then guided to a chair as a substitute conductor leads the work. The cinematography is rather haphazard. The chorus is present, for example, but they are never shown while they are singing. There are numerous piano excerpts throughout the film that are well handled. The soundtrack relies principally on the third movement of the Ninth Symphony as background music, but oddly enough the film credits fail to identify any performers of the music. Beethoven’s Nephew may not be every filmgoer’s cup of tea, since it is unrelenting in its grim and dour interpretation, but it is superbly directed by Paul Morrissey, who sees the work more as a metaphor of the human condition than a composer film. Beethoven Lives Upstairs is a delightful fictional treatment based on a children’s book about Christoph, a young Viennese

26

Ludwig van Beethoven

boy whose father, a doctor, has recently died, forcing his mother to take in tenants. Her brother-in-law arranges for a single boarder to occupy a suite of rooms, the composer Beethoven. Since in real life, Beethoven lived in over seventy di›erent apartments during a thirty-year period, the concept of using this as the setting of a story is an excellent one. When Beethoven moves in, Christoph’s mother is patient, kind and tolerant, but her son is enraged by the intruder, who bullies the servants, scrawls musical notation on the walls and behaves like a wild man. Slowly, they begin a friendship, as Christoph learns about Beethoven’s deafness and the reasons behind his strange antics. They go for long walks together and share their innermost thoughts. Soon Christoph becomes the composer’s “gatekeeper,” protecting him from unwanted intruders as he finishes work on his Ninth Symphony. Finally, the symphony is in the early stages of preparation, and rehearsals for the soloists are held in Beethoven’s chambers. At the conclusion, Christoph and his mother are given tickets by Beethoven to be his guests at the debut of the Ninth Symphony. Although filmed and conceived as a children’s story, the presentation is sophisticated enough to interest an adult audience as well. The film has a number of special moments, such as when Beethoven asks Christoph’s mother to play the piano for him. She meekly plays Für Elise, and when the composer asks who wrote it, she points to him, saying, “You did.” He then collapses in laughter, muttering, “Beethoven, you old donkey!” In another touching scene, Christoph gives the composer an ear trumpet that was designed by his late father to demonstrate that not all doctors are quacks, as Beethoven had commented earlier. Beethoven’s deafness and various methods of communication are more realistically and accurately portrayed in Bee-

thoven Lives Upstairs than in any other film. In a way, this short film serves as an ideal counterpoint to the outrageous and revolting Beethoven in the previous film by Paul Morrissey. Nephew Karl, however, is neither seen nor referred to in this treatment. Neil Munro plays the composer in colorful broad strokes, somewhat tonguein-cheek, but nevertheless credible. He is first seen naked from the waist up, tossing water from a basin onto his head. (This almost seems a recurring motif as most of the Beethoven films contain a similar scene.) The musical excepts are excellent, although the concert at the film’s conclusion betrays the limited budget available for the production. The film wrongly depicts Beethoven as conducting the premiere of the Ninth Symphony. Beethoven Lives Upstairs proved to be a popular success, and director David Devine developed an entire series of children’s films based on the style and approach of this film. Immortal Beloved is a highly entertaining mixture of fact, fiction and outlandish supposition. At its heart is a startling theory about the identity of Beethoven’s “immortal beloved,” but one that enjoys little support from most scholars. This innovative project adapts Orson Welles’ Citizen Kane (¡94¡) as its structural model. The film opens with Beethoven’s death, just as Citizen Kane opens with Charles Foster Kane’s death. Instead of the mystery of “Rosebud,” the film depicts Anton Schindler, Beethoven’s secretary, discovering the “immortal beloved” letter and dedicating himself to learning her identity so that she can become the composer’s legal heir instead of his brother Johann or nephew Karl. Schindler learns that many years earlier, the immortal beloved had agreed to elope with the composer. They planned to meet at the Swann Hotel in Carlsbad, but Beethoven was late due to a carriage mishap. By the time he arrived, the immortal beloved had left, breaking

Ludwig van Beethoven

27

Gary Oldman authentically captures Beethoven’s intense style as a performer in Immortal Beloved.

their agreement. Schindler uncovers the signature of the immortal beloved from the records of the hotel, but the name is illegible. Still, he believes he can use this signature to match the handwriting of the composer’s mysterious and elusive lover. Schindler sets out to question the various possibilities, such as Giulietta Guiccardi and Marie Erdody, who recall their involvement with Beethoven, with lengthy flashbacks of the composer as seen through their eyes. This parallels the reporter in Citizen Kane, hunting up and interviewing personages from Kane’s past, who reveal their sometimes di›ering viewpoints in flashbacks. When Countess Erdody questions Schindler (largely about Beethoven’s relationship with his nephew), Schindler’s private memories are also depicted. Unlike the Kane reporter, Schindler is eventually successful in his endeavors. He discovers that the immortal beloved is Johanna, his brother’s wife and the mother

of Karl. In addition, the screenplay proposes, as biographer Robert Schau›er once implied in his study Beethoven: The Man Who Freed Music, that Karl was actually Beethoven’s son, not the son of his brother Caspar. Since in real life, Beethoven had an intense loathing of Johanna, this conclusion is a bit far fetched, but it provides an intriguing, if fantastic, story. The film then proclaims that Beethoven’s deafness was the result of childhood beatings at the hands of his father. The child-abuse theory had been proposed previously, but the evidence supporting this theory is inconclusive. In any case, the conjecture opens up a new line of thought to explain the composer’s explosive personality. Immortal Beloved is a quality production on all counts. The acting is uniformly good, particularly Gary Oldman as the composer and Jeroen Krabbé as Schindler. Oldman’s charisma really lifts the film to a higher plain, although his

Losing his hearing, Beethoven (Gary Oldman) can only listen to his playing by placing his ear on the piano.

Ludwig van Beethoven

makeup is too exaggerated in the later scenes, in which he looks as if he were in his late eighties. The deathbed meeting with Johanna is handled splendidly (providing a di›erent interpretation to the words “Must it be?” and “It must be!” that were written in the score of Beethoven’s last work, his String Quartet, op. ¡35). When Beethoven died, he was only fifty-seven. The cinematography has sweep and style. One brilliant sequence shows Beethoven’s memories while standing before the orchestra and chorus during the finale of the Ninth Symphony. Leo Faulkner plays Beethoven as a youth, as he runs away from his abusive father to float in a lake at night. As the camera pans back, the lake reflects the stars in the sky, making the youth appear as if he is floating in the heavens. This image is extremely impressive, accompanied by the triumphant choral passage from the “Ode to Joy.” There are a number of other equally memorable moments: Beethoven playing the piano with his ear pressed against the instrument so he can hear it, or Beethoven smashing up the hotel room after he learns the immortal beloved had abandoned him. This also parallels Citizen Kane when the tycoon smashes up the bedroom after his wife leaves him. At the very close of the film, Schindler discovers that Johanna missed her assignation with Beethoven because she assumed he was not going to appear. She overlooked the composer’s letter when it arrived because it was tucked under a tray of food that was sent to her room. She never read it, but Beethoven assumed she had. When he arrives late, he feels betrayed. Each mistakenly believed that they had been abandoned by the other. That is why Beethoven appeared so hostile to Johanna when she married his brother Caspar. There are many interesting and remarkable scenes in the film, such as when Beethoven visits Caspar and Johanna to re-

29

trieve a lost manuscript and finds his brother dying of consumption. Karl is presented as far more likable than in Beethoven’s Nephew. His main fear is that his uncle doesn’t realize, due to his deafness, that he is not really a pianist of concert caliber. Karl asks Schindler to intercede for him with his uncle to plead that he lacks the talent. The musical segments are excellent as well, with Sir Georg Solti serving as music adviser and conductor for the selections. Among the highlights, the entire first movement (and most of the second) of the Pathétique Sonata is heard, although mingled with voiceover narration. The soundtrack also includes generous portions of the Missa Solemnis and the Fifth Piano Concerto “Emperor.” The last two movements of the concerto play over the final scenes of the film (when Schindler presents Johanna with the “immortal beloved” letter and she reads it for the first time) and through the end credits. The most recent Beethoven film is a telefilm by the BBC titled Eroica. The setting is one day in the life of Beethoven in June ¡804, during which his Third Symphony “Eroica” received its first performance at the palace of Prince Lobkowitz in Vienna. At the time this was written, the film had not yet been broadcast, but a print had been theatrically previewed and well received except for the cinematography, which had been initially described as somewhat dreary and poorly lit. The script and performances, however, were highly praised. The credits listed here are therefore tentative. In closing, it is interesting to note that two other major actors, Conrad Veidt and Sir Anthony Hopkins, were signed to play the role of Beethoven. Abel Gance at one point planned to include a Beethoven scene in his silent Napoleon (¡927), but eventually he limited his scope in this film to Napoleon up to his first campaign in Italy in ¡797. Sir Anthony Hopkins was scheduled to star as the composer

30

Ludwig van Beethoven

in a Ken Russell production, The Beethoven Secret, in ¡980, but financing fell through one week before this production was scheduled to begin. Jodi Foster, Glenda Jackson and Charlotte Rampling were also slated to appear in the film.

Production Credits The Martyr of His Heart (¡9¡8) Sascha Film Cast: Fritz Kortner, Else Heller and Nelly Hochwald. Written by Emil Kolberg; Directed by Emil Justiz. Original language German B&W 6 reels. Lützows Wilde Verwegene Jagd (¡927) AKA Lutzow’s Wild Hunt Richard Oswald Productions Cast: Arthur Wellin, Ernst Rückert, Mary Kid, Wera Engels, Gerd Briese, Harry Nester, Carl Zickner, Josef Karma, Leopold von Ledebur, Albert Steinrüvk and Paul Bildt. Written by Max Jungk; Cinematography by Ewald Daub; Produced and directed by Richard Oswald. Original language German B&W 78 minutes. Un Grand Amour de Beethoven (¡936) AKA Beethoven’s Great Love Generales Productions Cast: Harry Baur, Annie Ducaux, Jany Holt, Jean Debucort, André Nox, Gaston Dubosc André Bertic, Roger Blin, Yolande La›on, Lucas Gridoux, Enrico Glori, Paul Pauley, and Jean-Louis Barrault. Music by Ludwig van Beethoven and Louis Masson; Arranged by Louis Masson; Written by Abel Gance and Steve Passeur; Cinematography by Marc Frossard and Robert Lefebvre; Edited by Marguerite Beaugié and Galitzine; Produced by Karl Ehrlich; Directed by Abel Gance. Original language French B&W ¡¡6 minutes. Serenade (¡940) AKA Schubert’s Serenade Astra Paris Films Cast: Bernard Lancret, Robert Arnoux, Jacques Butin, Edmond Castel, Lillian Harvey, Louis Jouvet, Marcel Lupovici, Marcel Vallée and Auguste Bovério. Music by Franz Schubert and Paul Abraham; Written by Jacques Companéez, Max Maret, Pierre Wol› and Ernest Neuville; Cinematography by Claude Renoir, Boris Kaufman and Maurice Pecqueux; Edited by Louisette Hautecoeur and Marc Sorkin; Produced by Marc Le Pelletier and Christian Stengel; Di-

rected by Jean Boyer. Original language French B&W 90 minutes. Melody Master (¡94¡) AKA New Wine United Artists Cast: Alan Curtis, Ilona Massey, Albert Basserman, Billy Gilbert, Binnie Barnes, Sterling Holloway, Maynard Holmes, Barnett Parker, John Qualen, Richard Carle, Sig Arno, Gilbert Emery, George O’Hanlon, Forrest Tucker and James Finlayson. Music by Franz Schubert and Miklos Rozsa; Arranged by Eugene Zador; Orchestra conducted by Artur Guttmann; Written by Howard Estabrook and Nicholas Joy; Cinematography by John J. Mescall; Edited by James Smith; Produced by William Sekely; Directed by Reinhold Schünzel. B&W 87 minutes. Wen die Götter Lieben (¡942) AKA Whom the Gods Love Universum/UFA Cast: Hans Holt, Winnie Marcus, Irene von Meyendor›, Rosa Albracht-Retty, René Deltgen, Walter Jannsen, Otto Schmole, Hans Siebert, Erich Nikowitz, Richard Eybner, Fritz Imho› and Curt Jurgens. Music by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Ludwig van Beethoven; Arranged by Alois Melichar; Performed by the Vienna Philharmonic conducted by Alois Melichar; Written by Eduard von Borsody and Richard Billinger based on a novel by E. Strzygowski; Cinematography by Gunther Anders; Produced by Julius von Borsody; Directed by Karl Hardt. Original language German B&W 95 minutes. Rossini (¡943) BCS Cast: Nino Besozzi, Paola Barbara, Carmillo Pilotto, Lamberto Picasso, Armando Falconi, Greta Gonda, Paola Stoppa and Memo Benassi. Music by Gioacchino Rossini; Arranged by Vittorio Gui; Performed by Dianna Pederzinni, Tancredi Pasero, Gabriella Gatti, Mariani Stabile, Enzo de Muro Lomanto, Piero Pauli (vocalists); Orchestra and chorus conducted by Fernando Previtali; Written by Mario Bonnard, Parsifal Bassi, Vittorio Novarese and Gherando Gherardi; Cinematography by Mario Albertelli; Edited by Renzi Lucidi; Produced by Carlo Benetti; Directed by Mario Bonnard. Original language Italian B&W 94 minutes. The Mozart Story (¡948) Patrician Cast: Hans Holt, Winnie Marcus, Irene von Meyendor›. Rosa Albracht-Retty, René Deltgen, Walter Janssen, Hans Siebert, Erich Nikowitz, Richard Eybner, Fritz Imho› and Curt Jurgens,

Ludwig van Beethoven Tony Barr, Carol Forman, William Vedder as Franz Joseph Haydn and Wilton Gra› as Antonio Salieri. Music by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Ludwig van Beethoven; Arranged by Alfred Norkis and Alois Melichar; Performed by the Vienna Philharmonic conducted by Alois Melichar; Written by Arthur St. Claire based on a screenplay by Richard Billinger and Eduard von Borsody; Cinematography by Gunther Anders and Paul Ivano; Edited by Axel Hubert; Produced by Abrasha Haimson; Directed by Karl Hardt and Frank Wisbar. B&W ¡04 minutes. Eroica (¡949) Wiener Kunstfilm Cast: Ewald Balser, Marianne Schnönauer, Oscar Werner, Judith Holzmeister, Dagny Servaes, Erik Frey, Ludmilla Hell, Hustav Waldau, Richard Eybner and Karl Kalwoda. Music by Ludwig van Beethoven and Alois Melichar; Arranged by Alois Melichar; Performed by Vienna Sängerknaben and the Vienna Philharmonic conducted by Alois Melichar; Written by Walter Kolm-Veltée and Franz Tassle; Cinematography by Gunther Anders and Hannes Staudinger; Produced and directed by Walter Kolm-Veltée. Original language German B&W 95 minutes. Napoleon (¡955) CLM Films Cast: Raymond Pellegrin, Daniel Gelin, Jean-Pierre Aumont, Jean Gabin, Jean Marais, Michele Morgan, Maria Canale, Pierre Brasseur, Paola Stoppa, Gilbert Gil, Yves Montand, Maria Schell, Dany Robin, Jacques Sablon, O. W. Fischer, Henri Vudal, Orson Welles, Erich von Stroheim and Sacha Guitry. Music by Jean Francaix; Written by Sacha Guitry and Joe Wyner; Cinematography by Louis Née and Pierre Montazel; Edited by Raymond Lamy; Produced by Gilbert Bokanowski; Directed by Sacha Guitry and Eugene Lourie. Original language French Color ¡90 minutes original version; ¡¡9 minutes edited version. Das Dreimäderlhaus (¡958) AKA House of Three Girls Aspa Films Cast: Carl Bohm, Rudolf Schock, Magda Schneider, Gustav Knuth, Richard Romanowsky, Erich Kunz, Eberhardt Wachter, Lotte Lang, Edith Elmay, Helga Neumer and Ewald Balser. Music by Heinrich Berte, Franz Schubert, Ludwig van Beethoven and Anton Profes; Arranged by Anton Profes; Performed by the Vienna Philharmonic conducted by Heinrich Hollreiser;

31

Written by Ernst Marischka based on the operetta Das Dreimäderlhaus by A. M. Wilner and Heinz Reichert; Cinematography by Bruno Mondi; Edited by Alfred Srp; Produced by Karl Ehrlich; Directed by Ernst Marischka. Original language German B&W 98 minutes. Magnificent Rebel (¡96¡) Walt Disney Pictures Cast : Carl Bohm, Peter Arens, Gabriele Barth, Bruno Dallansky, Ivan Desney, Erik Frey, Oliver Grimm, Giulia Rubini, Guido Wieland, Erich Winn and Ernst Nadherny as Franz Joseph Haydn. Music by Ludwig van Beethoven; Arranged by Hans Schreiter and Frederick Stark; Written by Joanne Court; Cinematography by Göran Strindberg ; Edited by Alfred Srp; Produced by Peter V. Herald and Walt Disney; Directed by Georg Tressler. Color 96 minutes. Beethoven—Tage aus einem Leben (¡976) AKA Beethoven — Days in a Life DEFA Cast: Donatas Banionis, Stefan Lisewski, Renate Richter, Eberhard Esche, Fred Delmare, Katja Paryla, Dirk Nawrocki, Leon Niemczyk, Hans Teuscher and Rolf Hoppe. Music by Ludwig van Beethoven; Arranged by Horst Seemann; Written by Franz Jahrow, Günter Kunert and Horst Seemann; Cinematography by Otto Hanisch; Edited by Barbel Weigel; Produced by Manfred Renger; Directed by Horst Seemann. Original language German Color ¡08 minutes. Beethoven’s Nephew (¡985) Orfilm International Cast: Wolfgang Reichmann, Dietmar Prinz, Jane Birkin, Nathalie Baye, Mathieu Carriere, Ulrich Berr, Axel Helpap and Elena Rostropovich. Music by Ludwig van Beethoven; performances selected from the archives of Deutsche Gramophon; Written by Mathieu Carriere and Paul Morrissey based on a novel by Luigi Magnani; Cinematography by Hanus Polak; Edited by Claudine Bouchet, Albert Jergenson and Michele Robert-Lauliac; Produced by Marita Coustet; Directed by Paul Morrissey. Color ¡04 minutes. Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure (¡989) MGM Cast: Keanu Reeves, Alex Winter, George Carlin, Bernie Casey, Amy Stock-Poynton, Rod Loomis, Al Leons, Robert V. Barron, Dan Shor, Ted Steedman, Cli›ord David and Terry Camilleri as Napoleon Bonaparte. Music by David Newman and Gary Cherone;

32

Ludwig van Beethoven

Written by Chris Matheson and Ed Solomon; Cinematography by Tim Suhrstedt; Edited by Larry Bock and Patrick Rand; Produced by Scott Kroopf, Michael S. Murphey and Joel Solsson; Directed by Stephen Herek. Color 90 minutes. Beethoven Lives Upstairs (¡989) Devine Entertainment Cast: Neil Munro, Illya Woloshyn, Fiona Reid, Paul Soles, Albert Schultz and Sheila McCarthy. Music by Ludwig van Beethoven; Music edited by Walter Babiak; Performed by Elizabeth Forster, Janet Obermeyer, Monica Wicher, Giselle Fredette, Russell Braun, Robert Dirstein (vocalists), Douglas Bodle (pianist), Studio Arts Orchestra and Tallis Choir conducted by Walter Babiak; Written by Heather Conkie based on a book by Barbara Nichol; Cinematography by David Perrault; Edited by Rik Morden; Produced by Richard Mozer and David Devine; Directed by David Devine. Color 52 minutes. Anekdoty (¡990) AKA Anecdotes Lenfilm Cast: Aleksandr Abdulov, Armen Dzhigarkhanyan, Nina Usatova, Boris Sokolov. Yevgeni Filatov and Nikolai Pomenko. Music by Nikolai Pomenko and Ludwig van Beethoven; Written by Aleksandr Kuznetsov and Vladimir Vardunas; Cinematography by Vladimir Ilyin; Produced and directed by Viktor Titov. Original language Russian Color 78 minutes. Rossini! Rossini! (¡989) Cathargo Films Cast: Philippe Noiret, Sergio Castellitto, Pino Toschi, Sabine Azema, Jacqueline Bisset, Assumpta Serna, Giorgio Gaber, Ariane Kah and Vittorio Gassman. Music by Gioacchino Rossini; Written by Nicola Badalucco, Bruno Cagli, Suso Cecchi d’Amico and Mario Monicelli; Cinematography by Franco Di Giacomo; Produced by Piero Amati; Directed by Mario Monicelli. Color ¡24 minutes. Not Mozart, Part 3: Letters, Riddles and Writs (¡994) Artifax Cast: Ute Lemper as Mozart, David Thomas, Michael Nyman, Julian Glover as Haydn and Tony Rohr; Written by Jeremy Newson; Music by Michael Nyman based on themes by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and text by Leopold Mozart and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart; Cinematography by Simon Archer; Edited by Grant Watkins; Produced by Elizabeth Queenan;

Directed by Jeremy Newson. Color ¡79 minutes complete film. Immortal Beloved (¡994) Columbia Cast: Gary Oldman, Jeroen Krabbé, Isabella Rosselini, Johanna Ter Steeg, Marco Hofschneider, Miriam Margolyes, Barry Humphries, Valeria Golino, Gerard Horan, Christopher Fulford, Donal Gibson, Michael Culkin, Luigi Diberti and Alexandra Pigg. Music by Ludwig van Beethoven; Music edited by Dean Beville; Performed by Renée Fleming, Ann Murray, Vinson Cole, Byrn Terfel (vocalists), Murray Perahia, Emanuel Ax (pianists), Gidon Kremer, Pamela Frank (violinists), Yo-Yo Ma (cellist), Juilliard String Quartet, London Symphony Orchestra conducted by Sir Georg Solti; Written by Bernard Rose; Cinematography by Peter Suschitzky; Edited by Dan Rae; Produced by Bruce Davey; Directed by Bernard Rose. Color ¡2¡ minutes. Eroica (2002) BBC Cast: Ian Hart, Lucy Akhurst, Jack Davenport, Anton Lesser, Tim Pigott-Smith, Victoria Shalet, Claire Skinner and Frank Findlay as Haydn. Music by Ludwig van Beethoven; Performed by L’Orchèstre Revolutionaire et Romantique; Produced by Liza Marshall; Directed by Simon Cella Jones. Color 90 minutes.

Noted Documentaries • How a Great Symphony Was Written (¡954) Presented by Leonard Bernstein; Omnibus; 30 minutes • Bernstein on Beethoven — A Celebration in Vienna (¡970) Written and narrated by Leonard Bernstein. Amberson Productions; 90 minutes • Beethoven: A Portrait (¡989) Directed by Nicholas Vazsonyi; 60 minutes • Beethoven: Famous Composers Series (¡996) Written, produced and directed by Malcolm Hossick; SKAN Productions; 36 minutes • BBC Great Composers: Beethoven (¡997) Narrated by Kenneth Branagh; BBC; 57 minutes • Biography — Beethoven (2000) A&E Network; 52 minutes

Vincenzo Bellini

There are numerous excellent documentaries about Ludwig van Beethoven. Leonard Bernstein’s first educational television broadcast, for CBS’s Omnibus in November ¡954, presented a dramatic insight into Beethoven’s composing method by illustrating and performing rejected sketches intended as part of the composer’s Fifth Symphony. Unlike other musicians for whom composing was straightforward, Beethoven’s manuscripts resemble a battlefield with many passages crossed out, altered and revised in the composer’s struggle to make his works perfect. For the twohundredth anniversary of the composer’s birth in ¡970, Bernstein prepared one of his finest documentaries, depicting the composer’s life and times built upon the framework of concert rehearsals for three of the composer’s works prepared by Bern-

33

stein: the First Piano Concerto, Fidelio and the Ninth Symphony. Bernstein discussed Beethoven in another outstanding entry containing one of the most in-depth attempts at music analysis on film, part of his taped Norton Lecture Series, which studied the Pastoral Symphony. Anthony Quayle narrates Beethoven: A Portrait, a superb overview including psychological insights from the composer’s letters as well as excellent visual imagery of Bonn and Vienna. The BBC documentary is rich in detail, including an interesting assessment of the scientific research done recently on a lock of Beethoven’s hair. For a more concise approach, the Beethoven entry in The Great Composers series is admirable, as is the traditional presentation on the Arts and Entertainment Network’s Biography series.

Vincenzo Bellini Screen depictions • • • •

Phillips Holmes in The Divine Spark (¡935) Maurice Ronet in Casa Ricordi (¡954) Maurice Ronet in Casta Diva (¡954) Kim Rossi Stuart in Casa Ricordi (¡987)

Vincenzo Bellini (¡80¡–¡835) had a striking early success with the debut of his second opera, Bianca e Fernando. The composer’s trademark was his unique gift for melody. Writing during the era of bel canto, his works inspired the great singers of his time. He composed ten operas, the best-known being Il Pirata (¡827), La Sonnambula (¡829), Norma (¡83¡) and I Puritani (¡835). His best-known nontheatrical work is his tuneful Oboe Concerto. Bellini died unexpectedly at the age of thirtythree while on an extended stay in Paris.

Although Bellini is depicted in four films, there are actually only two distinct productions, both with remakes. The first is The Divine Spark/Casta Diva, a BritishItalian coproduction with a somewhat cloudy history. Apparently, only the English language version, The Divine Spark, has survived. But Casta Diva, the Italian language version of the same film, is among the missing. However, director Carmine Gallone remade the film in ¡954, greatly improving it, and it was released to great acclaim as one of the most popular composer biopics of the era, both in its English-dubbed version as well as the Italian original. Phillips Holmes, son of veteran actor Stuart Holmes, played Bellini in the first production. Holmes was a juvenile star originally in silent films such as Varsity (¡928). He was criticized for being sti›

34

Vincenzo Bellini

and rather unappealing in his performance. Ironically, the young actor died in his mid-thirties, just like Bellini. In comparison, Maurice Ronet was ideally cast in the remake since he bears a remarkable resemblance to the composer. Since the plot of the ¡954 film is basically an expansion of the plot of the original, I will concentrate on the latter production. The picture is imaginatively filmed, including many full-stage operatic excerpts. The storyline, however, is highly romanticized, taking an early liaison from the composer’s youth and inflating it as the key event of his life. The actual events were quite di›erent. The young Bellini had fallen in love with one of his singing pupils, Maddalenna Fumaroli, daughter of the local chief justice, who disapproved of their engagement. They broke up, but several years later, as Bellini became famous, Judge Fumaroli relented. Maddalenna wrote to the composer but received no reply. Apparently Bellini no longer had any interest in his first sweetheart. Casta Diva opens at an ¡8¡9 concert by Paganini attended by Vincenzo Bellini and other music students. Later, upon graduation, the various students are treated to banquets at the homes of the local aristocracy. Bellini, originally assigned to dine with a baroness, agrees to switch with another student who wants to meet the three daughters of the baroness. At the dinner, Judge Fumaroli makes disparaging comments about music. Bellini o›ers to play the piano for the guests, but the only one who appreciates it is Maddalenna, the judge’s daughter, who is indisposed in her room. She writes a thank-you note to the composer, who sees her briefly and is smitten. Bellini is inspired to compose a song in her honor (which turns out to be “Casta Diva,” his best-known opera aria from Norma). The composer returns to the Fumaroli household, claiming that he accidentally left something there during the

dinner. He leaves his song in Maddalenna’s hands as she naps in the garden. She awakens, goes to the piano and sings it. Bellini tells her it is the only copy, and he gives it to her as a gift. She accepts it but explains that she is engaged to Luigi Tosi, secretary to the king of Naples. Heartbroken, Bellini plans to return to Sicily to become a humble singing teacher. He is summoned by Tosi, however, to compose a cantata in honor of the king’s birthday. When the composer learns that Maddalenna had suggested his name to Tosi, he accepts the commission. At the premiere, Bellini meets Giudetta Pasta, one of the greatest sopranos of her time. She predicts that Bellini will be a great success, just as she had previously predicted the success of Gaetano Donizetti. The concert is an artistic triumph. Bellini asks Maddalenna to elope with him to Sicily, where they will lead a quiet life as a singing teacher and his wife, but she later declines, insisting he has a higher calling to become a great composer. The scene shifts to Milan in ¡820, starting with the premiere of Il Pirata. Actually, Il Pirata debuted in ¡827, but the film shifts dates around to create an artificial feud between Donizetti and Bellini. In fact, Donizetti heard Bellini’s first opera that the younger composer wrote while he was a student, and Donizetti wrote glowingly of his music. But in this film, they become rivals for operatic commissions and for the romantic attention of Giuditta Pasta. The two composers meet at a party and start tossing nasty comments at each other. Bellini, for example, accuses Donizetti of writing the same opera five or six times using di›erent titles. They eventually decide to conduct a musical duel, with each composer to write an opera with the same librettist, Felice Romani, within two weeks. Donizetti first writes Lucia di Lammermoor and Bellini counters with La Sonnambula. This duel is, of course, pure fabrication.

Vincenzo Bellini

Promotional art for Casta Diva.

35

36

Vincenzo Bellini

Donizetti’s Lucia di Lammermoor did not appear until ¡835, after Bellini’s death. La Sonnambula was first performed in ¡829. The text of La Sonnambula was written by Romani, but Lucia was penned by Salvatore Cammarano. This is not to say that Romani didn’t work with Donizetti, for whom he provided the text for Lucreza Borgia and other works. The duel sequence, however, provides interesting filmed highlights of both operas (with La Sonnambula having a very interesting stage setting with a giant mill wheel turning in the background). The plot also has Donizetti and Bellini becoming friends, each impressed with the other’s music. Meanwhile, Maddalenna keeps putting o› her marriage to Luigi Tosi. Bellini struggles with his next opera, Norma. The first performance is a complete failure. Maddalenna visits Guidetta, who had retired from the stage, bringing her the aria that Bellini wrote for her years earlier. She begs Giudetta to perform the opera and insert the aria, “Casta Diva,” without informing Bellini. The diva agrees, and not only is Norma transformed into a great success, but “Casta Diva” is acclaimed as the greatest soprano aria yet written. Bellini is startled to find the aria placed in the work and is grateful for this sacrifice by his beloved Maddalenna. He hears that she is ill and rushes to her bedside. She passes away a few minutes before he arrives, but she imagines Bellini’s visit in her mind. The main reason for the popularity of this film is the excellent operatic excerpts. Caterina Mancini, who provides the singing voice of Guidetta Pasta, is truly outstanding with a unique vocal quality that is compelling and mysterious. Another highlight is the orchestral bridge passages, entirely drawn from Bellini’s scores, which are handled with meticulous care. The performances of the four leading players, Fausto Tozzi as Donizetti, Nadia Gray as Pasta, Antonella Lualdi as Maddalenna

and, above all, Maurice Ronet as Bellini, are warm and memorable. The plot unfolds with an easy charm, and the entire production is flawlessly entertaining. Even purists who are outraged by the absurd plot device of “Casta Diva” being secretly dropped into Norma without the composer’s knowledge will still enjoy the picture because the music itself is handled so well. Casa Ricordi is, according to many critics, Carmine Gallone’s masterpiece, perhaps the finest film to contain extended operatic excerpts merged with a coherent storyline. In this case, the focus is on the Ricordi music-publishing firm. In ¡807, Giovanni Ricordi signed a contract with Milan’s Teatro alla Scala, considered to be the finest opera house in the world, to print all the sheet music for them in exchange for the original, handwritten composer’s manuscripts of all works commissioned. In this way, the House of Ricordi became the leading music publisher for opera. After Giovanni’s retirement, the firm continued to thrive under the management of Tito Ricordi and Guilio Ricordi. The film concentrates on their working relationships with the major composers, including Rossini, Bellini, Donizetti, Verdi and Puccini. (In actual history, almost all major operatic composers up to Gian Carlo Menotti were associated with the House of Ricordi.) Numerous operatic clips highlight each segment, with major singers such as Tito Gobbi, Mario Del Monaco and Renata Tebaldi lending their vocal talents to the film. Actors who were previously cast by Gallone in biographical films about composers, such as Maurice Ronet as Bellini or Gabriele Ferzetti as Puccini, play the same roles again here. It is believed that their excerpts were shot simultaneously with their scenes in Casta Diva (for Bellini) and Two Loves Have I (for Puccini). The best of the composer

Vincenzo Bellini

cameos, according to critical appraisal, is Marcello Mastroianni as Donizetti. Fosco Giachetti was also cited for his appearance as Giuseppe Verdi. The television remake of this film in ¡987 is considered weak and unimpressive in comparison, perhaps because the array of talent is far less impressive. Kim Rossi Stuart was cited for his performance as Bellini in several reviews, but this production largely disappeared after its initial broadcast in Italy and one or two other European television stations.

Production Credits The Divine Spark (¡935) AKA Casta Diva ACI Films Cast : Phillips Holmes, Martha Eggerth, Benita Hume, John Clements, Felix Aylmer, Donald Calthrop, Edward Chapman, Peter Gawthorne, Arthur Margetson and Edmund Breon as Rossini. Music by Vincenzo Bellini and Gioacchino Rossini; Written by Emlyn Williams and Walter Reisch; Cinematography by Fritz Panner; Edited by Fernando Tropea and Fritz Pressburger; Produced by Arnold Pressburger; Directed by Carmine Gallone. B&W 88 minutes. Casa Ricordi (¡954) Cormoran Films Cast : Paolo Stoppa, Marta Toren, Andrea Checchi, Daniele Delorme, Nadia Gray, Vera Silenti, Miriam Bru, Renzo Giovampietro, Micheline Presle, Sergio Tofano, Roldano Lupi, Manlio Busoni, Fausto Tozzi as Arrigo Boito, Roland Alexandre as Rossini, Fosco Giachetti as Verdi, Marcello Mastroianni as Donizetti, Gabriele Ferzetti as Puccini and Maurice Ronet. Music by Ricardo Zandonai, Vincenzo Bellini, Gaetano Donizetti, Giacomo Puccini, Gioacchino Rossini, Giuseppe Verdi and Richard Wagner; Music arranged by Renzo Rossellini; Performed by Nelly Corradi, Mario Del Monaco, Aldo Ferraguti, Enrico Formichi, Tito Gobbi, Ferdinando Lifonni, Giulio Neri, Giulietta Dimionato, Italio Tajo, Renata Tebaldi (vocalists); Conducted by Renzo Rossellini; Written by Leonardo Benvenuti, Luigi Filippo, Carmine Gallone, Age Incrocci, Vittorio Nino Nobarese and Furio Scarpelli; Cinematography

37

by Marco Scarpelli; Edited by Niccolo Lazzari; Produced by Franco Riganti; Directed by Carmine Gallone. Original language Italian Color ¡¡0 minutes. Casta Diva (¡954) Documento Film Cast: Maurice Ronet, Fausto Tozzi as Gaetano Donizetti, Antonella Lualdi, Nadia Gray, Jacques Castelot, Marina Berti, Renzo Ricci, Jean Richard, Paola Borboni, Manilo Busoni, Dante Maggio, Camillo Pilotto and Danilo Berardinelli. Music by Vincenzo Bellini, Gaetano Donizetti, Niccolò Paganini and Renzo Rossellini; Caterina Mancini, Giulio Neri, Gianni Poggi, Gino Materia, Juanita Satiman and Enrico Formichi (vocalists); Orchestra and Chorus of the Rome Opera conducted by Oliviero DeFabritiis; Written by Mario Chiari; Cinematography by Marco Scarpelli; Edited by Niccolo Lazzari; Produced by Franco Riganti; Directed by Carmine Gallone. Original language Italian Color 98 minutes. Casa Ricordi (¡987) Junior Film International Cast : Adriana Asti, Favio Camilli, Anna Kanakis, Marco Minietti, Melba Ru›o di Calabria, Eduardo Siravo, Marco Vivio, Kim Rossi Stuart, Luca Barbareschi as Rossini, Mariano Rigillo as Verdi, Alessandro Gassman as Donizetti, Massimo Ghini as Puccini and Federico Scribani as Arturo Toscanini. Music by Vincenzo Bellini, Gaetano Donizetti, Giacomo Puccini, Gioacchino Rossini and Giuseppe Verdi; Written by Sergio Bazzini and Ugo Pirro; Cinematography by Camillo Vazzoni; Produced by Manolo Bolognini; Directed by Mauro Bolognini. Original language Italian Color ¡04 minutes.

Noted Documentaries • Age of Bel Canto (¡963) Featuring Joan Sutherland and Richard Boynage; 90 minutes • Norma: The Making of an Opera (¡977) A film by Vincent Tremanov; 9 minutes • The Passion of Bel Canto (¡996) Featuring June Anderson; 87 minutes

Few documentaries feature Bellini alone, but instead include Donizetti and

38

Hector Belioz

sometimes Rossini, focusing on the Italian bel canto, or “beautiful song,” style of singing which stresses purity of tone as well as emotional content. One of the finest practitioners of bel canto in the twentieth century, soprano Joan Sutherland, made The Age of Bel Canto during the height of her powers in the early ’60s, interspersing arias of Bellini and Donizetti with her comments on the composers, the

style and the famous divas associated with bel canto. Similarly, opera star June Anderson recorded a similar program, The Passion of Bel Canto, in ¡996, featuring excerpts from La Sonnambula and I Puritani. Vincent Tremanov’s short piece was originally intended for students or as a featurette between the acts during opera broadcasts.

Hector Berlioz Screen depictions • Jean Nadolovitch in Paganini (¡923) • Jean-Louis Barrault in Symphonie Fantastique (¡942) • Murray Melvin in Lisztomania (¡975) • Corin Redgrave in I, Berlioz (¡992)

Hector Berlioz (¡803–¡869) has often been described as the musical incarnation of the Romantic movement. Impulsive by nature, Berlioz originally studied to be a doctor, his father’s profession, but switched to music after attending an opera by Gluck. His first (and greatest) success was his Symphonie Fantastique, a dramatic work (with semibiographical overtones) composed in ¡829. The piece tells the story of an artist infatuated with an unresponsive “loved one.” The symphony was one of the first masterpieces of the Romantic movement, utilizing leitmotifs as a structural device to unify the composition. The work was such an extraordinary success that the composer produced a sequel, Lelio or the Return to Life, a monologue with orchestra which managed to recycle some of Berlioz’s earlier compositions. Many of his works were conceived on a grand scale, such as his religious choral works includ-

ing his Requiem and Te Deum, his oratorios La Damnation de Faust and L’Enfance du Christ and his operas Benvenuto Cellini, Beatrice et Benedict and Les Troyens. Other compositions include the Romeo and Juliet Symphony, Harold in Italy, the song cycle Les Nuits d’Été and a number of orchestral overtures. Considered a master of orchestration, Berlioz wrote an influential treatise on the subject. With his flamboyant personality, Berlioz would seem to be an ideal candidate for screen treatment, yet he has been by and large overlooked compared with his contemporaries Chopin, Liszt and Paganini. Two of his appearances are brief cameos, the first by Jean Nadolovitch in the lost silent film Paganini and the other with Murray Melvin in the parody biopic Lisztomania. Melvin, by the way, bears a striking resemblance to the historical Berlioz, which is not always the case. In the same film, Mendelssohn appears as an old man, even though the historical Mendelssohn died at the age of thirty-eight. Both Berlioz and Mendelssohn, however, appear onscreen for only a few seconds. The remaining two Berlioz films are legitimate screen treatments, but unfortunately they are largely unavailable. Sym-

Hector Berlioz

phonie Fantastique was one of the wartime e›orts from the French film industry under Nazi control. Even so, German propaganda minister Joseph Goebbels was furious after he viewed a print of Symphonie Fantastique, saying, “Why are we teaching the French how to produce popular nationalist films?” Nevertheless, the film was approved by the Nazi authorities and premiered in Paris on April ¡, ¡942. The picture was also shown in Austria but not allowed in other areas of the Third Reich. After the war, an English-subtitled version did play in the United States, but this version has since disappeared. A PAL video of the original film, reportedly of poor quality, has been available recently in France. Critically, the film has been panned. One critic notes, “bad acting, sloppy backgrounds, pseudo-drama and worst of all total inaccuracy. Persons that never existed play a lead role, and important people are never mentioned at all.” The distinguished actor Jean-Louis Barrault plays Berlioz in the film. Earlier, Barrault was cast as Beethoven’s nephew, Karl, in Abel Gance’s Un Grand Amour de Beethoven. He continued acting through the ¡980s, starring in Jean Renoir’s version of the Jekyll and Hyde story Le Testament du Docteur Cordelier (¡96¡). In real life, Berlioz fell in love with Irish actress Harriet Smithson in ¡827 after seeing her play Ophelia in a production of Hamlet. When his advances were ignored, Berlioz composed his Symphonie Fantastique. The work was a sensation, but Smithson did not attend the premiere since she was appearing on stage. Two years later, she finally did hear the piece and was overwhelmed that she had inspired it. Berlioz then swept her o› her feet, and they had a stormy courtship, finally marrying in ¡833. They both became disillusioned and separated in ¡84¡. They never divorced, however, and his wife died of alcoholism in ¡854, freeing Berlioz to marry his mistress, the singer Marie Recio. According to reviews,

39

however, the actual story was supplanted by myth in the Vichy era production. Filmmaker Tony Palmer turned to Berlioz in his ¡992 telefilm I, Berlioz. Corin Redgrave, the son of Sir Michael Redgrave and brother of Vanessa Redgrave, was cast as the composer. The focus of the film is the struggle of the composer to produce his ambitious opera Les Troyens at the Théâtre-Lyrique in ¡863 and contrasting this with the ¡992 staging by the Zurich Opera. Berlioz completed Les Troyens in ¡858, based on Virgil’s Aeneid and using his own libretto. Since the opera as written would have taken over six hours to perform, Berlioz was forced to divide his lyric drama into two halves, the first titled Le Prise de Troie and the second called Les Troyens à Carthage. Only the second half was eventually given, and the experience exhausted the composer. He never regained his health after the ordeal, particularly when his second wife died shortly afterward. Twenty-two performances were given, with increasing attendance, but it was too late for Berlioz. When he was informed of the good turnout, the composer remarked, “Yes, the people are coming, but I am going.” Palmer’s script uses primary sources to provide the composer’s words, and he also relies upon the music to propel the drama, equally balanced between scenes with Berlioz and sequences with the Zurich opera. Incidentally, the Zurich performance was the first European staging of the complete Les Troyens in a single evening as Berlioz had originally intended. I, Berlioz debuted on the BBC on March 7, ¡993, receiving critical acclaim. Hopefully, I, Berlioz will one day be available on video like many other of Palmer’s worthwhile e›orts.

Production Credits Paganini (¡923) Conrad Veidt Films Cast: Conrad Veidt, Greta Schrödter, Martin Herzberg, Hermine Sterler, Alexander Granach,

40

Hector Berlioz

Eva May, Harry Hardt, Hans Wassmann, Jean Nadolovitch and Gustav Frölich as Franz Liszt. Written by Heinz Goldberg, based on a story by Paul Beyer; Cinematography by Stefan Lorant; Produced by Richard Oswald and Conrad Veidt; Directed by Heinz Goldberg. Original language German B&W 6 reels. La Symphonie Fantastique (¡942) Continental Cast: Jean-Louis Barrault, Renée Saint-Cyr, Lisa Delamare, Jules Berry, Bernard Blier, Gilbert Gil, Julien Bertheay, Catherine Fonteney, Roland Armontel, Jean Darcant, Georges Gosset and Maurice Schutz as Paganini; Music by Hector Berlioz; Written by Jean-Pierre Feydeau; Cinematography by Armand Thirard; Edited by Jacques Desagneaux; Directed by Christian-Jaque. Original language French B&W 95 minutes. Lisztomania (¡975) Warner Brothers Cast : Roger Daltrey as Liszt, Paul Nicholas as Wagner, Ringo Starr, Rick Wakeman, Sara Kestelman, John Justin, Fiona Lewis, Veronica Quilligan, Andrew Reilly, Nell Campbell, Imogen Claire, Rikki Howard, David English, Anulka Dziubinska, Aubrey Morris, Andrew Faulds, Kenneth Colley as Chopin, Murray Melvin, Otto Diamant as Mendelssohn and Ken Parry. Music by Rick Wakeman, Franz Liszt and Richard Wagner; Roger Daltrey, Paul Nicholas, Linda Lewis, Mandy More (vocalists); English Rock Ensemble, National Philharmonia Orchestra; Written by Ken Russell; Cinematography by Peter Suschitzky; Edited by Stuart Baird; Produced by Roy Baird and David Putnam; Directed by Ken Russell. Color ¡06 minutes. I, Berlioz (¡992) Isolde Films Cast: Corin Redgrave. Music by Hector Berlioz; Performed by Ludmilla Schemshuk, Georgio Lamberti, Vesselina Karsarova, Agnes Habereder and Roland Hermann (vocalists), Zurich Opera Chorus and Orchestra conducted by Ralf

Weikert; Written by Tony Palmer based on letters and writings of Hector Berlioz; Cinematography by Nic Knowland; Edited by Tony Palmer; Produced and Directed by Tony Palmer. Color 90 minutes.

Noted Documentaries • Berlioz Takes a Trip (¡969) New York Philharmonic Young People’s Concerts with Leonard Bernstein; 60 minutes • Sounds Magnificent: Berlioz (¡986) Story of the Symphony series Vol. 3; 86 minutes • Romanticism in Music and Art (¡987) Art and Music Educational series; 38 minutes

It is fascinating to compare the first two documentaries, both of which concentrate on Berlioz and his Symphonie Fantastique. Of course, the approaches of Leonard Bernstein and André Previn were intended for di›erent audiences, yet it is intriguing to note the similarities and di›erences in these programs. Both are very informative and entertaining. The performances of the symphony, in both cases, are fiery, with the Bernstein white hot and the Previn better played, but then the Royal Philharmonic did not have to stop and start to accommodate the narration. Romanticism in Music and Art is an interesting and literate program that concentrates on Berlioz among the musicians but also touches upon Chopin and Mendelssohn. Several new documentaries were prepared to celebrate the Berlioz bicentennial in 2003.

Georges Bizet

41

Georges Bizet Screen depiction • Maurice Godin in Bizet’s Dream (¡993)

Georges Bizet (¡838–¡875) was a prodigious musical talent whose primary interest was opera. The self-critical composer, however, wrote and destroyed a number of works such as the one-act La Guzla de l’Emir (¡860) and the five-act Ivan the Terrible (¡865). He eventually produced the work upon which his reputation is based, Carmen (¡875), undoubtedly the most popular of all operas. Unfortunately, the young composer died shortly after the inauspicious debut of his famous work. Other noted compositions by Bizet include his opera The Pearlfishers (¡963), his colorful incidental music to the play L’Arlésienne and his Petite Suite, based on segments from his brilliant piano work Jeux d’Enfants. Bizet’s Symphony in C Major, written when he was seventeen, has also become part of the symphonic repertoire. The only film to portray Georges Bizet was the initial entry in the “Composers’ Specials Series” developed by David Devine. The inspiration and model for the series was Beethoven Lives Upstairs, an earlier film which Devine also produced. In each case, the story involves a young child who encounters a famous composer at a critical juncture in the musician’s career. The composer befriends the youngster and helps the youth with their personal problems. While the crisis that the composer faces is authentic, most of the characters, such as the children and their families, are fictitious. These featurettes, filmed in the Czech Republic with a Canadian cast, make excellent use of the composer’s music on the soundtrack, and they serve as a terrific

introduction for young viewers to each composer and his music. In the case of Bizet’s Dream, the story focuses on a young teenage girl, Michelle Marlin, living in Paris in ¡874. Her mother, a friend of the wife of composer Georges Bizet, hires him to be Michelle’s piano tutor, but she finds him to be quite eccentric. Michelle misses her father, a military o‡cer stationed in Seville, Spain. When she discovers that Bizet is composing an opera, Carmen, about a soldier in Seville, she questions him about the story. They strike up a rapport as Bizet relates the plot. He takes her to visit the painter Delaborde, and she also becomes friends with the artist’s unconventional models. Michelle starts to fantasize about Carmen, casting people she knows in the various roles. She envisions her father as Don José, for example, and Delaborde as the bullfighter Escamillo. In turn, Bizet confides some of his personal problems to Michelle, particularly how his relations with his wife have become strained. The composer compares himself to Michelle, saying that they both bottle up their feelings and emotions and that music can serve as a release. Michelle begins to fear her father will never return from Spain. On a wild impulse, she plans to run o› and visit him. After getting lost, she winds up with Delaborde’s models, who hold a séance and predict that her father will return to Paris soon. When Michelle arrives back home, she learns that her mother has just received a letter confirming that her father is on his way back to Paris. The scene switches to March 3, ¡875, as Michelle and her parents attend the debut of Carmen. The reception to the performance is warm, but Bizet nervously paces in the wings of the theater. He

42

Georges Bizet

sees a figure of a woman dressed in black approaching. After the composer adjusts his glasses, the figure vanishes. The end credits appear after this mysterious ending, perhaps a foreshadowing of Bizet’s sudden death three months later. Bizet’s Dream is a very pleasant and enjoyable film, with an appeal to both children and adults. Maurice Godin makes a splendid Bizet, charming yet a trifle outlandish. The actor, fitted with a perfect beard, is the spitting image of Bizet. One of Godin’s best moments in the film is the scene in which he notices children marching in a circle outside of Michelle’s window. He suddenly gets the inspiration for the “Toreador Song” and rushes over to Marie’s music workbook to jot down the melody. By the end of the film, his humanity and uncertainty seem very moving. The musical sequences are very well handled, particularly a ballet interlude depicting the story of Carmen. Other Bizet selections are heard on the soundtrack throughout, especially music from the two suites from L’Arlésienne. The storyline, seen from Michelle’s viewpoint, works out very well. The idea of having the actors play the characters from Carmen in addition to their regular roles is excellent. There is only one minor quibble with the script. It implies that the plot of Carmen was thought up by Bizet himself, rather than adapted from the famous story by Prosper Merimée. A simple line of dialogue could have corrected this flaw. On the other hand, Bizet’s Dream has a number of subtle touches. Some of the images in the film are actually recreations of paintings by Auguste Renoir and Claude Monet. Sharp-eyed viewers will detect Renoir’s La Grenouillère, The Ski› and The Luncheon of the Boating Party, as well as Monet’s Woman with Umbrella Turning to the Left and Georges Seurat’s Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte.

There is even a visual reference to Vincent Minelli’s film Gigi (¡958). The paintings, however, in Delaborde’s studio are misleading because many of them are based on works of famous artists painted years after ¡874. In real life, Bizet’s neighbor and friend Elie Miriam Delaborde was best known as a pianist. Nevertheless, Bizet’s Dream is an outstanding triumph, perhaps the finest episode in the entire “Composers’ Specials Series,” which later included a few rather disappointing e›orts.

Production Credits Bizet’s Dream (¡993) Devine Entertainment Cast : Maurice Godin, Brittany Madgett, Catharine Barroll, Yseult Lendvai, Vlastimil Harapes, Sally Cahill, Jackie Harris, Joan Henry, R. H. Thomson and Christina Chokas. Music by Georges Bizet; Music edited by Bernie Clayton, John Keyes and Walter Babiak; Performed by Gurgen Ovseplan (vocalist), Slovak Philharmonic conducted by Ondrej Lenard; Written by Heather Conkie based on a story by Richard Mozer and David Devine; Cinematography by Barry Stone; Edited by Gordon McClellan; Produced and Directed by David Devine. Color 52 minutes.

Noted Documentaries • Carmen (¡999) South Bank Show; London Weekend Television; 52 minutes • Township Opera: Carmen (2002) BBC; 60 minutes

Most documentaries don’t concentrate on Bizet himself but focus instead on his most famous work. The South Bank Show on London Weekend Television presented a magnificent documentary on the opera Carmen from its composition by Bizet, its debut and its eventual ascendancy as the most popular of all operas. The program noted that original audiences and

Johannes Brahms

critics of Carmen were stunned by its sexuality and moral ambiguity. Some even saw it as a threat to the social order. The program also analyzes the powerful appeal of the work and various adaptations of it over the years, including the all-black Broadway adaptation by Oscar Hammerstein titled Carmen Jones. In ¡954, this version was made into a film by director Otto Preminger, featuring Harry Belafonte and

43

Dorothy Dandridge in the lead roles. The second documentary concentrates on British composer Charles Hazelwood and Mark Dornford-May, director of the Broomhill Opera and their work in South Africa, and the presentation of a new version of Carmen with a new translation by Rory Bremmer, demonstrating the almost-universal appeal of Bizet’s music.

Johannes Brahms Screen depictions • • • •

Ullrich Haupt in Träumerei (¡944) Robert Walker in Song of Love (¡947) ? in Lisztomania (¡975) Stephane Jobert in Monsieur Schumann (¡976) • Warren Mitchell in Brahms and the Little Singing Girls (¡997) • Joachim Neier in What Price Immortality? (¡999)

As a nineteenth-century German composer, Johannes Brahms (¡833–¡897) defies easy classification. He was a pure classicist in terms of form and structure, but a romantic in spirit. He generally shunned program music except for a fondness for songs. His major works include his four symphonies, four concertos (two for piano, one for violin and one for cello and violin), Academic Festival Overture, Tragic Overture, Haydn Variations for orchestra, Alto Rhapsody, A German Requiem, and an impressive catalog of chamber and piano music. Brahms was considered the foremost composer of his era, the equal of Wagner, but few young composers sought to emulate him. Brahms was never the central figure

in any feature production with the exception of Tony Palmer’s telefilm written for the hundredth anniversary of the composer’s demise. He is usually depicted in a subsidiary capacity to the tragic figure of Robert Schumann, whom he met in October ¡853 at his home in Düsseldorf. The twenty-one-year-old Brahms studied with Schumann, who regarded his young associate as a genius. Schumann succumbed to madness in February ¡854 and was committed to an asylum after a failed suicide attempt. Brahms devotedly assisted Clara Schumann, helping her raise her seven children. Brahms even became godfather to Felix Schumann, born in June ¡854. At some point, Brahms fell deeply in love with Clara, fourteen years older than the young composer, but in all likelihood their relationship remained platonic. Schumann died in July ¡856, and about a year later Brahms and Clara parted company as she moved with her children to Berlin and Brahms accepted a musical appointment at the court of Detmold, along the western German border. Nevertheless, Brahms and Clara Schumann remained the closest of friends until her death in ¡896. It is the a‡liation of Robert Schumann, Clara Schumann and Johannes Brahms that has in-

44

Johannes Brahms

spired a number of novels, plays and motion pictures, since they were three extraordinary people, composers all, who were bound together in an extraordinary relationship, but one more characterized by genuine respect than scandal despite the circumstances. A number of novels fictionalize their association, a few turning it into a sordid love triangle. For more detailed information about the Brahms films, consult the entries under Robert Schumann. Brahms was first portrayed on screen by actor Ullrich Haupt in Träumerei, one of the last major films produced in Germany under the Nazi regime. It is one of the young performer’s earliest films and his first major part. Haupt’s father, who had the same name, was a star in silent films and early talkies such as The Iron Mask (¡929) with Douglas Fairbanks and Morocco (¡930) with Gary Cooper and Marlene Dietrich. The younger Haupt was largely active in German films, although he later appeared in several bilingual productions such as 2¡ Hours at Munich (¡976), in which he plays an Israeli coach who was among the victims of the ¡972 Olympic hostage crisis. Haupt plays Brahms as an enthusiastic but shy youth in Träumerei, and he won positive notices for his sincere and earnest performance. The actor who plays Brahms is unbilled in Lisztomania, Ken Russell’s madcap satire. He appears only momentarily at the start of the film, approaching Liszt and Wagner as they enter a restaurant. Dressed in a top hat and holding a drink in his right hand, he puts his left hand on the pianist’s shoulder, exclaiming, “Liszt, my dear fellow!” Liszt brushes him aside, however, telling Wagner that people who like Brahms’s music might just as well like no music at all. He then uses a term of British slang to denigrate Brahms. In real life, a certain coolness seemed to exist between Liszt and Brahms. One anecdote suggests that Brahms visited Liszt before he went to study with

Robert Schumann, and he fell asleep while Liszt played the piano for him. The story is probably apocryphal. Stephane Jobert made his screen debut as Brahms in Monsieur Schumann (¡976) in a performance that stresses the young composer’s maturity as a musician and his immaturity in human relationships. Jobert remained active in French films, such as Danton (¡982), in which he plays Panis, a devoted young follower of the French revolutionary. Warren Mitchell, best known as the colorful Alf Garnett in the British television series Till Death Do Us Part (which inspired All in the Family), undertook the role of the composer in Brahms and the Little Singing Girls. Mitchell portrays Brahms about the age of sixty, when he resided in Vienna. The film concentrates on the composer’s troublesome relations with women, his problem with impotence and his dependence on the services of prostitutes. It is an honest and sympathetic portrayal of his lonely life, fulfilled primarily by his music. Mitchell’s monologue with musical illustrations won praise for the actor, recalling the poignancy he once brought to the role of Shylock in a memorable television production of The Merchant of Venice. Palmer includes selections from Brahms’s symphonies, concertos, the Alto Rhapsody and A German Requiem, to illustrate his accomplishments despite his private su›ering. In What Price Immortality?, a film about the life and times of Edvard Grieg, Brahms appears in only one scene, at a banquet with Grieg and Tchaikovsky. Joachim Neier makes a wonderful likeness to the older Brahms with a full white beard as he is seated at a table with his fellow composers and other guests. It is one of the closest visual depictions of the traditional Brahms on film. The most significant of the Brahms screen portrayals is Robert Walker in Song of Love, and he has more or less equal screen time with Paul Henreid as Robert

Johannes Brahms

45

Clara Schumann (Katharine Hepburn) and Johannes Brahms (Robert Walker) attend the debut performance of his First Symphony in Song of Love.

Schumann, although still in a subordinate role to Katharine Hepburn as Clara Schumann. Brahms first appears twenty-two minutes into the film, arriving at the Schumann home in Düsseldorf in late ¡853, armed with a letter of introduction from the composer and violinist Joseph Joachim. The housekeeper shows him to the main drawing room, where the youthful Brahms is soon overwhelmed by the Schumann children chasing a squawking chicken. Brahms picks up and cradles the youngest, a toddler. “How many did you count?” he says to the baby as the children dash o›. Eventually Robert Schumann ap-

pears, startled to find a stranger holding his baby. After Brahms introduces himself, Schumann reads the letter and asks Brahms to play something that he has written. He sits at the piano and launches into his Rhapsody No. ¡ in B minor (actually composed in ¡879). The composition is played almost in its entirety, but Brahms stops when Clara enters the room. She tells him to take o› his overcoat so he can play more comfortably. Schumann urges him to continue, and Brahms completes the piece. Clara kisses him on both cheeks, and Schumann exclaims, “It’s strange, a new kind of music. It’s magnificent. Why do you want

46

Johannes Brahms

to study with me?” When Brahms replies that he respects his music more than that of any other composer, Schumann agrees to work with him and even o›ers him a room in his house while he studies. (In real life, Brahms took rooms nearby). The Schumann household is soon upset when Bertha, their housekeeper, leaves, upset by Schumann’s suggestion that she isn’t pulling her weight. It turns out that it is New Year’s eve, and the Schumanns were planning a dinner party for eight friends. Brahms o›ers to help with the cooking, but neither he nor Schumann is able to kill the chicken. When the bird lays an egg, Brahms o›ers to buy a goose at the local butcher shop. This extended scene succinctly sums up the Brahms portrayal in Song of Love. Walker plays him as charming and accomplished, totally devoted to Robert and smitten with Clara, and willing to assume any role to be helpful and fit in with their lives. The actors play their roles with such enthusiasm and charm that it is easy to overlook that their instant familiarity is totally unrealistic. In the following scenes, Brahms becomes a jack-of-all-trades in the household. At the party, he entertains the guests by playing excerpts from his Hungarian Dances. He becomes a full-time nanny to the children and eventually uses psychology to persuade Bertha to resume her position as housekeeper. He still babysits, however, taking charge of the children when Clara goes on a concert tour to Cologne accompanied by Robert. When one of the children, Julie, comes down with the measles, he summons a doctor, sets up a quarantine zone and entertains the sick child by improvising his famous Lullaby to put her to sleep. Schumann is anxiously awaiting news about his opera/oratorio Scenes from Goethe’s Faust, which he submitted for a debut performance. When it is rejected, Brahms secretly takes the manuscript to Franz Liszt (Henry Daniell), who

endeavors to interest conductor Carl Reinecke to program the work for the Gewandhaus Orchestra. Brahms is impressed with the clever and subtle manner by which Liszt manages to do this. (In fact, however, Reinecke did not become conductor of the Gewandhaus until ¡860, six years later.) Before Faust is scheduled for performance, however, Brahms decides to leave the Schumann residence because he feels he can no longer hide his infatuation with Clara. The scene in which Brahms explains the reason to Clara when she protests his leaving is extraordinarily well played by Walker and Hepburn. Brahms is absent from the story when Schumann has his breakdown and is committed to an asylum. Only after Robert’s death in ¡856 does Brahms enter the story when the composer visits the bereaved Clara. He throws open the curtains in the drawing room, sits at the piano and again plays his Rhapsody No. ¡. When Clara enters the room to greet him, Brahms invites her to the premiere of his First Symphony, to be given that night in Cologne. (In actuality, Brahms’s First Symphony wasn’t finished until ¡876 and debuted in Karlsruhe.) Clara refuses but later shows up at the concert unexpectedly. During the second movement of the symphony, Brahms spots her while standing near one of the main floor exits, and he rushes up to join her in her box seat. He keeps trying to talk to her, but he disturbs other patrons, who demand his silence. He forces Clara to leave by bellowing, “I’m hungry!” In the adjoining box, an aggravated listener mutters, “Barbarian! Does he not recognize great music?” The music lover is even more startled when his wife informs him that the man who caused the disturbance was the composer himself. Brahms escorts Clara to a dance hall, where they dine. He proposes to her, but she gently declines, trying not to hurt her

Johannes Brahms

beloved friend, saying that she wants to dedicate her career to playing Robert’s music. This is the final Brahms scene in the film. Unfortunately, the last scene with Brahms is one of the weakest. Having him storm out of the concert in the middle of his First Symphony just seems ludicrous, and the dance hall dialogue sounds trite and artificial. Certainly, Clara did spend her concert career promoting her husband’s music, but she continually programmed Brahms’s music as well, debuting over ten of his piano compositions and being the first person to play his music in England. It is very doubtful that Brahms ever proposed to her. In fact, for a time Brahms had considered proposing to Julie Schumann, Clara’s daughter. Julie, however, regarded Brahms as she would a favorite uncle, without any deeper feelings. When Brahms learned of Julie’s betrothal in ¡869, he was heartbroken. He treated both Julie and Clara in rather curt fashion until Julie’s wedding day, when he brought his latest composition, his Alto Rhapsody, as his bridal gift. Song of Love remains the most memorable film depiction of Brahms, although it is somewhat fanciful. The young Brahms was never as self-assured as Robert Walker portrays him. The actual Brahms was characterized by his high, squeaky voice and somewhat gawky behavior. Walker is smooth, charming and refined, almost without flaw. He is an entirely idealized Brahms, quite unlike the moody eccentric that emerges from the personal reminiscences of anyone familiar with the famous composer. It would indeed be interesting and a challenge to present that Brahms in a major feature film.

Production Credits Träumerei (¡944) UFA Film Cast : Mathias Wieman as Robert Schumann, Hilde Krahl

47

as Clara Schumann, Ullrich Haupt as Brahms, Emil Lohkamp as Liszt, Eduard Bornträger, Knut Hartwig, Isot Kilian, Elly Burgmer, Rudolf Drexler, Waldo Favre, Emil Hess, Lisa Wunderlich, Bruno Harprecht and Friedrich Kayssler. Music by Robert Schumann, Johannes Brahms, Franz Liszt and Werner Eisenbrenner; Written by Harald Braun and Herbert Witt; Cinematography by Robert Baberske; Produced by Fritz Thiery; Directed by Harald Braun. Original language German B&W ¡¡0 minutes. Song of Love (¡947) MGM Cast : Katharine Hepburn as Clara Schumann, Paul Henreid as Robert Schumann, Robert Walker as Brahms, Henry Daniell as Liszt, Elise Janssen, Leo G. Carroll, Ludwig Stossel, Kurt Katch, Roman Bohnen, Tala Birell, Gigi Perreau, Yinker Furlong, Ann Carter, Janine Perreau, Jimmie Hunt, Anthony Sydes, Eilene Janssen, Henry Stevenson, Konstantin Shayne, Wheaton Chambers, Byron Foulger and George Chakiris. Music by Robert Schumann, Johannes Brahms, Franz Liszt and Bronislau Kaper; Performed by Artur Rubinstein (pianist), Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Symphony Orchestra conducted by William Steinberg ; Written by Ivan Tors, Irmgard von Cube, Allen Vincent and Robert Ardrey based on a play by Bernard Schubert and Mario Silva; Cinematography by Harry Stradling ; Edited by Robert J. Kern; Produced and Directed by Clarence Brown. Color ¡¡9 minutes. Lisztomania (¡975) Warner Brothers Cast : Roger Daltrey as Liszt, Paul Nicholas as Wagner, Ringo Starr, Rick Wakeman, Sara Kestelman, John Justin, Fiona Lewis, Veronica Quilligan, Andrew Reilly, Nell Campbell, Imogen Claire, Rikki Howard, David English, Anulka Dziubinska, Aubrey Morris, Andrew Faulds, Kenneth Colley as Chopin, Murray Melvin as Berlioz, Otto Diamant as Mendelssohn and Ken Parry. Music by Rick Wakeman, Franz Liszt and Richard Wagner; Roger Daltrey, Paul Nicholas, Linda Lewis, Mandy More (Vocalists); English Rock Ensemble, National Philharmonia Orchestra; Written by Ken Russell; Cinematography by Peter Suschitzky; Edited by Stuart Baird; Produced by Roy Baird and David Putnam; Directed by Ken Russell. Color ¡06 minutes. Monsieur Schumann (¡976) AKA Il Etait un

48

Johannes Brahms

Musicien — Monsieur Schumann RJD Cast: Anouk Ferjac as Clara Schumann, Marcel Cuvelier as Robert Schumann, Stephane Jobert as Brahms, Jean-Christophe Bouvet and Yvonne Danny. Music by Robert Schumann; Performed by Alexis Weissenberg (pianist), Mstislav Rostropovich (cellist), Orchestra conducted by Wolfgang Sawallisch; Written by Janine Sperling and Bernard Queysanne; Produced by Christine Gouze-Rénal and Roger Hanin; Directed by Bernard Queysanne. Original language French Color 80 minutes. Brahms and the Little Singing Girls (¡997) Isolde Films Cast: Warren Mitchell, Lori Piitz as Clara Schumann and Ulrika. Music by Johannes Brahms; Performed by Olaf Baer, Susan Chilcott and Ning Liang (soloists), NDR Symphony Orchestra conducted by Peter Leonard; Written by Tony Palmer; Cinematography by Dave Marsh; Edited by Tony Palmer; Produced and Directed by Tony Palmer. 90 minutes. What Price Immortality? (¡999) AKA Edvard Grieg — What Price Immortality? RM Arts/ ZDF Production Cast: Sta›an Scheja, Philip Branmer, Derek Jacobi, Claudia Zöhner, Lasse Kolsrud, Haakon Rasmos Rasmusser, Sabine Oberhorner, Kaiole Taule, Tore Blaha, Berit Slettermark, Michael Baral, Günther Morbitzer, Stig Vaular, Hermann Schneider, Hans Albers, Wolfgang Teichmann, Peter Linke as Tchaikovsky, Joachim Neier as Brahms and Emanuel Dyrr as Franz Liszt. Music by Edvard Grieg; Performed by Sta›an Scheja (pianist), Auryn Quartet (string quartet); Written by Thomas Olofsson, True Rangström and Johanna Olofsson; Cinematography by Konrad Kotowski; Edited by Elke Riemann; Produced by Reiner E. Moritz; Directed by Thomas Olofsson. Color 7¡ minutes.

Noted Documentaries • Sounds Magnificent: Brahms (¡986) Story of the Symphony series, vol. 4; 86 minutes • Brahms (¡987) A film by Nicholas Vazsonyi; 55 minutes • But for Women: Dr. Brahms, Johannes Brahms (¡996) A film by Janos Darvas; 58 minutes • Brahms: Keeper of the Classical Flame (200¡) Featuring Jon Kimura Parker; Bravo; 30 minutes

The Sounds Magnificent program stresses the importance of Johannes Brahms in the development of the symphony and includes a complete performance of the Fourth Symphony with André Previn conducting the Royal Philharmonic. Previn also serves as narrator for the entire “Story of the Symphony” series. The Vazsonyi documentary, on the other hand, concentrates on Brahms’s life and development as a musician up to the completion of his First Symphony. The Darvas documentary is more personal (as well as highly entertaining), concentrating on the composer’s relationship with women, particularly Clara Schumann. As with the other entries in the “Wholenotes” series for Bravo, pianist and musicologist Parker provides a witty and concise overview of Brahms’s life and major musical works combining anecdote and analysis, together with excerpts by the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra led by Michael Hall.

Anton Bruckner

49

Anton Bruckner Screen depictions • Peter Mackriel in The Strange A·iction of Anton Bruckner (¡990) • Joachim Bauer and Markus Ertelt Halner in Bruckners Entscheidung (¡995)

Anton Bruckner (¡824–¡896) was best known during his lifetime as an organist and music professor. His musical compositions at first were regarded as long winded and pompous. Since he was a devoted admirer of Wagner, his music was viewed with hostility in Vienna by the conservative music establishment and influential critics such as Eduard Hanslick. He gained only a measure of critical acceptance during the last few years of his life. Bruckner never attempted to write an opera, mostly confining his musical e›orts to religious works (for chorus and orchestra) and symphonies. His best-known compositions are his Te Deum, his String Quintet, his Fourth Symphony “Romantic,” his Seventh Symphony and his unfinished Ninth Symphony. Since he revised his work frequently, there are di›erent competing editions of many of his works. As a composer, his name is often linked with that of Gustav Mahler, perhaps because they were both late– Romantic symphonists whose center of activity was Vienna. The only actual connection between the two was when Bruckner hired the teenaged Mahler in ¡877 to arrange a piano transcription of his Third Symphony. Their musical styles and temperament, however, were considerably di›erent. Bruckner is featured in two similar, very strange and poetic films. The first, The Strange A·iction of Anton Bruckner, is by Ken Russell and focuses on Bruckner’s

numeromania. When the composer’s obsession with counting everything from the clouds in the sky to the pebbles on a beach gets out of control, he is taken to a sanatorium to be treated for the disorder. The cast is confined to three persons, Bruckner and two nurses, Hansel and Gretel. The film opens as Bruckner counts the spokes on his carriage as he approaches the rest home. He keeps asking to see the doctor but is told he will appear shortly. The composer is forced to take cold-water baths, but other than that, his time passes pleasantly in long walks. In one dramatic scene, one of the nurses disrobes and lies down beside the composer. Seeing her naked body, however, only reminds Bruckner of the glory of God. There is an example of some of the film’s religious imagery, reflecting Bruckner’s overly devout nature. At confession, his sins are all venial and for his penance he is instructed to play Bach on the organ. A dream sequence uses music by Wagner with images taken from two of Russell’s other films, Mahler and Women in Love. Like Godot in Waiting for Godot, however, the doctor never arrives. When Bruckner is released from the rest home, he seems apparently uncured, but the audience learns that one of the nurses decided that if Bruckner were cured, he probably would be unable to compose another note, so he is better o› left untreated. Peter Mackriel tackles the part with both subtlety and conviction, as the script probes the meaning behind the composer’s fixation. The soundtrack includes generous selections from Bruckner’s symphonies, his String Quintet and Te Deum, which together with the beautiful scenery provide a stunning aural and visual expe-

50

Anton Bruckner

rience. In real life, Bruckner also su›ered from another obsession, a morbid fascination with dead bodies. Accordingly, he left detailed instructions for the treatment of his own body in his will. Bruckners Entscheidung, or Bruckner’s Decision, by filmmaker Jan Schmidt-Garre is based on the same incident as the Russell film. Su›ering a nervous breakdown from overwork in ¡867, Bruckner goes to the spa at Bad Kreutzen for a rest cure. While going through the routine of daily baths and relaxation, Bruckner makes the acquaintance of a German architect who is su›ering from indecision concerning his romance with his lover Sophie. While watching Otto’s dilemma, Bruckner realizes his own lack of conviction about his own future as a composer, Should he remain in his hometown of Linz and spend his remaining years comfortably as an organist and teacher, or should he relocate to the capital of Austria, strive for a professorship at the Vienna Conservatory and dedicate himself to composing? The sometimes eccentric scenes of treatment at the spa are intercut with flashbacks to Bruckner’s childhood, when he resided at a religious boarding school in a monastery. Other flashbacks recall his unsuccessful relationships with women. One highlight in his past is also revealed, his meeting with Richard Wagner, who inspires his eventual decision to move to Vienna and pursue his career as a composer. Joachim Bauer is almost as successful as Peter Mackriel as Bruckner, and young Markus Ertelt Halner is quite good as the young Bruckner. Both Schmidt-Garre and Russell have created highly personal, convincing and exceptional e›orts in these productions, which

actually complement each other in many ways. They would make a wonderful double billing if shown together.

Production Credits The Strange A·iction of Anton Bruckner (¡990) Dreamgrange Cast: Peter Mackriel, Catherine Neilson and Carsten Norgaard. Music by Anton Bruckner, Richard Wagner and Johann Sebastian Bach; Edited by Nigel Galt; Written by Ken Russell; Cinematography by Robin Vidgeon; Edited by Brian Tagg; Produced by Ronaldo Vasconcellos and Jeremy Bolt; Directed by Ken Russell. Color 53 minutes. Bruckners Entscheidung (¡995) AKA Bruckner’s Decision Pars Media/Bauerische Film Cast: Joachim Bauer, Markus Ertelt Halner, Sophie von Kessel, Michael Ponti, Julia Regeher and Joachim Kaiser as Richard Wagner. Music by Anton Bruckner; Written by Jan Schmidt-Garre; Cinematography by Pascal Ho›mann and Wedigo von Schultzendorf; Edited by Edith Eisenstecken and Evi Oberkofler; Produced and Directed by Jan SchmidtGarre. Original language German B&W 80 minutes.

Noted Documentary • Life of Anton Bruckner (¡974) A film by Hans Conrad Fischer; ¡3¡ minutes

This feature-length documentary about Anton Bruckner and his times is magnificent and quite comprehensive. It also includes performances by the Munich Philharmonic and the Vienna Philharmonic conducted by Karl Bohm. The voice of Bruckner is provided by Hugh Burden.

Frederic Chopin

51

Frederic Chopin Screen depictions • Wolfgang Liebeneiner in Abschiedswalzer (¡934) • Jean Servais in La Chanson de l’Adieu (¡934) • Jean Chaduc in Pontcarral, Colonel d’Empire (¡942) • Cornel Wilde and Maurice Tauzin in A Song to Remember (¡945) • Vaclav Voska in Bohemian Rapture (¡948) • Czeslaw Wollejko in Young Chopin (¡952) • Alexander Davion in Song Without End (¡960) • Kenneth Colley in Lisztomania (¡975) • Krystian Martinek in Ein Winter auf Mallorca (¡982) • Hugh Grant in Impromptu (¡99¡) • Janusz Olejniczak in La Note Bleue (¡99¡) • Stefan Wol›-Schönberg in Chopin—Bilder einer Trennung (¡993) • Paul Rhys in The Mystery of Chopin — The Strange Case of Delphina Potocka (¡999) • Darren Bonin in Frederic et George (200¡) • Piotr Adamoczyk in Chopin Pregnienie Milosci (2002)

As a composer, Frederic Chopin (¡8¡0– ¡849) concentrated his e›orts on the solo piano, the exceptions being a handful of songs and chamber pieces. He also wrote six works for piano with orchestral accompaniment, including his two piano concertos, so it is not surprising that he is regarded as the undisputed “poet laureate of the piano.” Except for his three piano sonatas, he specialized in refined works of short duration. His nocturnes, études, preludes, waltzes, scherzos, polonaises, impromptus, ballades and above all mazurkas are regarded as works of miniature perfection.

The original feature film about Chopin, Farewell Waltz, was released in two di›erent language versions, one in French and one in German. Both were virtually identical, although the German version, Abschiedswalzer, is considered the finer of the two. The original screenplay by Ernst Marischka also formed the basis for the lavish Hollywood screen treatment, A Song to Remember. This production is one of the most popular of composer films, but at the same time it is one of the most deceptive and misleading. This is most troubling since the musical sequences, played by the multitalented José Iturbi, are excellent. The score by Miklos Rozsa skillfully employs a number of Chopin’s melodies throughout, adapting in particular the Tristesse Étude (op. ¡0, no. 3), which is often played in orchestral transcription as George Sand’s leitmotif. For some bizarre reason, the focus of this screen biography is not really Chopin, but his teacher, Dr. Joseph Xaver Elsner (¡769–¡854), who was the director of the Warsaw Conservatory from ¡82¡ through ¡830. In real life, he served as Chopin’s teacher in composition and harmony from ¡822 through ¡826. Elsner was a respected composer who penned nineteen operas, three symphonies and considerable chamber music. A Song to Remember transforms Elsner (Paul Muni) into Chopin’s fuddy-duddy piano professor, even though Elsner was not a pianist. The professor takes Chopin o› to Paris in ¡830 after Frederic denounces the Russian governor of Poland at a private concert. In real life, Chopin was indeed a Polish patriot, but not a revolutionary firebrand. Elsner oversees Chopin like a mother hen who micromanages his every step. In Paris, Elsner takes his pupil to visit

52

Frederic Chopin

Poster art for A Song to Remember. Note that Cornel Wilde receives third billing.

Frederic Chopin

Camille Pleyel, the piano maker and music impresario. Pleyel has little interest and is about to eject the intruders when Franz Liszt (Stephen Bekassy) arrives, notices the manuscript of Chopin’s Heroic Polonaise and starts to perform it enthusiastically. Chopin sits at another piano and starts to play, and Liszt proclaims him a genius. Pleyel arranges a concert for Chopin, and at a cafe Liszt introduces him to poet Alfred de Musset and the flamboyant novelist Baroness Aurore Dupin, best known by her pen name, George Sand (Merle Oberon). Chopin’s concert is a disaster after he learns about the death of some of his friends in Poland at the hands of Russian authorities. George Sand invites the composer to a soirée. She arranges for Liszt to play in a darkened room. He starts to play Chopin’s Scherzo in B Flat Minor. Sand then surprises the guests by bringing in a candelabrum and revealing that Chopin, not Liszt, is the actual pianist. (This exact scene inspired Liberace to adopt the candelabrum as his trademark whenever he performed.) Sand then sweeps Chopin o› to her apartment, and Elsner arranges for publication of his music with Pleyel. Chopin moves in with Sand, totally abandoning Elsner without a word of explanation. Sand and Chopin leave for a holiday at Majorca, but the composer becomes ill with tuberculosis. After they return to her country home in France, Elsner visits, but Chopin refuses to see him. The professor sinks into poverty, moving to shabby rooms and giving piano lessons. When Liszt encounters him, he promises to make sure that he receives an invitation to Chopin’s next salon performance. Constanze Gladkowska (Nina Foch), an old friend from Poland, arrives in France to beg financial help to free her imprisoned friends in Poland. Elsner swallows his pride and attends Chopin’s next private performance. He pleads with him to aid Constanze, but Sand intercedes, saying

53

Chopin is too ill. Elsner leaves after giving Chopin a gift from Constanze, a pouch filled with Polish soil. Chopin decides to undertake a European concert tour to raise money for the Polish cause. One of the film’s most memorable scenes is a concert performance of the Revolutionary Étude (op. ¡0, no. ¡2), as Chopin coughs and a single drop of blood falls onto the keyboard. The composer collapses after the last concert. Dying, he asks Elsner to bring Sand to his bedside. The professor finds her posing as a model for Delacroix. She refuses to come. Chopin dies while Liszt plays the piano for him. Cornel Wilde makes a very unconvincing Chopin. Physically, he is too large and robust to portray the composer. His interpretation of his character is bizarre, as he seems only half a person, always wanting someone else to manage his a›airs and take responsibility for all his decisions. On the other hand, in his few brief early scenes, Maurice Tauzin shows more personality as the youthful Chopin. His joy when he plays his first original composition, for example, is truly infectious, and it is unfortunate that Wilde’s Chopin appears jaded in comparison. Merle Oberon plays George Sand like an ice princess or a conniving dominatrix. Her distorted image has influenced the perception of this famous author in the audience’s perception. Chopin is depicted in cameos in two early foreign productions. The first, Pontcarral, Colonel d’Empire was a French Vichy film cleared by the German censors. It is based on the best-known historical novel by Albéric Cahuet, a famous literary critic and novelist who passed away in Lyon shortly before the film was produced. The central figure of the story is Baron Pontcarral, a loyal o‡cer in Napoleon’s army who goes into exile rather than submit to the new Bourbon government. Later, he sneaks back into France and participates in the revolution of ¡830. In the film, he

54

Frederic Chopin

also has a brief encounter with Chopin and Liszt. Bohemian Rapture is a Czech film that includes brief appearances by Chopin and Niccolò Paganini. Young Chopin is a remarkable, occasionally outrageous Polish film which concentrates more on politics than music. In truth, Chopin was largely apolitical and regularly sided with the aristocracy. He fully sympathized with Polish e›orts to win freedom for his country, so he was strongly anti–Russian in his sentiments. At the time Young Chopin was made, Poland was an entrenched Soviet puppet state under the thumb of Stalin. Given political reality, the film couldn’t portray the composer’s anti–Russian feelings, so it transformed Chopin and his friends into enemies of the nobility in both Russia and Poland. They also express solidarity time and again with the Russian people, so this line of propaganda dominates the script. Young Chopin is set during the years ¡825 to ¡83¡, when the composer aged from fifteen to twentyone. The star, Czeslaw Wollejko, is far too old, looking at least in his mid-thirties. He also bears a passing resemblance to Gene Wilder as he appears in Young Frankenstein (¡974), suggesting additional irony to the translation of the title as Young Chopin. (Some sources changed it to the awkward Youth of Chopin.) The opening scene in ¡825 sets the mood. When Chopin first appears, he is playing the piano at an estate, but the camera quickly shifts to a back room where a group of men are discussing the death of Tsar Alexander and the possibility of revolution. The scene shifts to ¡830, as Chopin is inspired by Niccolò Paganini to become his equal with the piano as his instrument. The script also has endless scenes of the composer frolicking with the peasants. He becomes interested in a young aristocrat, Constanze Gladkowska, but he never actually pursues her. His friends convince him to tour Europe as a

pianist and composer. To finance his plans, Chopin attempts to raise money by giving a concert and playing his First Piano Concerto. His friends decide to use the concert to assassinate the grand duke and spark a revolution. Wisely, the grand duke does not attend the concert, so all the audience has to do is listen to the concerto. Chopin travels to Vienna, where he is thrilled by news of the “July Revolution” in Paris. When he hears that a revolt has started in Warsaw, Chopin attempts to return, but his carriage gets trapped in a snowstorm, and he gets pneumonia. In his mind, he composes his Revolutionary Étude. The Polish revolt fizzles. Meanwhile, back in Vienna, Chopin is warned that his health is fragile and that a second case of pneumonia will kill him. He travels on to Paris, where he meets with Polish political refugees. The final sequence of the picture is dramatic and utterly brilliant but makes no logical sense. As a meeting of Polish patriots breaks up in Paris, they leave their meeting hall in a state of excitement. French workers, hearing shouts of liberty, leave their jobs and join them in a march. Soon the shouts of “Long live Poland!” are replaced by the enthusiastic singing of La Marseillaise. Barricades are thrown up on the streets, soldiers appear and a fierce battle begins. A French soldier rips o› half the blouse of a rioting woman, briefly exposing her breast like the traditional figure of “Marianne — the symbol of Liberty.” Chopin, all but forgotten in the scene, appears in the midst of the protesters as the picture closes. The last scene corresponds to nothing in history, since the “July Revolution” was long over by the time Chopin arrived in Paris in September ¡83¡. There was also no large-scale riot by Polish refugees. The scene was merely thrown in to provide an exciting climax. There are many reasons for viewers to seek out Young Chopin. The cinematog-

Frederic Chopin

raphy is breathtaking, inspired in part by the art of Peter Breughel in the peasant scenes. The music sequences are exceptional, including the Paganini recital and the stunning concert scene with the Revolutionary Étude. The real clincher, however, is to watch the convoluted Marxist propaganda that is woven into the fabric of the story. The next two Chopin appearances are cameos in Liszt biopics. In Song Without End, Alexander Davion plays Chopin, who together with George Sand, visits Franz Liszt and his mistress Marie d’Agoult at their retreat in Switzerland. Liszt demonstrates, at the piano, how his music upsets his infant son Daniel, whereas Chopin’s music enchants him. “I wish I could play my music that well,” Chopin confesses to his friend. Later that night, Liszt takes Chopin on a tour of the small village, stopping at the church and playing Bach’s Passacaglia in C Minor on the organ. In the satirical Lisztomania, Chopin is portrayed in the opening scene at Rossini’s restaurant. Kenneth Colley plays the composer as a masochist, on the floor clinging to George Sand’s feet when Wagner approaches him to make his acquaintance. Most of the remaining Chopin films are foreign e›orts, French and German, that concentrate on the Chopin/Sand relationship. Ein Winter auf Mallorca, La Note Bleue, Chopin — Bilder einer Trennung and Frederic et George. Except for Ein Winter auf Mallorca, most of these films attracted little notice and had only limited circulation. In particular, Chopin — Bilder einer Trennung was characterized as a weak e›ort, a dry reading of the composer’s letters to an unimaginative, stylized backdrop with actors. Impromptu was a major film that attracted considerable attention, due both to the remarkable cast and the odd treatment which almost presented the story as if it were a screwball television comedy such as Friends or Seinfeld but in nineteenth-cen-

55

tury trappings. A few purists were turned o› by the approach, yet the film was far more accurate than a number of traditional films such as A Song to Remember. Many others found Impromptu to be refreshing, and it served to introduced a younger generation of viewers to Chopin, Liszt, George Sand, Delacroix and others. The story basically is a fictionalized account of George Sand’s campaign to seduce Chopin, concluding just before their disastrous winter in Majorca. At first glance, Hugh Grant appears miscast as Chopin, and his physical appearance works against him, but as the film progresses, he manages to win the audience over with his consistent and finely etched interpretation. Judy Davis and Julian Sands seem ideal as George Sand and Liszt, but Bernadette Peters remains a stretch as Marie d’Agoult. The story works best in the first half of the film, when all of the major characters are house guests at the estate of the slightly goofy but amiable Duchess Claudette d’Antan (Emma Thompson). The dinner sequence is scintillating and well written. The second half is less focused and tends to wander, the only climax being when Chopin learns that the passionate letter to him that he believed to be written by Marie d’Agoult was actually penned by George Sand. The scene in which Chopin recoils from sexual intimacy with Sand seems very artificial and Grant’s weakest moment in the film, but otherwise the major events and characters remain fairly credible. There are a number of excellent cameos by other performers, particularly Mandy Patinkin as writer Alfred de Musset and Anna Massey as the mother of George Sand. The musical sequences are well done, and the keyboard technique of both Hugh Grant and Julian Sands is convincing (particularly in the scene where they play Liszt’s four-hand piano arrangement of the Pastoral Symphony by Beethoven). The

56

Frederic Chopin

Chopin musical excerpts, such as the Raindrops Prelude, are wonderfully done, although a number of the pieces were composed post–Majorca. The soundtrack bridge passages, orchestrated bits of Chopin, are a bit intrusive at first, but the arrangements are tastefully done. The Fantasie Impromptu serves as the end credits’ music. Incidentally, Hugh Grant serves as the voice of Chopin in the cartoon short Nocturnes in ¡988. Tony Palmer filmed The Mystery of Chopin — The Strange Case of Delphina Potocka in commemoration of the ¡50th anniversary of the composer’s death, based on several interesting historical developments. It turns out to be one of the rare Palmer films to meet with critical hostility. The structure of the film is in two parallel time tracks, Poland after the conclusion of World War II and Paris in the ¡830s. In ¡945, the great-granddaughter of Countess Delphina Potocka claimed to have found a number of love letters written by Chopin to Delphina. Paulina Czernicka, however, produced only notarized copies and fragments of the letters, so the Polish authorities were unable to authenticate them. Moreover, the contents of the letters were somewhat scandalous, including almost pornographic prose by the composer (who invented pet nicknames for Delphina’s private parts), as well as anti–Semitic passages and derogatory comments about his closest friends. The Polish government decided to suppress the letters, and in ¡949, Paulina Czernicka fell from the eighthstory window of the Polish Ministry of Culture, either a suicide or murder victim. Palmer intercuts scenes of Paulina, shot in black and white, with those of Chopin and Delphina, presented in color. The script emphasizes a number of corresponding events between the two time periods. Apparently, Chopin’s Paris is presented as a squalid, depressing place, and the presentation concentrates on Chopin’s

illnesses. Paul Rhys, who plays Chopin, was largely panned for his reading, particularly his unconvincing keyboard technique. Scenes are also intercut featuring concert pianist Valentina Igoshima, dressed in period costume, playing a number of Chopin’s works. In real life, it is believed that Chopin had an a›air with Delphina. In any case, he dedicated a number of his piano works to her including the Minute Waltz. Experts today believe that parts of the Delphina letters are genuine, but that other passages may have been forged by Paulina Czernicka. It is, however, a fascinating new dimension of Chopin studies that music lovers may pursue. Finally, Chopin Pragnienie Milosci is a major Polish film from 2002 that promises to do justice to Chopin and his career in a fulllength treatment. Preparations are being made to release this film in a subtitled version to one of the major cable networks.

Production Credits Abschiedswalzer (¡934) AKA Farewell Waltz Boston Film Cast : Wolfgang Liebeneiner, Sybille Schmitz as George Sand, Hans Schlenck as Franz Liszt, Richard Romanowsky, Hanna Waag, Julia Serda, Paul Henckeis, Albert Hörrman, Erna Morena, Margarete Schon, Herbert Dirmoser, Fritz Odemar and Gustav Waldau as Fredrich Kalkbrenner. Music by Frederic Chopin and Alois Melichar; Written by Ernst Marischka; Cinematography by Werner Brandes; Edited by Hermann Haller; Produced by Eduard Kubat; Directed by Geza von Bolvary. Original language German B&W 87 minutes. La Chanson de l’Adieu (¡934) AKA Farewell Waltz Films Sonores Tobis Cast: Jean Servais, Lucienne le Marchand as George Sand, Daniel Lecourtois as Franz Liszt, Janine Crispin, Paul Asselin, Erna Morena, Jean Fay, Marcel Vallée, Pierre Sergeol, Christiane Dor and Marcel André as Fredrich Kalkbrenner. Music by Frederic Chopin and Alois Melichar; Written by Ernst Marischka and Jacques Natanson; Cinematography by

Frederic Chopin Werner Brandes; Edited by Hermann Haller; Produced by Eduard Kubat; Directed by Albert Valentin and Geza von Bolvary. Original language French B&W 87 minutes. Pontcarral, Colonel d’Empire (¡942) Pathé Cast: Pierre Blanchar, Annie Ducaux, Suzy Carrier, Charles Granval, Jean Marchat, Charlotte Lyses, Marcel Delaitre, Lucien Nat, Alberte Bayol as George Sand, Mark Dantzer as Franz Liszt, Jean Chaduc and Robert Christides as Alexander Dumas. Music by Louis Beydits; Written by Bernard Zimmer based on a novel by Albéric Cahuet; Cinematography by Christian Matras; Edited by Jeanne Berton; Produced by Christian Stengel; Directed by Jean Delannoy. Original language French Color ¡25 minutes. A Song to Remember (¡944) Columbia Cast : Cornel Wilde, Maurice Tauzin as Chopin in his youth, Merle Oberon as George Sand, Paul Muni, Nina Foch, George Coulouris, Howard Freeman, Peter Cusanelli, Fay Helm, Michael Visaro›, Ian Wolfe, George Macready, Darren McGavin, Stephen Bekassy as Franz Liszt and Roxy Roth as Niccolò Paganini; Music by Frederic Chopin, Niccolò Paganini and Miklos Rozsa; Orchestrations by Eugene Zador; Performed by José Iturbi (pianist); Orchestra conducted by Morris Stolo›; Written by Sidney Buchman based on a story by Ernst Marischka; Cinematography by Tony Gaudio and Allen M. Davey; Edited by Charles Nelson; Produced by Sidney Buchman and Louis F. Edelman; Directed by Charles Vidor. Color ¡¡2 minutes. Bohemian Rapture (¡948) National Film Studio of Prague Cast: Karel Dostal as Niccolò Paganini, Vlasta Fabianova, Karel Jelinek, Libuse Zemkova, Eduard Kohout, Jirinka Krelsova, Jaromir Spol, Jiri Steimor and Vaclav Voska; Directed by Vaclav Krska. Original language Czech B&W 88 minutes. Young Chopin (¡952) WFF Lodz Cast: Czeslaw Wollejko, Z. Lobodzinski, J. Nieweglowki, Jerzy Duszynski, Leon Pietraszkiewicz, S. Drewicz, Adam Cyprian, Aleksandra Slaska, Jan Kurnakowicz, Janusz Galc, Maria Gorcynska, Wanda Jakubinska, Ignacy Janiszewski and Francisek Jamry as Niccolò Paganini; Written by Hubert Drapella, Zbigniew Kurzimski, Olga Ford and Aleksander Ford; Music by Frederic Chopin, Niccolò Paganini and Kazimierz Serocki; Cinematography by

57

Jaroslaw Tuzar; Edited by Krystyna Tunis; Produced and Directed by Aleksander Ford. Original language Polish B&W ¡2¡ minutes. Song Without End (¡960) Columbia Cast: Dirk Bogarde as Franz Liszt, Capucine, Genevieve Page, Ivan Desney, Martita Hunt, Lou Jacobi, Albert Rueprecht, Marcel Dallo, Walter Rilla, Hans Unterkircher, Katherine Squire, Lyndon Brook as Richard Wagner, Patricia Morison as George Sand, Alexander Davion and Erland Erlandsen as Sigismund Thalberg. Music by Franz Liszt, Morris Stolo› and Harry Sukman; Music edited by Christopher Kennedy; Performed by Jorge Bolet (pianist); Written by Oscar Millard; Cinematography by James Wong Howe; Edited by William A. Lyon; Produced by William Goetz; Directed by George Cukor and Charles Vidor. Color ¡4¡ minutes. Lisztomania (¡975) Warner Brothers Cast : Roger Daltrey as Liszt, Paul Nicholas as Wagner, Ringo Starr, Rick Wakeman, Sara Kestelman, John Justin, Fiona Lewis, Veronica Quilligan, Andrew Reilly, Nell Campbell, Imogen Claire, Rikki Howard, David English, Anulka Dziubinska, Aubrey Morris, Andrew Faulds, Kenneth Colley, Murray Melvin as Berlioz, Otto Diamant as Mendelssohn and Ken Parry as Rossini. Music by Rick Wakeman, Franz Liszt and Richard Wagner; Roger Daltrey, Paul Nicholas, Linda Lewis, Mandy More (Vocalists); English Rock Ensemble, National Philharmonia Orchestra; Written by Ken Russell; Cinematography by Peter Suschitzky; Edited by Stuart Baird; Produced by Roy Baird and David Putnam; Directed by Ken Russell. Color ¡06 minutes. Ein Winter auf Mallorca (¡982) DGM Cast : Anton Di›ring, Michael Gahr, Monica Gruber, Paul Ho›mann, Barbara Klatt, David Schröder, Nurith Yaron, Krystian Martinek and Eleanor Weisgerber as George Sand. Music by Herbert Baumann; Written by Answald Krüger based on the novel Die Liebenden by Answald Krüger and Maria Matray; Cinematography by Gero Erhardt; Produced by Hans-Ulrich Thormann; Directed by Imo Moszkowicz. Original language German Color 85 minutes. Impromptu (¡99¡) Sovereign Pictures Cast : Hugh Grant, Judy Davis as George Sand, Julian Sands as Franz Liszt, Mandy Patinkin,

58

Frederic Chopin

Bernadette Peters, Georges Corraface, Anton Rodgers, Emma Thompson, Anna Massey, David Birkin and Ralph Brown as Eugene Delacroix; Music by Frederic Chopin, Franz Liszt and Ludwig van Beethoven; Music arranged by John Strauss; Music edited by Anne de Montagon; Performed by Emanuel Ax, Philippe Entremont, Georges Czi›ra, Georges Pludermacher, Yonti Solomon (pianists); Orchestra conducted by Chris Walker; Written by Sarah Kernochan based on a story by Ernst Marischka; Cinematography by Bruno de Keyzer; Edited by Michael Ellis; Produced by Stuart Oken and Daniel A. Sherkow; Directed by James Lapine. Color ¡07 minutes. La Note Bleue (¡99¡) Erato Cast: Janusz Olejniczak, Marie-France Pisier as George Sand, Sophie Marceau, Noemi Nadelmann, Aurelien Recoing, Benoit le Oecq, Grazyna Oylong, Pavel Slaby, Theophile Sowie, Clement Harari and Feodore Alkine as Eugene Delacroix; Music by Frederic Chopin and Vincenzo Bellini; Written by Andrzej Zulawski; Cinematography by Andrzej Jaroszewicz; Edited by Marie-Sophie Dubus; Produced by Marie-Laure Reyre; Directed by Andrzej Zulawski. Original language French Color ¡35 minutes. Chopin — Bilder einer Trennung (¡993) Erato Cast: Stefan Wol›-Schönburg, Nina Hoger as George Sand, Hannelore Hoger as the voice of the older George Sand, Gwendal Costa, Irmhard Fitz and Levina Wilson; Music by Frederic Chopin; Written by Klaus Kirschner; Cinematography by Paco Joan; Produced and Directed by Klaus Kirschner. Original language German B&W 95 minutes. The Mystery of Chopin — The Strange Case of Delphina Potocka (¡999) Isolde Films Cast: Paul Rhys, Penelope Wilton, Corin Redgrave, John Schrapnel, Terence Rigby, John Bird, John Fortune and Elizabeth McGorian; Music by Frederic Chopin; Performed by Valentina Igoshima (pianist); Written by Tony Palmer; Cinematography by Nic Knowland; Edited by Tony Palmer; Produced and Directed by Tony Palmer. Color/B&W ¡09 minutes. Frederic et George (200¡) Cine Qua Non Films Cast: Darren Bonin, Parise Mongrain, Anne Plamondon and Dorothée Berryman; Music

by Frederic Chopin; Written by Melika Abdelmoumen based on the writings of George Sand; Produced by Michel Ouellette; Directed by Phil Comeau. Original language French Color 52 minutes. Chopin Pragnienie Milosci (2002) Skorpion Art Film Cast: Piotr Adamoczyk, Danuta Stenka as George Sand, Michal Konarski as Franz Liszt, Sara Auldner, Jadwiga Baranska, Janusz Gajos, Anna Koroz, Adam Woronowicz, Sylwia Wysocka, Jerzy Zelnik and Andrzej Zielinski; Music by Frederic Chopin; Written by Jerzy Antczak and Jadwiga Baranska; Cinematography by Edward Klosinski; Edited by Ewa Romanowska-Rozewicz; Produced by Jerzy Antczak and Pawel Rakowski; Directed by Jerzy Antczak. Original language Polish Color ¡34 minutes.

Noted Documentaries • The Lioness and the Little One (¡984); Nocturne productions; ¡8 minutes • Chopin (¡997) Cromell Productions; 52 minutes • Chopin: Autumn Dream (¡999) A Classical Visions production; 56 minutes • Chopin: The Piano Man (200¡) Featuring Jon Kimura Parker; Bravo; 30 minutes

The Lioness and the Little One, based on a noted book by William Atwood, relies on letters and journals to portray a conventional view of Chopin as a sickly figure who turned to George Sand as his mistress due to her strength of character. The visuals of this production rely totally on artwork and photographs from the era. Chopin was originally a Russian documentary. The narration was redone in English, with excellent performances by Russian musicians of Chopin’s concertos, waltzes and mazurkas. Chopin: Autumn Dream is one of three Classical Vision productions focusing on the lives and music of famous musicians. John Kimura Parker’s study of Chopin is a sparkling and insightful study highlighted by Parker’s own renditions at the piano.

Aaron Copland

59

Aaron Copland Screen depiction • Stephen Brown in Salon Mexico (¡996)

Aaron Copland (¡900–¡990) was the most prominent American composer of the twentieth century. His most popular compositions are his ballets Appalachian Spring, Rodeo, Billy the Kid and El Salon Mexico. His other major works include A Lincoln Portrait for speaker and orchestra, Fanfare for the Common Man, his opera The Tender Land and his jazz-inspired Piano Concerto of ¡926. He also wrote numerous film scores, including Of Mice and Men (¡939), Our Town (¡940), The Red Pony (¡948), The Heiress (¡949) and Something Wild (¡96¡). His most significant accomplishment is probably his Third Symphony, arguably the best American symphony. The only feature film to portray Aaron Copland is quite unusual, a colorful murder mystery set in a Mexico City cabaret, Salon Mexico. The ¡996 production is actually a remake of a ¡949 film. Set in the early ¡930s, the story revolves around the deaths of Mercedes, a taxi dancer, and her lover Paco, a small-time gangster. The story unfolds as the police investigate the killings, questioning the patrons of Salon Mexico, including Almendrita, who was Mercedes’s rival, Salazar, a policeman in love with Mercedes, and the American composer Aaron Copland. Copland’s character did not appear in the original film and was added to provide additional color and as a tribute to the composer’s music. In real life, Copland visited the actual Salon Mexico dance hall in ¡932, and while there he got the inspiration to compose his ballet El Salon Mexico. He

wrote, “It wasn’t the music that I heard there or the dances that attracted me, as much as the spirit of the place.” Similarly, the film is not so much a mystery or police procedural story as a recreation of the flavor of this colorful era. Incidentally, the scene featuring the climactic confrontation of Mercedes and Paco when they murder each other is filmed in black and white as a tribute to the original film. Chicagoborn musician Steven Brown, a member of the avant garde band Tuxedo Moon, plays Copland. Brown is also an amateur filmmaker (he won an award in ¡970 for his version of Frankenstein), and he has occasionally acted on stage.

Production Credits Salon Mexico (¡996) Televicine Cast : Maria Rojo, Alberto Estrella, Blanca Guerra, Manuel Ojeda, Tiaré Scanda, Edith Gonzalez, Gerardo Camarena, Demian Bichir, Luis de Icaza and Steven Brown. Written by Eliseo Alberto; Cinematography by Carlos Marcovich; Edited by José Luis Garcia Agraz and Manuel Hinojosa; Produced by Ignacio Sada; Directed by José Luis Garcia Agraz. B&W/ Color ¡¡0 minutes.

Noted Documentaries • Copland’s America (2000) Directed by David Horn; PBS; 60 minutes • Fanfare for America: Aaron Copland the Composer (¡999) PBS; 60 minutes

Copland’s America is the definitive Copland documentary covering his life, times and work. The well-organized production features musical excerpts, rare historical footage and commentary by his

60

Claude Debussy

contemporaries, including such individuals as his teacher Nadia Boulanger, Leonard Bernstein, Eliott Goldenthal and others. Fanfare for America: Aaron Copland the

Composer, another PBS production, focuses more directly on Copland’s method of composition.

Claude Debussy Screen depictions • Oliver Reed in The Debussy Film (¡965) • Maxime Leroux in Camille Claudel (¡988) • François Marthouret in La Musique de l’Amour: La Chouchou (¡995)

Claude Debussy (¡862–¡9¡8) was the leading exponent of the musical style known as impressionism. A prodigy, Debussy entered the Paris Conservatoire at age eleven. When he was eighteen, the composer served as household pianist for Tchaikovsky’s patron, Madame von Meck. Debussy wrote a symphony dedicated to her, which was lost until a two-piano arrangement was discovered in Moscow in the ¡930s. Shortly after, he began to make his mark in the music world, winning the Prix de Rome, second place in ¡883 and first place in ¡884, for his cantatas Le Gladiateur and L’Enfant Prodigue. He developed his impressionistic musical style in the ¡890s. His principal works are his orchestral suites and tone poems including Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun, Nocturnes for Orchestra, Iberia, Images and his threemovement masterpiece, La Mer. Almost equally famous are his piano works such as Clair de Lune, The Engulfed Cathedral, the Children’s Corner and two books of Preludes. He composed one major opera, Pelléas et Méllisande, three ballets including Jeux and numerous incidental works, the most important being The Martyrdom of Saint Sebastien. He also wrote a large num-

ber of songs and chamber works, of which his String Quartet in G Minor is the most highly regarded. Toward the end of his life, he became fascinated with the writings of Edgar Allan Poe, but his opera The Fall of the House of Usher was unfinished at the time of his death in ¡9¡8. The three films in which Debussy appears are somewhat atypical. The first, The Debussy Film, is one of Ken Russell’s early experimental e›orts, about the making of a film about Debussy. Oliver Reed plays the actor who is cast as Debussy for the film-within-a-film. The technique of the film foreshadows the same approach used in The French Lieutenant’s Woman (¡98¡). The scenario is divided fairly equally between Debussy and the actors and crew making the film. Initially, Russell intended the picture as a theatrical feature, but when he was unable to obtain financial backing, he scaled back the project for the Omnibus series on the BBC, which broadcast it on May ¡8, ¡965. Vladek Sheybal plays the unidentified French director who travels to England to make the Debussy film as well as the role of Pierre Louÿs, the symbolist poet and close friend of the composer. One of the major themes of The Debussy Film is the working relationship, both professional and personal, among creative artists, in the one case, actors and filmmakers, in the other a composer and his gifted associates. Russell selected Reed for the part because he felt that he had an amazing resemblance to the young De-

Claude Debussy

bussy. Some of the imagery was considered too controversial by critics, particularly a scene in which actress Jane Lumb is strapped to a wooden cross and shot with arrows, a visual reference to Debussy’s Martyrdom of Saint Sebastien. Because members of the Debussy family raised a number of objections to the film, the picture was not rebroadcast and has remained in limbo ever since. Camille Claudel is an in-depth biographical drama of the sculptress and her tempestuous relationship with her mentor and lover Auguste Rodin. Isabelle Adjani is captivating in the title role, and Gerard Depardieu is equally good as the temperamental and jealous artist who oversees a virtual factory of apprentice sculptors. Claude Debussy appears in the story only toward the end, after Claudel terminates her relationship with Rodin and sets up a studio of her own. Debussy patronizes her and even passes out cards at a major art exhibition to promote her work. They strike up an almost playful relationship, and the composer takes her dancing, but nothing serious develops between them. Debussy’s appearance in the film is relatively brief, but Maxime Leroux is excellent as the dapper composer. The soundtrack includes the song “Spleen” from Debussy’s Ariettes Oubliées, sung by Barbara Hendricks. Camille Claudel runs ¡57 minutes, but a lengthier ¡79-minute director’s cut also exists, but it is unclear if any Debussy material is included in the additional footage. The third Debussy title sounds fascinating, but unfortunately, like The Debussy Film, it is almost impossible to track down for a viewing. It is La Musique de l’Amour: La Chouchou, a film for French television that was made in Russia as a companion piece to a similarly titled film about Robert and Clara Schumann. The two short films were intended to be shown back to back. La Chouchou is the nickname of De-

61

bussy’s daughter, born in ¡905 and for whom Debussy composed The Golliwog’s Cakewalk and other piano vignettes collected under the title Children’s Corner. La Chouchou’s real name was ClaudeEmma Debussy, deriving her first name from both her parents. Emma Bardac was Debussy’s second wife, and she was the former mistress of composer Gabriel Fauré. Three child actresses play La Chouchou as she grows up. The cast of the film also includes portrayals of Erik Satie, soprano Mary Garden, who created the role of Méllisande for Debussy’s opera, and Maurice Maeterlinck, who wrote the original drama of Pelléas et Méllisande. Hopefully, this production may someday be released on video.

Production Credits The Debussy Film (¡965) BBC Cast : Oliver Reed, Vladek Sheybal, Jane Lumb and Annette Robertson. Music by Claude Debussy; Written by Melvyn Bragg and Ken Russell; Cinematography by Dick Bush; Edited by Alan Tyrer; Produced and Directed by Ken Russell. Color 52 minutes. Camille Claudel (¡988) Orion Cast: Isabelle Adjani, Gerard Depardieu, Laurent Grevill, Alain Cuny, Madeleine Robinson, Katrine Boorman, Daniele Lebrun, Aurelle Doazan, Madeleine Marie, Roger Plachon, Philippe Clévenot, Flamino Corcos, Roch Libovici, Philippe Paimblanc, Hester Wilcox and Benoit Vergne. Music by Gabriel Yared and Claude Debussy; Performed by Barbara Hendricks (vocalist) and Michel Bero› (pianist); Written by Bruno Nuytten and Marilyn Goldin based on the book by ReineMarie Paris; Cinematography by Pierre Lhomme; Edited by Joëlle Hache and Jeanne Kef; Produced by Isabelle Adjani and Christian Fechner; Directed by Bruno Nuytten. Original language French Color ¡57 minutes; ¡79 minutes director’s cut. La Musique de l’Amour: La Chouchou (¡995) TelFrance/Petropol Cast: François Marthouret, Thérèse Liotard, Pascale Rocard, Marc

62

Frederick Delius

Berman, Akla Chibarova, Boris Sokolov, Vladimir Bogdanov, Dimitri Issayev, Valeriya Rud, Zhana Malinovskaya, Oleg Ogui and Sergei Zamoryev as Erik Satie. Music by Claude Debussy; Performed by Alain Bernard (pianist); Written by Eric-Emmanuel Schmitt; Cinematography by Valeri Martynov; Edited by Wally Rebane; Produced by Nelly Kafsky; Directed by James Cellan Jones. Original language French Color 78 minutes.

Noted Documentaries • What Is Impressionism? (¡96¡) New York Philharmonic Young People’s Concerts with Leonard Bernstein; 60 minutes

• Impressionism in Art and Music (¡986) Art and Music Educational series; 34 minutes

Leonard Bernstein devoted one of his earliest Young People’s Concert programs to Claude Debussy and his music, including a complete performance and in-depth analysis of La Mer. The Art and Music Educational series is devoted to tracing the relationship and parallel developments between music and the visual arts, particularly painting. Impressionism in Art and Music compares the life and achievements of Claude Monet and Claude Debussy, showing how the impressionist movement is reflected in their work.

Frederick Delius Screen depiction • Max Adrian in Song of Summer (¡968)

Frederick Delius (¡862–¡934) is somewhat di‡cult to classify as a composer, part impressionist, part mystic and part folk musician. Born in Bradford, Yorkshire, of German descent, the twenty-twoyear-old Delius was sent by his father to manage an orange plantation in Florida. Delius, however, took up the study of music in Jacksonville. This period of his life later inspired a few of his musical compositions, such as the Florida Suite. He later returned to Europe for more formal training. He married the Norwegian artist Jelka Rosen in ¡897 and befriended such figures as Grieg, Gauguin and Percy Grainger. Although he spent much of his life in France, Delius is regarded as a representative English composer. His major works include the operas Irmelin and A

Village Romeo and Juliet, large-scale choral works such as his Requiem and Mass of Life and a number of concertos and chamber pieces. His best-known works are his atmospheric, orchestral tone poems, such as In a Summer Garden, Over the Hills and Far Away, On Hearing the First Cuckoo in Spring and Brigg Fair (dedicated to Percy Grainger). By the late ¡920s, Delius had become increasingly ill due to tertiary syphilis, becoming paralyzed and losing his sight. His final compositions were dictated to Eric Fenby. Song of Summer, one of the finest of Ken Russell’s composer films, depicts the e›orts of Eric Fenby to become Delius’s musical amanuensis. Max Adran portrays Delius as an embittered, cranky and often unpleasant man, while Christopher Gable’s Fenby is unselfish, precocious and hypersensitive. The story begins in ¡928 in Scarborough, England, as the idealistic music student Fenby prepares to leave for Grez-

Frederick Delius

sur-Loring, forty miles outside of Paris, to stay at the home of the composer Frederick Delius, one of his idols. When he hears that Delius is no longer able to compose, the young Fenby o›ers his assistance to the blind and crippled composer. The student is greeted by Jelka, Delius’s devoted wife. His early meetings with Delius are tense but cordial. However, when the composer first asks Fenby to write down one of his melodies, the student is unable to note down the blind man’s grunts or barkedout notes. After Delius brusquely dismisses him, Jelka tries to comfort Fenby, who becomes very upset. Later, he starts to gain Delius’s confidence by playing the piano and listening to music together with him. Fenby learns that Delius dismisses the music of most other composers, including Haydn, Beethoven and Elgar. He also dislikes many musical forms, such as symphonies and especially oratorios. He despises organized religion and forbids Fenby, a Catholic, to attend church in the local village. Fenby befriends Jelka and comments that the composer’s sternness and insensitivity is due to his illness. Jelka confesses, however, that he was just as di‡cult or even worse in earlier days, when he often abandoned her for days at a time while he cavorted around Paris. Eventually, Delius and Fenby develop a working relationship that allows Delius to compose again. When famous musician Percy Grainger visits Grez-sur-Loring, he compliments Fenby on his e›orts, admitting that he had failed when he tried to help Delius compose earlier. Grainger observes that Delius hates repeating himself and is unable to clearly make his intentions known. Five years pass, and Delius is able to write many works with Fenby’s help, starting with the symphonic poem Song of Summer and later including his Idyll for soprano, baritone and orchestra, his Third Violin Sonata, Elegy for cello and Songs of Farewell, based on poems of Walt

63

Whitman. When Fenby returns to England, he su›ers a breakdown and becomes temporarily paralyzed himself. He recovers quickly and soon returns to France after receiving a desperate message from Jelka that she is ill and requires an operation. When he reaches Grez-sur-Loring, Fenby finds the composer greatly weakened. He becomes Delius’s constant companion, reading the works of Mark Twain to him. The composer su›ers many spasms of pain, and the local doctor administers morphine. When Jelka returns, herself quite weak, the doctor informs Fenby that Delius will die very shortly. Fenby also learns that that the cause of his illness is syphilis. When Delius dies, Jelka sprinkles rose petals over his body. She and Fenby listen to the radio as Delius’s death is announced, followed by a recorded performance of Song of Summer. The credits roll as the elegiac strains of the music play on. Song of Summer is an unqualified success on all levels, superb cinematography, excellent performances and an intelligent script that explores such subtle themes as the relationship of a composer’s character and his work. This is the most intimate, personal and poignant film of Ken Russell’s career. Max Adrian is magnificent and utterly convincing as Delius. His voice alone can provide an unforgettable impression, from his jocular comment about his friend Percy Grainger, “He sometimes compoooses!” to his bitter warning to Fenby to never marry because it is not love but his work that is really important. The film’s emotional climax is a flashback when Grainger, Jelka and a hired hand carry Delius up to a mountain peak in Norway so he can witness a sunset for the last time before his vision totally fails. Accompanying this scene is the music of The Song of the High Hills for chorus and orchestra. Adrian’s expression as Delius beholds the setting sun is genuinely sub-

64

Gaetano Donizetti

lime. The use of music throughout the film is excellent, such as when the composer comments to Fenby that his Requiem had been played in England only once, and then an excerpt of his poignant work is heard on the soundtrack. A Walk in the Paradise Garden is also well used in another scene. Almost instinctively, Russell knows exactly how much music to include in order to provide the greatest e›ect.

Production Credits Song of Summer (¡968) BBC Cast: Max Adrian, David Collings, Christopher Gable, Maureen Pryor, Elizabeth Ercy, Norman James, Geraldine Sherman, Roger Worrod and Ken Russell. Music by Frederick Delius and Percy Grainger; Written by Ken Russell and Eric Fenby based on the book Delius as I Knew Him by Eric Fenby; Cinematography by

Dick Bush; Edited by Roger Crittenden; Produced and Directed by Ken Russell. B&W 73 minutes.

Noted Documentary • Discovering Delius (¡993) A film by Jan Younghusband and Derek Bailey; Landseer; 58 minutes

Commissioned by the Delius Trust, Discovering Delius is an exceptional and well-balanced documentary, featuring beautiful visuals to match the intelligent selection of music illustrating the life of the composer. Numerous musicians, such as Eric Fenby, Sir Charles Mackerras, Thomas Hampson and Julian Lloyd-Webber, add their observations in the splendid commentary.

Gaetano Donizetti Screen depictions • Amadeo Nazzari in Donizetti (¡947) • Emilio Cigoli in Verdi, the King of Melody (¡953) • Marcello Mastroianni in Casa Ricordi (¡954) • Fausto Tozzi in Casta Diva (¡954) • Alessandro Gassman in Casa Ricordi (¡987)

Gaetano Donizetti (¡797–¡848) was one of the most prolific and fastest opera composers of all times, writing one work in under ten days. He composed a total of sixty-five operas, many based on famous historical figures, including Alfredo il Grande (¡823), Anna Bolena (¡830), L’Elisir d’Amore (¡832), Lucrezia Borgia (¡833),

Maria Stuarda (¡833), Lucia di Lammermoor (¡835), Roberto Devereaux (¡837), La Fille du Régiment (¡840) and Don Pasquale (¡843). (An Edward Gorey cartoon suggests, if Donizetti had lived longer, he undoubtedly would have written one entitled Lizzie Bordena.) He also wrote twelve string quartets, numerous choral works including two masses, orchestral and piano works. Noted for the “mad scenes” in his operas, Donizetti su›ered from bouts of depression and eventually was placed in an asylum. Syphilis brought on paralysis, and in ¡848, the composer was taken home to Bergamo, his hometown, where he died. The first film to portray Donizetti is the only one to feature him as well. It is a curious blend of historical fact and out-

Gaetano Donizetti

landish fiction, with an incredible sequence in the middle of the story in which the composer becomes involved in an assassination plot against the villainous Prince von Waltemburg. This melodramatic subplot almost seems like a satire of one of Donizetti’s pot-boiler opera plots, sensational but somewhat absurd. On the other hand, the production borrowed authentic furnishings and other items from the Donizetti Museum, and the composer’s death scene in the picture was filmed in the actual room in which Donizetti died. The script is based on a novel which was uncredited. The story opens in Naples in ¡835, as a young, beautiful aristocrat, Louisa, wanders into a rehearsal of Lucia di Lammermoor. She meets a handsome man at the rear of the opera house but becomes upset with him when he doesn’t share her feeling that Lucia is the finest opera ever written. She is stunned a few minutes later when the conductor stops the rehearsal and addresses her companion as Donizetti. Later, at a reception for the composer, she sings an aria from Lucia in his honor. He agrees to meet her for a secret assignation in the garden. He does not kiss her, merely speaks kindly to her, asking her to regard the meeting as part of a dream. Donizetti was happily married at this time. The scene then switches to five years later, when the paths of the composer and Louisa cross by chance at Silvaplana, a Swiss mountain resort on the road from France to Bergamo in Italy. Donizetti is a widower at this point of his life. Louisa, however, is trapped in an arranged marriage to a powerful Austrian prince, Field Marshal von Waltemburg, but she conceals her identity, telling Donizetti that she is merely the traveling companion of the princess. They spend several blissful days together until Louisa is whisked away in a private coach by her husband. Unaware why she is staying at the resort, Waltem-

65

burg explains that he will have to perform some unpleasant duties in Bergamo. She manages to leave the composer a hasty note, and puzzled, Donizetti continues on to the Teatro Riccardi in Bergamo, where L’Elisir d’Amore is being presented in his honor. While the opera is being performed, the composer slips out to visit his favorite tavern, the Three Hunchbacks. He is greeted warmly by his old friend Bertinelli, the innkeeper, who strangely locks the door after him. A few minutes later, the police arrive and pound on the door. Bertinelli tells the composer that he is hosting a secret meeting of revolutionaries opposed to the Austrian occupation. Donizetti plays the piano and tells the conspirators to sing. When the police enter, he introduces himself as Donizetti, explaining it is a rehearsal. They are dumbfounded but convinced. After the police leave, Donizetti agrees to join the plot to assassinate Waltemburg. He agrees to present a petition to the field marshal at the reception after the opera, asking for clemency for two Bergamo youths who were arrested the previous day. If Waltemburg refuses, the group will toss a bomb at the field marshal’s coach when it passes the inn. At the reception Donizetti discovers that Louisa is Waltemburg’s wife. They dance, and Donizetti warns her to leave the reception at once. She feigns illness, but the prince insists on accompanying her as she leaves. Desperate to save Louisa, Donizetti asks the field marshal to take him to his hotel. Just before the bomb is to be tossed, the conspirators notice that Donizetti is also riding in the coach, and they delay their assassination attempt. Later at the palace, Waltemburg gives orders to move the two prisoners to another town for execution. Louisa overhears the plans and gives the details to Donizetti when he secretly visits her. When the prisoners are moved, their coach is attacked, and they are freed. The field marshal realizes only

66

Gaetano Donizetti

his wife could have betrayed the secret, and he sends her back to Austria. Donizetti flees to Paris, but he is barely able to compose, his thoughts continually haunted by Louisa. In ¡843, he has a success at the Theatre Italien with the debut of Don Pasquale, but it brings him no satisfaction as his health deteriorates. He starts to go mad, imagining his piano is playing itself. He is assaulted by phantom images, such as Louisa behind bars. When tenor Gilbert-Louis Duprez (played by singer Tito Schipa) visits the composer, he starts to giggle and play nonsense on the piano. He is taken to an asylum. Louisa hears of his troubles and slips out of Austria. She tries to see him, but her visit is refused. In ¡848, the composer is taken home to Bergamo to die. Louisa rushes to his bedside. He asks her to sing, and he expires during her aria. While quite an entertaining film, it is also quite frustrating since the emphasis is far more on Louisa than Donizetti. In fact, she narrates the story. The screenplay is largely based on a novel about the composer, one that was definitely influenced by the style of a gothic romance. The English-language version is excellently dubbed, but it cuts out six minutes of material, eliminating Donizetti’s actual wife from the plot. Donizetti was deeply devoted to his wife, Virginia, whom he married in ¡828. She died in a cholera epidemic in ¡837, and the composer was deeply depressed after her passing. There are three staged operatic sequences, Lucia di Lammermoor, L’Elisir d’Amore and Don Pasquale, but they are all too brief. An excerpt of Tito Schipa singing from L’Elisir d’Amore is the uncontested musical highlight. Amadeo Nazzari is quite good as Donizetti. He has a warm and appealing screen presence, sort of a cross between Ronald Colman and Kent Smith. When the plot veers o› into melodramatic intrigue, the only reason it is acceptable is that Nazzari is such a good performer.

Even so, the long ride in the Waltemburg coach, as Donizetti glances fretfully as they near the Three Hunchbacks Inn, is one of the strangest sequences in any composer biopic. In fact, Donizetti’s music used at this point of the soundtrack is almost satirical, since this conspiracy plot seems so artificially grafted into the script. Likewise, Donizetti’s mad scene is reminiscent of a Mexican horror film, The Man and the Monster (¡958), in which every time a cursed concert pianist plays the piano, he turns into a werewolf. Again, only Nazzari’s charisma saves the scene from being totally ridiculous. His death scene is truly poignant, as he regains his senses long enough to recognize Louisa and remember her love. For all its faults and heavy dose of fiction, Donizetti has a theatrical charm that is almost irresistible, a film that clearly reflects the material of Donizetti’s own opera libretti. The remaining four Donizetti appearances are cameos. In Verdi, King of Melody, an ill Donizetti is depicted appearing backstage during the debut of Il Trovatore. The scene is totally fictitious, since this Verdi opera had premiered in ¡853, five years after Donizetti’s death. The content of the scene is equally false, as Donizetti explains to Verdi why his mistress, the soprano Giuseppina Strepponi, had broken o› their engagement, an imaginary plot device in the film. Emilio Cigoli makes a credible Donizetti, who warns Verdi that applause and fame are fleeting, and his true happiness can be achieved only through the love of a woman. The three remaining titles are discussed in an earlier chapter dealing with Bellini, the bel canto composer who is often associated with Donizetti, since they knew each other and wrote for the same artists during the high points of their careers. Fausto Tozzi provides Donizetti with a more rakish tone in Casta Diva. That film also ignores Donizetti’s wife, Virginia, whom he adored.

Gaetano Donizetti

Tozzi plays a di›erent composer, Arrigo Boito, in Casa Ricordi, and Marcello Mastroianni is an unusual but inspired choice to play Donizetti in this film. Mastroianni manages the part with convincing style. Alessandro Gassman, son of the famous actor Vittorio Gassmann, inherited the part of Donizetti in the ¡987 remake, but was undistinguished in the role.

Production Credits Donizetti (¡947) AKA Il Cavaliere del Sogno Seyta Radici Production Cast: Amadeo Nazzari, Mariella Lotti, Mario Ferrari, Dina Sassoli, Guilio Tomasini, Sergio Tofano, Rubi Dalma, Giulio Stival, Giulio Donadio, Claudio Scotti and Domenico Crossetti. Music by Gaetano Donizetti; Adapted by Alessandro Cicognini; Performed by Tito Schipa, Angelica Tuccardi (vocalists), Orchestra of the Rome Opera conducted by Vincenzo Bellezza; Written by Camillo Mastrocinque and Vittorio N. Norvarese; Cinematography by Arturo Gallea; Edited by Mario Serandrei; Produced by Giuseppe Bordogni; Directed by Carmillo Mastrocinque. Original language Italian B&W 92 minutes. Verdi, the King of Melody (¡953) P. A. T. Film Cast: Pierre Cressoy as Verdi, Anna-Maria Ferraro, Gaby André, Camillo Pilotto, Emilio Cigoli, Sandro Ru‡ni, Laura Gore, Irene Genna, Enrico Glori, Enzo Biliotti and Loris Gizzi as Rossini. Music by Giuseppe Verdi; Music arranged by Renzo Rossellini; Performed by Mario Del Monaco, Tito Gobbi (vocalists), Chorus and Orchestra of the Rome Opera conducted by Giuseppe Morelli; Written by Leonardo Benvenuti, Liana Ferri, Mario Monicelli, Piero Pierotti and Giovanna Soria based on a story by Maleno Malenotti; Cinematography by Tino Santoni; Edited by Mario Serndrei; Produced by Maleno Malenotti; Directed by Ra›aello Matarazzo. Original language Italian Color ¡¡7 minutes. Casa Ricordi (¡954) Cormoran Films Cast : Paolo Stoppa, Marta Toren, Andrea Checchi, Daniele Delorme, Nadia Gray, Manlio Busoni, Vera Silenti, Miriam Bru, Renzo Giovampietro, Micheline Presle, Sergio To-

67

fano, Roldano Lupi, Fausto Tozzi as Arrigo Boito, Roland Alexandre as Rossini, Fosco Giachetti as Verdi, Maurice Ronet as Bellini, Gabriele Ferzetti as Puccini and Marcello Mastroianni. Music by Ricardo Zandonai, Vincenzo Bellini, Gaetano Donizetti, Giacomo Puccini, Gioacchino Rossini, Giuseppe Verdi and Richard Wagner; Music arranged by Renzo Rossellini; Performed by Nelly Corradi, Mario Del Monaco, Aldo Ferraguti, Enrico Formichi, Tito Gobbi, Ferdinando Lifonni, Giulio Neri, Giulietta Dimionato, Italio Tajo, Renata Tebaldi (vocalists); Conducted by Renzo Rosselini; Written by Leonardo Benvenuti, Luigi Filippo, Carmine Gallone, Age Incrocci, Vittorio Nino Nobarese and Furio Scarpelli; Cinematography by Marco Scarpelli; Edited by Niccolo Lazzari; Produced by Franco Riganti; Directed by Carmine Gallone. Original language Italian Color ¡¡0 minutes. Casta Diva (¡954) Documento Film Cast: Maurice Ronet as Bellini, Fausto Tozzi, Antonella Lualdi, Nadia Gray, Jacques Castelot, Marina Berti, Renzo Ricci, Jean Richard, Paola Borboni, Manilo Busoni, Dante Maggio, Camillo Pilotto and Danilo Berardinelli. Music by Vincenzo Bellini, Gaetano Donizetti, Niccolò Paganini and Renzo Rossellini; Caterina Mancini, Giulio Neri, Gianni Poggi, Gino Materia, Juanita Satiman and Enrico Formichi (vocalists); Orchestra and Chorus of the Rome Opera conducted by Oliviero DeFabritiis; Written by Mario Chiari; Cinematography by Marco Scarpelli; Edited by Niccolò Lazzari; Produced by Franco Riganti; Directed by Carmine Gallone. Color 98 minutes. Casa Ricordi (¡987) Junior Film International Cast : Adriana Asti, Favio Camilli, Anna Kanakis, Marco Minietti, Melba Ru›o di Calabria, Eduardo Siravo, Marco Vivio, Alessandro Gassman, Kim Rossi Stuart as Bellini, Luca Barbareschi as Rossini, Mariano Rigillo as Verdi, Massimo Ghini as Puccini and Federico Scribani as Arturo Toscanini. Music by Vincenzo Bellini, Gaetano Donizetti, Giacomo Puccini, Gioacchino Rossini and Giuseppe Verdi; Written by Sergio Bazzini and Ugo Pirro; Cinematography by Camillo Vazzoni; Produced by Manolo Bolognini; Directed by Mauro Bolognini. Color ¡04 minutes.

68

George Gershwin

George Gershwin Screen depictions • Robert Alda and Mickey Roth in Rhapsody in Blue (¡945) • William Boyett in So This Is Love (¡953) • Cartoon figure in Fantasia 2000 (2000)

George Gershwin (¡898–¡937) is one of the few composers whose career bridged both classical and popular music. He first gained success as a songwriter, penning “Swanee” for Al Jolson in ¡9¡9. His brother Ira provided the lyrics for many of his songs. Among his musical comedies are Lady Be Good (¡924), Strike Up the Band (¡927), Girl Crazy (¡930) and Of Thee I Sing (¡93¡). He first broke into the classical sphere with the jazz-influenced Rhapsody in Blue (¡924), commissioned by conductor Paul Whiteman. His major works include his Piano Concerto in F Major, Cuban Overture, Preludes for Piano, An American in Paris and Second Rhapsody. His opera Porgy and Bess is regarded as his masterpiece. Gershwin died in ¡937 as the result of a brain tumor. Rhapsody in Blue is a unique composer film because a large number of the principals, friends and associates of the composer play themselves, such as Oscar Levant, Paul Whiteman, George White and others. As a tribute to Gershwin and his music, Rhapsody in Blue is magnificent, but as a biographical e›ort it is a disappointment, being insubstantial and rather vacuous in terms of fact. Robert Alda was an excellent choice to play Gershwin, and he manages to capture the composer’s vitality. The screenplay, however, is shallow and avoids focusing on the actual circumstances and relationships in his life, providing him instead with fictional romances.

The film first presents George as a streetwise youth whose life is changed when his family buys a piano for his older brother Ira. It is George, however, who actually takes to the instrument. Mickey Roth plays the young Gershwin as if he were one of the Dead End kids. His piano teacher, Professor Otto Frank (Albert Basserman), wants him to train to be a concert pianist. but George loves popular music as well and can’t resist “swinging the classics” whenever he plays. (Gershwin’s actual piano tutor was Charles Hambitzer.) One scene particularly sums up the film’s approach. When Gershwin is wavering between concentrating on popular music or the classics, Professor Frank tries to impress his pupil with the example of the great masters, Schubert, Beethoven and Wagner. When he talks about each composer, the soundtrack plays one of their themes: the Unfinished Symphony for Schubert, the Tannhäuser Overture for Wagner and the opening of the Fifth Symphony for Beethoven. Whenever Gershwin counters with his plea for popular music, the soundtrack switches to “Swanee.” Finally, Frank shows him a manuscript by Johannes Brahms personally autographed to “Otto Frank,” while the soundtrack intones Brahms’s Lullaby. Gershwin is moved, yet not convinced. Frank concludes with his wish that George provide America with its own musical voice. This moment comes across as somewhat clumsy and sentimental, particularly with the accompaniment, and it demonstrates the film’s weakness. The script is so banal that the acting rarely rises above it. The film comes alive only when Oscar Levant is on screen, a fascinating individ-

George Gershwin

ual whose flamboyant personality is not diminished by the script. The colorful and neurotic Levant, a close friend of Gershwin, was a composer in his own right, and his works include several piano concertos, a string quartet, Nocturne and Suite for Orchestra and a Faustian opera, Carnival, which was composed for the film Charlie Chan at the Opera (¡936). Levant also provides much of the solo piano music played in the film, which makes the scenes in which he is listening to Gershwin play rather surreal because he is actually listening to himself. Rhapsody in Blue is at its finest during the musical sequences. The many Broadway show numbers are impressively staged, even employing original artists like Al Jolson and conductor Paul Whiteman. Rhapsody in Blue is actually heard twice, first in the jazz ensemble orchestration for the Paul Whiteman debut, and at the end of the picture in the full orchestral arrangement. The cinematography is excellent during the musical passages. One expressive shot at the Hollywood Bowl pulls up from the keyboard to high in the sky to encompass the entire audience and the orchestra, a breathtaking moment. An American in Paris is presented as a dazzling fantasy sequence as the camera itself represents an average American tourist experiencing the wonders of the French capital. There are also generous excerpts from Porgy and Bess, the Piano Concerto in F Major and the Cuban Overture, which Gershwin learned to conduct for concert tours. Two other composers are featured in brief cameos in the film. Will Wright portrays Sergei Rachmanino›, who emerges from a taxi to attend the ¡924 debut of Rhapsody in Blue. Oscar Loraine plays Maurice Ravel, who chats with Gershwin at a cafe in Paris. In real life, Ravel met Gershwin in ¡928, when the French composer toured America.

69

Incidentally, the true story of the origin of Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue is far more interesting than the version invented for the film. Paul Whiteman commissioned a work from Gershwin for piano and jazz ensemble late in ¡923. The composer was so busy that the assignment slipped his mind until he saw a newspaper ad for Whiteman’s concert titled “Experiment in Modern Music” on February ¡2, ¡924. He then raced to compose the piece, which he more or less dashed o› without much preparation. The title for it was suggested by his brother, who was inspired by the title of a Whistler painting and not the blues. Gershwin instantly accepted Ira’s recommendation. The original orchestration was done by composer Ferde Grofé. After the success of the debut, Gershwin undertook an intense study of orchestration to prepare for his next commission by Walter Damrosch and the New York Philharmonic for a piano concerto. The hectic birth of Rhapsody in Blue is certainly worthy of screen treatment. At one point, director Ken Russell planned to film it, intending Neil Diamond to be cast as Gershwin, but this project unfortunately never got o› the ground. Gershwin was featured briefly in two additional films. The first was So This Is Love, a British film from ¡953 about opera singer Grace Moore, who got her start in Broadway musicals in the early ¡920s. Gershwin is played by William Boyett, a bit player, in one of his first screen appearances. Fantasia 2000 includes a very special tribute to Gershwin. Rhapsody in Blue, played by the Chicago Symphony under James Levine with pianist Ralph Grierson, serves as backdrop to a cartoon of New York during the Depression. Stylistically, the cartoon is based on drawings by the legendary Al Hirschfeld. In one passage, the cartoon action swings by an open window and pauses, concentrating on a

70

George Gershwin

Poster art for Rhapsody in Blue.

figure playing a piano. It is George Gershwin himself, based on one of Hirschfeld’s famous caricatures. The moment is a special tribute to the composer and one of the highlights of the sequence.

Production Credits Rhapsody in Blue (¡945) AKA The Story of George Gershwin Warner Brothers Cast : Robert Alda, Mickey Roth, Joan Leslie, Alexis Smith, Oscar Levant, Charles Coburn, Julie Bishop, Albert Basserman, Morris Carnovsky, Herbert Rudley, Darryl Hickman, Rosemary DeCamp, Paul Whiteman, George White, Hazel Scott, Anne Brown, Al Jolson, John B. Hughes, Martin Nobel as Jascha Heifetz, Hugo Kirchho›er as Walter Damrosch, Will Wright as Sergei Rachmanino›

and Oscar Loraine as Maurice Ravel. Music by George Gershwin; Adapted by Max Steiner; Arrangements by Ray Heindorf; Orchestral arrangement of Rhapsody in Blue by Ferde Grofé; Performed by Oscar Levant (pianist), Ray Turner (pianist); Orchestras conducted by Paul Whiteman and Leo F. Forbstein; Written by Howard Koch and Elliot Paul based on a story by Sonya Levien; Cinematography by Sol Polito; Edited by Folmar Blangsted; Produced by Jesse L. Lasky: Directed by Irving Rapper. B&W ¡39 minutes. So This Is Love (¡953) AKA The Grace Moore Story Warner Brothers Cast: Kathryn Grayson, Merv Gri‡n, Walter Abel, Rosemary DeCamp, Je› Donnell, Douglas Dick, Ann Doran, Margaret Field, Marie Windsor, John Hamilton, Moroni Olsen and William Boyett. Music by Max Steiner; Written by John Monks, Jr.; Cinematography by Robert

Mikhail Glinka Burks; Edited by Folmar Blangsted; Produced by Henry Blanke; Directed by Gordon Douglas. Color ¡0¡ minutes. Fantasia 2000 (2000) Walt Disney Pictures Cast : James Levine, Steve Martin, Itzhak Perlman, Quincy Jones, Bette Midler, James Earl Jones, Penn and Teller, Angela Lansbury and Leopold Stokowski; Music by Ludwig van Beethoven, Ottorino Respighi, George Gershwin, Dmitri Shostakovich, Camille Saint-Saëns, Paul Dukas, Edward Elgar and Igor Stravinsky. Music edited and arranged by Chris Montan, Bruce Coughlin, Patricia Carlin and Peter Schickele; Performed by Yefim Bronfman and Ralph Grierson (pianists); Kathleen Battle (vocalist); the Chicago Symphony Orchestra conducted by James Levine; Symphony Orchestra conducted by Leopold Stokowski; Written by Don Hahn, Irene Mecchi and David Reynolds; Edited by Jessica Ambinder Rojas and Lois Freeman-Fox; Produced by Roy Edward Disney and Don Ernst; Directed by Don Hahn, Pixote Hunt, Hendel Butoy, Francis Glebas, Eric Goldberg, James Algar, Gaetan Brizzi and Paul Brizzi. Color 74 minutes.

Noted Documentaries • George Gershwin Remembered (¡987) A Peter Adams production; American Masters; 87 minutes • George Gershwin ’Swonderful (¡998) PBS; 55 minutes

71

• A Tribute to George Gershwin (¡998) NKB productions; 72 minutes • Porgy and Bess: An American Voice (¡998) 84 minutes

PBS produced a number of documentaries about the life and work of Gershwin. ’Swonderful concentrates on his popular songs while A Tribute to George Gershwin focuses more on his classical works. Both these productions are built around extensive musical selections. Porgy and Bess, on the other hand, focuses entirely on one work, Gershwin’s famous opera, and provides a detailed examination of its composition and debut. Stars associated with the opera, such as Cab Calloway, who plays the character Sportin’ Life, are featured, and archival footage of their performances are included. Ruby Dee hosts Porgy and Bess. An actor, Jonathan Brody, appears as Gershwin in this production. The finest of all Gershwin documentaries, however, is George Gershwin Remembered, initially produced by the BBC in association with the American Masters series for PBS. Such luminaries as Leonard Bernstein, Kitty Carlisle, Virgil Thomson and many others are interviewed in this exceptional work.

Mikhail Glinka Screen depictions • Boris Chirkov in Glinka (¡946) • Boris Smirnov in Composer Glinka (¡952)

Mikhail Glinka (¡804–¡857) was dubbed the “prophet-patriarch of Russian music” by Franz Liszt. He first studied

music in his youth in St. Petersburg with John Field, the Irish composer who spent much of his creative life in Russia. In ¡830, Glinka traveled to Italy, where he developed a passion for opera. Determined to launch a movement for Russian national opera, Glinka wrote A Life for the Tsar, which became a great triumph in St. Pe-

72

Mikhail Glinka

tersburg in ¡837. He followed this with a second opera, Ruslan and Ludmilla in ¡842. Glinka divided the rest of his career between his native Russia and continental Europe, where he befriended Berlioz, Liszt and others. He died in Berlin in ¡857. His major works, apart from his operas, are the orchestral Jota Aragonesa, A Night in Madrid, Kamarinskaya and his Valse Fantasy. He also produced a number of chamber and piano pieces. Mikhail Glinka has appeared in two Soviet films. The first one, released in ¡946, was directed by Lev Arnshtam, a former music student of the Leningrad Conservatory. He broke into films as a sound director for early Russian talkies such as Golden Mountain (¡93¡), which had an outstanding music score by Dmitri Shostakovich. He graduated to a full-time director, creating an undisputed masterpiece in Zoya (¡944), an expressionistic wartime drama, also with a score by Shostakovich. When Arnshtam first submitted his script for Glinka, he was instructed to adopt a stronger nationalistic tone. The resulting film was widely praised and distributed throughout the Soviet Union and its satellites. It won the Stalin Prize as the outstanding Soviet film of ¡946. It was released in a subtitled version in America in ¡947 under the title Great Glinka. Western critics however, lamented the heavy handed tone of the picture. Oddly enough, Russian dictator Josef Stalin himself commented on Glinka in his February ¡947 meeting with director Sergei Eisenstein, whom he criticized for his portrayal of Tsar Ivan in his film Ivan the Terrible, Part Two (¡946). Stalin lectured, “We are not talking about what you have achieved, but we are talking about shortcomings…. I am not giving you instructions but expressing the viewer’s opinion. It is necessary that historical characters are reflected correctly. What did Glinka show us? Artist Chirkov could not express him-

self, and for an artist the greatest quality is the capability to transform himself.” So the dictator, while approving of the ultrapatriotic spirit of Glinka, still felt that Boris Chirkov, the lead actor who played Glinka, was unable to reflect that mood. In any case, the reputation of Glinka was soon eclipsed when the film Composer Glinka appeared in ¡952. This film was directed by Grigori Alexandrov, who was the assistant director of the famous Soviet film Battleship Potemkin (¡925). Alexandrov’s most successful e›ort was Bright Road (¡940), a popular musical comedy that was also well received in the United States. During World War II, Alexandrov served as the administrator of Mosfilm, the leading Russian film company. Returning to directing after the war, Alexandrov met with only limited success except for Composer Glinka, which became an international triumph. Alexandrov’s version was a first-class treatment with heavy emphasis on the musical numbers. Character actor Boris Smirnov provides a dynamic performance as the composer, and Alexandrov’s wife, leading screen actress Lyubov Orlova, was cast as Ludmilla Glinka, the composer’s embittered wife. The Glinkas were married in ¡835 and separated in ¡84¡. Their marriage was eventually dissolved in ¡846. Character actor Mikhail Nazvanov, who also appeared in the first Glinka film, was cast in this production as Tsar Nicholas I. Lev Durasov appeared as Alexander Pushkin and Georgi Vitsin as Nikolai Gogol. The real casting coup, however, was that of Sviatoslav Richter, Russia’s leading piano virtuoso, appearing as Franz Liszt. His thrilling performances at the piano, playing Glinka’s Tchenomor March from Ruslan and Ludmilla and Liszt’s Transcendental Etude No. 9 (La Ricordanza), are cited by critics as the film’s highlight. Because Composer Glinka was not burdened with the same political bias as Glinka, it

Mikhail Glinka

had a successful run throughout the world. In America, the picture appeared under the title Man of Music. Composer Glinka has been revived several times since its debut and was even released on video (unfortunately without English subtitles). The film, however, proved to be Alexandrov’s last success, and his later films, such as Russian Souvenir (¡960) and Lenin in Switzerland (¡966), were considered outright failures. Composer Glinka, however, is still considered to be the finest composer film made in Russia.

73

neva; Cinematography by Eduard Tisse; Produced by Vladimir Maslov; Directed by Grigori Aleksandrov. Original language Russian Color ¡¡0 minutes.

Noted Documentaries • Peter Ustinov’s Russia: Episode Four (¡986) A film by John McGreavy; Pushkin Productions; 50 minutes • Richter the Enigma (¡998) A film by Bruno Monsaingeon; 70 minutes • Face of Russia — Part Three (¡998) Mal-

one Gill Productions; 60 minutes

Production Credits Glinka (¡946) AKA Great Glinka Mosfilm Cast: Boris Chirkov, Aleksandr Sobolev, Valentina Serova, Klavdiya Serova, Mikhail Nazvanov, Boris Livanov, Aleksandr Shatov, Nikolai Svobodin, Viktor Koltsov, Mikhail Yanshin and Lev Snezhnitsky. Music by Mikhail Glinka and Vissarion Shebalin; Conducted by Kiril Kondrashin; Written by Lev Arnshtam; Cinematography by Yu-Lan Chen and Aleksandr Shelenkov; Edited by Tatyana Likhachyova; Produced and Directed by Lev Arnshtam. Original language Russian B&W ¡¡6 minutes. Composer Glinka (¡952) AKA Man of Music Mosfilm Cast: Boris Smirnov, Lyubov Orlova, Lev Durasov, Irina Likso, Yuri Lyubirnov, Pavel Palenko, Mikhail Nazvanov, Georgi Vitsin and Sviatoslav Richter as Franz Liszt. Music by Mikhail Glinka, Vladimir Shcherbachyov and Vissarion Shebalin; Music edited and conducted by Yevgeni Mravinsky; Performed by E. Glebova and N. Korshunov (vocalists); Written by Grigori Aleksandrov, Pyotr Pavlenko and N. Tre-

Although there currently seems to be no documentary concentrating on Glinka alone, he is covered in several works of wider scope. Peter Ustinov’s award-winning, six-part series on Russian history covers Glinka in its portrait of nineteenthcentury Russia. Ustinov even provides a personal note. His great-grandfather was also a composer who wrote an opera on the story of Ruslan and Ludmilla. After he attended the debut of Glinka’s opera, he went home and burned the musical score of his own version. The exceptional documentary of Sviatoslav Richter contains all of his clips from the film Composer Glinka. This may be Western audiences’ only chance to see his performance as Franz Liszt complete with English subtitles, as well as his two musical selections from the production. Face of Russia — Part Three examines the development of Russian music in the nineteenth century and Russian cinema in the twentieth century.

74

Charles Gounod

Charles Gounod Screen depictions • Rozso Ludvigh in Phantom of the Opera (¡998)

Charles Gounod (¡8¡8–¡893), the son of a famous artist, initially studied for the priesthood before deciding to become a composer. The largest portion of his music, naturally enough, is religious works, including three requiems, nine masses (including the exceptional St. Cecilia Mass), oratorios (including La Redemption) and various other choral pieces including his Te Deum, Stabat Mater, Magnificat, De Profundis and Pater Noster. His major success, however, is his grand operas. His masterpiece, Faust (¡859), rates among the most popular operas of all time. Other major opera successes include Mireille (¡964) and Romeo et Juliette (¡867). He composed a total of twelve operas. Gounod is also remembered for his version of “Ave Maria,” inspired by Bach, which rivals Schubert’s song in popularity. The Dario Argento version of The Phantom of the Opera includes a portrayal of Charles Gounod in numerous scenes. The Argento film deviates from the Gaston Leroux novel in several ways. In the original story, the phantom was named Erik, who was born disfigured. As a youth, he was displayed as a freak in traveling carnivals. He learned music and architecture and later worked for a powerful sultan for whom he designed hidden rooms, secret passages and labyrinths. When the sultan planned to kill Erik so he never could reveal these architectural plans, Erik fled back to Paris, where he was hired as an architectural assistant in the construction of the Paris Opera House. Working largely in the building’s many subbasements, Erik designed

an elaborate maze and an underground home for himself. After the opera house was finished, Erik withdrew from the world to his secret lair, and then he concentrated on composing, including organ works and his opera Don Juan Triumphant. In the Argento film, the phantom is nameless. As a baby, he was placed in a basket and thrown in the river (just like the Penguin in Batman Returns). He is rescued in the sewers by rats, who somehow manage to raise him. He grows to manhood in the underworld of Paris, somehow gains an education and learns music (although he is not a composer). He is not disfigured in any way, and he also has telepathic powers. The general outline of the story is the same, based in part on the French fairy tale “Beauty and the Beast,” as the phantom falls in love with a young singer, Christine Daaé, who is in love with a young nobleman, Raoul de Chagny. It is interesting to note that Gounod is briefly mentioned in the novel, conducting the orchestra while Christine Daaé sings. Gounod is featured in numerous scenes in the picture. In fact, he appears before any of the principal characters, leading the Paris Opera House Orchestra in his overture to Faust in ¡877. The year is well chosen, as Gounod was in England from ¡870 through ¡875, and the Paris Opera House opened in ¡875. In his next appearance, Gounod is in the dressing room of opera diva Carlotta, who is su›ering from a sore throat. Gounod proposes canceling the performance, but one of the opera managers suggests using Carlotta’s understudy, Christine Daaé. The composer leads her through a rehearsal of Faust, but during the Act V prison scene, Christine passes out. When she is revived, one of the

Charles Gounod

other singers suggests that Maestro Gounod has driven her too hard. Argento then pulls a switch, altering attention to a di›erent Gounod opera, Romeo et Juliette, as if to signal a shift in focus from the diabolical nature of Faust to the theme of frustrated lovers. Gounod is next featured in the film’s most climactic scene. The phantom orders Carlotta to cancel her appearance as Juliet, but she defies him. While Gounod conducts the Act IV duet of the opera featuring the hefty Carlotta and the dynamic tenor playing Romeo, the phantom smashes the counterweight to the chandelier, which comes crashing down onto the audience. The phantom next topples a papier-mâché column, a piece of scenery, knocking Carlotta on the head and covering her in white dust. In Gounod’s last scene, he again conducts Romeo et Juliette as Christine Daaé makes her debut in the role. This time, during Act I, the rat catcher interrupts the performance, denouncing Christine as the phantom’s lover. As the disheveled man approaches the singer threateningly, the phantom appears and snatches Christine o› the stage. The composer stares in disbelief at these events, finally dropping his head in a gesture of helplessness. The composer is not included in the last scene as the police and other o‡cials track the phantom and Christine into the depths of the opera house. At the conclusion, the phantom hands Christine over to Raoul de Chagny, asking him to rescue her from the mob. She cries as the phantom sacrifices himself and is killed by the mob. Gounod is played by Hungarian character actor Rozso Ludvigh, who closely resembles the composer sporting a full, brown beard. His closeups on the podium are excellent, and although a few of his gestures while conducting appear sti›, that may be considered in character as Gounod was not an outstanding conductor. Filmed at an actual opera house in Budapest,

75

Phantom of the Opera is well photographed and makes intelligent use of the musical selections. Some of the operatic excerpts are drawn from classic recordings, while others are recreated directly for the film. Besides the selections from Faust and Romeo et Juliette, Carlotta sings the “Habañera” from Bizet’s Carmen, and Christine sings the “Bell Song” from Lakmé by Leo Delibes. During a café scene, painter Edgar Dégas is shown among the diners as a pianist plays a Chopin mazurka in the background. There are additional art references in several scenes, in which the action resembles famous paintings. For example, when Christine is in the phantom’s lair, she looks at one point into a mirror with a candle, replicating the painting Penitent Magdalen by Georges de la Tour. However, there are also awkward moments such as when the phantom plays the organ, since no air source for the instrument is accounted for, neither pumps nor bellows.

Production Credits Phantom of the Opera (¡998) Medusa Film Cast: Julian Sands, Asia Argento, Andrea Di Stefano, Nadia Rinaldi, Coralina Cataldi Tassoni, Istvan Bubik, Zoltan Barabas, Massimo Sarchielli, David Drucker, Sandor Bese, Rozso Ludvigh and Ferenc Deák B as Edgar Degas. Music by Charles Gounod, Leo Delibes, Georges Bizet and Frederic Chopin; Music arranged by Ennio Morricone; Performed by Rafaella Milanese, Stefania Magnifia, Zsolt Derecskei and Istvan Szöczey (soloists); Roma Sinfonietta conducted by Ennio Morricone; Chorus and Orchestra of the Paris Opera conducted by André Cluytens; Orchestra of the Budapest Opera conducted by Gezo Torole; Original music by Ennio Morricone; Written by Dario Argento and Gerard Brach based on the novel by Gaston Leroux; Cinematography by Ronnie Taylor; Edited by Anna Napoli; Produced by Claudio Argento, Giuseppe Columbo and Aron Sipos; Directed by Dario Argento. Original language Italian Color ¡00 minutes.

76

Percy Grainger

Percy Grainger Screen depictions • David Collings in Song of Summer (¡968) • Richard Roxburgh in Passion (¡999)

Percy Grainger (¡882–¡96¡) is the most influential composer to come from Australia. In addition, he may be the finest musician born in the southern hemisphere. A child prodigy, Grainger began giving recitals at the age of ten. He completed his musical education in Germany, befriending numerous composers such as Busoni, Vaughan-Williams, Grieg and Delius. He became deeply interested in folk music, and one of his first compositions, in ¡9¡¡, was a memorable arrangement titled Irish Tune from County Derry (known more popularly as “Danny Boy”). As a composer, Grainger was primarily a miniaturist, with numerous songs, choruses, piano compositions and chamber works. Among his few large-scale compositions is The Warriors, a work for full orchestra including three pianos and a vast battery of percussion instruments which was originally intended as a ballet. Other memorable selections include Country Gardens and Handel in the Strand (based on music by Handel). Grainger became a naturalized American citizen in ¡9¡9 and headed the music department at New York University. In his later years, Grainger became interested in innovative musical concepts such as “aleatory music” and “elastic scoring” and the development of synthesizers. In Song of Summer, Percy Grainger’s visit to the crippled Frederick Delius provides one of the highlights of the film. David Collings portrays Grainger as dynamic, doing athletic stunts like tossing a

tennis ball high over a house and running to the other side to catch it (a stunt the actual Grainger enjoyed performing). A vigorous rendition of Grainger’s Country Gardens accompanies the scene. Later, Percy plays his piano arrangement of Delius’s Song of the High Hills. This is followed by the most moving moment of the film, built around a flashback to Percy’s earlier visit to Delius and his wife when they were staying in Norway. Delius was already paralyzed and was about to lose his sight, and he asked Grainger to carry him to the top of the nearby mountain so he could watch the sun set for the last time. The local Norwegian they hired to assist in this endeavor sprained his arm, so Grainger had to manage most of the carrying. When they arrived at the top, the peak was enshrouded in clouds, but the mist broke in time, allowing Delius to witness a most beautiful sunset. Passion, produced by a small, independent Australian company, is the only biopic focusing on Percy Grainger. It is an impressive film, with magnificent cinematography and atmosphere. Richard Roxburgh is dazzling in his performance as the composer, a kinetic, enthusiastic reading that stresses a number of Grainger’s eccentricities. Percy’s mother, Rose, played by Barbara Hershey, is provided equal billing, and indeed the composer’s close, oedipal relationship with his mother is one of the major themes of the script. The picture is rambling, being more of a character portrait than a progressive story. Almost plotless, the film portrays the composer in London during the summer of ¡9¡4. The central feature of the story is Percy’s relationship with pianist Karen Holten. Most of the elements of Passion are

Percy Grainger

factual, although they are artificially compressed into the short time period of May– September ¡9¡4. For example, Grainger first met Karen in ¡904, when she studied music with him. They fell in love, and their a›air ended only years later during a Swiss holiday in August ¡9¡2. The film, on the other hand, reduces their relationship to a few intense weeks. At first, Rose approves of her son’s liaison with Karen. She speaks with Karen about her son’s wild and unbridled nature, suggesting that he needs to be drawn away from some of his darker obsessions. When Karen asks what they are, Rose explains that her son engages in selfflagellation. Instead of being revolted, however, Karen is intrigued, After she and Percy become lovers, he introduces her into his secret passion. Later, Rose is horrified when she accidentally discovers that Karen instead is indulging Percy’s vice. Seeing Rose’s distress, Grainger reminds her that she was the first one to ever whip him. He knows that he will have to choose between his mother and Karen. The climax of the story occurs at a concert in which Grainger plays Grieg’s Piano Concerto. He watches Karen, seated in the front row, as he plays, but instead of the music he is thinking about the letter he has written her breaking their engagement. Several days later, he and his mother depart for America, just as World War I breaks out. A few end titles wrap up the film. Rose committed suicide in ¡922, upset over rumors accusing her of incest. Percy married a Danish artist in ¡928. After a distinguished career as composer, educator and pianist, he died at his home in White Plains, New York, in ¡96¡. Although the sadomasochistic scenes are the most controversial and disturbing ones in the film, they are neither overdramatized nor exploited in their presentation. Certainly, far greater time is spent as Percy hunts down and records folk tunes that he

77

hears on his travels through the English countryside or city. In one memorable scene, Grainger tracks down a young fruit vendor in the city, asking permission to transcribe his cry for selling his oranges. As for Grainger’s music, the production treats it admirably, both as incidental music on the soundtrack and as it is performed in the many scenes at the piano. We hear, for example, the composer recording the song “Shallow Brown” performed by two locals in a pub. Sometime later, we hear him improvising on the theme at the piano. Finally we hear his full choral arrangement of the melody on the soundtrack toward the end of the picture. Grainger’s version of “Shallow Brown” was actually composed in ¡927, not ¡9¡4, but Passion provides a unique opportunity for listeners to follow the stages of development of the work from its primary folk source to finished composition.

Production Credits Song of Summer (¡968) BBC Cast: Max Adrian, David Collings, Christopher Gable, Maureen Pryor, Elizabeth Ercy, Norman James, Geraldine Sherman, Roger Worrod and Ken Russell. Music by Frederick Delius and Percy Grainger; Written by Ken Russell and Eric Fenby based on the book Delius as I Knew Him by Eric Fenby; Cinematography by Dick Bush; Edited by Roger Crittenden; Produced and Directed by Ken Russell. B&W 73 minutes. Passion (¡999) TVA International Cast: Richard Roxburgh, Barbara Hershey, Emily Woolf, Billie Brown, Claudia Karvan, Simon Burke, Linda Cropper, Julia Blake, Genevieve Mooy and Fiona Press. Music by Percy Grainger; Arranged by Alan John; Music directed by Christine Woodru›; Written by Rob George and Peter Goldsworthy based on the biography Percy Grainger by John Bird and the play Percy and Rose by Rob George and Maureen Sherlock; Cinematography by Martin McGrath; Edited by Simon Martin; Produced

78

Edvard Grieg

by Matt Carroll and Zanna Northam; Directed by Peter Duncan. Color ¡00 minutes.

Noted Documentaries • Percy Grainger — The Noble Savage (¡986) A film by Barrie Gavin; 85 minutes • Great Pianists of the 20th Century (¡996) A film by Bruno Monsaingeon; ¡08 minutes

There is ample documentary material on Percy Grainger, including the impres-

sive collection at the Percy Grainger Museum at the University of Melbourne in Australia. The best feature-length documentary is Percy Grainger: The Noble Savage, which covers his career, including his ardent interest in folk music and his interest in musical experimentation during the last phase of his career. Grainger the pianist is examined with interesting historical footage in Bruno Monsaingeon’s impressive study of the leading pianists of the century.

Edvard Grieg Screen depictions • Jorn Ording in Rikard Nordraak (¡945) • Toralv Maurstad in Song of Norway (¡970) • Sta›an Scheja, Philip Branmer and Derek Jacobi in What Price Immortality? (¡999)

Edvard Grieg (¡843–¡907) is one of the major nationalist composers of the late nineteenth century who sought to highlight the folk music and heritage of Norway in his work. He balanced this by working in the larger European tradition, and he toured frequently as a pianist and occasional conductor. He was sometimes called “the Chopin of the North” due to his large body of piano music. Grieg’s major compositions are his Peer Gynt incidental music, his Holberg Suite, Two Elegiac Melodies for orchestra, over sixty Lyric Pieces for piano and over a hundred and fifty songs. Although primarily a miniaturist, his best-known work is his Piano Concerto in A Minor. Edvard Grieg was first portrayed on screen in Rikard Nordraak, a biographical film about the composer of Norway’s national anthem Ja, Vi Elsker. A talented mu-

sic student, Rikard Nordraak met Grieg in Copenhagen during the winter of ¡864, and the two became close friends, united in their determination to foster Norse culture in music instead of merely echoing the trends in German music. Shortly after their meeting they founded the Euterpe Society, dedicated to developing a movement of Norwegian nationalism in music. Their friendship was brief, as Nordraak moved to Berlin in the spring to complete his musical studies, and Grieg went to Denmark and later Italy. Nordraak developed tuberculosis and died on March 20, ¡866, at the age of twenty-four. The promising composer left a handful of works, various songs, choruses and piano pieces, as well as incidental music to the plays Sigurd Slembe and Mary Stuart. Grieg wrote a funeral march in memory of his friend. The ¡945 Norwegian film was made at a time when Norway was emerging from a dark period of Nazi occupation and backlash against those who were seen as collaborators, including their elder statesman of literature, Knut Hamsun. Writer and director Alf Scott-Hansen intended his film to help reestablish Norwegian na-

Edvard Grieg

tional pride by focusing on the tragic life of Rikard Nordraak. The film received little distribution outside of Norway. Jorn Ording made his second film appearance as young Edvard Grieg, and his performance was acclaimed although it was only a supporting role. Ording later went on to a solid career in Norwegian films, his best notices coming for his role as Creon in Antigone (¡970). The first picture to focus on Grieg himself is Song of Norway, a rather awkward attempt to fashion a blockbuster musical hit in the style of The Sound of Music (¡964). Robert Wright and George Forrest, the same team that adapted music of Alexander Borodin for the Broadway show Kismet in ¡953, earlier based a musical on the life and music of Grieg in ¡944. The stage version of Song of Norway was a tremendous success. Its adaptation to the screen, however, was largely a disaster, even earning it a mention in Michael and Harry Medved’s Golden Turkey Awards (¡980) as one of the worst musical extravaganzas. Actually, the film has a number of redeeming virtues, but the opening fifteen minutes are truly awful. Song of Norway was filmed in Cinerama, the ultrawidescreen process that was popular in the late ¡960s. The opening credits, accompanied by Grieg’s Piano Concerto, are spectacular, and the cinematography featuring the magnificent scenery of Norway is perhaps the film’s best feature. The story opens with a muddle, mixing poorly staged songs with visual nonsense including a cart chase as Grieg (Toralv Maurstad) pursues Engstrand, a music society representative who has refused to give the young composer a grant. When the elderly Engstrand is thrown from his cart into the river, Grieg thinks it is hilariously funny and never figures out why Engstrand becomes his enemy and asks the police to arrest him. The story then bumbles as Grieg encounters Therese

79

Berg, a beautiful young piano student at the Leipzig Conservatory, and she tries to persuade her wealthy father (Robert Morley) to sponsor her friend. He agrees, but only under the condition that Therese break o› her relationship with Grieg and get engaged to Captain Hansen, his choice for her future husband. Therese accepts, but Grieg never learns why she rejects him. Grieg continues to struggle for recognition as a musician, meeting Rikard Nordraak (Frank Poretta), who envisions a breed of national composers who celebrate Norway. When Nordraak learns that Grieg’s cousin Nina Hagerup (Florence Henderson) is a singer, he persuades them to barge into the home of Hans Christian Andersen and perform Grieg’s Andersen Songs for the famous writer. Andersen is impressed, and Rikard, Nina and Edvard become fast friends as demonstrated in a silly singing montage. Edvard and Nina fall in love and get married, and Rikard accompanies them to Oslo (known at that time as Christiania), where Grieg has secured a post as conductor of the Philharmonic Society. However, when Grieg arrives, he learns that the board did not approve his appointment. He tries to earn a living as a music teacher. Influential writer Björnsterne Björson (Harry Secombe) befriends him and encourages him. Rikard Nordraak decides to leave for Berlin to complete his musical studies, and on midsummer’s eve, Rikard, Edvard and Nina pledge their eternal loyalty before the midnight sun on the horizon. Therese’s father dies, and after she inherits his wealth, she attempts to aid Grieg, who has been struggling as a piano teacher. She secretly sponsors him in a piano concert, but it is sparsely attended. She buys him a grand piano (Edward G. Robinson plays Krogstad, the piano dealer), but that infuriates Nina, who was herself struggling to buy a piano for her husband. When all

80

Edvard Grieg

seems hopeless, Edvard receives an encouraging letter from Franz Liszt (Henry Gilbert), who was impressed when he saw a manuscript of Grieg’s Violin Sonata. Using the letter (and with Therese’s influence), Grieg obtains a grant to visit Rome. The grant, however, is too small for Nina to accompany him, and she tells her husband that she will stay with her parents while he is gone. Grieg stops in Berlin to visit Rikard and learns he is dying of tuberculosis. He has to continue on to Rome, but he promises his friend he will return in two weeks. Therese shows up in Rome to help Grieg, who eventually meets Liszt. The famous writer Henrik Ibsen (Frederick Jaeger) asks Grieg to compose incidental music to his play Peer Gynt. Grieg agrees, laying aside the opera he was planning to write with Nordraak. A concert is arranged at which his Violin Sonata is played to great acclaim. Grieg learns that his friend Rikard has died, and he feels guilty because he never returned to Berlin as he promised. He also learns that Nina never left Christiania. Feeling he betrayed them both, Grieg finally returns to Norway to dedicate himself to his wife and the cause of Norwegian music. The entire plot is intertwined with songs, most seeming completely inappropriate to the storyline. There are a few moments of pure Grieg. A sizable portion of the Violin Sonata is performed intact. In the Hall of the Mountain King is also played straight, but it is unfortunately accompanying an absurd cartoon sequence when Grieg tries to entertain the children of his friend Björnsterne Björson. In the opening moments of the picture, a title card explains that the picture intends to strive for historical accuracy, and some of the actual dialogue is based on letters to and from the composer. To a certain extent, this is true. When Nina’s mother opposes her daughter’s marriage to Grieg, her disparaging remarks

come directly from a letter. When the composer Niels Gade dismisses one of Grieg’s compositions saying, “That won’t do. You must go home and write something better,” that is also accurate. But the essential dynamics of the story, such as placing Grieg in Rome, so that he thoughtlessly betrays both his wife and best friend, is both false and misleading. For example, Grieg did not marry Nina Hagerup until June ¡867, fifteen months after the death of Rikard Nordraak. Grieg’s stay in Rome in ¡866 was lengthy because he had fallen ill, not because he was attempting to curry favor with Liszt. In fact, Grieg did not meet Liszt until ¡870, during a second trip to Rome. Although he faced hardships launching his career, Grieg was never in the desperate straits portrayed in the film. His first concert in Christiania in ¡866 was quite successful (and largely sponsored by Nina Hagerup and violinist Wilma Neruda, not the contrived Therese Berg). One might normally overlook these instances in terms of dramatic necessity, except for the opening title card, which stresses the screenwriters’ fidelity to fact. Toralv Maurstad, however, makes a rather convincing Grieg, except perhaps for a few of the illstaged songs. When watching a life of Grieg, it is just too farfetched to hear one of the characters start to sing themes from his Piano Concerto. The best songs in the score are sung by Frank Poretta as Rikard, but his inability to stay in key undermines these e›orts as well. Only the beautiful scenery, mostly shot in the actual locations associated with Grieg, and the authentic Grieg music itself save the film from total disaster. Oddly enough, some of these positive qualities are recycled in What Price Immortality? This thoughtful film also opens with the sounds of Grieg’s Piano Concerto being played over some of the same scenery as in Song of Norway. The only major

Edvard Grieg

problem with What Price Immortality? is that the viewer needs to be thoroughly familiar with the details of Grieg’s life to appreciate the film. The story opens as Grieg is returning home by ferry in the twilight of his life. He is pondering the major events of his life in his quest to establish himself as a composer. There is no dialogue in the picture, as an o›screen narrator (Derek Jacobi) relates Grieg’s most intimate thoughts and regrets. Grieg reflects that his true personality was revealed in only two of his works, his Ballade in G Minor for piano and his String Quartet in G Major. He thinks about a private concert he gave for his publisher years earlier, at which both works were played. The remainder of the film continues with complete performances of both works. First Grieg himself plays the Ballade. Since Sta›an Scheja, who plays Grieg, is a concert pianist, this works out very well. As the music unfolds, Jacobi gives voice to Grieg’s private thoughts, and visual flashbacks provide glimpses of key events in his life. Since most of these fleeting images are unexplained, only knowledgeable viewers can interpret what events are being portrayed. There are scenes from Grieg’s childhood, in which Philip Branmer plays the composer in his youth. Michael Baral as Rikard Nordraak and Claudia Zöhner as Nina are outstanding in these scenes. Liszt, Brahms and Tchaikovsky also appear fleetingly. On the whole, the musical flashbacks center on regrets and betrayals, particularly when Grieg catches Nina in bed with another man. The flashbacks become even more intense and painful to Grieg as the second work, the String Quartet, is played. The cinematography, editing and musical performances make What Price Immortality? an unforgettable viewing experience. Some reviewers mistakenly classify What Price Immortality? as a documentary. Instead, it is a highly personal but rather

81

dark interpretation of Grieg. At times, it seems that some of the events portrayed are not meant to be real events but symbolic metaphors, as in a dream. The two Grieg selections are played with a searing beauty and intensity, and it is rare to hear entire works in any biographical film, which makes What Price Immortality? unique.

Production Credits Rikard Nordraak (¡945) Nordlys Film Cast : Georg Lokkenberg, Axel Thue, Jorn Ording, Ingolf Rogde, Henrik Borseth, Helen Brinchmann, Siri Rom and Wenche Foss. Music by Rikard Nordraak and Edvard Grieg; Written by Alf Scott-Hansen; Cinematography by Kare Bergstrom and Ragnar Didriksen; Produced and Directed by Alf Scott-Hansen. Original language Norwegian B&W 90 minutes. Song of Norway (¡970) ABC Pictures/Cinerama Cast: Toralv Maurstad, Florence Henderson, Christina Schollin, Frank Poretta, Harry Secombe, Robert Morley, Edward G. Robinson, Elisabeth Larner, Oscar Homolka, Frederick Jaeger, Richard Wordsworth, Bernard Archard, Susan Richards, Wenche Foss, John Barrie, Carl Rigg, Aline Towne, Erik Chitty, Roseland Speight, Ros Drinkwater, Henry Gilbert as Franz Liszt and Ronald Adam as Niels Gade. Music by Edvard Grieg; Adapted by Robert Wright, George Forrest and Roland Shaw; Performed by John Ogden and Brenda Lucas (pianists), Manoug Parikian (violinist); London Symphony Orchestra conducted by Roland Shaw and O. Sjelstad; Written by Andrew L. Stone based on a musical by Milton Lazarus, Robert Wright and George Forrest and a play by Homer Curran; Cinematography by Davis Boulton; Edited by Virginia Stone; Produced and Directed by Andrew L. Stone. Color ¡42 minutes. What Price Immortality? (¡999) AKA Edvard Grieg — What Price Immortality? RM Arts/ ZDF Production Cast: Sta›an Scheja, Philip Branmer, Derek Jacobi, Claudia Zöhner, Lasse Kolsrud, Haakon Rasmos Rasmusser, Sabine Oberhorner, Kaiole Taule, Tore Blaha, Berit Slettermark, Michael Baral,

82

George Frideric Handel

Günther Morbitzer, Stig Vaular, Hermann Schneider, Hans Albers, Wolfgang Teichmann, Peter Linke as Tchaikovsky, Joachim Neier as Brahms and Emanuel Dyrr as Franz Liszt. Music by Edvard Grieg; Performed by Sta›an Scheja (pianist), Auryn Quartet (string quartet); Written by Thomas Olofsson, True Rangström and Johanna Olofsson; Cinematography by Konrad Kotowski; Edited by Elke Riemann; Produced by Reiner E. Moritz; Directed by Thomas Olofsson. Color 7¡ minutes.

Noted Documentaries

• Life, Times and Music of Edvard Grieg (¡99¡) A Music Enrichment Film series title; 60 minutes

Of the two most prominent documentaries on Edvard Grieg, it is the shorter ¡972 film that is superior, capturing the essence of the composer with concise images and musical selections. The ¡99¡ film, although not bad, seems a bit verbose and redundant in comparison, but then it includes rather sizable portions of the music, which the earlier film inspired viewers to seek out on their own.

• Edvard Grieg, the Man and His Music (¡972) AIMS; ¡7 minutes

George Frideric Handel Screen depictions • Wilfrid Lawson in The Great Mr. Handel (¡942) • Simon Callow in Honor, Profit and Pleasure (¡985) • Trevor Howard in God Rot Tunbridge Wells! (¡985) • Jeroen Krabbé in Farinelli Il Castrato (¡994) • Leon Pownall in Handel’s Last Chance (¡996)

George Frideric Handel (¡685–¡759) was an exact contemporary of Johann Sebastian Bach, but their musical and career paths were quite di›erent. Handel emigrated to England and adapted himself to his new country. In London, he first concentrated on producing Baroque opera in the Italian style, but interest began to wane after the triumph of John Gay’s Beggar’s Opera in ¡728. When another composer, Niccolo Porpora, set up a rival opera com-

pany, both went bankrupt in ¡737, and Handel su›ered a stroke. After recovering, he devoted his attention to composing oratorios, and his greatest works were in that genre, including The Messiah (¡742), Judas Maccabeus (¡746) and Solomon (¡748). He eventually wrote over thirty oratorios. He completed over forty-five operas, but many were of only modest quality (and a few even borrowed music from other composers). The most successful of them include his first opera written for the London stage, Rinaldo (¡7¡¡), as well as Giulio Cesare (¡724) and Alcina (¡735). Handel also wrote a considerable amount of church music and three entire volumes of magnificent organ concertos. He composed numerous orchestral pieces, the most famous of which are his suites of Water Music and Royal Fireworks Music. His funeral in ¡759 became an occasion of national mourning, and he was buried in Poets’ Corner at Westminster Abbey.

George Frideric Handel

Most film projects about Handel focus on a specific phase of his career rather than a general overview. The Great Mr. Handel is a landmark British film distinguished by its breakthrough use of color, which is subtle and low keyed, with natural use of shadows. This film concentrates on a low period of Handel’s life, when he was harassed by creditors after the failure of his operatic enterprises and a period of illness. The heart of the screenplay shows how the composer faced his adversity, eventually creating his greatest artistic triumph, The Messiah. The story opens, however, with a brief prologue in ¡727, as King George II commissions four anthems from Handel for his coronation. Ten years later, however, Handel’s fortunes are in decline. The principal draw of his opera company is the theatrical star Susanna Cibber. (In this film, there isn’t a castrato in sight.) The opera impresario John Heidegger urges the composer to seek the patronage of Frederick, the Prince of Wales, who is, in Handel’s words, “a royal fop.” When the prince attends the opening night of the new season, he is so disruptive and noisy that the composer rebukes him by pounding out a series of smashing chords on his harpsichord. The prince and his party walk out of the theater and withdraw their financial support as Frederick now vows to ruin Handel. Facing mounting debts, Handel and Heidegger pool their last resources on a revival of the masque Acis and Galatea. This production is undermined by the prince, who forces Cibber to withdraw by summoning her to a command performance. When Cibber visits Handel to explain the situation, she finds him entertaining his creditors, who had just supplied a meal for two young orphans (sons of a deceased musician) at the composer’s urging. Cibber sings an aria from Xerxes, “Ombra mai fu” (popularly known as Handel’s Largo). He gathers charitable

83

Wilfred Lawson as Handel in The Great Mr. Handel.

support for a foundling hospital, but his own prospects are bleak. He cancels his revival, instead substituting an oratorio, An Ode to St. Cecilia. A gang of street thugs hired by the prince create a ruckus in an attempt to ruin this as well. Handel falls ill and is confined to his house for many months. As he slowly recovers, Handel decides to concentrate on composing oratorios. He is visited by Charles Jennens (sometimes known as Jennings), a wealthy friend with literary aspirations, who brings him a libretto based on biblical sources titled The Messiah. Not long afterward, he receives a commission from Dublin for a new work to be featured at a charity concert. Inspired by the text, Handel works at a furious pace, even neglecting meals and concentrating his full energy on his work. The completion of The Messiah forms the heart of the film in a lengthy sequence. Handel sees a vision of the first worshipers in Bethlehem, as he finishes composing “Unto Us a Child Is Born.” When he asks his servant Phineas for more light, the soundtrack is filled with the sound of a chorus singing “And the Glory of the Lord Shall Be Revealed.” Alerted by Phineas, Cibber stops by to visit the composer, who explains that he has

84

George Frideric Handel

just completed his greatest work and asks her to join him in Dublin to sing at the premiere. As she sings “He Was Despised,” people gather in the street to listen to the music. The film concludes in a segue from the first performance in Dublin, April ¡3, ¡742, to the London debut by royal command in Covent Garden on March 23, ¡743. During “The Hallelujah Chorus,” King George II is so moved that he spontaneously stands. Seeing this, the entire audience comes to its feet, including the Prince of Wales, and standing for this chorus later became a concert tradition. The picture ends as “The Hallelujah Chorus” reaches its climax. A quotation, “See’st thou a man diligent in his business? He shall stand before Kings,” appears with the end title card. On the whole, The Great Mr. Handel is an impressive e›ort. Wilfrid Lawson is exceptional and believable in the title role, bringing considerable depth to his reading. His use of a German accent is excellent and consistent, adding to the portrait of a man with a gru› exterior but with a genuine spiritual center. Lawson depicts Handel as a restrained but steady conductor, directing his music while seated at the harpsichord in the fashion of the day. He brings an almost poignant quality to his quiet, elegant gestures while leading “The Hallelujah Chorus.” The cinematography and use of sound is impressive. For instance, the repetitions of the calls of street vendors in London act as chapter marks as the scenario unfolds. There are a number of problems with historical accuracy, although the production tries to keep close to the authentic spirit of Handel. The presence of Susanna Cibber is artificially expanded in the story. For example, she is portrayed as the central figure of Handel’s opera company during the ¡730s, and more of a soprano than a contralto. In fact, the composer did not en-

counter Cibber until he saw her in a play in Dublin, and he was charmed by the way she sang several songs in the show. The dramatic encounter in which Handel lifts a singer and threatens to toss her out the window is factual, but the victim of the composer’s temper was the soprano Francesca Cuzzoni while rehearsing the opera Ottone in ¡723, at which time Cibber, then Susanna Arne, was a mere nine years old. Elizabeth Allan’s role as Cibber is inflated so that she can be billed as the costar, but all of her scenes in the plot prior to the debut of The Messiah are fictitious. Allan’s three major vocal selections, particularly “Ombra mai fu,” are very well done. Handel’s servant Phineas, played by Hay Petrie using a thick Scottish brogue, is rather distracting while providing comic relief. In truth, some of these additions are understandable because rather little is known about Handel’s private life, while the facts of his public life are a matter of record, such as his support of the foundling hospital. The screenplay tries to include Handel’s actual words whenever possible. When the composer threatens Cuzzoni in ¡723, he calls her a “she devil” but refers to himself as the “chief devil.” These actual words appear in the film when the composer intimidates Cibber. Other authentic quotes refer to his prodigious knowledge of the Bible. Perhaps Handel’s most famous quote, uttered after completing “The Hallelujah Chorus,” is well dramatized, as the composer exclaims, “I think I did see all heaven before me and the great God Himself.” The screenplay may be guilty of streamlining references to much of Handel’s work in the timeframe of the action, as well as changing the date of his stroke from ¡737 to ¡74¡ instead, but all this is done with a dramatic purpose, to keep its focus clearly on the writing of The Messiah. Interestingly, two short subjects were

George Frideric Handel

made that incorporate scenes from The Great Mr. Handel. The first one is titled My Redeemer Liveth. It was made in ¡952 by J. B. Sloan and features a modern-day tour of Handel’s small home situated at 25 Brook Street in London, where he composed The Messiah. Flashbacks in the film use footage from The Great Mr. Handel to illustrate how he composed his great oratorio. Some of the lines of Wilfrid Lawson are redubbed by another actor. A second short subject from ¡953, also by Sloan, is titled Christmas Chorale. This film, using a contemporary setting, explores Handel’s devotion to the foundling hospital in Hatton Garden, using flashback scenes from The Great Mr. Handel. Both these two short subjects are in black and white, and they remove the color in the clips from the original film. Honor, Profit and Pleasure covers almost exactly the same time period as The Great Mr. Handel, focusing on the composer’s British years through the debut of The Messiah. The structure of the production is episodic, with numerous scenes from Handel’s life presented as stage pieces, each introduced by Jaimie Quinn (Alan Devlin), a sort of operatic master of ceremonies, who speaks directly to the camera. Honor, Profit and Pleasure opens in ¡7¡¡ at the Queen’s Theater in London at the debut of Rinaldo, his first work specifically written for the British stage. During an aria by the castrato Niccolini (real name Niccolò Grimaldi), a flock of birds is released on stage, a dramatic e›ect that charms the audience. The scene shifts to ¡7¡4 at the home of Handel’s first British patron, Earl Burlington (Hugh Grant), as he entertains the writers Jonathan Swift and Alexander Pope. Together they hear the news about the death of Queen Anne. The British crown passes to George I, who was the elector of Hanover, at whose court Handel had served. As George arrives in the coun-

85

try, he is uncomfortable with the English language and is delighted to find a familiar face in Handel, who is naturally fluent in German. For another patron, the Duke of Chandos, Handel composes the Chandos Anthems. In ¡7¡9, the Royal Academy of Music is established with Handel as composer-in-residence. A brief episode shows Handel traveling to Italy to find singers for his new opera company. Two of his principal finds are the divas Francesca Cuzzoni and Faustina Bordoni. They are shown riding in a carriage with Handel as they sing “Unto Us a Child Is Born” (an anachronism, since this selection from The Messiah wasn’t composed until twenty years later). The hostility between King George and his son is briefly explored, and when George II is crowned after his father’s death in ¡727, he commissions Handel to compose four anthems. The scenario next reveals how Handel irritated the British aristocracy when he composed his first oratorio and attempted to rise above the patronage system. In reaction, the gentry abandoned support of Handel and sponsored the creation of a rival company, known as the “Opera of the Nobility.” Their artistic rivalry eventually soured the public’s interest in opera altogether, and Handel not only burned out his talent but also fell gravely ill. His right hand became temporarily paralyzed. After his recovery, the composer decided to shift his attention to writing oratorios, calculating that they might be more profitable since they were cheaper to produce. He also felt that oratorios might permit him to abandon both prima donnas and castrati, whose egos he could not abide. Jaimie Quinn then narrates the scandals in the background of Susanna Cibber. They do not trouble Handel, who is intrigued by her voice and spends much time with her teaching music. At the debut of The Messiah, Cibber’s aria “He Was Despised” is sung so beautifully that a cleric

86

George Frideric Handel

shouts from the audience, “For this, all thy sins will be forgiven thee.” The picture concludes as Handel dictates a letter to Charles Jennens describing the total success of The Messiah in Dublin with six sold-out concerts. The soundtrack plays “The Hallelujah Chorus” as Handel concludes his letter, saying he is overjoyed with the success and passes his time with “honor, profit and pleasure.” Quinn adds a few lines of postscript, and the figures of Handel, Quinn and Cibber rotate on a stage platform wheel while the closing credits appear, as if they were statues on a giant music box. Simon Callow provides a more energetic reading than Wilfrid Lawson, less subtle perhaps but with a genuine undertone of humor, one of Handel’s qualities that Lawson does not stress. The only flaw with Callow’s performance is that he does not seem to age as the years pass, nor does his German accent ever subside. Honor, Profit and Pleasure is quite entertaining, turning its limited budget to best advantage with clever, stylized backgrounds. When George I arrives in England, for instance, the artificial waves painted on cardboard animated by stagehands add a genuine charm to the sequence. When genuine sets are used, however, such as when Handel goes to the sulfur baths to treat his hand, it seems mundane in comparison. Honor, Profit and Pleasure excels with its musical selections, which provide a far greater variety of the composer’s talents. It includes generous excerpts from Rinaldo, Chandos Anthems, Harpsichord Suite, the coronation work Zadok the Priest, Acis and Galatea, Esther, Jeptha as well as selections from his popular orchestral suite Water Music. God Rot Tunbridge Wells! is a highly acclaimed telefilm portraying Handel’s last days in ¡759. Made by the talented Tony Palmer, the piece was written by John Osborne and features Trevor Howard as the

dying composer. The film commemorates the three hundredth anniversary of Handel’s birth and also marks his last public appearance, when he attended a performance by the Tunbridge Wells Ladies’ Music Circle of The Messiah. Blind and infirm, Handel falls ill at the concert and dies eight days later. Trevor Howard’s moving deathbed speech has been cited as the highlight of the production. Unfortunately, God Rot Tunbridge Wells! is largely unavailable today. “God rot,” incidentally, is a popular eighteenth-century expression considered the modern equivalent for “Drat!” Farinelli is based on the life and times of Carlo Broschi, the most famous castrato in history, who adopted the stage name Farinelli. The screenplay actually focuses on three di›erent composers, one great (Handel), one minor (Niccolò Porpora) and one inconsequential (Riccardo Broschi). The script of this lavish Belgian production, although largely imagined, is based on an accurate historical framework. The central thesis of the film, that Riccardo Broschi was responsible for ordering the castration of his brother to further his own musical ambition, is highly dubious. Also doubtful is the portrayed meeting in Italy between Handel and the singer, during which the castrato spits upon Handel, who dismisses the talent of his brother. Farinelli vows to sing only his brother’s music. This, however, is inconsistent with the story as it unfolds since Farinelli also performs in operas composed by his teacher, Niccolò Porpora. Farinelli and Handel have a second meeting at the Dresden Opera, but Farinelli faints on stage, and his performance is canceled. The bulk of the plot occurs from ¡734 to 1737, when Porpora imports Farinelli to London to sing at the “Opera of the Nobility,” the company set up to compete with Handel’s theater at Covent Garden. Farinelli is a complete sensation in Lon-

George Frideric Handel

don. Attendance at Handel’s theater starts to drop as the rivalry continues. The singer starts to tire of his brother’s inadequate music. Riccardo has been working on his operatic masterpiece, titled Orpheus, but Farinelli doubts he will ever finish it. He longs to sing great music, such as that written by Handel. The singer slips into church to listen to Handel when he rehearses playing the organ. Handel’s manuscript of Rinaldo, the first work he presented in London, is stolen and presented at the “Opera of the Nobility,” o›ering Farinelli a chance to sing great music. Handel accidentally comes across Riccardo’s secret music studio in the rafters of the theater, where he feverishly works on Orpheus. He confesses to Handel that he has been working on it for years but feels he will never do justice to the piece. Handel examines the manuscript and o›ers suggestions and improvements. As they work together, Handel removes his wig for the only time in the picture. Riccardo tells Handel his secret, that he had authorized his brother’s castration. Rinaldo is a great success, the greatest of Farinelli’s career. While singing on stage, Farinelli picks up a note that floats down from the upper levels above the stage. It is a letter from Handel, in which the composer tells Farinelli that Riccardo had mandated his castration. The singer is stunned by the news. Handel’s letter ends with a vow by the composer never to write another opera. Handel returns to his box seat as Farinelli sings “Cara Sposa.” As the aria concludes, Handel collapses, su›ering a stroke. The scene shifts to Spain several years later. Farinelli has retired from the stage and sings only private concerts for the king, Philip V. Riccardo turns up at court, having finally completed Orpheus. His brother refuses to see him, but he later steals the score of the opera. After Riccardo attempts suicide, the brothers are reconciled. Farinelli returns Orpheus to his

87

brother, who burns the manuscript and departs. Jeroen Krabbé is brilliant in a dark and menacing portrayal of Handel in Farinelli. Krabbé is no stranger to sinister performances, having played the villain in the Harrison Ford version of The Fugitive (¡993) and the role of Satan in the miniseries Jesus (2000). From his very first scene, he portrays Handel as arrogant and patronizing. In almost every appearance, the composer brandishes a heavy cane which he uses to squash bugs. Yet, Krabbé manages to let Handel’s humanity seep through in many scenes as well. Krabbé’s overall interpretation is powerful and complex, an interesting contrast to the heroic reading of Wilfrid Lawson. In reality, Handel was not so malicious about castrati as the script implies. While Farinelli was performing at the “Opera of the Nobility,” Handel’s opera troupe featured another renowned castrato, Carestini. The personal animosity between Farinelli and the composer is largely a screen myth. Handel was in a desperate struggle to save his theater, and both companies failed. As for the imaginary vow to Farinelli to cease writing operas, Handel actually composed quite a few after ¡737, including Xerxes (¡738), Alessandro Servo (¡838), Jupiter in Argos (¡739), Imeneo (¡740) and Deidamia (¡74¡). One aspect of the plot, however, is quite true. These Italian baroque operas were largely sterile, empty works, with only occasional flashes of brilliance. They were ground out at such a fast pace that a certain degree of plagiarism occurred in the music. The composers borrowed from each other quite freely, so the scene of Handel collaborating with Riccardo Broschi would not be out of the ordinary. The colorful stage productions in the film are quite impressive. The singing voice of Farinelli was created electronically, a blending of a soprano and counter-

88

George Frideric Handel

tenor. The music is well performed and entirely authentic, probably the only major performance in decades of the obscure works of Broschi and Porpora. The only memorable selections, however, are the Rinaldo excerpts, particularly “Cara Sposa.” Handel’s Last Chance is another episode in the “Composers’ Specials Series” by David Devine. It is set entirely in Dublin, portraying Handel’s preparation for the first performance of The Messiah. Leon Pownall plays the composer as an amiable curmudgeon, a far more human reading than any other. Pownall tackles the role with zest and sparkle. As in most Handel films, the composer always wears a wig but manages to lose it in a key scene. His scenes playing the harpsichord are excellent. The people around Handel see through his gru› exterior. At one point he says, “I’m not kindly, I’m a mean, vicious ogre and I enjoy being a mean, vicious ogre.” Yet he follows this by performing a very kind deed. Events are seen from the viewpoint of ten-year-old Jamie O’Flarity, son of the washerwoman of Dean Jonathan Swift of St. Patrick’s. Incidentally, the historic satirist and writer was relieved of most of his duties at St. Patrick’s because of his declining mental facilities, possibly due to Alzheimer’s disease. Swift’s forgetfulness becomes part of the story, as Mrs. O’Flarity turns to Handel to help her son whenever Swift is unable. Handel and Jamie become good friends, particularly after the composer hears the boy singing “Unto Us a Child Is Born.” When her rent money is stolen, Jamie’s mother is thrown into debtors’ prison. When Jamie is accused of stealing Handel’s gold watch, the composer clears him and helps his mother. Since the historical Handel was interested in the welfare of foundlings and poor youths, the relationship between Handel and Jamie is not far-fetched. In addition, the debut concert of The Messiah was a charity event, including funds for people

in debtors prison, so that element of the story is relevant as well. The most awkward moments include the rehearsal scenes. The chorus and singers are so poor that they seem unable to sing the simplest melody. Even Susanna Cibber, played by Alegra Calder and called Miss Cibber in this film, cannot carry a tune. Handel employs Jamie to sing in the ensemble, and his perfect pitch manages to bring the performance together. The debut of The Messiah is visually disappointing, with only a handful of enthusiastic people in attendance. In actuality, Handel sold out Neal’s Music Hall for six performances by subscription. The musical performance itself, however, is magnificent and stylistically correct. As a film targeted to younger viewers, Handel’s Last Chance has much to commend it and would appeal to adults as well.

Production Credits The Great Mr. Handel (¡942) G. H. W. Productions Cast: Wilfrid Lawson, Elizabeth Allan, Malcolm Keen, Michael Shepley, Max Kirby, Hay Petrie, Morris Harvey, A. E. Mathews, Frederick Cooper, Charles Groves, Alfred Harris, Charles Doe and Andrew Leigh. Music by George Frideric Handel; Arranged by Ernest Irving; Performed by the London Philharmonic conducted by Ernest Irving; Written by L. du Garde Peach, Gerald Elliott and Victor MacClure; Cinematography by Jack Cardi› and Claude Friese-Greene; Edited by Sam Simmonds; Produced and Directed by Norman Walker. Color ¡0¡ minutes. Honor, Profit and Pleasure (¡985) Spectre Films Cast: Simon Callow, Hugh Grant, Alan Devlin, Jean Rigby, Christopher Barrie, Christopher Benjamin, Bernard Hepton, Cyril Luckham, T. P. McKenna, John Mo›att, James Villiers, Pauline Jameson, Jonathan Hyde and Frederick Schiller. Music by George Frideric Handel; Performed by James Bowman, Nicola Jenkin, Liz Anderson, Gillian Fisher, Bronwen Mills, Wynford Evans,

George Frideric Handel John Graham Hall and Jean Rigby (vocalists), Temple Church Choristers, Ragland Baroque Singers and Ragland Baroque Players under the direction of Nicholas Kraemer; Water Music conducted by John Eliot Gardiner; Written by Anna Ambrose and Peter Luke; Cinematography by Peter MacDonald; Edited by George Akers; Produced by Ann Skinner; Directed by Anna Ambrose. Color 7¡ minutes. God Rot Tunbridge Wells! (¡985) Ladbroke Films Cast: Trevor Howard. Music by George Frideric Handel; Performed by James Bowman and Emma Kirkby (vocalists); Orchestra and chorus conducted by Sir Charles Mackerras; Written by John Osborne; Cinematography by Nic Knowland; Edited by Tony Palmer; Produced and Directed by Tony Palmer. Color ¡30 minutes. Farinelli Il Castrato (¡994) Sony Pictures Cast: Stefano Dionisi as Farinelli, Enrico LoVerso as Riccardo Broschi, Omero Antonutti as Niccolo Porpora, Jeroen Krabbé, Elsa Zylberstein, Caroline Cellie, Marianne Basler, Jacques Boudet, Graham Valentine, Pier Paolo Capponi, Delphine Zentout and KarlHeinz Dickman. Music by George Frideric Handel, Riccardo Broschi, Niccolò Porpora, Giovanni Pergolesi and Johann Adolf Hasse; Arranged and conducted by Christophe Rousset; Farinelli’s singing voice by Ewa Godiewska and Derek Lee Ragin electronically blended; Written by Marcel Beaulieu, Andree Corbiau and Gerard Corbiau; Cinematography by Walther Van den Ende; Edited by Joelle Hache; Produced by Vera Belmont; Directed by Gerard Corbiau. Original language Italian Color ¡¡0 minutes. Handel’s Last Chance (¡996) Devine Entertainment Cast: Leon Pownall, Tod Fennell, Gerard Parkes, Cody Jones, Steven Miller, Jen-

89

nifer Rocket, Alegra Calder and Seana McKenna. Music by George Frideric Handel; Music edited by Bernie Clayton and Walter Babiak; Performed by Christopher Bell (vocalist); Slovak Philharmonic and Chorus conducted by Ondrej Lenard; Written by Marlene Matthews based on a story by Richard Mozer and David Devine; Cinematography by David Perrault; Edited by Michael Pacek; Produced by Richard Mozer and David Devine; Directed by Milan Cheylov. Color 52 minutes.

Noted Documentaries • Forever and Ever (¡992) BBC; 30 minutes • A Night with Handel (2000) Directed by Alexander Marengo; Channel 4 (UK); 5¡ minutes • Much More to Handel (200¡) Featuring Jon Kimura Parker; Bravo; 30 minutes

Forever and Ever, originally a BBC documentary, focuses on The Messiah and its history from its composition through various adaptations. This documentary received wider distribution after being included on the video with the complete performance led by Neville Marriner and the Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields. A Night with Handel is an innovative project set in contemporary London which examines the major operas composed by Handel. Much More to Handel is an excellent and witty overview of the composer which was broadcast on Bravo as part of their “Wholenotes” series.

90

Franz Joseph Haydn

Franz Joseph Haydn Screen depictions • Arthur Dulac in Mrs. Fitzherbert (¡947) • William Vedder in The Mozart Story (¡948) • Alfred Newman in The CinemaScope Parade (¡954) • Ernst Nadherny in The Magnificent Rebel (¡96¡) • Ladislav Chudik in Forget Mozart (¡985) • Josef Meinrad in Hersehel und die Musik der Sterne (¡986) • Julian Glover in Not Mozart, Part 3: Letters, Riddles and Writs (¡99¡) • Frank Findlay in Eroica (2002)

Franz Joseph Haydn (¡732–¡809) is often called the “Father of the Symphony” since his ¡04 works in that form helped to develop the symphony to its modern prominence. However, Haydn was also influential in the development of string quartets, piano sonatas and concertos. His best known symphonies include the Farewell Symphony (no. 45), Symphony No. 88, the Surprise Symphony (no. 94), the Military Symphony (no. ¡00), the Drumroll Symphony (no. ¡03) and the London Symphony (no. ¡04). His operas were less successful, but his choral music was very influential, including his Mass in Time of War and his oratorios The Creation and The Seasons. In his later career, the composer became a›ectionately known as “Papa Haydn.” He came from a large family, and one of his younger brothers, Michael Haydn (¡737–¡806), became a distinguished composer in his own right. Since Haydn lived a relatively prosperous and untroubled life, his career did not attract many filmmakers over the years, and most of his screen appearances

have been in supporting roles in the lives of other composers such as his friends Mozart and Beethoven. The earliest Haydn film portrayal is in Mrs. Fitzherbert, a historical drama about the romance between Maria Fitzherbert, a wealthy widow (Joyce Howard), and the Prince of Wales (Peter Graves) during the era of George III. In truth, the prince went through a marriage ceremony with her, but because she was a Catholic, the ceremony was ruled invalid. Arthur Dulac, a character actor who specialized in playing French waiters, appears as Haydn in a brief supporting role. In The Mozart Story, Haydn is the principal figure in the framing device that opens and closes the film. Haydn pays a visit to fellow composer Antonio Salieri (Wilton Gra›) to question him about the rumor that he has been collecting all the original music manuscripts of Mozart, presumably to burn them. Salieri confirms the fact that he has been on mission as o‡cial court composer to locate every scrap of music Mozart had written, not to destroy Mozart’s work but to preserve and publish it. In a flashback, Salieri discusses his sometimes stormy relationship with Mozart. The flashback sequences rely upon an earlier German film from ¡942, Wen die Götter Lieben, which deals with Mozart. Newly filmed scenes with Haydn and Salieri bridge the various excerpts from the German film. During these new scenes, the two composers comment about the events. In the end, Haydn is moved by Salieri’s reconciliation with Mozart on his deathbed. In real life, Haydn had cordial relations with both Salieri and Mozart. The CinemaScope Parade is a genuine curiosity item, a short feature issued by 20th Century–Fox to demonstrate the pos-

Franz Joseph Haydn

sibilities of cinemascope. One oddity about the feature is the lack of credits. Even the script held on file at the collection of the University of Iowa lists no writer on the screenplay. In fact, the only individual cited in records is Alfred Newman, the head of the music department at the studio and composer of over 250 film scores. Moreover, Newman is listed as appearing in the film (his only onscreen performance) in the role of Franz Joseph Haydn. The context and exact extent of this performance, however, cannot be determined since no additional documentation seems to be available. Ernst Nadherny is a somewhat grumpier than usual Haydn in The Magnificent Rebel, the Beethoven biopic produced by Walt Disney. When Haydn serves as teacher to the young Beethoven, there is very little chemistry between the two men. Haydn complains that his student cannot “play entertainingly.” Haydn arranges for Beethoven to play at a party for Prince Lichnowsky, instructing him to play a selection by Bach. Beethoven defies him, however, and substitutes one of his own works. In Haydn’s last scene in the film, he is in the audience attending the premiere of Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony, applauding warmly at the end of the piece. In Forget Mozart, Haydn is first seen at an outdoor piano recital by Mozart. Emperor Joseph II arranges an impromptu contest between his Kapellmeister, Antonio Salieri, and Mozart. Haydn advises Mozart to be gracious and applaud after Salieri finishes playing. Instead, he grumbles loudly that good music has lost when the emperor says he prefers Salieri’s composition. In a later scene, Haydn is depicted visiting a wax museum that included e‡gies of Haydn, Gluck and Salieri standing around a piano being played by a figure of Mozart. Haydn suggests that Mozart accompany him on a visit to London, predicting that the English would love

91

his music. Mozart refuses, however, believing that leaving Vienna would be a retreat in the face of adversity, something he was not prepared to do. “I will not yield,” Mozart says adamantly. Observing his friend closely, Haydn sadly comments, “The worse his health, the better his music.” In Hersehel und die Musik der Sterne (Hershel and the Music of the Stars), Haydn is depicted visiting the English astronomer Sir William Hershel and his family, and they indulge in a philosophical discussion of the heavens and of music, in the manner of an eighteenth-century version of My Dinner with Andre (¡98¡). In the most recent screen appearance, Haydn is finally portrayed by a major actor, Julian Glover. He plays Haydn as a living bust in the composer’s hall of fame in heaven. He and Beethoven discuss the final days of Mozart and wonder why it is taking so long for Mozart to join them in their place of honor. Glover plays Haydn brilliantly, with gentleness. humility and wit. In Eroica, famous character actor Frank Findlay plays Haydn in the most recent film, in which he attends the debut performance of Beethoven’s Eroica Symphony. In most of these screen appearances, unfortunately, very little of Haydn’s own music is ever highlighted.

Production Credits Mrs. Fitzherbert (¡947) AKA Princess Fitz British National Films Cast : Joyce Howard, Leslie Banks, Wanda Rotha, Henry Oscar, Peter Graves, Barry Morse, Lily Kann, Ivor Bernard, John Stuart, Mary Clare, Julian Dallas, Arthur Dulac, Eugene Deckers, Margaretta Scott, Chili Bouchier, Frederick Lister and Frederick Valk. Music by Hans May and Franz Joseph Haydn; Written by Montgomery Tully based on the novel by Winifred Carter; Cinematography by James Wilson; Edited by Charles Hasse; Produced by Louis

92

Franz Joseph Haydn

H. Jackson; Directed by Montgomery Tully. B&W 99 minutes. The Mozart Story (¡948) Patrician Cast: Hans Holt, Winnie Marcus, Irene von Meyendor›. Rosa Albracht-Retty, René Deltgen, Walter Janssen, Hans Siebert, Erich Nikowitz, Richard Eybner, Fritz Imho› and Curt Jurgens, Tony Barr, Carol Forman, William Vedder and Wilton Gra› as Antonio Salieri. Music by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Ludwig van Beethoven; Arranged by Alfred Norkis and Alois Melichar; Performed by the Vienna Philharmonic conducted by Alois Melichar; Written by Arthur St. Claire based on a screenplay by Richard Billinger and Eduard von Borsody; Cinematography by Gunther Anders and Paul Ivano; Edited by Axel Hubert; Produced by Abrasha Haimson; Directed by Karl Hardt and Frank Wisbar. B&W ¡04 minutes. CinemaScope Parade (¡954) Twentieth Century–Fox Cast: Alfred Newman. Music by Alfred Newman; Color 55 minutes. Magnificent Rebel (¡96¡) Walt Disney Pictures Cast : Carl Bohm, Peter Arens, Gabriele Barth, Bruno Dallansky, Ivan Desney, Erik Frey, Oliver Grimm, Giulia Rubini, Guido Wieland, Erich Winn and Ernst Nadherny. Music by Ludwig van Beethoven; Arranged by Hans Schreiter and Frederick Stark; Written by Joanne Court; Cinematography by Göran Strindberg; Edited by Alfred Srp; Produced by Peter V. Herald and Walt Disney; Directed by Georg Tressler. Color 96 minutes. Forget Mozart (¡985) Slovart Cast : Armin Mueller-Stahl, Max Tidof as Mozart, Wolfgang Preiss, Catarina Raacke, Uwe Ochsenknecht, Kurt Weinzierl, Jan Biczycki, Katja Flint, Andy Hyre, Zdenek Hradilak, Juraj Hrubant, Ondrej Malachovsky, Ladislav Chudik and Wilfried Glatzer as Antonio Salieri. Music by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Antonio Salieri; Performed by the Slovakischen Philharmonia conducted by Peter Breiner; Written by Zdenek Mahler, Werner Uschkurat and Jirina Koenig; Cinematography by Dodo Simoncic and Martin Barko; Edited by Peter Prcygoda, Alfred Bencic and Ingrid Wol›; Produced by Frank Hübner, Karel Dirka; Directed by Slavo Luther. Original language Czech Color 93 minutes. Hersehel und die Musik der Sterne (¡986) Adlon

Film Cast: Rolf Illig, Josef Meinrad, Karin Anselm and Edgar Seige. Music by Franz Joseph Haydn; Written by Percy Adlon; Produced and directed by Percy Adlon. Original language German Color 95 minutes. Not Mozart, Part 3: Letters, Riddles and Writs (¡99¡) Artifax Cast: Ute Lemper as Mozart, David Thomas, Michael Nyman, Julian Glover and Tony Rohr as Beethoven; Written by Jeremy Newson; Music by Michael Nyman based on themes by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and text by Leopold Mozart and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart; Cinematography by Simon Archer; Edited by Grant Watkins; Produced by Elizabeth Queenan; Directed by Jeremy Newson. Color ¡79 minutes (complete film). Eroica (2002) BBC Cast: Ian Hart as Beethoven, Lucy Akhurst, Jack Davenport, Anton Lesser, Tim Pigott-Smith, Victoria Shalet, Claire Skinner and Frank Findlay. Music by Ludwig van Beethoven; Performed by L’Orchèstre Revolutionaire et Romantique; Produced by Liza Marshall; Directed by Simon Cella Jones. Color 90 minutes.

Noted Documentaries • Composer and Court: Haydn and the Esterhazys (¡983) Films for the Humanities; 63 minutes • Haydn: Famous Composers Series (¡996) Written, produced and directed by Malcolm Hossick; SKAN Productions; 34 minutes • Seeking Haydn (¡996) Presented by Sir Peter Ustinov; ¡20 minutes • Haydn: The Composer’s Composer (200¡) Featuring Jon Kimura Parker; Bravo; 30 minutes

Composer and Court concentrates on Haydn and his patron, Nicholas Esterhazy, an unusually successful working relationship for both the composer and his sponsor. Haydn’s Lord Nelson Mass is featured in this production. Malcolm Hossick presents a concise overview of Haydn, his music and his career, and Jon Parker looks

Victor Herbert

at Haydn with his usual blend of humor and facts. A more detailed study is hosted by Peter Ustinov in a lengthy program featuring generous potions of the composer’s best music. This program is an expansion of an earlier program titled Celebrating Haydn. This program is also available as an interactive computer program. In the early ¡970s, Ustinov was featured in a Young People’s Concert with the New York Phil-

93

harmonic. Ustinov appeared in the guise of Haydn with a powdered wig and conducted the last movement of the Farewell Symphony, during which members of the orchestra slip away, finally leaving the conductor alone on the podium. Ustinov then blew out the candles illuminating the music score, bowed and toddled o› stage in one of the most entertaining finales in the entire series.

Victor Herbert Screen depictions • Walter Connolly in The Great Victor Herbert (¡939) • Paul Maxey in Till the Clouds Roll By (¡946)

Victor Herbert (¡859–¡924) had an impressive music career in three areas. First, he was a master of the cello, touring as a soloist and serving as first cellist in numerous orchestras including the Metropolitan Opera. Then he was a noted conductor, a popular guest conductor of the New York Philharmonic and music director of the Pittsburgh Symphony (¡898– ¡904). He became best known, however, as a composer, completing over thirty operettas such as Wizard of the Nile (¡895), Babes in Toyland (¡903) and Naughty Marietta (¡9¡0). He wrote two grand operas, Natoma (¡9¡¡) and Madeline (¡9¡4). He also composed numerous orchestral works such as his Irish Rhapsody and tone poem Hero and Leander. His best-known concert piece, however, is his Cello Concerto in D Major. In addition, Herbert was one of the founders of the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP). The Great Victor Herbert, despite its

title, is not a genuine biographical drama, but a stitched-together series of musical selections by Herbert structured around the love a›air and marriage of two fictitious singers, John Ramsey (Allan Jones) and Louise Hall (Mary Martin). At the conclusion of the picture, an end title card states, “No attempt has been made to depict in this picture the actual life of the immortal Victor Herbert. Many of the episodes, incidents and characters are entirely fictitious.” It adds, however, that an e›ort was made to accurately portray the composer’s character. This is a fair assessment. The main problem with the script is that the same fictional story could have been told without a large number of chronological errors by merely adjusting the years in which the story was set. As it stands, the film begins in ¡9¡4, at the debut of a new Herbert operetta titled The Rose of the World. There was no Herbert operetta by this name, however. He had written a song titled “Rose of the World,” but this came from his ¡908 operetta The Rose of Algeria. Victor Herbert (Walter Connolly) makes a dramatic entrance as the film opens, appearing at the back of the theater and marching down the main aisle to great applause. He reaches

94

Victor Herbert

Walter Connolly as The Great Victor Herbert.

the orchestral podium and starts to conduct as the main credits appear. The audience is surprised that a fourteen-year-old child has replaced Louise Hall in the leading role. At first, the child appears to struggle with the part. At one point, she is unable to continue, and Herbert stops for a moment and cues the orchestra to begin again. Suddenly, the young singer is transformed, performing with remarkable assurance. By the end of the act, the audience is transfixed and roars its approval. Two critics rush backstage and ask Herbert about his new discovery. He agrees to meet them after the concert. At a late dinner, he tells them a long story, and a flashback makes up the rest of the film. It is over fifteen years earlier (prior to

¡899), and a young woman, Louise Hall, has been unsuccessfully trying to meet and audition for Victor Herbert. She is about to leave New York and return to her home town when she encounters a brass band marching down the street playing Herbert’s March of the Wooden Soldiers. A policeman informs her that every year a brass band serenades Victor Herbert on his birthday. Since Herbert’s actual birthday is February ¡, however, the scene is set in the wrong season. The band stops in front of Herbert’s house, and popular tenor John Ramsey starts to sing “Ah, Sweet Mystery of Life,” which was actually written in ¡9¡0 for Naughty Marietta. As far as that goes, March of the Wooden Soldiers didn’t appear until ¡903. Ramsey notices Louise in the crowd, and she starts to sing along with

Victor Herbert

him. John is delighted, and he puts his arm around her as they complete the song. Victor Herbert, listening from his doorstep, invites the entire crowd into his home. John falls in love with Louise at first sight, and he decides to persuade Herbert to give her an audition. She sings the “Owl Song” from Babette (¡903). Herbert is charmed, but he feels she is too inexperienced. Ramsey, Herbert’s leading star, decides to change the composer’s mind and sneaks Louise into a benefit concert by Herbert, substituting her for his regular partner, leading soprano Marie Clark. They sing a duet from Eileen (¡9¡7). Herbert is outraged by this stunt and threatens to fire Ramsey from his next show. However, when the composer learns that John and Louise have eloped, he relents and casts the newlyweds in his next production. According to billboards, John and Louise star in a series of Herbert works, Princess Peggy, Miss Dolly Dollars and Wonderland. Louise, however, is gaining in popularity while John’s drawing power is beginning to fade. In The Magic Knight, Louise is billed above John, who throws a temper tantrum. Louise insists that John’s name receive top billing. Herbert writes his next score, The Prima Donna, specifically for Louise, but she announces that she is retiring from the stage because she is pregnant. This is where the real chronological problems undermine the story. The birth of her daughter, Peggy, occurs in ¡900. Yet all the operettas in which John and Louise starred were written between ¡905 and ¡908, except for Princess Peggy, a title which does not exist. Herbert wrote a work with a similar title, Princess Pat, in ¡9¡5. John’s career continues to decline. Louise persuades Herbert to hire John for a small part in his next show but to pay him a star’s salary. When John learns that Herbert is making up the di›erence in his pay out of his own pocket, he quits. He also leaves Louise and his daughter.

95

A title card then shows the passing of time from ¡904 to ¡9¡4. Louise supports herself by teaching voice. Herbert persuades her to return to the stage and star in The Rose of the World. She reluctantly agrees, relying on Peggy (Susanna Foster), now fourteen, to help her learn the part. In fact, Peggy learns the role even better than her mother. At rehearsal, Herbert overhears Peggy sing the most di‡cult aria in the work with amazing style. Fifteen minutes before curtain, Louise loses her voice, and the doctor discovers her vocal chords are swollen and require rest. Herbert fears that he must cancel the show and lose a fortune. (I guess they never heard of understudies.) Louise suggests that Peggy play the lead. This brings the story back to the point at which the film began, and the opening scene is repeated, this time with greater detail. Peggy is struggling with her part. John, about to leave for a tour of Australia during which he will appear only in a supporting role, arrives at the theater to bid farewell to his estranged wife. He is stunned to see Peggy playing the lead, and he is worried that her male costar is not providing her with support in her performance. John persuades the stage manager to let him assume one of the minor parts in the operetta. When Peggy hears her father singing, she is surprised and momentarily chokes up. Herbert stops the orchestra and recues them. Peggy now continues with self-assurance and sings brilliantly. The story concludes with Peggy acclaimed a great success. Perhaps the main disappointment in The Great Victor Herbert is that Walter Connolly is so good in the role as the composer, yet he is merely an observer on the sidelines for most of the story. Connolly displays immense charm in his performance, his last, and he died suddenly a few months after completing the film. He is best remembered for playing Claudette

96

Victor Herbert

Colbert’s father in It Happened One Night (¡934), while on radio he was a great success playing the Oriental detective Charlie Chan. Connolly is very believable in his numerous conducting scenes. When Peggy falters in the operetta, Connolly’s gestures are superb as he manages to blow the girl a kiss without missing a beat. Connolly shines in a number of other scenes, as he argues with John with restrained frustration, or when he plays the piano to entertain the four-year-old Peggy. Mary Martin and Allan Jones are fine in their roles; however, their main function is to sing a large number of Victor Herbert melodies and recreate many operatic stage highlights. As a nostalgic divertissement for lovers of Herbert’s music, the film is splendid, but it is a disappointment for anyone interested in the life and times of the composer himself. Herbert is also portrayed in a brief but distinguished cameo in Till the Clouds Roll By, a sumptuous screen tribute to songwriter Jerome Kern, who died the previous year. Kern’s best-known work, Show Boat, includes some elements of light opera, but most of his music consists of popular songs. The scene with Victor Herbert occurs approximately midway through the film. Kern, played by Robert Walker and his friend music arranger Jim Hessler (Van Heflin) are discouraged by the news that the producer of their shows, Charles Frohman, had died in the sinking of the Lusitania. Victor Herbert stops by their o‡ce to speak to them, saying how highly Frohman had regarded them. He encourages Kern, proclaiming, “You have a song to sing!” He tells him to look at the people on the street below. Music touches all of their lives, he insists, urging Kern not to ever let anything prevent him from continuing to write his songs. Paul Maxey,

somewhat stouter than Walter Connolly, has the same easy-going charm and makes an excellent Victor Herbert. Maxey, a veteran character actor, appeared in scores of films. He was the last killer to be captured by Charlie Chan, for example, in Sky Dragon (¡949), the final entry in the popular film series. Maxey may be best remembered for his role as Mayor Peoples in the Jackie Cooper television show The Peoples’ Choice. Maxey’s brief cameo is one of the few nonmusical highlights in Till the Clouds Roll By.

Production Credits The Great Victor Herbert (¡939) Paramount Cast: Walter Connolly, Mary Martin, Allan Jones, Judith Barrett, Lee Bowman, Susanna Foster, Jerome Cowan, Pierre Watkin, Richard Tucker, John Garrick, Hal K. Dawson, Mary Carrier, Emmett Vogan and James Finlayson. Music by Victor Herbert; Arranged by Arthur Lange and Max Terr; Paramount Symphony Orchestra conducted by Arthur Kaye; Written by Russell Crouse and Robert Lively based on a story by Andrew L. Stone and Robert Lively; Cinematography by Victor Milner; Edited by James Smith; Produced and Directed by Andrew L. Stone. B&W 9¡ minutes. Till the Clouds Roll By (¡946) MGM Cast: Robert Walker, June Allyson, Lucille Bremer, Judy Garland, Kathryn Grayson, Van Heflin, Van Johnson, Tony Martin, Dinah Shore, Frank Sinatra, Cyd Charisse, Gower Champion, Angela Lansbury, Harry Hayden, Paul Maxey and Lena Horne. Music by Jerome Kern; Arranged by Kay Thompson and Conrad Salinger; Paramount Symphony Orchestra conducted by Lennie Hayton; Written by Myles Connolly and Jean Holloway based on a story by Guy Bolton; Cinematography by Harry Stradling and George Folsey; Edited by Albert Akst; Produced by Arthur Freed; Directed by Richard Whorf, Robert Alton and Vincent Minnelli. B&W ¡37 minutes.

Bernard Herrmann

97

Bernard Herrmann Screen depictions • Bernard Herrmann in The Man Who Knew Too Much (¡955) • Ron Rif kin in The Night That Panicked America (¡975)

Bernard Herrmann (¡9¡¡–¡975) is considered one of the greatest composers of soundtracks for film. He also had an outstanding career as an arranger, a conductor as well as a composer of more traditional classical music. His most highly regarded film scores include Citizen Kane (¡94¡), The Devil and Daniel Webster (¡94¡), Jane Eyre (¡943), On Dangerous Ground (¡95¡), Vertigo (¡958), Psycho (¡960), Jason and the Argonauts (¡963), Fahrenheit 45¡ (¡966) and Taxi Driver (¡975). His principal classical compositions include the opera Wuthering Heights, the oratorio Moby Dick, his tone poems November Dusk, Echoes for string quartet and his Symphony. Not surprisingly, some themes from his film music also wound up in his classical compositions. For example, his main theme from The Ghost and Mrs. Muir reappeared in the first act love duet from Wuthering Heights (¡95¡). In ¡945, he composed a brilliant, one-movement piano concerto for the film Hangover Square (see Appendix A) that was frequently played in the concert hall. Since his death, interest in Herrmann’s music has grown considerably, and most of his compositions have been issued on records and compact disks. Herrmann’s most memorable collaboration was his series of films with Alfred Hitchcock. In ¡955, Hitchcock planned to remake his ¡934 thriller The Man Who Knew Too Much. The climax of the film takes place at a concert in Albert Hall,

where an assassination is planned during the performance. For the original film, Arthur Benjamin composed a short, dramatic work for chorus and orchestra titled The Storm Cantata. Hitchcock asked Herrmann if he wished to retain this piece or write a new composition of his own. Herrmann decided to retain the selection, and he suggested that the original composer, Arthur Benjamin, be commissioned to lengthen the work by an additional minute and a half, so The Storm Cantata now runs a total of nine and a quarter minutes. Herrmann also re-orchestrated the work, expanding the orchestra and adding an organ. In the ¡934 version, the orchestra and conductor were anonymous. In the remake, Hitchcock wanted the London Symphony Orchestra to be identified and wanted a name conductor to serve as a central figure for the sequence. The natural choice, of course, was Bernard Herrmann. The plot involves an American couple, played by Jimmy Stewart and Doris Day, on a tour of Morocco. When a dying secret agent whispers some critical information to Stewart, his young son is kidnapped and he is warned to remain silent. Learning that their son was taken to London, the couple rush there and undertake their own e›orts to locate him. The trail eventually leads to Royal Albert Hall, the scene of a planned assassination. Doris Day arrives first at the hall, seeking to talk with a Scotland Yard inspector who is attending the concert. As her cab pulls up to the hall, a giant marquee announces “BERNARD HERRMANN” above “Cantata Storm Clouds by Arthur Benjamin, Monday 6 June at 8.” This leads to a small inconsistency, since no concert would be

98

Bernard Herrmann

programmed with a single selection less than ten minutes long. When someone once pointed this out to the director, he replied that the audience is to assume that the cantata actually runs ninety minutes long. The assassin, played by Reggie Nalder, spots Doris and warns her that her son’s life depends on her silence. The concert begins as Bernard Herrmann enters the stage to thunderous applause. He brings the large orchestra and choral forces to attention. There are dozens of shots of Herrmann leading the orchestra, including four closeups. Even more interesting, another shot depicts the shadow of Herrmann’s hand with baton beating time over the notes of the score. During the concert, Jimmy Stewart arrives at the hall, having escaped from the clutches of other enemy agents. The dialogue between Day and Stewart was eliminated by Hitchcock, who preferred that the audience hear the music of the cantata instead. The signal for the assassin to fire is the crash of the cymbals, and Hitchcock’s camera angles add to the suspense for this pivotal moment. When Day notices the assassin taking aim with his gun, she screams. The target, a foreign prime minister, is only slightly wounded as he shifts position when he hears the scream. The assassin tries to flee and falls from the upper level and is killed as he crashes to the floor. Herrmann finishes the piece, although he is undoubtedly surprised by Day’s scream and the shouting of the audience as the assassin falls. A reaction shot from Herrmann might have been interesting at this moment, but Stewart and Day had to explain themselves, and then the prime minister wanted to thank her for her intervention. Nevertheless, the conductor played an important part, which writer Stephen C. Smith calls “the choicest screen appearance by a real-life conductor since Stokowski shook hands with Mickey Mouse.”

The Night That Panicked America, the second picture to depict Herrmann, was a dramatic recreation of Orson Welles’ famous War of the Worlds radio broadcast from ¡938. Because the opening half of the show was structured as a straight radio broadcast interrupted by news bulletins, a number of viewers who tuned in late were temporarily convinced that the events were real. It was a unique cultural phenomenon that demonstrated the power of the media. This ¡975 telefilm included a meticulous recreation of the radio broadcast, interspersed with a cross-section of radio listeners who were fooled into thinking the invasion from Mars was genuine. Actor Paul Stewart, an original member of Orson Welles’ Mercury Theater, served as creative consultant for the film. Bernard Herrmann was the music director for the broadcast, conducted the studio orchestra and provided piano interludes between various interviews in the opening portions of the show. In the film, Paul Shenar plays Orson Welles, Walter McGinn plays Paul Stewart and Ron Rifkin plays Bernard Herrmann. As the portrayed radio broadcast begins, the Mercury Theater’s theme music, based on Tchaikovsky’s First Piano Concerto, is played on a recording. Orson Welles introduces the program, a dramatization of the science-fiction novel by H. G. Wells. Orson’s opening drifts o›, replaced by a fictitious weather report. Bernard Herrmann then assumes the role of Raymond Raquello, a Latin band leader, playing a series of popular tunes, supposedly from the Meridian Room at the Park Plaza Hotel in New York. His first number, “La Paloma,” goes on for quite some time. The film cuts away from the studio at this point and shows how members of the listening public tune in at this point, unaware that they are listening to the Mercury Theater Program. The music is interrupted by the first news bulletin, a rather

Bernard Herrmann

short and low-key report of unusual disturbances on the surface of Mars. The show returns to “La Paloma,” and this is followed by another Raquello number, “Cocktails for Two.” At the studio, the camera focuses on Herrmann as he leads the small orchestra while sitting at the piano. Another report cuts away to the Princeton Observatory, where a reporter interviews Professor Richard Pearson, an astronomer played by Orson Welles. Pearson talks about the recent activity observed on Mars. He then receives a report of a large object, perhaps a meteor, that has just crashed in the vicinity of Grover’s Mill, New Jersey. The broadcast then returns to dance music, as Bernard Herrmann now assumes the role of Bobby Villet, a bandleader from Brooklyn. After a few seconds, another bulletin is heard from Grover’s Mill from the crash site. This bulletin turns dramatic, as the cylindrical object that landed appears to be a spacecraft. The top end of the ship starts to open, and the reporter leaves the air to move to another position. Bernard Herrmann plays a few bars of Schumann on the piano to bridge this dramatic moment. The reporter returns, describing how the police are roping o› the area. When the aliens emerge, they apparently turn a death ray on the reporter and the crowd. The broadcast cuts o›, the silence replaced a few seconds later by Herrmann at the piano playing a Chopin prelude. This is the last musical interlude, and Herrmann becomes less of a focus in the studio scenes. Meanwhile, a panic is starting to sweep across America fueled by frightened listeners. The studio switchboard becomes swamped with calls. Station executives write out an emergency message to Welles to announce that the show is a dramatization. The show takes on an accelerated pace as more cylinders are reported falling from the sky and the aliens set about a full scale attack housed in giant robots. Welles

99

decides to make the announcement matter-of-fact during an upcoming station break. By that point, the world is practically destroyed. After the intermission, the broadcast proceeds in a more traditional manner, following the exploits of Professor Pearson (Welles) in the aftermath of the attack by the aliens, concluding when the Martian invaders fall victim to the germs which inhabit the earth and to which they have no immunity. The Night That Panicked America is a fascinating film, particularly in the studio scenes which have an authentic flavor. The subplots of the panicked listeners, however, range from intriguing to silly, with perhaps too much of the latter. Ron Rifkin does a fine job as Bernard Herrmann, closely resembling in appearance the young composer who was twenty-seven at the time of the Welles broadcast. He has no lines in the film, but he is often the center of attention with numerous closeups as he plays the piano or leads the small musical ensemble. The Night That Panicked America provides a colorful insight into the radio background that served as a training ground for the young composer. It also shows some of his relationship with the dynamic and creative Orson Welles, who naturally wanted Bernard Herrmann to accompany him to Hollywood to serve as composer for his first film, Citizen Kane, three years later.

Production Credits The Man Who Knew Too Much (¡956) Paramount Cast : Jimmy Stewart, Doris Day, Daniel Gelin, Brenda de Banzie, Bernard Miles, Ralph Truman, Alan Mowbray, Hillary Brooke, Moegin Wieth, Carolyn Jones, Anthony Warde, Christopher Olsen and Reggie Nalder. Music by Bernard Herrmann and Arthur Benjamin; Performed by the London Symphony Orchestra conducted by Bernard Herrmann; Written by John Mi-

100

Charles Ives

chael Hayes and Angus McPhail based on a story by Charles Bennett and D. B. Wyndham-Lewis; Cinematography by Robert Burks; Edited by George Tomasini; Produced and Directed by Alfred Hitchcock. Color ¡20 minutes. The Night That Panicked America (¡975) Paramount Cast: Paul Shenar, Vic Morrow, Cli› DeYoung, Michael Constantine, Walter McGinn, Eileen Brennan, Meredith Baxter, Tom Bosley, Will Geer, John Ritter, Ron Rifkin, Granville Van Dusen, Burton Gilliam, Joshua Bryant, Casey Kasem, Walker Edmiston, Art Hannes, Liam Dunn and Shelley Morrison. Music by Frank Comstock; Written by Nicholas Meyer and Anthony Wilson based on a radio script by Howard Koch and Orson Welles; Cinematography by Jules Brenner; Edited by Bud Isaacs, Tony Radecki and George J. Nicholson; Produced and Directed by Joseph Sargent. Color 97 minutes.

Noted Documentary • Bernard Herrmann (¡992) Produced by Margaret Smilow and Roma Baran; Directed by Joshua Waletzky; Alternate Current/Les Films d’Ici; 58 minutes

Bernard Herrmann is an outstanding documentary, a segment of a series titled Music for the Movies that focuses on the life and work of a number of the major figures in film music. Narrated by Philip Bosco, the work is a serious study including commentary by musicians who played under Herrmann, directors such as Martin Scor-

sese and Claude Chabrol, the composer’s first wife Lucille Fletcher and composers Elmer Bernstein and David Raksin. Musicologist Royal S. Brown provides some serious analysis of Herrmann’s musical style, comparing his method of developing simple motifs to that of Beethoven. The use of the intervals by Herrmann in his music is also studied. The documentary includes many film clips of Herrmann dating back to the ¡930s, including his memories of working with major figures such as Orson Welles and Alfred Hitchcock. The documentary also covers Herrmann’s interest in conducting and his friendship with Charles Ives. Herrmann’s integrity, his sometimes abrasive personality and his refusal to compromise on his principles are examined in the context of his work. The most fascinating part of this study is the restoration of Herrmann’s original music for the film Torn Curtain. Herrmann and Hitchcock had a falling out when the director failed to back the composer when Universal Studios suggested a lighter pop score for the picture. The key murder scene from Torn Curtain is shown twice, with and without Herrmann’s music, and it is obvious that Hitchcock’s visual images su›ered greatly without Herrmann’s music. Herrmann’s concert hall music, including his Symphony, is also touched upon. In all, Bernard Herrmann is one of the finest examples of the art of documentary in dealing with a modern composer.

Charles Ives Screen depictions • John Bottoms and Joshua Hamilton in A Good Dissonance Like a Man (¡976)

Charles Ives (¡874–¡954) has been described as America’s greatest composer and a genuine musical pioneer. His father was an amateur musician and bandmaster who

Charles Ives

taught his son music in a highly unorthodox fashion, engendering not only a love of hymns and Americana, but also a keen thirst for experimentation. Ives studied composition at Yale, but he became dissatisfied with the academic approach that lacked the musical innovation and vitality that he had learned from his father. Starting out as a church organist, Ives soon realized that a career in music would be too impractical. Instead, he entered the business world and helped to revolutionize the insurance industry, becoming a millionaire in the process. Like Alexander Borodin in Russia, he composed as an avocation, sometimes in a traditional vein, but other times with new techniques involving dissonance, tone clusters, polytonality and conflicting rhythms. The radical Ives is best represented by his cycle of four tone poems sometimes called the Holidays Symphony (although it is not intended to be a symphony or even to be played together). At the climax of The Fourth of July, a number of patriotic tunes are played simultaneously, as if three or four di›erent bands had just passed each other in the street. On the other hand, even in his more traditional works, such as his Pulitzer Prize–winning Third Symphony (which Gustav Mahler had wanted to premiere before his sudden illness and death), Ives has a unique and thoroughly distinctive style. Ives’s major works include four symphonies (a recently reconstructed Universe Symphony also exists), four violin sonatas, two string quartets, dozens of tone poems and short orchestral pieces, numerous choral compositions (including his cantata The Celestial Country), many piano works (some with colorful titles such as Some Southpaw Pitching and Three Protests for Piano) and over a hundred songs. Most music by Ives was neglected in his lifetime, except for a handful of enthusiasts like Bernard Herrmann. Leonard Bernstein

101

and the New York Philharmonic debuted the composer’s Second Symphony in ¡950, and Ives reportedly did a celebratory jig after listening to the performance on the radio. Even if this reaction is a myth, other reports confirmed that the crusty Yankee composer was deeply moved by the broadcast. His most famous compositions are his Variations on America for organ, his Second Piano Sonata “Concord” and his existential orchestral piece The Unanswered Question. A Good Dissonance Like a Man is a curious hybrid film, part standard documentary with filmed reminiscences by the composer’s nephews, Brewster and Charles Ives, part musical exhorts and part recreations of key events of Ives’s life, with Joshua Hamilton portraying the young Ives and John Bottoms the mature Ives. The dramatized segments are so good that one wishes that the entire film had been done in this format. Much of the dialogue in these scenes is authentic, taken directly from Ives’s letters or various interviews. The episodes cover Ives’s childhood, his college days at Yale, his brilliant success in the insurance business, and his artistic isolation as an innovative composer. It has been said that Charles Ives often composed music that he thought his father would have written. The bond between father and son was quite strong, and George Ives spent much time encouraging his son to “stretch his ears” to appreciate polytonality and clashing rhythms. No wonder Ives found traditional teachers to be too conventional and old fashioned. He considered them far too timid and academic in their approach. The film, by the way, also portrays two of the major figures of American classical music, George W. Chadwick and Horatio Parker. Chadwick (¡854–¡93¡) was a traditionalist and the leader of the school of New England composers. He composed symphonies, operas and chamber music, and his best-known

102

Charles Ives

works are his Rip Van Winkle Overture and his Symphonic Sketches. Parker (¡863–¡9¡9), another member of Chadwick’s group, specialized in large-scale choral works, such as the oratorios The Legend of St. Christopher, King Gord the Grim and Morven and the Grail. Of course, both these men found Charles Ives and his approach to music incomprehensible. The clash of their di›erent visions is almost humorous, especially when Ives takes a traditional pedagogical exercise and transforms it into an unexpected piece of satire. Among the musical selections are his Yale-Princeton Football Game, The Housatonic at Stockbridge, Like a Sick Eagle and the Alcotts from the Concord Piano Sonata. The film also includes text from Ives’s “Postface” to his collection of ¡¡4 songs. John Bottoms, perhaps best remembered as Wyatt Earp’s brother Virgil in the film Doc (¡97¡), makes an excellent Ives, although some critics note that his performance lacks the “sense of transcendence” that was characteristic of the man and his work. Nevertheless, A Good Dissonance Like a Man is an exceptional tribute to American’s most unique composer. The film was also honored with a Peabody Award.

Production Credits A Good Dissonance Like a Man (¡97¡) Alfa Film Cast : John Bottoms, Joshua Hamilton, Richard Ramos, Sandra Kingsbury, Louis Turenne, Bob McIlwain as Horatio Parker and Louis Zorich as George W. Chadwick. Music by Charles Ives; Supervised by James Sinclair; Performed by Orchestra New England conducted by James Sinclair; Written by Theodor W. Timreck and John Kirkpatrick based on the writings of Charles Ives; Cinematography by Peter Stein; Edited by Theodor W. Timreck and John Kirkpatrick; Produced and Directed by Theodor W. Timreck. B&W/Color 6¡ minutes.

Noted Documentaries • Charles Ives: The Fourth Symphony (¡965) National Educational Television; 60 minutes • Charles Ives, American Pioneer (¡967)

New York Philharmonic Young People’s Concerts with Leonard Bernstein; 60 minutes • The Unanswered Question, Part 5: Dangers and Delights of Ambiguity (¡976) Norton Lecture by Leonard Bernstein; ¡20 minutes The Ives Fourth Symphony documentary was originally broadcast on December ¡7, ¡965. It includes reflections on Ives and his music by Leopold Stokowski, Ron Herder, David Katz, John McClure, Julian Myrick, George Tyler, Stewart Warkow and José Serebrier. A complete performance of the thirty-five-minute work is included by the American Symphony Orchestra and the Schola Cantorum under Leopold Stokowski. For several passages, Stokowski relied on two additional conductors, David Katz and José Serebrier, to conduct intricate passages of the work when multiple rhythms were used (primarily in the scherzo). This documentary was significant in bringing attention to Ives. Leonard Bernstein also helped to publicize Ives and his music, first with a Young People’s Concert dedicated to the composer, and later with his impressive Norton Lecture series at Harvard University. Bernstein based the name of his overall presentation on Ives’s The Unanswered Question. Most of Bernstein’s observations about Ives were featured in the fifth lecture of the seven-part series.

Scott Joplin

103

Scott Joplin Screen depiction • Billy Dee Williams and David Raynr in Scott Joplin (¡977)

Scott Joplin (¡867–¡9¡7) was the first black American composer whose music received popular recognition by the public at large. He was hailed as the “king of ragtime writers” for such compositions as The Maple Leaf Rag (¡899), The Peacherine Rag (¡90¡) and The Entertainer (¡902). Joplin strove, however, to make his mark in classical music, composing two operas, a symphony and a piano concerto. His manuscripts for these works went unpublished except for the opera Treemonisha, which Joplin had financed himself in ¡9¡¡. At the time, American Musician and Art Journal proclaimed the work the best American opera of the past decade, yet Joplin had great di‡culty raising money for a fully staged performance, and only excerpts were performed, such as the Act II ballet, “Frolic of the Bears.” This failure deeply frustrated the composer for the remainder of his days. In ¡976, Joplin was awarded a posthumous Pulitzer Prize for his contributions in the field of music. The only film to portray composer Scott Joplin is a mixed blessing. The first half is fairly good, despite a number of licenses taken with the facts. The second half, however, is a bit of a jumble that appears to overlook key events of Joplin’s life in a hectic dash to wrap things up. In doing so, the film does a disservice to Joplin’s memory, particularly when it appears to suggest that Joplin overreached himself by concentrating on ambitious works such as his opera Treemonisha. On the positive side, Billy Dee Williams is superlative in

the title role. He appears to have captured Joplin’s character very well, an intelligent, well-mannered, serious artist, confident of his own talent and capabilities. He manages to convey the superb craftsmanship of Joplin’s music, a combination of delicacy and vigor that more than one critic has compared favorably to the piano music of Chopin. Adversely, the script deliberately provides the wrong impression, suggesting, for example, that Joplin picked up music from his early youth by playing the piano in a whorehouse. We are never shown that Joplin worked extensively in bands playing a cornet or that he took college courses in music. In fact, one of the central beliefs of Joplin’s life was his appreciation of and emphasis on education, which is the central concept of Treemonisha. The film shows Joplin spending his entire formative years until the age of thirty playing the piano in a brothel, when he moves to Sedalia, Missouri, to begin his association with music publisher John Stark. After hearing the Maple Leaf Rag at a piano contest, Stark o›ers Joplin a publishing contract with a modest advance and a one-cent royalty for each copy sold. The composer’s career begins to take o› under Stark’s guidance, and he moves to St. Louis. Joplin marries Belle Hayden, a young widow, and purchases a comfortable, middle-class home, decorating the walls with portraits of the great composers. Joplin’s heath starts to decline, however, and he is diagnosed with syphilis (presumably contracted years earlier when he worked at a brothel). His marriage fails after their baby daughter dies. Joplin has a dispute with Stark, who moves his business to New York City.

104

Scott Joplin

Billy Dee Williams as Scott Joplin.

The picture then jumps ahead a few years to ¡907. This gap is very strange in script terms because it skips and completely ignores two pivotal and dramatic events in Joplin’s life. In ¡903, Joplin completed his first opera, A Guest of Honor, set in the White House and commemorating the visit of Booker T. Washington with President Theodore Roosevelt in ¡90¡. Joplin formed an opera company and successfully produced the opera, taking it on tour throughout the Midwest. While in Kansas, however, the company was robbed of its entire bank roll. Unable to meet his payroll, the tour collapsed, and all of Joplin’s possessions, including the music to A Guest of Honor, were confiscated. A

Guest of Honor is considered a lost work. The second event was even more traumatic. In ¡904, Joplin met Freddie Alexander, a brilliant young woman, and he wrote The Chrysanthemum, an Afro-American Intermezzo in her honor. She married the composer in June ¡904, but ten weeks later, Freddie died after developing pneumonia. This tragedy so devastated the composer that many believe he never fully recovered from the loss. It is inconceivable that the script of Scott Joplin simply passes over these critical experiences. Instead, the film picks up in ¡907 as a bedraggled Joplin shares Chicago lodgings with pianist Louis Chauvin. The screenplay suggests that Chauvin and Joplin were lifelong friends, while in fact they had only met a few years earlier in St. Louis. Joplin writes Heliotrope Bouquet with Chauvin, who dies shortly afterward. Joplin heads to New York to work again with Stark. The publisher purchases a number of ragtime numbers from Joplin but refuses to back his new opera, Treemonisha. In fact, Stark berates Joplin for wanting to write classical works instead of concentrating on being “the king of ragtime.” Over the next few years, Joplin pours all his energy into staging Treemonisha but only manages to produce a Harlem runthrough of the piece with singers and piano. When Stark hears that Joplin is dying, he tries to help him and arranges a Broadway audition for him as a pianist. As Joplin performs, the film reprises lengthy flashbacks of the film. The composer is so

Constant Lambert

weak, however, that he is unable to finish his performance. As he walks o› down a New York Street in the snow, a narrator relates that Joplin died in ¡9¡7, but his music did not receive full recognition until the ¡970s. The real drawback of the film’s second half is that it seems to support Stark’s viewpoint that Joplin wasted his talents by aspiring to become a classical composer. He mockingly derides Joplin for “being bitten by the black myth,” wanting his music to be played at Carnegie Hall. This attitude is almost insulting to Joplin’s memory and his desire to stretch the limits of his talents as far as he could. Instead, the scene in which he is trying to rehearse the dramatic climax of Treemonisha seems to depict him as out of his depth rather than admiring him for endeavoring to reach new heights. Only in the final narration, which mentions that Joplin eventually won the Pulitzer Prize in music, was there any indication of the quality of his musical e›orts. The production values on the whole are rather good, particularly if one realizes that the project was initially planned as a television movie. The cinematography is good, and the costumes and decor excellently capture the flavor of the ragtime era. The musical sequences are also very good, and Dick Hyman’s performances and arrangements are infectious. The piano con-

105

test sequence early in the story, while not furthering the plot, is very entertaining and has genuine sizzle. The cast across the board does an excellent job, led by Billy Dee Williams’s exemplary e›ort. Art Carney does a fine job as John Stark, although it is a shame that the film does not portray his daughter and business partner Eleanor, who encouraged Joplin’s ambitions as a composer. David Raynr is fairly e›ective in a brief early sequence depicting Joplin as a young boy. While the film Scott Joplin is undoubtedly colorful and entertaining, the script short circuits the production and makes it appear short sighted and not genuinely appreciative of Joplin’s accomplishments as one of America’s most striking musical talents.

Production Credits Scott Joplin (¡977) Universal Cast: Billy Dee Williams, Clifton Davis, Godfrey Cambridge, Margaret Avery, Eubie Blake, Seymour Cassel, DeWayne Jessie, Mable King, Taj Mahal, Spo-De-Odee, David Healey, Samuel Fuller, Leon Charles, Fred Pinkard, David Raynr and Art Carney. Music by Scott Joplin and Harold Johnson; Arranged and performed by Richard Hyman; Written by Christopher Knopf ; Cinematography by David M. Walsh; Edited by Patrick Kennedy; Produced by Stanley Hough; Directed by Jeremy Paul Kagan. Color 96 minutes.

Constant Lambert Screen depiction • Constant Lambert in Battle for Music (¡943)

Constant Lambert (¡905–¡95¡) was a noted British music critic, conductor and composer best known for his works for the ballet, notably Romeo and Juliet, Pomona and Horoscope. Another ballet, Appari-

106

Constant Lambert

tions, was based on piano music by Liszt, arranged and orchestrated by Lambert. His other works include a piano concerto, a piano sonata, Eight Songs of Li Po and Rio Grande, a jazz-inspired work for chorus, piano and orchestra, a setting of a poem by Sacheverell Sitwell. In the late ¡940s, Lambert began to compose film scores, and his music for Anna Karenina (¡948) was praised as a masterpiece. Lambert died as the result of undiagnosed diabetes at the age of forty-six. Battle for Music is a most unusual wartime film, not a documentary but a docudrama, a dramatization of the e›orts of the London Philharmonic to remain intact in the dark opening days of World War II. The orchestra musicians and members of their self-governing board of directors play themselves. Professional actors play supporting roles. Other figures, such as writer J. B. Priestley, also play themselves in portraying their e›orts to help the orchestra. At first, with many engagements canceled, the members of the orchestra fear they will have to disband. A concert of French music is canceled, for example, when France collapses and signs an armistice with Hitler. A fund-raising concert is organized, and Constant Lambert agrees to conduct. The orchestra players are surprised when the concert sells out. As Lambert strides onto the podium to start the concert, he gives his encouragement to the musicians, saying, “Not a bad house.” He then leads the only complete work in the film, an abridged version of Tchaikovsky’s Romeo and Juliet. There are numerous close-ups of Lambert as he directs the music. At a later concert, J. B. Priestly makes a special appeal from the stage, citing the importance of music as England continues in its life-or-death struggle against the Nazis. To conclude this fund-raising event, Sir Adrian Boult plays Elgar’s Cockaigne Overture, and the opening two minutes of

the piece are heard. Wealthy patrons step in to fund the orchestra to tour the country, providing free concerts to boost the morale of the British people. The conductor of the concert tour is Constant Lambert, and lengthy excerpts from Rachmanino› ’s Piano Concerto No. 2 with soloist Benno Moiseiwitsch are shown in a montage. The images of Lambert conducting and the pianist playing are superimposed on scenes of the British countryside and cities. A series of posters announcing “The London Philharmonic Conducted by Constant Lambert” are inserted, highlighting the main stops of the tour in Swindon, Swansea, Bristol and Nottingham. Sir Malcolm Sargent sponsors a children’s concert in Birmingham, where he talks to the audience about British composers such as Frederick Delius. The film concludes at another concert in which Sargent directs Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony. The music is interrupted by air-raid sirens. Sargent stops the music and addresses the audience, “Hitler may blow this hall sky high, you — me — everybody, but there’s one thing here he cannot touch.” He points to the musical score on the stand. “This music will live long after Hitler and the Nazi regime are completely forgotten. I think, perhaps, there is nothing better we can do than to continue to play it.” The audience applauds, as Sargent turns to resume conducting. As he launches into the coda of the last movement, a scrawl appears on the screen, comparing the orchestra as a microcosm of the nation, fighting in their own way “as a treasured possession of the British people.” It was the dramatic incident at the Sargent concert that inspired the film, which began production not long after the events depicted. At first glance, the film seems amateurish, since most of the musicians speak in a halting, almost stumbling style. This awkwardness soon passes, and the audience becomes captivated by these men,

Franz Liszt

who at first question their own value and whether playing their music is a contribution to the war e›ort. At one point, they turn up a piece of Nazi propaganda, announcing that the orchestra has disbanded and urging music lovers to tune to German stations to listen to music of culture with the major German symphonic orchestras. This inspires them to continue with their e›orts no matter the personal cost. Of the major musicians in the film, only Lambert and Sargent speak. They have about equal screen time. Lambert leads the Tchaikovsky and Rachmanino› selections with genuine fire and passion. The finale of the Beethoven symphony has tremendous sweep in Sargent’s hands. No doubt the power of the conductor’s original impromptu speech (recreated perfectly for this film) continued to inspire the London Philharmonic players when they made this motion picture. It certainly raises it above the traditional fervor of such wartime morale e›orts.

107

Production Credits Battle for Music (¡943) Strand Films Cast: Jack Hylton, J. B. Priestley, Brian Michie, Thomas Russell, Charles Gregory, F. G. Bradley, R. B. Morley, Francis Stead, Hay Petrie, Mavis Claire, Dennis Wyndham, Joss Ambler, Constant Lambert, Sir Malcolm Sargent and Ben Williams. Music by Richard Wagner, Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky, Edvard Grieg, Edward Elgar, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Sergei Rachmanino›, Frederick Delius and Ludwig van Beethoven; Performed by Eileen Joyce and Benno Moiseiwitsch (pianists); London Philharmonic conducted by Constant Lambert, Warwick Braithwaite, Sir Adrian Boult and Sir Malcolm Sargent; Written by Leigh Clowes; Cinematography by Moray Grant and Larry Pizer; Edited by Erwin Reiner; Produced and Directed by Donald Taylor. B&W 70 minutes.

Franz Liszt Screen depictions

• Fritz Leiber in The Phantom of the Opera

• Gustav Frölich in Paganini (¡923) • Hans Schlenck in Abschiedswalzer (¡934) • Daniel Lecourtois in La Chanson de

• Emil Lohkamp in Träumerei (¡944) • Stephen Bekassy in A Song to Remember

l’Adieu (¡934) Claudio Arrau in Suenos de Amor (¡934) Ferenc Taray in Szerelmi Almok (¡935) Luis Rainer in Wenn die Musik Nicht Wär (¡935) Zoltan Szakats in Szenzacio (¡936) Brandon Hurst in Suez (¡938) Marc Dantzer in Pontcarral, Colonel d’Empire (¡942)

• Pierre Richard Willm in Rêves d’Amour

• • • • • •

(¡943)

(¡945)

• • • • •

(¡946) Henry Daniell in Song of Love (¡947) Sviatoslav Richter in Composer Glinka (¡952) Ivan Darvas in Erkel (¡952) Paul Hubschmidt in Ungarische Rhapsodie (¡954) Jacques François in Par Ordre du Tsar (¡954)

108

Franz Liszt

Will Quadflieg in Lola Montez (¡955) Carlos Thompson in Magic Fire (¡956) Dirk Bogarde in Song Without End (¡960) Henry Gilbert in Song of Norway (¡970) Imre Sinkovits in The Loves of Liszt (¡970) Roger Daltrey in Lisztomania (¡975) Marcel Iures in Vis de Ianuarie (¡978) Ekkehardt Schall in Wagner (¡983) Anton Di›ring in Wahnfried (¡987) Julian Sands in Impromptu (¡99¡) Aleksandr Cherednik in La Musique de l’Amour: Robert et Clara (¡995) • Geordie Johnson in Liszt’s Rhapsody (¡996) • Emanuel Dyrr in What Price Immortality? (¡999) • Michal Konarski in Chopin Pregnienie Milosci (2002) • • • • • • • • • • •

Franz Liszt (¡8¡¡–¡886) is important not only as a composer and pianist, but also as an advocate for the music of most of the significant composers of the nineteenth century. One of the most prolific of all musicians, Liszt and his career can be divided into three periods: the years up to ¡847, when he focused on his concert career, perhaps the greatest pianist in history (his final recital as a touring artist was at Elizabetgrad — later known as Stalingrad, and currently Volgograd); the years ¡848– ¡859, when he served as music director at Weimar while perfecting his skills as a composer; and finally the period ¡860– ¡886, when he became an abbé (one of the minor religious orders in the Catholic Church) after his marriage plans to Princess Carolyne Sayn-Wittgenstein were frustrated. During this time he concentrated on writing choral music and piano works, sometimes of an experimental nature (such as his Bagatelles Without Tonality). Liszt’s major works as a composer include thirteen symphonic poems (a genre he is credited for developing with such works as Les Preludes and Mazeppa), two

choral symphonies (the Dante Symphony and the Faust Symphony, perhaps his greatest work), oratorios and religious works (such as Christus, The Legend of St. Elizabeth and various settings of Psalms), numerous works for piano and orchestra (including his Hungarian Fantasia, Malédiction, Totentanz —variations on the liturgical chant Dies Irae— and three piano concertos, the last one recently discovered and debuted in ¡990), an enormous body of literature for solo piano (including the Trancendental Études, his Piano Sonata in B Minor and hundreds of transcriptions and paraphrases), organ music (including Fugue on B-A-C-H and Ad Nos ad Salutarem Undam, Fantasy and Fugue after a Theme by Meyerbeer), chamber music and songs. He is perhaps best known for his Hungarian Rhapsodies (twenty for piano, of which he orchestrated six). Among his last masterpieces were La Lugubre Gondole (¡882) and Am Grabe R W (¡883) for string quartet and harp, written to commemorate the death of his son-in-law, Richard Wagner. Franz Liszt has been portrayed in more feature films than any other composer, a unique distinction reflecting his presence at the crossroads of the musical world in the nineteenth century. At least thirty-one screen portrayals have been identified, and undoubtedly there are even more. These appearances fall into several di›erent categories. Since Liszt was a tireless supporter of the music of other composers, he is often depicted in this capacity, including five Chopin films (Abschiedswalzer, La Chanson de l’Adieu, A Song to Remember, Impromptu and Chopin Pregnienie Milosci), three Schumann films (Träumerei, Song of Love and La Musique de l’Amour), two Grieg films (Song of Norway and What Price Immortality?) and single films about Paganini (Paganini), Glinka (Composer Glinka) and Hungarian composer Franz Erkel (Erkel). In addition,

Franz Liszt

he often plays an integral part in films about his son-in-law, Richard Wagner (Magic Fire, Wagner and Wahnfried). He likely shows up as well in The Life of Richard Wagner (¡9¡3), but the cast list to that production is sketchy and incomplete. In the second category, Liszt is used mainly for “local color” in historical dramas (such as Suez), horror films (such as The Phantom of the Opera) or noncomposer biopics (such as Lola Montez). Motion pictures in which Liszt is the central character make up the third and final (Szerelmi Almok, Ungarische Rhapsodie, Par Ordre du Tsar, Song Without End, The Loves of Liszt, Lisztomania and Liszt’s Rhapsody). Most of them deal with Liszt’s amorous relationships, concentrating either on his ten-year liaison with Countess Marie d’Agoult or his later romance with Princess Carolyne. Liszt met Countess d’Agoult in ¡834, and the following year she abandoned her husband to run o› with the twenty-three-year-old composer, who was five years her junior. They had three children together, two daughters, Blandine and Cosima, and a son, Daniel. When they became disillusioned with each other, Liszt accelerated his concert touring. They separated permanently in April ¡844. Two years later, d’Agoult satirized Liszt in her novel, Nélida, written under her pen name Daniel Stern. Liszt met Princess Carolyne in ¡847, when he was concertizing in Kiev. She left her husband the following year to live with Liszt at Weimar. For the next thirteen years, she maneuvered to obtain a divorce. A papal annulment was eventually secured in ¡86¡, and their marriage was set for October 22, on the composer’s fiftieth birthday. On the very eve of the ceremony, the pope revoked his decree due to a challenge by her husband’s family. A priest delivered a letter to Princess Carolyne and the composer shortly before midnight. This dramatic development became a key scene in

109

most Liszt biopics, a last-minute change in fortune that required no exaggeration. Since both the princess and Liszt had become deeply religious, they accepted the hopelessness of their e›orts and drifted apart. Another factor concerning Liszt films, unfortunately, is that many of them are lost or almost impossible to track down, as well as Hungarian and other foreign-language productions that had limited distribution. Some superb characterizations are included in the first category. Stephen Bekassy, a Hungarian stage actor, is excellent and turns in the finest performance in the cast of A Song to Remember. Incidentally, the scene in that film in which Liszt and Chopin switch places at the piano in a darkened salon is based on an actual incident; however, it was Chopin who started playing when the lights were extinguished and Liszt who secretly took his place. The point of the stunt was not to promote Chopin, but to demonstrate how Liszt could imitate the style and playing of any other pianist. Julian Sands was a superlative Liszt in Impromptu, easily the most successful portrayal in the film. The humor in the script seems a bit artificial with some of the other players, but Sands delivers his lines in both a natural and cogent manner. In addition, his part in the George Sand playlet, Noah’s Ark (in which Liszt is cast as God), is the only one that is truly amusing. Sands’ Liszt is always the life of the party, whether picnicking or playing croquet, and he always seems natural, never forced. Even his argument with his mistress, Marie d’Agoult (Bernadette Peters), comes across as the most forthright scene in the entire production. Moreover, his keyboard technique is totally convincing, especially in his rendering of the Mazeppa Étude. Henry Daniell is usually noted for playing erudite and suave scoundrels, such as Baron de Varville in Camille (¡937),

110

Franz Liszt

Professor Moriarty in the Sherlock Holmes series, or the Rev. Brocklehurst in Jane Eyre (¡944). His villainy melts away in his interpretation of Franz Liszt in Song of Love, although he still remains a supreme intriguer. In an early scene, he manipulates the court to grant Robert Schumann and Clara Weick permission to marry. (In real life, he was not present, but the words in the scene came from an actual Liszt letter.) Years later, Liszt conspires with Brahms to promote Robert Schumann’s career in a complex scheme. First, during a salon concert, Liszt plays his dazzling transcription of Schumann’s Widmung (Dedication). He knows that this will provoke Clara Schumann to play the piece in its original form. Clara, however, is unaware of Liszt’s gambit, that he engineered his own comeuppance by her as a dramatic gesture in order to interest conductor Carl Reinecke to program Schumann’s music. However, at the same soiree, Liszt plays his Mephisto Waltz, so the evening was not without his own measure of triumph. Daniell’s Liszt is extraordinarily generous, yet playful, a benevolent overseer hoping to encourage other composers in their development. Carlos Thompson was an Argentinean star of stage and screen who also appeared in a number of German and English productions. His performance as Franz Liszt is considered one of the few successful readings in Magic Fire, Republic Studio’s unintentionally funny life of Richard Wagner. Thompson was not very well versed in music, but he was friends with actor Edmund Purdom, a devoted, classical-music enthusiast who privately coached Thompson so he could appear as a credible conductor and pianist. Thompson brings both dignity and warmth to his scenes as Liszt. He is believable as both the middle-aged and elderly Liszt. One particular flaw in the script has him estranged — until ¡882 —from his daughter Cosima after she becomes Wagner’s mis-

tress. In fact, Liszt and his daughter came to a full reconciliation about eleven years earlier than suggested in the script of Magic Fire. Anton Di›ring, a distinguished German actor who appeared frequently in British films, is credited for his sensitive and finely etched portrayal of Liszt in Wahnfried. Ekkehardt Schall was an accomplished star of European cinema; however, his performance as Liszt in Wagner is not his strongest e›ort. Part of the problem is that Charles Wood’s screenplay, although brilliant overall, nevertheless seems rather skimpy and mercurial when it comes to depicting Liszt. We first encounter Liszt in a boat crossing a lake near Lucerne, Switzerland, with Wagner and his pupil, Karl Ritter, whom Liszt continually insults. This petty behavior is rather atypical of Liszt, who may have been vain on occasion but was usually a considerate and generous individual. The final scene between Liszt and Wagner is set in Venice shortly before the latter’s death. Both are talking past each other. Wagner complains about his finances and discusses his visit to the Cathedral of Sienna. He also confesses to Liszt that he swiped some music from him for the transformation scene in Parsifal. Liszt, however, wants to interest his son-in-law in his latest composition, possibly La Lugubre Gondole, a prophetic experimental composition he wrote during his visit to Venice. Wagner stomps o›, complaining to Cosima that he doesn’t want to hear another of Liszt’s masses. This scene is one of the few in Wagner that fails to ring true and runs counter to the generally warm and cordial relationship between the two composers late in their careers. So naturally, Schall seems unconvincing as Liszt due to the uncharacteristic nature of his scenes. One of the leading Hungarian actors, Ivan Darvas, won the Lifetime Achievement Award in 2000. One of his earliest

Franz Liszt

triumphs was his portrayal of Liszt in Erkel. Sandor Pecsi plays the leading role as composer Franz Erkel. Not many Western music lovers are familiar with Franz Erkel (¡8¡0–¡893), whose dates parallel those of Liszt. In ¡846, the composer met Erkel, who encouraged his interest in Hungarian folk music. Erkel himself was the most successful Hungarian opera composer of the nineteenth century, whose principal works include Hunyadi (¡844), Bank Ban (¡86¡) and King Stephen (¡874). He also composed the Hungarian National Anthem. Erkel’s fame, however, was largely confined to Hungary, but throughout his life he was the leading musical figure in Budapest. Finally, the most extraordinary individual to play Franz Liszt among those in the first category is undoubtedly Sviatoslav Richter, perhaps the greatest piano virtuoso ever to portray a role in feature films. Richter’s resemblance to Liszt in Composer Glinka is credible, his acting reasonably good, and his piano playing astonishing. His performance is one of the few on film which is on-the-spot authentic instead of being dubbed in later. He performs two selections, including La Ricordanza Étude, one of Liszt’s most technically challenging compositions. Another virtuoso, Claudio Arrau, played Liszt in a lost Mexican film Suenos de Amor. The second category contains a varied grab bag of titles. The only biographical treatment is Lola Montez, Max Ophuls’ masterpiece. The entire film consists of flashbacks while Montez appears in a circus as “the world’s most scandalous woman.” The very first flashback is her a›air with Franz Liszt, played with debonair style by Will Quadflieg, as they tour Europe together in his lavish caravan. Neither one, however, takes their relationship seriously. “Life for me is moving on,” Lola confides to Liszt. “Thank you for the illusion that I am the one leaving, not you,”

111

Liszt writes in the score of the waltz he composes for her as his farewell gift. Before they part, she charms him back into her bed for a farewell kiss and probably more as the scene fades out. The other films in this category are principally fiction, mostly taken from novels such as Pontcarrel, Der Kraft-Mayr or Emlekül Katicnak, which form the basis of the Liszt story in the anthology film Szenzacio. One of the more unusual films is Wenn die Musik Nicht Wär, a musical from Nazi Germany. When one reviews a series of photographs from the film, it is apparent that most of the plot was set in the ¡930s, but with a sequence set a hundred years earlier. No synopsis could be located. Another film, Suez, is a fanciful and inaccurate telling of the construction of the Suez Canal. Liszt appears in an early scene of the film at an ¡850 Parisian party thrown by the French President Louis Napoleon (Leon Ames). As Liszt is greeted by the president, later to become Emperor Napoleon III, he is asked to perform. Brandon Hurst plays an elegant, white-haired Liszt who appears to be in his mid-sixties. His appearance is one of the film’s many blunders, since in ¡850, Liszt would have been only thirty-nine years old. The most unconventional of the Liszt films in the second category is undoubtedly the Claude Rains version of Phantom of the Opera. In fact, Liszt turns out to be the catalyst who transforms the arthritic violinist Erique Claudan into the murdering phantom. This version has always been regarded as a disappointment by fans of the original Gaston Leroux novel or the ¡925 Lon Chaney version (see Appendix A). The original story was altered so that the phantom is disfigured by acid instead of being born with hideous features. His interest in the heroine (Suzanna Foster) is not one of unrequited passion, but more the concern of a guardian. In an earlier version of the script, she is portrayed as

112

Franz Liszt

Claudan’s illegitimate daughter, but that interpretation is only hinted at in the final print. Music is also emphasized in the film, but whereas the original novel and film spotlight Charles Gounod’s Faust, this film creates two nonexistent operas as focal points. The first one is titled Amour et Gloire, based on transcriptions of piano works by Chopin, and the second one is called Le Prince Masqué de Caucasie, derived from the Fourth Symphony by Tchaikovsky. The only authentic opera which is heard, very briefly, is Marta, by Flotow. When Claudan is dismissed from the opera orchestra, he is unable to continue his secret sponsorship of singing lessons for soprano Christine DuBois (Suzanna Foster). He intends to raise money by publishing his piano concerto. When he brings it to Camille Pleyel (Miles Mander), the leading music publisher, who winds up insulting Claudan, tells him that he threw the score out. In an adjoining room, however, Franz Liszt is being shown the score by Pleyel’s partner. Liszt is enthralled by the concerto, and he starts to play it. When Claudan hears the music, he believes that Pleyel had intended to steal his music. Enraged, he strangles and kills Pleyel. His assistant throws a pan of acid at Claudan, who runs screaming into the night, eventually hiding in the sewers beneath the Paris Opera. So the entire misfortune was accidentally triggered by Liszt when he played Claudan’s music. At the climax of the film, Anatole Garron (Nelson Eddy), the lead tenor of the opera, persuades Liszt to play Claudan’s concerto on the stage of the opera house in order to lure the phantom from his hiding place. Claudan had abducted Christine, taking her to his underground lair. When he hears Liszt playing his music, he plays the solo part on his own piano. Garrone and the police inspector follow the sound of the piano and rescue Christine. Claudan, the phantom, is

killed when part of his underground chamber collapses, crushing him. The sequence concludes as Liszt finishes playing Claudan’s music. The actual concerto, composed by Edward Ward, is fairly e›ective. Character actor Fritz Leiber is excellent as Liszt, who tosses o› a number of memorable quips during the film such as, “So many crimes have been committed in the name of music,” and “Most exciting, this detective work, most exciting!” Rains and Leiber have no scenes together in the picture, although the phantom always responds whenever he hears Liszt play. The third and final category contains films in which Liszt is the main character. The best known of these films is Song Without End (¡960), a production with a troubled history. The film was a pet project of director Charles Vidor, who in the early ¡920s had been an opera singer. He changed careers to work in the film industry as an editor, writer and eventually director. Known for his technical flair, Vidor directed a great variety of films including the gothic thriller Ladies in Retirement (¡940), with Ida Lupino, Rita Hayworth’s breakthrough film Gilda (¡946), Hans Christian Andersen (¡952) with Danny Kaye and the Hemingway classic A Farewell to Arms (¡957). He earlier directed the Chopin biopic, A Song to Remember (¡945). Although the film was a financial success, Vidor was unhappy that it largely distorts Chopin and his career. He wanted to do another composer film based on Liszt, this time with greater accuracy. Unfortunately, Vidor died of a heart attack in Vienna on June 4, ¡959, at which time the film was only half finished. Another legendary director, George Cukor, was dispatched to complete the film, but he declined screen credit. Despite his e›orts, the heart had gone out of the project, and the final film is uneven and disappointing, despite many excellent scenes.

Franz Liszt

113

Dirk Bogarde accepts acclaim in Song Without End.

Dirk Bogarde plays a credible Franz Liszt, while Capucine is a fairly e›ective Princess Carolyne Sayn-Wittgenstein. The script is far closer to actual events than A Song to Remember, although there are a handful of inaccuracies. For example, George Sand certainly knew Marie d’Agoult before her visit to Switzerland. Also the relationship between Liszt and Marie had ended years before he met Princess Carolyne. The night that Liszt and composer/pianist Sigismond Thalberg (¡8¡2– ¡87¡) have both scheduled recitals in Paris is the only scene that has compound errors. The event took place in March ¡837, not May. Liszt played at the opera house, not the hall of the conservatoire, which was where Thalberg played. Thalberg did

not cancel his recital due to poor attendance. In fact, the hall was full, but the opera house with Liszt was also sold out, and the audience was ten times as large. Finally, Princess Carolyne and her husband did not attend this event. Liszt did not meet her until ten years later. These errors, however, may be inconsequential, necessitated to further the plot more quickly. More misleading is the notion that Liszt was a reluctant composer and always needed to be prompted to compose by either Marie or Carolyne. With Liszt’s vast musical output, the concept that he was reluctant to write music is absurd. With all factors considered, Vidor was successful in preparing a far more accurate film than A Song to Remember.

114

Franz Liszt

Poster art for Song Without End.

The real highlight of Song Without End is the music. In fact, Morris Stolo› and Harry Sukman won an Academy Award for scoring the film, which they appropriately credited to Franz Liszt. There are numerous passages in which complete compositions, such as La Campenella, are performed, as well as generous excerpts of the Second and Sixth Hungarian Rhapsodies, as well as the First Piano Concerto. There are also fragments of piano, organ and orchestral selections by Bach, Handel, Beethoven, Mendelssohn, Paganini, Chopin and, of course, Wagner. Dirk Bogarde’s keyboard technique is phenomenal and fully convincing, matching perfectly the performances by virtuoso Jorge Bolet, the actual soloist. The orchestrated passages of Liszt’s music on the

soundtrack are also impressive. Un Sospiro, the third of Liszt’s Three Concert Etudes, forms the basis for the film’s main theme. Snatches from other works appear throughout, including the Faust Symphony, Tasso, Les Preludes and many other works. They are all skillfully woven into the score, not awkwardly sticking out as in many other composer films. Despite its other flaws, Song Without End is among the finest biopics in terms of its musical content. Among the other Liszt biopics, the most elaborate is The Loves of Liszt, an ornate Hungarian-Russian coproduction just under three hours in length. A shorter, dubbed version was later distributed in the United States. The film provides roughly equal treatment of Liszt’s relationships

Franz Liszt

with Countess Marie and Princess Carolyne, as well as a few of his brief a›airs such as with Lola Montez. Sviatoslav Richter was recruited to perform the piano soundtrack, and he also appears briefly in the film as well. The Loves of Liszt was partially inspired by the Hungarian e›ort Szerelmi Almok, which won a major award, the Biennale Cup, at the ¡935 Venice Film Festival. Three additional biopics are very well received critically. In ¡946, the French e›ort Rêves d’Amour was highly acclaimed and dealt primarily with Liszt’s romance with Countess Marie. Eight years later, another French film, Par Ordre du Tsar, was praised for its dramatization of Liszt’s a›air with Princess Carolyne and her doomed e›orts to persuade the tsar to dissolve her marriage to Prince Nicholas Wittgenstein, cunningly played by Michel Simon, perhaps the leading character actor in French cinema. Also in ¡954, a distinguished Austrian/Swiss/French coproduction called Ungarische Rhapsodie was also released. Paul Hubschmidt appears in the leading role. English-speaking filmgoers will recognize the actor as Paul Christian, the name he used for his work in American films such as The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms (¡953). It would be particularly valuable if Rêves d’Amour, Par Ordre du Tsar and Ungarische Rhapsodie could be revived on DVD (with appropriate subtitles) so twenty-first-century viewers can examine and evaluate them to conclude if their original positive notices were merited. The next film to consider is Liszt’s Rhapsody, one of the “Composers’ Specials Series” developed by David Devine. In the typical framework of the stories, a famous composer befriends a youngster in whom he confides. Most of these are rather good at capturing the personality of famous composers or showing the di‡culties they faced during certain periods of their lives. Liszt’s Rhapsody, however, is the one veri-

115

table stinker in the group. The character of Liszt eludes screenwriter Heather Conkie, who depicts the composer as totally devoid of inspiration. Other films produced by Devine place the composer in a historically accurate timeframe and situation. This film, however, places Liszt in an unnamed city in ¡849, his only ambition to sponsor a winning candidate in the citywide, young-musicians’ competition in order to show up the local music teacher. He overhears a ragamu‡n gypsy boy playing a violin in the street, and he selects him as his guinea pig. Accompanied by his grandmother (who talks and acts like Grayson Hall’s character Magda from Dark Shadows), the boy moves into Liszt’s mansion, so the composer can play Henry Higgins in a gypsy version of My Fair Lady. The gypsy loses the competition, however, because he improvises instead of sticking to the printed score of the selection he was asked to play. The boy instead gets falsely accused of stealing, and he then confronts Liszt, whom he accuses of stereotyping him. Liszt gets a new understanding of the boy’s situation, and the picture ends as Liszt plays his new composition, his Second Hungarian Rhapsody (which is based on themes he stole from the boy’s improvisations!). In short, Liszt’s Rhapsody is a travesty which completely misrepresents Liszt, both as a man and as a composer. The real shame is that Geordie Johnson could have been a moderately successful Liszt if he had been provided with a half way decent script. Finally, I have saved Lisztomania for last since it is such a bizarre presentation. It is a combination of many things, a rock opera, a satire of composer biopics, a surreal fantasy, a horror film lampoon, etc. If you know Liszt (and director Ken Russell surely does), the film can leave you howling with laughter. Unfortunately, the film includes a number of vulgar scenes, one in particular that might o›end a number of

116

Franz Liszt

magnificent flair. With total nonchalance, Princess Carolyne settles down to her revenge, writing a lengthy, twenty-four-volume polemic titled Causes Intérieures de la Faiblesse Extérieure de l’Eglise (Interior Causes of the Exterior Weakness of the Church). The amusing thing is that this is an actual fact. Many humorous quips are tossed o› casually and may go by almost unnoticed until a second or third viewing. Roger Daltrey, lead singer of The Who, is energetic and manages to carry o› this wild caricature of Liszt with his own sense of charisma. Approached in the right state of mind, Lisztomania can be a lot of fun, as long as you are prepared for some of its trendy moments that are gross and vulgar.

Production Credits

Rock star as classical star: Roger Daltrey as Liszt in publicity for Russell’s satirical and wild Lisztomania.

viewers, in which Liszt is depicted riding around on a giant, twenty-foot-long penis. When I originally viewed this film in the theater, a number of patrons walked out at this point. However, most of the production is filled with loony, irreverent brilliance, and the last half is particularly stunning in its creativity. There are even a few moments when Liszt’s music shines through the rock adaptation, especially Totentanz. The film contains some wild cameos, including Beatle Ringo Starr as the pope. The moment in which Liszt’s marriage to Carolyne is scuttled comes o› with

Paganini (¡923) Conrad Veidt Films Cast: Conrad Veidt, Greta Schrödter, Martin Herzberg, Hermine Sterler, Alexander Granach, Eva May, Harry Hardt, Hans Wassmann, Jean Nadolovitch as Hector Berlioz and Gustav Frölich. Written by Heinz Goldberg based on a story by Paul Beyer; Cinematography by Stefan Lorant; Produced by Richard Oswald and Conrad Veidt; Directed by Heinz Goldberg. Original language German B&W 6 reels. Abschiedswalzer (¡934) AKA Farewell Waltz Boston Film Cast: Wolfgang Liebeneiner as Frederic Chopin, Sybille Schmitz as George Sand, Hans Schlenck, Richard Romanowsky, Hanna Waag, Julia Serda, Paul Henckeis, Albert Hörrman, Erna Morena, Margarete Schon, Herbert Dirmoser, Fritz Odemar and Gustav Waldau as Fredrich Kalkbrenner. Music by Frederic Chopin and Alois Melichar; Written by Ernst Marischka; Cinematography by Werner Brandes; Edited by Hermann Haller; Produced by Eduard Kubat; Directed by Geza von Bolvary. Original language German B&W 87 minutes. La Chanson de l’Adieu (¡934) AKA Song of Farewell Films Sonores Tobis Cast: Jean Servais as Frederic Chopin, Lucienne le Marchand as George Sand, Daniel Lecourtois, Ja-

Franz Liszt nine Crispin, Paul Asselin, Erna Morena, Jean Fay, Marcel Vallée, Pierre Sergeol, Christiane Dor and Marcel André as Fredrich Kalkbrenner. Music by Frederic Chopin and Alois Melichar; Written by Ernst Marischka and Jacques Natanson; Cinematography by Werner Brandes; Edited by Hermann Haller; Produced by Eduard Kubat; Directed by Albert Valentin and Geza von Bolvary. Original language French B&W 87 minutes. Szerelmi Almok (¡935) AKA Dreams of Love Atilla Film Cast: Ferenc Taray, Maria Sulyok, Bela Fay, Geza Földessy, Zoltan Szakats, Gizell Bathory, Laszlo Z. Molnar, Tibor Halmay, Karola Zala, Sandor Pethes, and Zoltan Zavodszky. Music by Franz Liszt and Richard Wagner; Music arranged by E. E. Buder; Performed by M. Laszlo›y, I. Stefanial (pianists); Written by Heinz Hille and Tividar Landor; Cinematography by Istvan Eiben; Edited by Viktor Banky; Produced by Eduard Kubat; Directed by Heinz Hille. Original language Hungarian B&W ¡03 minutes. Wenn die Musik Nicht Wär (¡935) AKA If It Weren’t for Music Tobus Film Cast : Paul Hörbiger, Harry Hardt, Karin Hardt, Luis Rainer, Josefin Dora, Hugo Flink, Rudolf Bierbrach, Willi Schae›ers, Sybille Schmitz, Hubert von Meyerinck, Herta Worell and Emmy Wyda. Music by Alois Melichar; Written by Fred Andreas and Lothar Mayring, based on the novel Der Kraft-Mayr by Hans von Wolzogen; Directed by Carmine Gallone. Original language German/Italian B&W 89 minutes. Szenzacio (¡936) Danube Films Cast: Iren Agay, Ferenc Kiss, Zoltan Szakats, Jozsef Timar, Lajos Gardonyi, Ilona Erdos, Gylua Kabos, Zoltan Maklary, Kalman Rozsahedyi, Anni Soltez, Sandor Pethes, Gyula Szoreghy and Laszlo Vadnay. Music by Franz Liszt and Tibor Pulgar; Written by Marton Keleti and Jenö Szatmari based on three novels by Ferenc Herozeg, Laszlo Vadnay, Kristof and Gyula Halasz; Cinematography by Rudolf Icsey and Karoly Kurzmeyer; Edited by Jozsef Szlias; Produced by Erno Gal; Directed by Istvan Szekely and Ladislav Vajda. Original language Hungarian B&W 94 minutes. Suez (¡938) 20th Century–Fox Cast: Tyrone Power, Loretta Young, Arabella, J. Edward Bromberg, Joseph Schildkraut, Henry Ste-

117

phenson, Nigel Bruce, George Zucco, Sig Ruman, Sidney Blackmer, Maurice Moscovitch, Albert Conti, Jacques Lory, Montague Shaw, Leonard Mudie, Alphonse Martell, Egon Brecher, Odette Myrtil, Leon Ames as Napoleon III, Miles Mander as Benjamin Disraeli and Victor Varconi as Victor Hugo. Music by Louis Silvers and Russell Bennett; Written by Philip Dunne and Julien Josephson based on a story by Sam Duncan; Cinematography by Peverell Marley; Edited by Barbara McLean; Produced by Gene Markey and Darryl F. Zanuck; Directed by Allan Dwan. B&W ¡00 minutes. Pontcarral, Colonel d’Empire (¡942) Pathé Cast: Pierre Blanchar, Annie Ducaux, Suzy Carrier, Mark Dantzer, Charles Granval, Jean Marchat, Charlotte Lyses, Marcel Delaitre, Lucien Nat, Alberte Bayol as George Sand, Jean Chaduc as Frederic Chopin and Robert Christides as Alexandre Dumas. Music by Louis Beydits; Written by Bernard Zimmer based on a novel by Albéric Cahuet; Cinematography by Christian Matras; Edited by Jeanne Berton; Produced by Christian Stengel; Directed by Jean Delannoy. Original language French Color ¡25 minutes. Phantom of the Opera (¡943) Universal Cast: Claude Rains, Suzanna Foster, Nelson Eddy, Edgar Barrier, Fritz Feld, Leo Carillo, Fritz Leiber, Jane Farrar, J. Edward Bromberg, Stephen Geray, Hume Cronin, Miles Mander, Barbara Everest, Frank Puglia, Elvira Curci, Nicki Andre, Hans Herbert, Rosina Galli, Paul Marion, Lane Chandler, Wheaton Chambers, Cyril Delevanti and Walter Stahl. Music by Edward Ward, Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky, Frederic Chopin and Friedrich von Flotow; Arranged by Arthur Schutt and Harold Zweifel; Performed by Suzanna Foster, Nelson Eddy, Anthony Marlowe, Tudor Williams (vocalists); Chorus and orchestra conducted by William Tyroler and Edward Ward; Written by Samuel Ho›enstein, John Jacoby and Eric Taylor based on the novel by Gaston Leroux; Cinematography by W. Howard Greene and Hal Mohr; Edited by Russell F. Schoenharth; Produced by George Waggner; Directed by Arthur Lubin. Color 92 minutes. Träumerei (¡944) UFA Film Cast : Mathias Wieman as Robert Schumann, Hilde Krahl as Clara Schumann, Ullrich Haupt as

118

Franz Liszt

Johannes Brahms, Emil Lohkamp, Eduard Bornträger, Knut Hartwig, Isot Kilian, Elly Burgmer, Rudolf Drexler, Waldo Favre, Emil Hess, Lisa Wunderlich, Bruno Harprecht and Friedrich Kayssler. Music by Robert Schumann, Johannes Brahms, Franz Liszt and Werner Eisenbrenner; Written by Harald Braun and Herbert Witt; Cinematography by Robert Baberske; Produced by Fritz Thiery; Directed by Harald Braun. Original language German B&W ¡¡0 minutes. A Song to Remember (¡944) Columbia Cast : Cornel Wilde as Frederic Chopin, Maurice Tauzin as Chopin in his youth, Merle Oberon as George Sand, Paul Muni, Stephen Bekassy, Nina Foch, George Coulouris, Howard Freeman, Peter Cusanelli, Fay Helm, Michael Visaro›, Ian Wolfe, George Macready, Darren McGavin and Roxy Roth as Niccolò Paganini; Music by Frederic Chopin, Niccolò Paganini and Miklos Rozsa; Orchestrations by Eugene Zador; Performed by José Iturbi (pianist); Orchestra conducted by Morris Stolo›; Written by Sidney Buchman based on a story by Ernst Marischka; Cinematography by Tony Gaudio and Allen M. Davey; Edited by Charles Nelson; Produced by Sidney Buchman and Louis F. Edelman; Directed by Charles Vidor. Color ¡¡2 minutes. Rêves d’Amour (¡946) AKA Dreams of Love Pathé Cast : Pierre Richard Willm, Annie Ducaux, Louis Seigner, Jules Berry, Daniel Lecourtois, Jean d’Yd, Guy Decomble, JeanPierre Mocky and Mila Parély as George Sand. Music by Franz Liszt; Written by René Fauchois; Directed by Christian Stengel. Original language French B&W ¡00 minutes. Song of Love (¡947) MGM Cast : Katharine Hepburn as Clara Schmann, Paul Henreid as Robert Schumann, Robert Walker as Brahms, Henry Daniell, Elise Janssen, Leo G. Carroll, Ludwig Stossel, Kurt Katch, Roman Bohnen, Tala Birell, Gigi Perreau, Yinker Furlong, Ann Carter, Janine Perreau, Jimmie Hunt, Anthony Sydes, Eilene Janssen, Henry Stevenson, Konstantin Shayne, Wheaton Chambers, Byron Foulger and George Chakiris. Music by Robert Schumann, Johannes Brahms, Franz Liszt and Bronislau Kaper; Performed by Artur Rubinstein (pianist), Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Symphony Orchestra conducted by William Steinberg ; Written by Ivan Tors, Irmgard

von Cube, Allen Vincent and Robert Ardrey based on a play by Bernard Schubert and Mario Silva; Cinematography by Harry Stradling ; Edited by Robert J. Kern; Produced and Directed by Clarence Brown. Color ¡¡9 minutes. Composer Glinka (¡952) AKA Man of Music Mosfilm Cast : Boris Smirnov as Glinka, Lyubov Orlova, Lev Durasov, Irina Likso, Yuri Lyubirnov, Pavel Palenko, Mikhail Nazvanov, Georgi Vitsin and Sviatoslav Richter. Music by Mikhail Glinka, Vladimir Shcherbachyov and Vissarion Shebalin; Music edited and conducted by Yevgeni Mravinsky; Performed by E. Glebova and N. Korshunov (vocalists), Sviatoslav Richter (pianist); Written by Grigori Aleksandrov, Pyotr Pavlenko and N. Treneva; Cinematography by Eduard Tisse; Produced by Vladimir Maslov; Directed by Grigori Aleksandrov. Original language Russian Color ¡¡0 minutes. Erkel (¡952) Danube Films Cast: Sandor Pecsi, Jenö Horvath, Andor Ajtay, Ivan Darvas, Miklos Gabor, Jozsef Kepessy, Lajos Manyai, Tibor Udvardy, Tivadar Uray, Gyula Kamaras, Margit Markay, Lajos Sugar, Sandor Szabo, Gyula Tapolczay, Gusztav Vandory, Zoltan Varkonyi and Janos Zach. Music by Franz Erkel and Jenö Kenessey; Written by Istvan Béke›y and Gabor Thurzó; Cinematography by Istvan Eiben; Edited by Sandor Zakonyi; Produced by Dr. Vitez Miklosné; Directed by Marton Keleti. Original language Hungarian B&W ¡08 minutes. Ungarische Rhapsodie (¡954) Oska Film Cast: Paul Hubschmid, Colette Marchand, Michel Simon, Willy Fritsch, Margot Leonard and Peter Lehmbrock as Richard Wagner. Music by Franz Liszt and Jacques Bazire; Written by André Haguet and André Legrand; Cinematography by Nicolas Hayer; Edited by Boris Levin and Annellese Schönnenbeck; Produced by Georges Bernier and Anton Schelkopf ; Directed by Peter Berneis and André Haguet. Original language German Color 97 minutes. Par Ordre du Tsar (¡954) Florida Films Cast: Jacques François, Colette Marchand, Michel Simon, Jacqueline Gay and Lucienne Legrand. Music by Franz Liszt and Jacques Bazire; Written by André Haguet and André Legrand; Cinematography by Nicolas Hayer;

Franz Liszt Edited by Maurice Serein; Produced by Georges Bernier and Anton Schelkopf; Directed by André Haguet. Original language French Color 98 minutes. Lola Montez (¡955) Florida Films Cast: Martine Carol, Peter Ustinov, Anton Walbrook, Will Quadfileg, Carl Esmond, Ivan Desney, Paulette Dubost, Jean Gallard, Henri Gulsoi, Oskar Werner, Werner Finck and Gustav Waldau. Music by Georges Auric; Written by Max Ophuls, Jacques Natanson and Annette Wademant based on the novel La Vie Extraordinaire de Lola Montez by Cecil Saint-Laurent; Cinematography by Christian Matras; Edited by Madeleine Gug; Produced by Albert Caraco; Directed by Max Ophuls. Original language French Color ¡¡0 minutes. Magic Fire (¡956) Republic Cast: Alan Badel as Richard Wagner, Rita Gam as Cosima Wagner, Fritz Rasp, Yvonne De Carlo, Valentina Cortese, Carlos Thompson, Peter Cushing, Gerhard Riedmann, Frederick Valk, Hans Quest, Jan Hendriks, Werner Westerholt, Erik Schumann and Charles Regnier as Giacomo Meyerbeer. Music by Richard Wagner, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Erich Wolfgang Korngold; Music edited and arranged by Erich Wolfgang Korngold; Soloists, Chorus and orchestra conducted by Erich Wolfgang Korngold; Written by David T. Chandler and Ewald André Dupont based on the novel Magic Fire by Bertita Harding; Cinematography by Ernest Haller; Edited by Stanley E. Johnson; Produced and Directed by William Dieterlie. Color 95 minutes. Song Without End (¡960) Columbia Cast: Dirk Bogarde, Capucine, Genevieve Page, Ivan Desney, Martita Hunt, Lou Jacobi, Albert Rueprecht, Marcel Dallo, Walter Rilla, Hans Unterkircher, Katherine Squire, Patricia Morison, Alexander Davion as Frederic Chopin, Lyndon Brook as Wagner and Erland Erlandsen as Sigismund Thalberg. Music by Franz Liszt, Morris Stolo› and Harry Sukman; Music edited by Christopher Kennedy; Performed by Jorge Bolet (pianist); Los Angeles Philharmonic conducted by Alfred Wallenstein; Written by Oscar Millard; Cinematography by James Wong Howe; Edited by William A. Lyon; Produced by William Goetz; Directed by George Cukor and Charles Vidor. Color ¡4¡ minutes.

119

Song of Norway (¡970) ABC Pictures/Cinerama Cast: Toralv Maurstad as Edvard Grieg, Florence Henderson, Christina Schollin, Frank Poretta, Harry Secombe, Robert Morley, Edward G. Robinson, Elisabeth Larner, Oscar Homolka, Frederick Jaeger, Richard Wordsworth, Bernard Archard, Susan Richards, Wenche Foss, John Barrie, Carl Rigg, Aline Towne, Erik Chitty, Roseland Speight, Ros Drinkwater, Henry Gilbert and Ronald Adam as Niels Gade. Music by Edvard Grieg; Adapted by Robert Wright, George Forrest and Roland Shaw; Performed by John Ogden and Brenda Lucas (pianists), Manoug Parikian (violinist), London Symphony Orchestra conducted by Roland Shaw and O. Sjelstad; Written by Andrew L. Stone based on a musical by Milton Lazarus, Robert Wright and George Forrest and a play by Homer Curran; Cinematography by Davis Boulton; Edited by Virginia Stone; Produced and Directed by Andrew L. Stone. Color ¡42 minutes. The Loves of Liszt (¡970) AKA Szerelmi Almok— Liszt Lenfilm Cast : Imre Sinkovits, Klara Luchko, Igor Dmitriyev, Sandor Pecsi, Ariadna Shengelaya, Larissa Trembovelskaya and Sviatoslav Richter. Music by Franz Liszt; Music arranged by Ferenc Farkas; Performed by Sviatoslav Richter (pianist); Written by Ken Russell; Cinematography by Istvan Hildebrand; Produced by Lajos Ovari; Directed by Marton Keleti. Original language Hungarian Color ¡7¡ minutes original version; ¡30 minutes international version. Lisztomania (¡975) Warner Brothers Cast : Roger Daltrey, Paul Nicholas as Richard Wagner, Ringo Starr, Rick Wakeman, Sara Kestelman, John Justin, Fiona Lewis, Veronica Quilligan, Andrew Reilly, Nell Campbell, Imogen Claire, Rikki Howard, David English, Anulka Dziubinska, Aubrey Morris, Andrew Faulds, Kenneth Colley as Chopin, Murray Melvin as Berlioz, Otto Diamant as Mendelssohn and Ken Parry. Music by Rick Wakeman, Franz Liszt and Richard Wagner; Roger Daltrey, Paul Nicholas, Linda Lewis, Mandy More (vocalists); English Rock Ensemble, National Philharmonia Orchestra; Written by Ken Russell; Cinematography by Peter Suschitzky; Edited by Stuart Baird; Produced by Roy Baird and David Putnam; Directed by Ken Russell. Color ¡06 minutes.

120

Franz Liszt

Vis de Ianuarie (¡978) AKA January Dreams Devine Entertainment Cast: Marcel Iures, Dumitru Onofrei, Gelu Nitu, Rodica Tapalaga, Tudor Gheorghe, Andrei Finti, Tamara Cretulescu, Gabriela Cuo, Gelu Colceag, and Teofil Valcu. Music by Franz Liszt; Written by Anda Boldur; Produced by Cornel Cristian; Directed by Nicolae Opritescu. Original language Romanian Color ¡03 minutes. Wagner (¡983) London Trust Cultural Productions Cast: Richard Burton as Richard Wagner, Vanessa Redgrave as Cosima Wagner, Gemma Craven, László Gál‡, Ekkehardt Schall, John Gielgud, Ralph Richardson, Laurence Olivier, Joan Plowright, William Walton, Miguel Herz-Kestranek as Hans von Bülow, John Shrapnel, Richard Pasco, Marthe Keller, Joan Greenwood, Franco Nero, Vernon Dobtche› as Giacomo Meyerbeer, Gwyneth Jones, Peter Ho›mann, Manfred Jung, Heinz Zednik, Jess Thomas, Patrick Rollin, Liza Goddard, Sigfrit Steiner, Bill Fraser, Bernadette Schneider, Jean Luc Moreau, Ronald Pickup, Lisa Kreutzer, Prunella Scales, Daphne Wagner, Corin Redgrave, Edit Rujsz, Cyril Cusack, Barbara Leigh-Hunt, Matyas Usztics, Brook Williams, Peter Woodthorpe, Christopher Gable as Peter Cornelius, Stephen Oliver, Niall Tobin, Gabriel Byrne, Stephan Paryla, Arthur Denburg, Yvonne Kenny, Adele LeighEnderl, László Horváth, Andrew Cruickshank and Tony Palmer. Music by Richard Wagner; Performed by the London Philharmonic, Vienna Philharmonic and Budapest Symphony Orchestra conducted by Georg Solti and Ivan Fischer; Written by Charles Wood; Cinematography by Vittorio Storaro and Nic Knowland; Edited by Graham Bunn; Produced by Alan Wright; Directed by Tony Palmer. Color 300 minutes feature version; 420 minutes extended version; 540 minutes complete version. Wahnfried (¡996) AKA Richard and Cosima Star Production Cast: Otto Sander as Richard Wagner, Tatia Seibt, Anton Di›ring, Peter Matic, Fabienne Babe, Anjas Jaenicke, Luise Prasser, Carmen Fuggiss, Rudolf Wessely and Christoph Waltz as Friedrich Nietzsche. Music by Richard Wagner, Franz Liszt and Carl Maria von Weber; Orchestra conducted by Pierre Boulez; Written by Reinhard Baumgart; Cinematography by Anton

Peschke; Edited by Michou Hutter; Produced by Rene Letzgus and Dietrich Mack; Directed by Peter Patzak. Original language German Color ¡08 minutes. Impromptu (¡99¡) Sovereign Pictures Cast : Hugh Grant as Frederic Chopin, Judy Davis as George Sand, Julian Sands, Mandy Patinkin, Bernadette Peters, Georges Corraface, Anton Rodgers, Emma Thompson, Anna Massey, David Birkin, Fiona Vincente and Ralph Brown as Eugene Delacroix; Music by Frederic Chopin, Franz Liszt and Ludwig van Beethoven; Music arranged by John Strauss; Music edited by Anne de Montagon; Performed by Emanuel Ax, Philippe Entremont, Georges Czi›ra, Yonti Solomon (pianists); Orchestra conducted by Chris Walker; Written by Sarah Kernochan based on a story by Ernst Marischka; Cinematography by Bruno de Keyzer; Edited by Michael Ellis; Produced by Stuart Oken and Daniel A. Sherkow; Directed by James Lapine. Color ¡07 minutes. La Musique de l’Amour: Robert et Clara (¡995) TelFrance/Petropol Cast: Thomas Langman, Isabelle Carré, Ivan Shvedo›, Sasha Likov, Marina Starykh, Sergei Orlov, Yuri Orlov, Svetlana Smirnova, Nikolai Dik and Aleksandr Cherednik. Music by Robert Schumann; Performed by Alain Bernard (pianist); Written by Sean Allen and Stefan Arngrim; Cinematography by Sergei Astakhov; Edited by Frederic Viger; Produced by Nelly Kafsky; Directed by Jacques Cortal. Original language French Color 78 minutes. Liszt’s Rhapsody (¡996) Devine Entertainment Cast: Geordie Johnson, Ida Carnevali, Dylan Gray, Drew Jurecka, Peter Keleghan and Fab Filippo. Music by Franz Liszt; Music edited by Bernie Clayton and Walter Babiak; Performed by the Slovak Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Ondrej Lenard; Written by Heather Conkie based on a story by Richard Mozer and David Devine; Cinematography by David Perrault; Edited by Michael Pacek; Produced by Richard Mozer and David Devine; Directed by Richard Mozer. Color 52 minutes. What Price Immortality? (¡999) AKA Edvard Grieg — What Price Immortality? RM Arts/ ZDF Production Cast : Sta›an Scheja as Grieg, Philip Branmer, Derek Jacobi, Claudia Zöhner, Lasse Kolsrud, Haakon Rasmos

Gustav Mahler Rasmusser, Sabine Oberhorner, Kaiole Taule, Tore Blaha, Berit Slettermark, Michael Baral, Günther Morbitzer, Stig Vaular, Hermann Schneider, Hans Albers, Wolfgang Teichmann, Peter Linke as Tchaikovsky, Joachim Neier as Brahms and Emanuel Dyrr. Music by Edvard Grieg; Performed by Sta›an Scheja (pianist), Auryn Quartet (string quartet); Written by Thomas Olofsson, True Rangström and Johanna Olofsson; Cinematography by Konrad Kotowski; Edited by Elke Riemann; Produced by Reiner E. Moritz; Directed by Thomas Olofsson. Color 7¡ minutes. Chopin Pragnienie Milosci (2002) Skorpion Art Film Cast : Piotr Adamoczyk as Frederic Chopin, Danuta Stenka as George Sand, Michal Konarski, Sara Auldner, Jadwiga Baranska, Janusz Gajos, Anna Koroz, Adam Woronowicz, Sylwia Wysocka, Jerzy Zelnik and Andrzej Zielinski; Music by Frederic Chopin; Written by Jerzy Antczak and Jadwiga Baranska; Cinematography by Edward Klosinski; Edited by Ewa RomanowskaRozewicz; Produced by Jerzy Antczak and Pawel Rakowski; Directed by Jerzy Antczak. Original language Polish Color ¡34 minutes.

Noted Documentaries

121

• Liszt at Weimar (¡983) Films for the Hu-

manities; 53 minutes • Liszt and the Horizon of Music (¡998) A

Classic Visions production; 55 minutes Leonard Bernstein’s in-depth study of the Faust Symphony is considered to be the most sophisticated entry in the entire series and clearly foreshadowed Bernstein’s Norton lecture series at Harvard University. Bernstein demonstrates how the opening notes of Liszt’s work are actually the first “tone row,” prefiguring Arnold Schönberg’s theories by almost fifty years. His use of thematic transformations also influenced the music of Wagner. Liszt at Weimar focuses on the composer’s productive eleven years as music director at the court of Grand Duke Charles Alexander, during which time he perfected the symphonic poem as a musical form, composed such masterpieces as the Faust Symphony and the Dante Symphony and promoted the music of Wagner and other struggling composers. A commendable entry in the Classical Visions series also focuses on Liszt.

• Liszt and the Devil (¡972) New York Philharmonic Young People’s Concerts with Leonard Bernstein; 60 minutes

Gustav Mahler Screen depictions • Dirk Bogarde in Death in Venice (¡97¡) • Robert Powell and Gary Rich in Mahler

(¡974) • Reinhard Hauser in Sterben Werd Ich um zu Leben (¡987) • Slobodan Ljubicic in Nedovrsena Simfonija (¡998)

• Jonathan Pryce in Bride of the Wind

(200¡) Gustav Mahler (¡860–¡9¡¡) is principally regarded as the last major exponent in the line of German Romantic composers. His major works are nine huge symphonies, including two choral works, the Resurrection Symphony (no. 2) and the

122

Gustav Mahler

Symphony of a Thousand (no. 8), so called because it calls for a massive orchestra and huge choral forces. There is also an unnumbered symphony/song cycle, Das Lied von der Erde (Song of the Earth), and an unfinished but nearly complete Symphony No. ¡0. Other works include his cantata Das Klagende Lied (Song of Lamentation) and numerous song cycles such as Kindertotenlieder (Songs on the Death of Children). In actuality, Mahler was only a parttime composer, earning his fame as one of the major conductors of his era and as the director of such organizations as the Vienna Opera and the New York Philharmonic. The first film to portray Mahler, a ¡97¡ Italian production, is somewhat of an anomaly because the composer’s identity is artificially grafted onto that of a fictitious character, Gustave von Aschenbach, the central figure from Thomas Mann’s ¡9¡2 novella Death in Venice. As presented in the book, Aschenbach is an elderly writer. The film treatment by Luchino Visconti not only transforms him into a composer, but makes up the actor Dirk Bogarde to resemble Mahler. One di›erence is that Aschenbach wears a mustache, whereas Mahler was clean shaven during the last decade of his life. Visconti also utilized Mahler’s music, not only in the soundtrack, but also in the storyline itself. For instance, at one point a character named Alfred goes to the piano and plays the opening melody from the last movement of Mahler’s Fourth Symphony as an example of Aschenbach’s music. Several brief flashbacks added to the screenplay synchronize with Mahler’s background, such as the death of his daughter and his reputation as a major conductor. But is the character of Aschenbach anything like the real Mahler? Essentially, the answer is no. It is only a superficial resemblance. Aschenbach’s music is described as chilly, somewhat inhibited,

striving for an unachievable perfection, whereas Mahler’s music is decidedly unrepressed, passionate and even ecstatic. The basic storyline simply does not correspond to Mahler. On vacation, Aschenbach stays at the Lido Hotel in Venice, where he notices a young Polish teenager, Tadzio, who appears somewhat androgynous since he wears clothes similar to those of his three sisters. In his first and last appearance, Tadzio wears a white sailor suit. Something about Tadzio moves Aschenbach, particularly after the lad smiles at him, and he becomes obsessed with the youth. Tourists start to flee Venice when rumors of a mysterious cholera plague appear in foreign newspapers. Aschenbach stays in Venice, unable to leave while Tadzio and his mother and sisters remain. On the morning they finally decide to check out, Aschenbach expires, a sudden victim of the epidemic. Aschenbach’s infatuation can be interpreted in various ways, from the awakening of repressed homosexual desires to the abstract love of youth and beauty. Tadzio can also be seen to represent a figure from Greek mythology, Ganyemede, who became the cup bearer of the gods. He may even be regarded as a psychopomp, a mythic figure who prepares and leads souls to the afterlife. But none these interpretations has any linkage whatsoever to Mahler. Undoubtedly, Luchino Visconti realized that the yearning Adagietto movement from Mahler’s Symphony No. 5 would provide the ideal accompaniment for his slowtracking camera movements filmed through gauze and dreamlike atmosphere. The performance of the Adagietto is both languorous and powerful as played on the soundtrack. Incidentally, Mahler originally intended the movement to serve as a passionate expression of love for his wife, Alma.

Gustav Mahler

Death in Venice also employs another Mahler selection, the somber fourth movement of his Third Symphony, a setting for the contralto of Friedrich Nietzsche’s “Zarathustra’s Midnight Song.” The text seems very appropriate to the film’s atmosphere: “O Man! Take heed! What does the deep midnight say? … Deep is su›ering, but joy is deeper still. Su›ering will be gone as all joys want eternity, deep eternity.” More than anything, Death in Venice is a mood piece. Visconti’s film painstakingly captures both the opulence and decadence of Venice during the Edwardian era. Since Mahler died in ¡9¡¡ (in Vienna), Visconti believed casting Aschenbach in a Mahlerian mold would enrich his film, which it clearly does. The film is a brilliant visual and sonic experience, but at the same time it is decidedly unfair to the image of Gustav Mahler. The next Mahler film is equally unconventional, the episodic and occasionally outrageous Ken Russell concoction Mahler (¡974). The framework of the script is a straightforward portrayal of Mahler’s last train ride as he returns to Vienna to die. Interspersed within this central drama is a series of increasingly excessive and bizarre vignettes that eventually alienate many viewers. Nevertheless, Mahler is an audacious and dazzling piece of filmmaking. Remarkably, the film satirizes Death in Venice in its opening moments. Mahler gazes out of the window of his train compartment, spotting a teenager dressed in a white sailor’s suit, as the Adagietto starts to play on the soundtrack. Mahler then observes another figure on the station platform, a caricature of Dirk Bogarde’s Aschenbach, mugging in almost giddy fashion as he peeks at the boy, who is spinning around a metal pole. This bit not only mocks the pretentiousness of Death in Venice but also hints to the audience that they can expect to see a number of “false Mahlers” in the course of the production.

123

Robert Powell stars as the composer, and although he gives an interesting and multifaceted performance, he seems far too young to be playing the fifty-year-old composer. Powell was only twenty-nine at the time of the filming, and with minimal makeup, his youth is obvious. The resemblance, however, of Powell in profile to Mahler is quite amazing. Georgina Hale is fairly decent as Alma Mahler once one becomes accustomed to her odd, nasal manner of speech. The main action of the story, the train ride, is largely uneventful. Mahler is in a dour mood, tired and sickly for the most part, aware that his wife Alma has crossed paths with Max, one of her many admirers, who is traveling on the train. At each train stop, crowds of well-wishers gather on the platform, hoping to greet the illustrious conductor. He largely ignores them and su›ers a minor heart attack. A doctor is summoned, who gives Mahler an upbeat appraisal. Eventually the composer tells his wife to choose whether she wishes to stay with him or to leave. When she chooses to stay, Mahler is invigorated. As the train arrives in Vienna, they are met by Dr. Roth, who has just received the results of a test swab from Mahler’s throat infection, confirming that he has no more than a week to live. The accompanying episodes, presented as dreams, flashbacks and fantasies, are all largely symbolic or allegorical, and it is worthwhile to examine them in some detail. The opening one portrays Mahler as a stone bust on a beach with the figure of Alma emerging from a cocoon. Music from the first movement of the Third Symphony accompanies this pantomime. The next fragment, apparently Alma’s fantasy, depicts Mahler as he composes in a small, one-room hut by the lakeside. He asks Alma to help him in his work by quelling all the sounds of nature, which distract him from his work. She runs about silenc-

124

Gustav Mahler

ing the birds and removing the bells from cows grazing on the hillside. Excerpts from Mahler’s music, however, show how all these sounds are present in his compositions. The next fragment is the longest, as Mahler thinks back to his youth in Bohemia. Gary Rich portrays the talented but sensitive youngster who doesn’t seem to fit in with the hustle and bustle of his lowermiddle-class family. He seems to find his niche when he begins to take music lessons. His parents envision him as a performing virtuoso, but young Gustav prefers to compose, an impulse they attempt to discourage. The youngster befriends a gypsy with a concertina who tries to teach him to relate to nature. He finally goes out into the forest at night, mounts a wild white horse and gallops o›. This no doubt is meant to represent Mahler finding his inner musical voice. These “memories” are accompanied by various fragments from many works, principally his third and seventh symphonies. The next flashback centers on the composer’s relations with his young daughters, particularly Maria. They question him about God, and as Mahler tries to explain, various prints by Gustave Doré fill the screen accompanied by choral portions from the Resurrection Symphony. The first of the movie parody episodes follows, in which Mahler imagines himself buried alive like the hero in Carl Dreyer’s Vampyr (¡932). Carried o› in a co‡n with a glass window over the facial area, Mahler screams. The pallbearers resemble Nazis, who goose-step as they walk. Alma finally jumps on top of his co‡n and starts to dance. This entire sequence is designed as if it were an early music video, using the third-movement funeral march from his First Symphony. The music then switches to the Ninth Symphony as the casket is cremated, and when it emerges from the oven (perhaps a foreshadowing of Auschwitz),

all that remains of Mahler is two eyeballs staring out of a pile of ashes. Alma has the next flashback, when she recalls how Mahler arranged to perform one of her songs during a rehearsal with his leading soprano. When the singer and her husband seem to dismiss the work with faint praise, Alma takes her music and buries it. In actuality, this rather simple song was written especially for the film and was not composed by Alma. Unconventionally, there is another flashback within this flashback, as Mahler recalls visiting his fellow composer, Hugo Wolf, in an asylum, where he believes he is the emperor of Austria. This is meant to represent how fragile a composer’s psyche can become and why Mahler wants to discourage his wife’s musical e›orts. The flashback then transforms into a Marx Brothers’ parody with Mahler and his brothers, as Gustav represents Groucho, pu‡ng on a cigar, while Otto wears Chico’s trademark hat as he “shoots” the keys of the piano and Alois dresses as Harpo, wearing a wig and honking a horn. The film’s most controversial sequence follows as Mahler’s conversion to Catholicism, which occurred shortly before his appointment as director of the Vienna Opera in ¡897, is satirized in a garish parody. It had been suggested that Mahler needed to obtain the consent of Richard Wagner’s widow, Cosima, in order to obtain the post. The skit is framed as if Woody Allen had done a silent movie satire of Fritz Lang’s Siegfried (¡924), with Cosima Wagner depicted as a Nazi dominatrix with a whip. Gustav/Siegfried slays a pig-dragon, which he eats with Cosima, ending with their duet, sung to the Ride of the Valkyries, proclaiming that he is no longer Jewish. This scene clearly goes over the line and o›ended many audience members, Catholic as well as Jewish, and the Nazi imagery is not only anachronistic but clumsily forced. The scene ends tragi-

Gustav Mahler

cally as Otto Mahler is found dead, a suicide who no longer wishes to be a burden to his famous brother. This entire passage was excised by many stations, including the New York flagship, when the film made its television debut on PBS. Ken Russell manages to recover nicely, however, with his last flashback foray, involving the tragic death of Mahler’s daughter Maria (who was nicknamed Putzi), eerily prefigured by Mahler’s song cycle, Kindertotenlieder, set to the elegiac poems of Friedrich Rückert about the death of children. Alma is furious when she learns the content of these songs, and Mahler explains that the music sought him out. When Maria dies shortly afterward, Mahler himself comes to believe that he had tempted fate and su›ers his first heart attack. This interpretation of events, naturally, has become central in cinematic portrayals of Mahler. In truth, Mahler started work on Kindertotenlieder in ¡900, two years before he married Alma. He finished the work in ¡903 and ¡904, and his daughter Maria died in ¡907, at the age of four. So the “curse” of Kindertotenlieder is an overdramatization. It is true, however, that Mahler’s heart condition was diagnosed shortly after Maria’s death. The conclusion of the film is an absolute triumph, a perfect wedding of image and music. As Mahler and Alma prepare to disembark the train in Vienna, he tells her how he poured his love for her into his music, particularly in the passionate coda of the first movement of his Sixth Symphony. “As long as my music lasts, our love will last,” he tells her. They are met on the station platform by Dr. Roth (screen veteran George Colouris), who is aware that Mahler is doomed. He is astounded to see the composer looking so exuberant. Mahler exclaims, “You can go home, doctor. We are going to live forever!” (He means, of course, through his music.) The picture then freeze frames on Mahler’s

125

broad smile. The triumphant conclusion of the Sixth Symphony’s first movement accompanies the closing credits. When the music ends, photos of conductor Bernard Haitink and the Concertgebouw Orchestra are displayed on screen. The last title card acknowledges their performances, and thundering applause is heard. Of all the films about composers, none other concludes in such a perfect manner. Wolfgang Lesowsky’s Sterben Werd Ich um zu Leben (¡987) is as idiosyncratic as the Ken Russell film, but without the extraneous horseplay and parody (except for one brief scene in which Alma dresses as a circus performer and cracks a whip over her husband). The title roughly translates as “To live, I must die,” which derives from a genuine Mahler comment. The picture is in German with English subtitles, and it has an odd structure, commencing as if it were a straight documentary. Three men are observed in a graveyard, followed by a succession of photographs of Mahler from his final years, proceeding backward to his childhood. (At the film’s conclusion, this same group of photos reappears in reverse order.) A narrator then begins a standard review of Mahler’s youth, with illustrations of his hometown in Bohemia as it appeared in the ¡870s. The documentary narration vanishes, however, when Mahler reaches manhood. Instead, various women from Mahler’s life appear and directly address the camera. These characters include Mahler’s good friend Natalie Bauer-Lechner, soprano Anna von Mildenburg (portrayed by Dana Gillespie, who also plays the same character in Mahler) and finally Alma Mahler. All of their quotes are authentic, taken from primary sources such as BauerLechner’s book Recollections of Mahler. Each one relates personal observations of the composer. At this point, the film abandons the documentary structure and continues as a

126

Gustav Mahler

free-flowing but eccentric narrative, with many episodic adventures of Mahler dramatized on screen. Unlike the Ken Russell film, these events unfold in strictly chronological order. As Mahler, Reinhard Hauser is never portrayed facing the camera. He is always shown from a distance, from behind, through windows, or half in shadows. Sometimes Mahler picks up the thread of the narration, but these comments are always delivered o› screen. The scenes are frequently uneven in quality and tone. Heavy use of Mahler’s music is heard throughout the film, sometimes with subtle connotations. For example, whenever Mahler travels to another musical post, a selection from Songs of a Wayfarer is played on the piano, usually while a moving locomotive is shown on screen. At other times, the film seems to lapse into a travelogue as long portions of Mahler’s Third Symphony accompany scenes of mountains, valleys, waterfalls and streams. Other times, authentic settings, such as the opera houses where Mahler worked, are used. At other times, three new characters, Viennese critics named Prohaska, Eberstädter and Winkler, are depicted in conversation as they discuss Mahler over lunch in a restaurant, overheard only by an elderly Jewish waiter who bristles whenever an anti–Semitic comment is made. In these scenes, actual passages from the Viennese newspapers are read as they praise or more often lambaste Mahler, his conducting and his music. The film grows in interest and intensity, particularly during the second half, as Mahler battles the music conventions as a conductor and struggles to be accepted as a composer. As in Mahler, the death of his daughter, Maria, is poignantly described to the audience by Alma. However, his marital troubles with Alma are mentioned only in passing and never explained. There are nu-

merous musical conquests as well, such as the success of his music in Holland and the triumphant debut of his Symphony of a Thousand in Munich. The ending is a bit abrupt, with his New York career almost skipped as Alma announces his illness and death to the audience. At his graveside, the three critics finally seem united in praise of Mahler, lamenting that without him Vienna has become a provincial town. The climax of the Resurrection Symphony accompanies the end credits of this sincere, yet not entirely convincing, e›ort. Nedovrsena Simfonija (¡998), in the Serbian language, has received limited distribution, shown only on Serbian television. The cast list, however, contains a number of names more closely associated with Alma than her husband, so perhaps she receives more of the spotlight in this film. Interestingly, Maurice Ravel is also depicted in this production. Alma Mahler is the central figure of Bride of the Wind (200¡), a superb British production filmed on location in Austria. Oddly enough, the first half of the picture presents the closest thing to a traditional biopic of Gustav Mahler, even if it covers him only from his meeting with Alma in ¡902 to his death in ¡9¡¡. Jonathan Pryce is remarkable and sympathetic in his portrayal, alternately sensitive, fragile, selfish, moody and compassionate. It is a performance of subtlety and depth, even if it basically is Mahler as seen through Alma’s eyes. Pryce’s makeup is excellent for the part. He speaks with a German accent (which is odd because everyone is supposed to be speaking in German, but only Mahler has an accent). The technique does help Pryce’s characterization, however, and if we consider that Mahler did learn English, which he spoke with an accent, then it is not unwarranted. There are so many exceptional moments in his performance that the best highlights are di‡cult to select. For in-

Gustav Mahler

127

Jonathan Pryce as Mahler in Bride of the Wind.

stance, this is the only film in which Mahler is shown actually conducting an orchestra, and Pryce is totally convincing. During a rehearsal of the opening movement of the Symphony No. 3, the conductor stops at one point and criticizes the clarinetist for playing too loud. The player remarks that during the previous rehearsal, Mahler claimed he was playing too soft. “That was yesterday. Today is today, and today I say it is too loud.” Mahler could be a fussy and demanding conductor, and this scene is a great illustration. When Alma later questions him about his treatment of his musicians, he replies that he is actually battling routine and convention, another genuine trademark of his conducting. Mahler’s concert performance of the

opening of his Fifth Symphony is exceptionally realized on screen. Pryce is also brilliant in the true-life incident in which he accidentally opens a love letter to Alma from the architect Walter Gropius. A lesser actor would have launched into a tirade at this point, but Pryce’s stunned, sorrowful and almost gentle reading carries far more power and conviction. That is not to say that his reading is flawless. The lovemaking scene in bed with Alma, when he says, “I am not a great lover after all,” seems a bit too forced. There are also factual errors in the film. Mahler is identified by subtitle as conducting his Symphony of a Thousand at Carnegie Hall in ¡9¡0, for example, when the American premiere of the work did not occur until five years after his death, when

128

Gustav Mahler

it was performed by Leopold Stokowski and the Philadelphia Orchestra. The heart of the Mahler portrayal rings true even when it conflicts with the facts. Unfortunately, Mahler expires halfway through the film, with an extraordinarily moving deathbed scene well played by Pryce. The second half of the picture is a bit of a letdown, particularly for music lovers, after Mahler’s departure. Sarah Wynter’s Alma is well done, although her portrayal as a prototype of the modern feminist may be a stretch. Commentators hostile to Alma have observed that her notoriety came from the famous men she befriended, not from her own accomplishments. Her lovers included the composer and teacher Alexander Zemlinsky, artists Gustav Klimt and Oskar Kokoschka, architect Walter Gropius (her second husband) and writer Franz Werfel (her third husband, the author of The Song of Bernadette). Wynter gives a lively performance, and her character in the screenplay is multifarious and not entirely sympathetic. She seems to pay little attention to her daughter Anna after Mahler’s death. Her abandonment of Kokoschka and later Gropius is not really understood by the audience. By the way, the title of the film, Bride of the Wind, derives from the title of one of Kokoschka’s best paintings, which depicts Alma. The film magnificently captures the flavor of turn-of-the-century Vienna. The cinematography, for instance, is magnificent. Director Bruce Beresford does an outstanding job bringing the era and the characters to life. The script also provides brief cameo appearances for composers Richard Strauss, Arnold Schönberg and Archduke Francis Ferdinand. The film’s technical aspects, cinematography, costumes and set design are exceptional. Mahler’s own music, however, is not heavily used but is frequently hinted at with references in Stephen Endelman’s original score. There are

some missed opportunities here, since Endelman’s soundtrack is merely adequate. The picture ends on a bit of a misleading note, leaving the implication that Alma would have been a major composer if her talent had not been stifled by Mahler. Ken Russell’s film made the point that Mahler did not encourage her to compose because he felt she would be hurt if her music were rejected. In fact, although Mahler did initially discourage her musical e›orts, he later encouraged them and published five of her songs in ¡9¡0. The conclusion of Bride of the Wind is set at a concert in Vienna in ¡9¡9, at which one of Alma’s compositions is performed (beautifully sung by Renée Fleming), and it receives an enthusiastic reception. To viewers who may not be knowledgeable of classical music, this conclusion makes her seem to be a composer of significant talent. The film seems to do this at Mahler’s expense, although a title card before the film’s credits states that Mahler’s music has gained in popularity to equal Bach, Beethoven and Mozart. An impressive e›ort, Bride of the Wind is nevertheless frustrating for Mahler enthusiasts due to its second half. Despite this reservation, Jonathan Pryce will probably be recognized as the screen’s definitive Mahler for some time.

Production Credits Death in Venice (¡97¡) AKA Morte a Venezia Alfa Film Cast: Dirk Bogarde, Romolo Valli, Mark Burns, Nola Ricci, Marisa Berenson, Carole André, Björn Andrésen, Silvanna Magano, Leslie French, Franco Fabrizi, Sergio Garfagnoli, Ciro Cristofoletti and Luigi Battaglia. Music by Gustav Mahler; Performed by Lucrezia West (vocalist), National Academy Orchestra of Santa Cecilia conducted by Franco Mannino; Written by Nicola Badalucco and Luchino Visconti, based on the novella by Thomas Mann; Cin-

Gustav Mahler ematography by Pasquale de Santis; Edited by Ruggero Mastroianni; Produced and Directed by Luchino Visconti. Original language Italian Color ¡30 minutes. Mahler (¡974) Goodtimes Enterprises Cast : Robert Powell, Gary Rich, Georgina Hale, Lee Montague, Miriam Karlin, Rosalie Crutchley, Richard Morant, Angela Down, Antonia Ellis, Ronald Pickup, Peter Eyre, Dana Gillespie, George Colouris, Arnold Yarrow, David Trevina, Elaine Delmar, Benny Lee, Andrew Faulds, Otto Diamant, Michael Southgate, Kenneth Colley, Sarah McClellan, Claire McClellan and David Collings as Hugo Wolf. Music by Gustav Mahler; Music edited by Gerry Humphreys; Performed by Carol Mudie (vocalist), National Philharmonia conducted by John Forsythe; Concertgebouw Orchestra of Amsterdam conducted by Bernard Haitink; Alma Mahler song composed by Dana Gillespie; Written by Ken Russell; Cinematography by Dick Bush; Edited by Michael Bradsell; Produced by Roy Baird; Directed by Ken Russell. Color ¡¡5 minutes. Sterben Werd Ich um zu Leben (¡987) AKA To Live, I Must Die Forum Films Cast: Reinhard Hauser, Erika Mottl, Dana Gillespie, Corinne Hochwarter, Fritz Muliar, Peter Uray, Frank Dietrich and Rudi Schippel. Music by Gustav Mahler; Performed by Gunilla Wallen (vocalist), Stefan Mendl (pianist), Berlin Philharmonic conducted by Rafael Kubelik, Bayreuth Festival Orchestra conducted by Karl Bohm; Written by Herta Blauko› and Wolfgang Lesowsky; Cinematography by Dieter Gessl; Edited by Eva Maria Schneider and Wolfgang Lesowsky; Produced and Directed by Wolfgang Lesowsky. Original language German Color/B&W 93 minutes. Nedovrsena Simfonija (¡998) Serbian Television Cast: Slobodan Ljubicic, Vladislava Milosavijevic, Tihomia Stanic, Branimir Brstina, Jovana Popovic, Slobodan Jovanovic, Anja Boskovic, Nebojsa Dugalic, Miroslav Cupara and Fedja Stojanovic as Maurice Ravel. Music by Gustav Mahler; Written by Jelica Zupanic; Cinematography by Dragomir Djordjevic; Edited by Branislav Godic and Dusan Zaloznik; Produced and Directed by Slobodan Radovic. Original language Serbian Color 95 minutes. Bride of the Wind (200¡) Paramount Cast :

129

Sarah Wynter, Jonathan Pryce, Vincent Perez, Simon Verhoeven, Gregor Seberg, Dagmar Schwarz, August Schmölzer, Wolfgang Hübsch, Marion Rottenhofer, Sophie Schweighofer, Johannes Silberschneider, Werner Prinz, Daniela Dadieu, Brigitte Antonius, Monika Mandl, Peter Gruber, Erwin Ebenbauer, Hans Steunzer as Richard Strauss and Robert Herzl as Arnold Schönberg. Music by Gustav Mahler and Alma Mahler; Music edited by Christopher Kennedy; Performed by Renée Fleming (vocalist), JeanYves Thibaudel (pianist), Berlin Philharmonic conducted by Claudio Abbado; Vienna Philharmonic conducted by Pierre Boulez; Bratislava Philharmonic conducted by Peter Feranec; Original music and piano arrangements of Mahler’s music by Stephen Endelman; Written by Marilyn Levy; Cinematography by Peter James; Edited by Timothy Wellburn; Produced by Frank Hübner, Evzen Kolar and Lawrence Levy; Directed by Bruce Beresford. Color 99 minutes.

Noted Documentaries • Variations on Gustav Mahler (¡980) A film by Jan Spata; Czech Films; ¡9 minutes • The Little Drummer Boy: A Documentary

•

•

• •

Essay on Gustav Mahler by Leonard Bernstein (¡985) Produced by Peter Butler and Humphrey Burton; BBC; 90 minutes Gustav Mahler from World to Symphony (¡997) A documentary by Franck Podguszer and Alberto Crespi BBC Great Composers: Mahler (¡997) A film by Chris Ruismaius; Narrated by Kenneth Branagh; BBC; 58 minutes Gustav Mahler and His Age (¡998) A film by Pavel Kacirek; Czech Films Harmonic Gustav Mahler (¡999) A film by Olivier Simmonnet

Of the many documentaries about Gustav Mahler, the most impressive is The Little Drummer Boy, a remarkable, ninetyminute presentation by conductor and composer Leonard Bernstein, who de-

130

Marin Marais

servedly has been credited for his promotion of the revival of Mahler’s music in the late ¡950s and early ¡960s. This unusual cinematic essay combines detailed musical analysis, biographical details of Mahler with numerous historic photographs, performance excerpts and philosophical commentary. As with his outstanding Norton Lectures at Harvard University (the sixth of which also delved deeply into Mahler), Bernstein has brought his extraordinary communicative skills, developed from years of Young People’s Concerts, to a powerful level that manages to be both moving and enlightening, without talking over the head of the average listener. In this documentary, Bernstein examines one of

Mahler’s songs, The Little Drummer Boy, as representative of Mahler himself. He traces his life, his career, his philosophy and music, stressing his Jewish heritage and his obsession with death as a man on a spiritual quest, a journey that seemed to reach maturity and fruition in one of his final compositions, Das Lied von der Erde. This documentary features music from each of Mahler’s symphonies played by the Vienna Philharmonic, the London Symphony Orchestra and the Israel Philharmonic, including vocal highlights by such artists as Christa Ludwig, Lucia Popp and Janet Baker. The Little Drummer Boy is a unique and exceptional accomplishment that towers above other e›orts.

Marin Marais Screen depiction • Gerard Depardieu and Guillaume Depardieu in Tous les Matins du Monde (¡99¡)

Marin Marais (¡656–¡728) was one of the leading musicians in France during the era of Louis XIV and Louis XV. Perhaps his major accomplishment is a notable refinement in the art of music notation. He was a master of the bass viol, also known as the viola da gamba, the ancestor of the modern cello. A popular court composer and conductor, he specialized in opera. Among his works are five books of pieces for the viola da gamba, numerous operas such as Alcyone, a Te Deum and a large number of chamber pieces, especially trios for flute, violin and viol. He fathered nineteen children, including Roland Marais, a noted viol virtuoso and composer. There is only one film that depicts Marin Marais and his teacher Monsieur de

Sainte-Colombe, Tous les Matins du Monde or All the Mornings in the World, and it is one of the most distinguished films in this book, one that treats music in a very intense and philosophical manner. Relatively little is known about Marais’ mentor, and scholars are not even certain about his first name. Only recently, a document was discovered which contained the signature Jean de Sainte-Colombe, which is believed to be that of the composer. Sainte-Colombe is a somewhat mysterious figure, but he was highly regarded and credited with developing the technique for playing the bass viol as well as adding a seventh string to the instrument, enriching and darkening its tone. Writer Pascal Quignard based his novel Tous les Matins du Monde upon an early eighteenth-century anecdote about Marais and his teacher. SainteColombe was so reclusive, he built a small cabin on his property where he would retreat and play his viol at all hours of the

Marin Marais

night and day, losing himself in his music. He was a reluctant teacher but accepted the young Marais as a pupil. After six months, he felt he had nothing more to teach him and was even a little jealous of his pupil’s ability. But Marais was so passionately dedicated to the instrument, as well as to the music of his teacher, that he would sneak onto Sainte-Colombe’s property and slip under his cabin to listen to him. In this fashion, he even learned to master some bowing techniques that SainteColombe had not taught him but had kept to himself. Years after Sainte-Colombe’s death, Marais never failed to credit his teacher and promote his music. Quignard used this factual story and expanded on it, adding the romance between Sainte-Colombe’s daughter and Marais for example and fleshing out the character of the teacher as a temperamental and mystical eccentric. The film, adapted by Quignard and director Alain Corneau, is a highly engrossing and beautiful production, both an intellectual and musical triumph. The story on screen unfolds at a music class with the elderly Marin Marais, who breaks with the usual instruction when the question of the meaning of music is brought up. He orders the room to be darkened and slowly relates the story of his teacher, Monsieur de Sainte-Colombe. In ¡660, the celebrated master of the viol lost his wife, who died while Sainte-Colombe was giving a concert at the bedside of a dying friend. He composed The Tomb of Sorrows in her memory and retreated into a reclusive existence. Sainte-Colombe loved his two young daughters, Madeline and Toinette, but being uncommunicative, he was a di‡cult and sometimes thoughtless parent. Later, as his children grew, he taught them the viol, and their infrequent concerts became the musical rage. When King Louis XIV ordered him to come to Versailles to play for him, the tem-

131

peramental musician refused. The king was pleased with his wry remarks and decided to respect his privacy, although ordering members of his court to avoid any future concerts by Sainte-Colombe. Later, seventeen-year-old Marin Marais appears at the home of Sainte-Colombe, requesting to become his pupil on the viol. Marais came from a poor background, but he sang for several years in the choir of SainteChapelle until his voice broke. Desperate to continue as a musician, he took up the viol and proved so adept on it that the court musician suggested he approach Sainte-Colombe for instruction. After requesting an improvisation, Sainte-Colombe dismisses him, but his two daughters ask Marais to play one of his own compositions. Something in it moves Sainte-Colombe, who asks the young man to return in a month for his final decision. At this point, he accepts him, not by reason of his musical ability but because of the despair he heard in the playing of the young man. Sainte-Colombe proves to be a di‡cult teacher, but Marais falls in love with his music. After six months, SainteColombe has a fit of anger after hearing that his pupil had played for the king. He smashes his pupil’s viol, then gives him some money to replace it but asks him never to return. As Marais leaves, Madeline Sainte-Colombe begs him to return and promises to teach him everything her father taught her. They begin an a›air, primarily initiated by Madeline. Marais receives a lucrative position with the court orchestra. Sainte-Colombe retreats into his dreamworld, in which his dead wife appears before him when he plays. One day, however, he catches Marais and Madeline hiding under his cabin to listen to him. He orders Marais to leave, saying he will not allow his daughter to marry him. Marais breaks o› their a›air but later learns that Madeline had given birth to a stillborn baby. Many years pass,

132

Marin Marais

and Madeline becomes very ill. From her sickbed, she asks her father one favor, that he play La Rêveuse (The Dreaming Girl), a composition by Marin Marais that he had dedicated to her. He refuses but sends Toinette to Marais with a request that he visit his dying daughter. Sainte-Colombe takes refuge in his private cabin when his former student arrives. Marais plays La Rêveuse for the sick girl, who commits suicide after the composer leaves. SainteColombe sinks into despair while Marais becomes troubled and obsessed, believing that he will find solace only if he can hear Sainte-Colombe play again. He secretly sneaks every night for three years onto Saint-Colombe’s estate, but in vain as Sainte-Colombe never touches his instrument. One night he overhears the old man sigh, “If only I could talk once more with someone who loves music, then I could die.” Marais scratches at the cabin door, and Sainte-Colombe invites him in. They sit, drink and discuss the true meaning of music. Sainte-Colombe unveils his manuscript book, filled with his musical compositions, and gives it to Marais. They play Les Pleurs (Tears), one of his compositions from the Tomb of Sorrows. The flashback ends as Marais then plays Les Pleurs for his students, bringing tears to their eyes. The ghost of Sainte-Colombe appears and tells Marais that he is proud to have been his teacher. He asks Marais to play La Rêveuse, and the film concludes as Marais plays his famous composition. This selection continues through and after the film’s credits, a heartfelt rendition that finishes over a completely blank screen. At most screenings, the audience remain in their seats, quietly waiting for the last note to fade away before leaving, quite unlike the usual rush to exit when a film concludes. Tous les Matins du Monde is a great film on all levels. Although much of the film is fictitious, it nevertheless respects the figures of both Marin Marais and

Sainte-Colombe and does them credit, making them vehicles for a sublime discourse on the nature and purpose of music. The script is both intelligent and captivating, and the production qualities are exceptional. Perhaps the only false note is the awkward device of Marais sneaking to eavesdrop upon Sainte-Colombe every night for three years running. The acting is on the highest level. Jean-Pierre Marielle is exceptional as Sainte-Colombe, a rather complicated role with many di›erent levels. At one point, Sainte-Colombe astonishes Marais and his daughter when he declares that he leads a “passionate life,” when they both see him as a quiet, self-absorbed recluse. This is an extraordinary screen moment. The role of Sainte-Colombe is also di‡cult because he is a man who is unable to express himself, outside of his music. The elder Marin Marais is played by Gerard Depardieu, France’s leading actor for the past thirty years. His son, Guillaume Depardieu, plays the teenage Marais, and both father and son do an outstanding job. Marais is no less complicated than Sainte-Colombe, part opportunist and upstart at first, but he develops sensitivity and compassion as he matures. The relationship between SainteColombe and Marais is a unique one, involving rivalry, tension, misunderstanding and spiritual bonding at the close. The final scene in the cabin between Gerard Depardieu and Jean-Pierre Marielle may be one of the most subtle and finely played scenes in modern cinema. Both Marielle and Depardieu handle the bass viol in a thoroughly convincing manner in terms of bowing and fingering. Director and cowriter Alain Corneau paced the film exceptionally well, with a genuine feel for the music. In fact, the film’s handling of the music may be its most outstanding feature. A major portion of the credit belongs to musicologist Jordi Savall, a modern-day master of the bass

Bohuslav Martinu

viol, whose performances and adaptations provide the film with its true heart and soul. His playing of La Rêveuse at the end of the film is truly heartbreaking. The music by Marais, Sainte-Colombe, Couperin and Lully, supervised by Savall, is exceptional, and the musicologist’s own compositions in the style of the late seventeenth century are also magnificent. Tous les Matins du Monde undoubtedly will continue to have a great e›ect on viewers, providing an introduction to the music of an era that is unfamiliar to many music lovers, as well as an appreciation of the bass viol. It will also stimulate discussion on the philosophical and spiritual nature of music, as well as the reason for its emotional appeal to listeners.

133

vil and Caroline Sihol. Music by Marin Marais, Jean de Sainte-Colombe, Jean-Baptiste Lully, François Couperin and Jordi Savall; Music edited by Jordi Savall; Performed by Jordi Savall, Christophe Coin and Jerome Hantai (viola da gamba), Montserrat Fogueras and Maria-Cristina Kiehr (vocalists), Les Concerts des Nations conducted by Jordi Savall; Written by Alain Corneau and Pascal Quignard based on the novel by Pascal Quignard; Cinematography by Yves Angelo; Edited by Emmanuelle LaLande, Eric LeGarçon and Florence Ricard; Produced by Frank Hübner, Evzen Kolar and Jean-Pierre Livi; Directed by Alain Corneau. Original language French Color ¡25 minutes.

Noted Documentary • Music at the Court of Louis XIV (¡988) Films for the Humanities; 53 minutes

Production Credits Tous les Matins du Monde AKA All the Mornings in the World October Films Cast: Gerard Depardieu, Guillaume Depardieu, JeanPierre Marielle, Anne Brochet, Carole Richert, Michel Bouquet, Jean-Claude Dreyfus, Yves Gasc, Yves Lambrecht, Jean-Marie Poirier, Myriam Boyer, Violaine Lacroix, Napege Teron, Philippe Duclos, Yves Gour-

No documentaries could be located that focus specifically on Marin Marais, but Music from the Court of Louis XIV discusses the music of the era in general and includes musical excerpts recorded in Versailles by the London Baroque Dance Theater, Les Arts Florissants and the Raglan Baroque Players.

Bohuslav Martinu Screen depiction • Patrick Ryecart in The Mystery of Dr. Martinu (¡993)

Bohuslav Martinu (¡890–¡959) began his musical career as a violinist with the Czech Philharmonic. In ¡923, he moved to France and became an informal pupil of composer Albert Roussel. By the late ¡920s,

his compositions began to be noticed, and he won several major music prizes. His works combine both Gallic and Czech influences including folk music. Serge Koussevitzky and the Boston Symphony Orchestra served as one of the major champions of his work. His main compositions include twelve operas (including several composed specifically for radio), nine ballets, six symphonies, numerous

134

Pietro Mascagni

concertos (the best known being his violin concerto), many orchestral works (including La Baggare, Memorial to Lidice and Thunderbolt P-45) and chamber works (including six string quartets). One work of Martinu, his Concerto Grosso for orchestra, has a curious history. It was scheduled for premiere in Vienna in ¡938 but was canceled when the Nazis took control of Austria. The scheduled debut in Prague was aborted in the wake of the Munich Conference. The debut was then rescheduled in Paris in May ¡940, but the surrender to the German invaders led to yet another cancellation. When Martinu fled to America, he feared all copies of the manuscript were lost. Conductor George Szell managed to salvage the original manuscript copy from Prague and brought it to America. Serge Koussevitzky o›ered to perform it with the Boston Symphony early in ¡94¡, but the manuscript had some missing pages, and the composer helped to restore the piece, and it finally was played on November ¡4, ¡94¡. Even though the work is an example of absolute music, the three-movement composition became celebrated as the work the Nazis couldn’t destroy. The only film to portray Bohuslav Martinu is a surreal experimental film subtitled “A Celebration by Ken Russell.” The picture is in two parts, the first being a recurring dream experienced by the composer and the second a partial interpretation in Freudian terms of the bizarre

images. When Bohuslav Martinu begins his reverie, his hand is covered with ants. He arises and begins to follow a nude woman in the distance, who leads him toward a lighthouse. He starts to climb the stairs, as the mirage repeats itself with di›erent variations. Other images include Nazi figures, children dancing in sailor suits, circus characters, toy cars, planes and a flying kite. Part of the vision seems inspired by Picasso, particularly a sinister minotaur. In another sequence, the composer and his wife exchange gifts. He gives her a sewing machine, and she gives him a miniature piano. He later attempts to compose with it. There are also a number of Czech images. Some viewers might find this work hard to follow, but the picture reportedly improves with repeated viewing, and the music of Martinu is well chosen as accompaniment to the film images. Some reviewers have compared The Mystery of Dr. Martinu to Salvador Dali’s Un Chien Andalou (¡929).

Production Credits The Mystery of Dr. Martinu (¡993) RM Associates Cast: Patrick Ryecart, Hannah King and Melissa Docker. Music by Bohuslav Martinu; Written by Ken Russell; Cinematography by Robin Vidgeon and Ken Russell; Edited by Xavier Russell; Produced by Maureen Murray; Directed by Ken Russell. Color 6¡ minutes.

Pietro Mascagni Screen depiction • Pierre Cressoy in Melodie Immortali (¡952)

Pietro Mascagni (¡863–¡945) is regarded as the last great composer of Italian opera. Five years younger than Puccini, Mascagni first gained recognition with his

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

one-act operatic masterpiece Cavalleria Rusticana, which became an international sensation after its debut in ¡890. Although he wrote fourteen additional operas, none equaled the success of Cavalleria Rusticana, which was often paired in performances with Leoncavallo’s one-act opera Pagliacci. Mascagni’s later operas which achieved modest success include L’Amico Fritz (¡89¡), Iris (¡898) and Le Maschere (¡90¡). Mascagni gained additional fame as a conductor, and there is a film of the composer leading the world premiere performance of his opera Nerone at La Scala in ¡935. Mascagni is also remembered for a number of choral and orchestral works, including Rapsodia Satanica, which was originally composed as a film score. The only film to portray Mascagni appeared seven years after his death in ¡945. Pierre Cressoy, shortly to play Verdi, appeared in this ¡952 biopic. Unlike several of the other composer biopics that were produced in the early ¡950s in Italy, this one was not dubbed into English or released in America. According to various sources, the film concentrates on Mascagni’s struggles from his days at the Milan Conservatory, which he left due to criticism of his first work, then making a living as a conductor with a small, touring opera group. In ¡889, the unknown com-

135

poser entered a contest sponsored by the music publisher Sonzogno for the best submitted one-act opera. Mascagni won this prize, leading to the debut of his winning composition Cavalleria Rusticana at the Costannzi Opera in Rome the following year. The triumph led to international fame as opera houses the world over played Cavalleria Rusticana as a masterpiece of the verismo style. It is unclear how closely this film sticks to the actual facts, but the film is regarded as being only slightly romanticized. The highlight of the film is excerpts from Cavalleria sung by tenor Mario Del Monaco.

Production Credits Melodie Immortali (¡952) Lux Films Cast : Pierre Cressoy, Carla Del Poggio, Nerio Bernardi, Enzo Biliotti, Maurizio di Nardi, Vera Molnar, Achille Millo, Giovanni Grasso, Guido Riccioli, Franco Pesce, Nino Vingelli, Giano Paolo Rosmino and Franco Scandura. Music by Pietro Mascagni; Performed by Mario Del Monaco (vocalist); Orchestra of the Rome Opera; Written by Liana Ferri, Ivo Perilli, Piero Pierotti, Giovanna Soria and Giacomo Gentilomo based on a story by Maleno Malennotti; Cinematography by Aldo Giordani; Edited by Elsa Dubini; Produced and Directed by Giacomo Gentilomo. Original language Italian B&W ¡00 minutes.

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Screen depictions • ? in La Mort du Mozart (¡909) • Alexander Geirot in Simfoniya Lyubvi i Amerti (¡9¡4) • Josef Zetenius in Mozarts Leben, Lieben und Leiden (¡92¡)

• Stephen Haggard and Pat Fitzpatrick in Whom the Gods Love (¡936) • Hannes Stelzer in Eine Kleine Nachtmusik (¡939) • Gino Cervi in Melodie Eterne (¡940) • Hans Holt in Wen die Götter Lieben (¡942)

136

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

• Hans Holt in The Mozart Story (¡948) • Oskar Werner in The Life and Loves of Mozart (¡955) • Innokenti Smoktunovsky in Mozart and Salieri (¡962) • Pavlos Beklaris, Diego Crovetti and Santiago Ziesmer in Mozart: A Childhood Chronicle (¡974) • Rich LaBonte in Mozart in Love (¡975) • Bernard Chatelier in Porporino (¡980) • Christopher Davidson in Nol Tre (¡984) • Tom Hulce and Miroslav Sekera in Amadeus (¡984) • Max Tidof in Forget Mozart (¡985) • Antonin Prochazka in Divoka Srdce (¡989) • ? in Trillertrine (¡99¡) • Ute Lemper, Timothy Spall, Tim Henny, Eamon Dougan and Lauren Newton in Not Mozart (¡99¡) • Alexander Lutz in Wolfgang Mehr als ein Prinz (¡99¡)

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (¡756– ¡79¡) is undoubtedly the musician with the greatest natural talent in history. A remarkable prodigy, he became an accomplished pianist by the age of five, started composing and concertizing by six, writing symphonies by nine and a complete opera by eleven. His abilities were astonishing, including being born with perfect pitch. He developed a phenomenal musical memory and could copy out a complicated score after a single hearing or compose a complete work in his head and write out the full score without any corrections. In musical terms, there was nothing Mozart couldn’t do, but like many prodigies he grew up with a rather stilted and childlike personality, including a mercurial temperament that could swing from silly to caustic and back again. He considered himself primarily an opera composer, and his major works for the theater include Idomeneo (¡780), The Abduction from the Seraglio (¡782), The

Marriage of Figaro (¡786), Don Giovanni (¡787), Così fan Tutti (¡790), The Magic Flute (¡79¡) and La Clemenza di Tito (¡79¡). However, he composed masterpieces in almost every form, including 4¡ symphonies, 27 piano concertos (although some were adaptations of works by other composers), concertos for violin, flute, French horn, bassoon and clarinet, a large number of chamber works including 24 string quartets, various solo works including sonatas for piano and organ, and even music for glass harmonica. His most popular composition is probably his serenade Eine Kleine Nachtmusik (A Little Night Music). Mozart has been the subject of a large number of biographical studies as well as novels. The overwhelming majority of them, however, are filled with distortion and fabrication, particularly about the last few months of his life. Readers should explore scholarly works such as The Mozart Myths: A Critical Reassessment by William Sta›ord for an in-depth study that attempts to separate fact from fiction. The Mozart legends, in fact, dominate the screen treatments, particularly the circumstances surrounding the Requiem, his final composition, which is frequently linked to his death. Historians have proposed over twenty possible theories for his demise, including trichinosis, typhoid, stroke, skull fracture and poisoning. These are highly speculative and unlikely. Kidney disease was also considered a possibility, but medical experts now believe the cause was most probably rheumatic fever or infective endocarditis. Since the composer had already had rheumatic fever on two, or even three occasions, this seems the strongest possibility. There is practically no chance he was murdered. It is also untrue that Mozart was depressed or fearful of death before his final illness. The cheerful text of his last letters demonstrates this clearly. Also, Mozart was in line to be named Kapellmeister of St. Ste-

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

phen’s Cathedral in Vienna, a very lucrative post. Tradition, however, has it that Mozart believed he was doomed to die after he received a commission to compose the Requiem by a mysterious masked figure dressed entirely in gray. Expanding on this, it is proposed that the Requiem commission was arranged by the Masons or by a jealous rival as psychological warfare against the superstitious Mozart. The actual story of the Requiem has been pieced together by historians. The anonymous aristocrat who commissioned the composition was Count Franz von Walsegg, a wealthy eccentric and dilettante composer. Walsegg often commissioned quartets from composers such as François Devinne and Franz Ho›meister which he would copy over in his own hand and later present at private recitals as his own compositions. Walsegg’s trademark for these works was his instructions to the actual composers that the cello part (or flute part) was to be extremely easy, since it was Walsegg himself who played these instruments at his private concerts at Stuppach Castle. Walsegg’s friends and companions knew he wasn’t the real composer but went along with the game because these were not public recitals, and Walsegg never intended to publish the pieces. The actual composers were well paid. Tragedy struck Walsegg, however, on February ¡4, ¡79¡, when his young wife suddenly died. Walsegg decided to honor his wife with two commissions. He instructed his lawyer, Dr. Johann Storchan, to hire a famous sculptor, Johann Fischer, for a memorial. He also wanted a musical tribute, a requiem composed by Mozart. Walsegg intended to have this work performed once a year in a private ceremony commemorating his wife’s death. Undoubtedly, he planned to present the work as his own composition, otherwise he wouldn’t have insisted on secrecy. Dr. Stor-

137

chan visited Mozart, probably in late July ¡79¡, to commission the Requiem with a sizable payment. According to Mozart’s wife, Constanze, she was present during the commission. Mozart did not seemed troubled that the patron was anonymous. To him, it was just another commission. The “figure in gray” from legend was merely Dr. Storchan’s law clerk, who visited Mozart to follow up on the progress of the commission. The composer started work in July but put it aside to travel to Prague for his work on the opera La Clemenza di Tito, a last-minute commission. When Mozart took ill in November ¡79¡, the Requiem was unfinished, lacking the “Sanctus” and the “Benedictus” and only the opening bars of the “Lacrimosa.” Orchestration was also incomplete. After the composer’s death, Constanze asked several composers, including F. J. Freystädtler and Franz Xaver Süssmayr, to complete the work. When the Requiem was delivered to Dr. Storchan, it was mostly in Süssmayr’s manuscript as Constanze kept the original. The piece received its debut as Mozart’s last work at a benefit concert for Constanze on January 2, ¡793. Count Walsegg arranged for two performances of the Requiem, on December ¡4, ¡793, and February ¡4, ¡794, for which he substituted his own “Agnus Dei” in place of the one in the score. He then transcribed the work for string quintet which he maintained for his private use. Meanwhile, Constanze continued to promote the work, arranging for its publication in ¡799 (and it has been suggested that she invented the story that Mozart imagined he was composing the Requiem for himself as publicity for the piece). This, in short, is the factual story of the Requiem. The related myth suggests that Mozart was murdered by poison. Some have proposed that the Masons were responsible, a wild conspiracy theory which

138

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

assumes that they were angered by Masonic references in The Magic Flute. An alternate theory blames Italian members of the Austrian court, in particular composer Antonio Salieri (¡750–¡825). Salieri was one of the most popular composers of his day, a protégé of Christoph Willibald Gluck and Kapellmeister of the Austrian court from ¡788 to ¡824. He wrote over forty operas and numerous instrumental and choral works including oratorios, cantatas, masses and motets. His music went quickly out of fashion, and none of it survived in the general repertoire. Ironically, Salieri’s music has been revived and recorded in recent years because of his reputation as Mozart’s rival and possible murderer. Salieri did make his mark in music as a teacher, and among his pupils were the giants of nineteenth-century music, including Beethoven, Schubert, Hummel and Liszt. He also taught Franz Xaver Mozart, Wolfgang’s son, and arranged for him to become established as a successful composer (although not in the same league as his father). Salieri probably viewed Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart with suspicion. Mozart was openly critical of most other living composers (except Franz Joseph Haydn), and undoubtedly some of his blunt comments reached Salieri’s ears. Then there was the matter of Così fan Tutti. The text was first presented to Salieri by Lorenzo Da Ponte, the librettist of the court opera. When Salieri attempted to compose the score, he ran into di‡culty and considered the work unsuitable. He must have been stunned when Mozart was o›ered the work and produced his brilliant, infectious score in ¡790. An occasional victim of court intrigue himself, Salieri no doubt was envious of Mozart’s talent. On the other hand, Salieri reportedly recommended Mozart to Domenico Guardasoni, the impresario of the National Theater in Prague, when he declined the commission to write La

Clemenza di Tito. Salieri was among the few influential musicians to attend performances of Mozart’s The Magic Flute. Mozart’s last letters mention how pleased the composer was by Salieri’s enthusiastic praise about his new opera. However, there is also a report that Salieri made an unkind remark when he first heard of Mozart’s death, saying in e›ect that it would save other composers from winding up on a bread line. The legend of Salieri as the murderer of Mozart dates from the time of his mental breakdown in ¡824. He was sent to a hospital after attempting to cut his own throat during a fit of dementia. Rumors circulated that Salieri had confessed to a priest that he had poisoned Mozart. It is impossible to verify if Salieri ever did make such a claim when he was unhinged. The attendants and doctors who cared for Salieri in the hospital were questioned. They all reported that Salieri never said he killed Mozart. Composer Ignaz Moscheles visited Salieri during his illness, and he questioned him about the rumors. Moscheles reported that Salieri denied them fully. The rumors persisted, however, but subsided after Salieri’s death in ¡825. Five years later, however, the great Russian writer Alexander Pushkin wrote a famous one-act play portraying Salieri as the murderer of Mozart. In ¡897, Nikolai RimskyKorsakov adapted Pushkin’s play as the basis of his opera Mozart and Salieri. So the Salieri myth took on a life of its own, leading to many novels (such as The Assassination of Mozart by David Weiss), plays (such as Peter Sha›er’s Amadeus) and screen treatments. The quality and persuasive power of these treatments are so compelling that they have left an almost indelible mark on the public consciousness about Mozart. There is even a hilarious lampoon of the myth, the one-act satirical opera A Little Nightmare Music by P.D.Q. Bach, alter ego of composer Peter Schick-

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

ele. As we examine the films, it is necessary to remember that the Salieri and Requiem stories are essentially fictitious. The earliest Mozart film was a brief ¡909 e›ort by the French pioneer filmmaker Louis Feuillade. It is titled La Mort du Mozart, but it played in America under the bewildering title Mozart’s Last Requiem. This seems to suggest that Mozart wrote a series of requiems. The plot presents the popular Mozart myth, even suggesting a supernatural origin for the commission. The actor who plays Mozart is not identified. The first of the Salieri myth films appeared in ¡9¡4, a Russian e›ort titled Simfoniya Lyubvi i Amerti or Symphony of Love and Death. It is a screen adaptation of the Pushkin drama. Alexander Geirot is the first screen actor actually credited for playing Mozart. The first German film about the composer, Mozarts Leben, Lieben und Leiden (¡92¡), as well as the first sound film, the British Whom the Gods Love (¡936), both rely heavily on the Requiem myth to provide their drama. The British film is highly episodic and somewhat disjointed. The major sequence deals with Mozart’s reconciliation with his wife, Constanze, after an a›air while he was preparing his opera The Magic Flute. The real highlight of the production is the participation of Sir Thomas Beecham, who conducts the music for the soundtrack. The next three films feature Mozart as portrayed by the Nazis and the Fascists. Eine Kleine Nachtmusik takes a di›erent approach that is more lighthearted in tone. It focuses on a completely fictitious storyline set in ¡787 during Mozart’s journey to Prague for the debut of Don Giovanni. It is based on a charming nineteenth-century novella by Eduard Mörike, which commences when Mozart picks an orange from a tree. He is at first arrested, but after learning his identity, the local count recruits the composer and his wife as unexpected guests at a lavish and fantastic

139

party. Melodie Eterne is an Italian biopic which devotes more to operatic excerpts that the earlier films. The plot centers on Mozart’s relationship with the Weber family, his romance first with Aloysia Weber, then with her sister Constanze, whom he eventually married. The script concentrates on Mozart’s successes rather than his di‡culties. The director, Carmine Gallone, later specialized in composer screen biographies during the early ’50s. The third film, Wen die Götter Lieben, was made in Austria in ¡942 and was a more somber portrait of the composer. Hans Holt was highly praised for his performance as Mozart. The Requiem myth was hyped in gothic terms, with the messenger resembling the famous screen villain portrayed by Rudolf Klein-Rogge in Fritz Lang’s The Testament of Dr. Mabuse (¡932). He delivers his request in dark, sepulchral tones, reducing Mozart to a nervous wreck. Since no explanation is provided for the commission, the film suggests that it is supernatural in origin. Mozart collapses shortly afterward, and he requests a string quartet to perform excerpts from his Requiem as he slowly expires. After the war, the bulk of the footage from Wen die Götter Lieben was used in The Mozart Story. Additional scenes were shot with Wilton Gra› as Antonio Salieri. Most of the new footage involves Haydn and Salieri discussing Mozart after his death. Salieri narrates the footage from Wen die Götter Lieben, which is incorporated as a flashback. He speaks of his initial resentment of Mozart and describes how he changed his mind about his colleague after attending a performance of The Magic Flute. Salieri appears at Mozart’s bedside to witness his death, as the string quartet plays excerpts from the Requiem. Salieri then dedicates his e›orts to finding and preserving all of Mozart’s work. (A note of warning : Every video copy I have encountered of The Mozart

140

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Story has two of the middle reels played out of sequence, making the film confusing and di‡cult to follow.) Oskar Werner was an inspired choice to play the lead in The Life and Loves of Mozart. The script focuses on the last few months of the composer’s life. The opening scene depicts the composer being o›ered the commission for the opera La Clemenza di Tito. Salieri advises that Mozart be o›ered the piece but suggests several conditions (such as no use of basset horns— a type of alto clarinet), and Mozart unhesitatingly agrees. The rest of the film concentrates almost exclusively on The Magic Flute. The Requiem commission is covered, but in a routine fashion without exaggeration or any supernatural overtones. Mozart is not fazed at all that the patron wishes to remain anonymous. His wife, Constanze, spends most of the plot away at a health spa in Baden. Mozart meets and is completely charmed by the soprano Anna Gottlieb, who sings Pamina in The Magic Flute, and they have an intimate a›air. In real life, Gottlieb met Mozart much earlier, when she sang the role of Barbarina in The Marriage of Figaro, although she was only a young teenager at the time. Although there were rumors of an attachment between them, many believed the composer actually had a liaison with Barbara Gerl, who sang Papagena. In any case, the screen treatment concentrates fully on Gottlieb, who serves as Mozart’s muse as he finishes the opera. When Gottlieb plans to leave on a tour, she learns from Mozart’s doctor that the composer may not have long to live. This is a jarring revelation (and probably the last thing a doctor would have told a mistress). When Constanze returns from the spa, she learns about her husband’s a›air from her sisters Aloysia and Josepha. They are reconciled, and the plot then jumps ahead several months to Mozart’s death. Constanze graciously allows Anna Gottlieb to

view her husband’s corpse shortly after he dies. The funeral is sparsely attended. As Gottlieb watches the casket, however, all she can think of is the glockenspiel music from The Magic Flute. She returns to the theater to sing Pamina, expressing her feeling that Mozart will live forever in his music. The Life and Loves of Mozart is generously filled with musical examples, almost all from The Magic Flute, some played during the stage performance, some in rehearsal and some heard on the soundtrack as Mozart composes it. The “Lacrimosa” from the Requiem is featured during the death scene. It is believed that the movement’s opening bars were the very last music composed by Mozart. On the whole, The Life and Loves of Mozart is a charming production and even informative, since it accurately depicts the various stages that an operatic production must go through to in order to become a viable work in the theater. Mozart and Salieri, the ¡962 Soviet film, is another dramatization of the Pushkin drama. The eminent Innokenti Smoktunovsky, who went on to play Tchaikovsky a few years later, stars as the composer. Mozart: A Childhood Chronicle is a rather di›erent film, recreating three periods in the composer’s youth, at ages seven, twelve and twenty, as the young musician tours Europe. Each successive section of the film is halved in length, so two hours are devoted to him as a young child, one to him as an adolescent and a half hour as a young man. There is no dialogue, and the narration provided o› screen is based entirely on the actual letters of Mozart, his parents and his sister. The selected passages range from the eloquent to the mundane, and there are also examples of Mozart’s scatological banter. The black-and-white photography is impressive, and the soundtrack selections accurately reflect the music written by the composer at each age. The editing and pac-

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

ing are incredibly tedious at times, with countless minutes spent on closeups of young Mozart’s face as he bobs up and down while riding in a carriage. Some of these sequences run eight or ten minutes without any variation. This film could have been edited down to a seventyminute masterpiece. Instead, it is three and a half hours of almost sheer boredom. That is a great shame because the performances of the three young actors who play Mozart are good, when they are given something to do other than providing an expressionless stare. The last half-hour with Santiago Ziesmer is the best section, particularly when he plays the piano for the young singer Aloysia Weber. They subtly flirt with each other in what is easily the finest scene in the film, but few viewers would have the patience to sit through the entire production for this modest reward. Viewers would find it more rewarding to seek out the next film, Mozart in Love, an experimental film by Mark Rappaport that explores Mozart’s relationship with the Weber sisters, Aloysia, Constanze, Josepha and Sophie. Mozart’s original infatuation was with Aloysia. Her initial ardor, however, cooled, and he became engaged to Constanze. The subtle rivalry of the sisters persisted even after their marriage. Aloysia and Josepha both became opera singers who performed Mozart’s music. Mozart composed numerous arias for Aloysia as late as ¡788, including “Ah se en Ciel, Benigne Stella,” and he wrote the role of the queen of the night in The Magic Flute for Josepha. This clever but low-budget e›ort makes Mozart: A Childhood Chronicle seem even more ponderous by comparison. Porporino is the story of Antonio Ubertini (¡697–¡783), a famous castrato who briefly crossed paths with Mozart. Ubertini picked up the stage name “Porporino” because he was a student of Han-

141

del’s operatic rival, Niccolò Porpora. The French telefilm is based on a play by Bernard Chatelier, who appears as Mozart in the production. Porporino apparently had only two showings on French television. Nol Tre is a refreshing Italian film that focuses on Mozart’s youth and explores the question of a prodigy’s lost childhood. Set in ¡770, the fourteen-year-old Mozart is spending the summer at the villa of a count in Bologna, Italy, where he was to study for an exam at the Philharmonic Institute. In real life, Mozart and his father stayed at the summer home of Count Gian Pallavicini, where the young Mozart made the acquaintance of Padre Martini, who became his friend and teacher. During this period, Mozart composed an opera, Mitridate, for the Milan opera. In the film, Mozart spends the summer having an almost normal childhood, making friends with the count’s son and a neighborhood girl. The young Mozart decides that he enjoys being just an ordinary kid so much that he plans to deliberately flunk the exam. Christopher Davidson plays the young Mozart with exceptional enthusiasm, assuming a more serious mask in front of his father, but allowing it to drop when playing with his friends. By the conclusion, the young composer has to come to terms with his talent, which sets him apart. This unpretentious and pleasing film has many of the attributes of the Composers’ Specials series at its best. Unfortunately, the film had little exposure outside of Italy. Amadeus is the only composer’s film to win an Academy Award for Best Motion Picture, an honor it fully deserves as a spellbinding work that rates with the best. Lavishly filmed in Prague, Amadeus recreates the late eighteenth century with meticulous detail, with magnificent costumes, brilliant cinematography and exceptional art direction. It is not, nor was it ever intended to be, an accurate biopic of

142

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Tom Hulce as Mozart, conducting from the piano at an outdoor concert for Emperor Joseph II (Je›rey Jones) in Amadeus.

Mozart. The author of the screenplay and the original ¡979 play, Peter Sha›er, is the first to point this out, admitting that he blends actual events into his story with fantastic invention, taking his inspiration from the ¡830 verse drama by Pushkin. It should also be pointed out that despite the title, the film is actually about Antonio Salieri. Sha›er uses his artistic license masterfully in his script which is extraordinarily faithful to Mozart’s music so that not a single note of his or Salieri’s music is altered. The general outline of events is followed in broad strokes, although the details may be significantly changed. Mozart’s son Karl appears in the story, for example, but his second son Franz Xaver (born July ¡79¡) is eliminated. Sha›er had to alter part of the career of Salieri, who

spent much of his time during the ¡780s not in Vienna as court composer, but rather in Rome, Milan and Paris. Although he first became involved with the Viennese court in ¡774, it wasn’t until ¡788 that he was named Kapellmeister, a position he then held for over thirty-five years. However, Sha›er had to show Salieri as the central music figure at the court when Mozart arrived in Vienna in ¡78¡ for purposes of his story. There are numerous other examples of Sha›er’s sleight of hand with historical fact, but his storytelling is so compelling that further nitpicking is superfluous. Sha›er simply combines the Requiem and Salieri myths in brilliant fashion, making his drama a universal parable of talent, inspiration, genius, desire, jealousy and divine providence. Some have interpreted

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

143

Mozart (Tom Hulce) composing at his billiard table, reproducing an authentic habit of the composer.

the plot as a disguised version of Cain and Able from the Bible. Sha›er is matched by the directorial genius of Milos Forman and the acting prowess of a superlative cast from stars F. Murray Abraham and Tom Hulce, brilliant character roles by Je›rey Jones as the emperor and Simon Callow as Emanuel Schikaneder to remarkable vignettes by Vincent Schiavelli as Salieri’s valet, Kenny Baker as the parody Commendatore and Miroslav Sekera as Mozart at age seven. F. Murray Abraham won an Academy Award for his dazzling portrayal of Salieri. Hulce’s reading of Mozart is vibrant. A few had questioned the validity, but Mozart’s earliest biographers had described his sometimes childlike nature. His infectious silly laugh (Hulce’s trademark) was mentioned in contemporary docu-

ments, and his vulgarity and crude bathroom humor can be found in the composer’s letters. Incidentally, Salieri is also provided with a distinctive laugh, patterned after Vincent Price’s sinister chuckle in The Abominable Dr. Phibes (¡97¡). Hulce brings the character of Mozart to life in an unforgettable way. Only the briefest synopsis is needed since the film is so well known. The elderly Salieri, after a suicide attempt in ¡824, tells his confession to a priest. He describes his resentment of Mozart, whom he sees as a petulant and ignoble character inexplicably graced with divine and e›ortless talent. Salieri alone recognizes the voice of God in Mozart’s music, a quality he desperately wants. Feeling cheated by God because of his own mediocre abilities, Salieri vows to destroy Mozart. When he notices that his rival is

144

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

afraid of his father, Leopold, he decides to capitalize on this fear. After Leopold dies, Salieri rents a costume and mask identical to one worn by the elder Mozart at a masquerade party and commissions a Requiem from the composer. Initially, he plans to save the piece and pass it o› as his own after he kills Mozart. However, as Salieri sees it, God steps in and kills Mozart Himself with a sudden illness, depriving Salieri of his grand design to pass o› the Requiem as his own. (In real life, Salieri did compose a requiem in ¡804, one of his last major works.) This confession apparently undermines the faith of the young priest. Salieri celebrates this “victory” by proclaiming himself the patron saint of mediocrity. The music in the film is highlighted throughout in splendid fashion. Even the few Salieri opera excerpts have an unexpected allure. There are numerous examples of the unusual prominence of the music. Salieri’s poetic analysis of the adagio movement from Mozart’s Serenade for Wind Instruments in E Flat Major is incomparable. When Salieri reviews the manuscripts brought to him by Constanze, the soundtrack lets us hear the music Salieri is reading, including excerpts from Mozart’s Concerto for Flute and Harp in C Major, his Concerto for Two Pianos in E Flat Major, his Symphony No. 29 and the “Kyrie” from his Mass in C Minor. The greatest use of the music, and perhaps the finest composing scene in all cinema, is when the dying Mozart dictates the “Confutatis Maledictis” from his Requiem to Salieri. This scene, partially improvised, has Mozart describing the various components of the music, and the soundtrack lets the audience hear each component part as it is narrated. The e›ect, when all the elements are heard together (chorus, horns, strings and kettledrums), is overwhelming in its intensity. The operatic excerpts, choreographed

by Twyla Tharp, are truly sublime. The climax of Don Giovanni, when the statue of the Commendatore comes to life to drag the Don to hell, is magnificent and even breathtaking. In addition, this scene was filmed on the stage of the National Theater in Prague, where Mozart himself had conducted the premiere performance of Don Giovanni in October ¡787. Hulce and Abraham, moreover, are fully convincing in their scenes in which they conduct, appropriate to the style of the era. Even though the music was dubbed in later, Hulce’s performances at the keyboard (while held upside down in one scene) are so impressive that it is surprising to learn that he never played the piano before he was cast in the role of Mozart. The lengthier director’s cut of Amadeus has appeared on video recently. Salieri appears even more villainous in this version. In one scene, he induces Constanze to strip and then has his servant toss her out. There are also some light-hearted scenes in the expanded version, such as when Mozart performs for a wealthy new pupil, but finds his playing disrupted by the rich patron’s dogs. On the whole, the expanded version is interesting but does not improve on the original Amadeus, which is a virtually perfect film in its original version. Amadeus may be one of the most influential films of the ¡980s, serving to introduce countless viewers to Mozart and his music and even influencing a fashion craze for paisley that appeared shortly after the film’s release. In addition, Amadeus inspired two pornographic feature films, which we will exclude from this survey. It is hard to imagine that another outstanding film about Mozart would appear very shortly after Amadeus, but Forget Mozart is an astonishing production of a caliber just a few notches below the Milos Forman film. A German-Czech coproduction, Forget Mozart is constructed as a detective story, shattering and reconstruct-

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

ing all of the Mozart death myths with dazzling legerdemain, uncovering several new and unexpected ideas as well. The picture’s intent is not historical fact, but a speculative free-for-all that puts Oliver Stone’s JFK (¡99¡) to shame. The entire action takes place in the hours immediately after Mozart’s demise. Under direct orders from Emperor Leopold, the Minister of Police Count Johann von Pergen summons a number of major figures including Antonio Salieri, Emanuel Schikaneder, Baron Gottfried van Swieten, Dr. Thomas Closset, Constanze and the composer’s unnamed valet. He locks these people in the room with Mozart’s corpse and undertakes an investigation to determine if Mozart was murdered. As Count Pergen questions each individual as one of his suspects in a dramatic confrontation, flashbacks illustrate the answers to his interrogation. Incidentally, the real Count Pergen had resigned as minister of police in March ¡79¡, so the use of Pergen as the film’s central character is illegitimate. The count first quizzes Salieri, who denies that Mozart was ever a threat to his position at court. Baron van Swieten denies that the Masons were upset with Mozart’s use of their secret rites in The Magic Flute. If that were the case, he says, their main target would have been Emanuel Schikaneder, the author of the script who sponsored and starred in The Magic Flute, not Mozart. When Pergen theorizes that the Masons ordered Schikaneder, as his punishment, to kill Mozart, the impresario denies it as ridiculous. Another figure by the name of Franz Demel is suggested as the principal culprit. The character of Demel is actually a composite of two real-life friends of the composer, Count Joseph Deym, the operator of a wax museum who commissioned music from Mozart, and Franz Hofdemel, whose wife Magdalene was a pupil of Mozart. Franz Demel is identified as the masked figure

145

who commissioned the Requiem and planned to kill Mozart because he seduced Magdalene. In the film, Demel and his wife kill each other when she learns of Mozart’s death. In real life, Franz Hofdemel attempted to kill his wife and committed suicide on the day of Mozart’s funeral. Magdalene Hofdemel’s son, born in early ¡792, was widely believed to be the o›spring of Mozart. At the film’s climax, Pergen announces that all his suspects were partially to blame for Mozart’s death. Constanze drove him to death by her spendthrift habits. Dr. Closset contributed to his death by bleeding him. The Masons and Salieri added to Mozart’s desperate situation by their intrigues. Count Pergen also proposes a theory that Mozart had accidentally poisoned himself with a homemade quicksilver remedy for venereal disease that caused his kidneys to fail. The valet is blamed for continuing the treatment. Pergen alternately blames Salieri and Schikaneder for providing Mozart with loose women who might have given him the disease. These theories, by the way, are sheer invention that appear only in this film. At the conclusion, all of the suspects turn on Pergen and accuse him of being the figure most to blame for Mozart’s death since he had been trying to exile the composer for having dangerous political ideas. Hearing their charge, Count Pergen declares that Mozart’s death was due to a natural causes. He then orders everyone to “Forget Mozart!” (the last words of the film). Pergen accompanies Mozart’s body to the cemetery, and when he notices Mozart’s dog Bimperl wandering outside the graveyard, he leashes the dog and takes it home. Forget Mozart has many unforgettable moments, particularly with Max Tidof, who is remarkable as the moody and brilliant composer. Tidof in many ways is the opposite of Hulce’s exuberant Mozart.

146

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Among Tidof ’s best moments is one scene in which the frustrated composer kicks Bimperl, then pulls the animal out from under his bed, begging for forgiveness. When the Requiem commission is made, Mozart tells his valet that he knows the identity of his anonymous patron … death himself. While conducting Sarastro’s aria “O Isis und Osiris” from The Magic Flute, Mozart ducks below the podium so he can gulp a drink of water, his thirst being a symptom of kidney disease. Yet all the while, his hand remains above the podium keeping time perfectly. Tidof stresses Mozart’s humanity in the face of adversity. The other actors are excellent, particularly Wolfgang Preiss as van Swieten and Armin Mueller-Stahl as Pergen. The various motives of the mysterious police minister constitute one of the most intriguing aspects of the film, yet Pergen’s human emotions manifest themselves in his concern for Bimperl. Only Pergen notices the dog when it jumps on the bed to lick the face of the dead composer, and only Pergen tries to comfort the animal. Incidentally, in real life Mozart was an animal lover. His favorite childhood pet was a fox terrier named Bimbes (later called Bimperl), and while on tour young Mozart would mail greetings to her from each city. A later anecdote from ¡782 concerns Emperor Joseph II meeting Mozart and Constanze while walking their dog Wimperl (a possible o›spring of Bimperl?). Mozart also kept a horse named Kleper and several birds, including a starling who in ¡784 managed to learn a tune from the composer’s Piano Concerto in G major, although he learned it in the wrong key. Back to the film, it is interesting to note that the graveyard scene in Amadeus and Forget Mozart are virtually identical, with the “Lacrimosa” played on the soundtrack and with a shot of quicklime being shoveled over the bodies in a common grave at Saint Marx cemetery. In actuality,

Mozart’s body was placed in a mortuary in the cemetery after the funeral on December 6. The body was probably not placed in the ground until the night of the seventh, without any witnesses, as was the common practice at the time. The bicentennial of Mozart’s death was in ¡99¡, and a number of films appeared that year including two German films, Wolfgang Mehr als ein Prinz and Trillertrine. The latter is a children’s film about a group of young orphans who are attempting to learn one of Mozart’s works, his Rondo in D Major for Piano and Orchestra. Since this work was unpublished, Trina, the best musician of the group, sets out on a quest to follow Mozart, hoping to hear him play the piece so she can learn it for her friends. Not Mozart is an innovative, six-part anthology film conceived as a unique tribute to the composer and his music. Six di›erent directors collaborated with six di›erent composers to film thirty-minute segments. The quality varies, and there is occasional obscenity, but many of the parts have flashes of genuine brilliance. They are all highly personal and quite di›erent. The first section, M Is for Man, Music and Mozart, is basically an avant garde ballet. The gods go through the alphabet and decide to work on the letter “M” by first creating man and then music. They decide to refine them together and create Mozart. Much of this ballet is performed in the nude, and there is shock value as the gods whip together blood and guts, for example, to create the first man. In some ways, this opening segment is the weakest. The second section, Bring Me the Head of Amadeus, is an outright farce. A writer wary of Mozart decides to pass the entire bicentennial year of ¡99¡ in bed. He finds himself dreaming of Mozart’s skull, which is shown and debated during a television talk show. The skull comes to life and asks a studio janitor to take him away. A wild

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

series of vignettes follows, accompanied by polka arrangements of Mozart’s music, as the skull has various adventures in and around the city. He meets up with skulls of other composers (whose heads were stolen from their graves by collectors, including Haydn, Beethoven, Liszt and even Salieri) in the sewer and they sing and squawk at each other. Finally, Mozart’s skull arranges to have the first-class funeral that he feels he deserved two hundred years earlier. The fantasy ends as the writer awakens. It should be noted this parody is based on the skull that was on display in the Mozartium Foundation Museum in Salzberg from ¡902 to ¡952. The skull was supposedly unearthed by a Viennese, Joseph Rothmayer, who dug it up several years after the composer’s death. The skull was passed down between friends and family members until it was donated to the museum. The skull was removed from public display, according to fanciful reports, because sta› members overheard screams and music emanating from the cabinet in which it was kept. In actuality, it was removed because the authenticity of the skull is considered doubtful. The third part is the film’s highlight, Letters, Riddles and Writs. In the celestial Composer’s Hall of Fame, the busts of Haydn and Beethoven wonder why it is taking so long for Mozart to join them. They go back to earth to witness Mozart’s last day and recall other incidents from his life. Letters and other authentic fragments of writings by Mozart and his family are sung in a poignant and superb sequence. Composer Michael Nyman appears playing the keyboard. The dying Mozart is actually played by a woman, Ute Lemper, who sings her part with genuine dignity and style. Lemper is highly regarded as a song stylist, and her recording of Kurt Weill’s Threepenny Opera is renowned. At the end of this episode, the bust of Mozart joins Beethoven and Haydn in heaven.

147

The fourth section is A Jazz Fantasy on Mozart Themes, a more relaxed tribute as themes from the composer’s string quartets are arranged in a mellow jazz style. The visuals alternate between the performers as they play and diverting images associated with the composer, such as his favorite game of billiards and the famous marzipan candy wrapped in silver paper with Mozart’s likeness. The fifth episode, WAM Limited, is the most curious and far-fetched entry, depicting an alternate universe in which Mozart did not exist in the eighteenth century, but instead lived in the late twentieth century. He is not a musician, however, in this life. Timothy Spall plays a wealthy Mozart, owner of a corporation, who somehow believes he missed his calling. The plot is filled with many incidents and references to the composer. Spall enjoys wearing his girlfriend’s wig, and he has an unexplained fascination with geese. He has a romance with a woman named Clara Schumann (another lost soul?). Finally, on December 5 (the original Mozart’s death date), an image of Mozart as a child appears to the adult Mozart and gives him a harmonica. He starts to play it, realizing that his real talent is for music. The last section, Scipio’s Dream, is the most intricate. It is an arrangement of Mozart’s short ¡772 opera Il Sogno di Scipione restaged in a modern-day o‡ce building. An o‡ce worker, Scipio, finds himself confronted by two fantasy women, Fortune and Constancy, and he is forced to choose between them. In one sequence, Constancy transports Scipio to heaven, which seems like a deluxe gymnasium. In the background, Mozart can be seen playing billiards. At the end, Scipio chooses Constancy. Then all three principal singers turn to the viewing audience, proclaiming that the real choice was that made by the viewer, who chose to watch this Mozart parody. At the end credits, Mozart is por-

148

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

trayed conducting while holding a music score. Not Mozart is alternately delightful and charming, confusing and stimulating. Viewers will figure out many of the cryptic references, but others may elude them. (Mozart’s unfinished opera The Cairo Goose inspired the geese imagery, for example.) As a bicentennial tribute, Not Mozart is a real treat for both music and film lovers.

Production Credits La Mort du Mozart (¡909) AKA Mozart’s Last Requiem Gaumont Cast : Unknown; Produced and Directed by Louis Feuillade. Original language French B&W ¡ reel. Simfoniya Lyubvi i Amerti (¡9¡4) AKA Symphony of Love and Death Cast : Alexander Geirot, Olga Baclanova and A. Michurin as Antonio Salieri. Written by Viktor Turzhansky based on the play Mozart and Salieri by Alexander Pushkin; Cinematography by Nikolai Kozlovsky; Produced by S. Yurev; Directed by Viktor Turzhansky. Original language Russian B&W 3 reels. Mozarts Leben, Lieben und Leiden (¡92¡) AKA Mozart’s Life, Loves and Torment Cast: Josef Zetenius, Dora Keiser, Lili Frøohlich, Alice Grobois, Katie Schindler, Paul Gerhardt and Mizzi Trentin. Produced and Directed by Otto Kreisler and Karl Toma. Original language German B&W 7 reels. Whom the Gods Love (¡936) ATP Cast: Stephen Haggard, Pat Fitzpatrick, Victoria Hopper, John Loder, Liane Hald, Jean Cadell, Frederick Leister, Marie Lohr, Lawrence Hanray, Deidre Gale, Norman Walker, George Curzon, Muriel George, Richard Golden and Hubert Harben as Leopold Mozart. Music by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart; Performed by Oda Slobodskaya, Percy Heming, Tudor Davies, Enid James, Sylvia Nells, Rowena Sanders (vocal soloists), the London Symphony Orchestra conducted by Sir Thomas Beecham; Written by Margaret Kennedy; Cinematography by Jan Stallich; Produced and Directed by Basil Dean. B&W 82 minutes. Eine Kleine Nachtmusik (¡939) UFA Cast : Hannes Stelzer, Christi Mardayn, Gustav

Waldau, Georges Malkine, Senta Folten, Lotte Spira, Axel von Ambesser, Hertha von Hagen and Kurt Meisel. Music by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart; Arranged by Alois Melichar; Performed by the Vienna Philharmonic conducted by Alois Melichar; Based on the novel Mozart on the Road to Prague by Eduard Mörike; Cinematography by Richard Angst; Directed by Leopold Hainisch. Original language German B&W 82 minutes. Melodie Eterne (¡940) ENIC Cast: Gino Cervi, Luisetta Beghi, Jone Salinas, Paolo Stoppa, Lauro Gazzoio, Margherita Bagni, Claudio Gora, Maria Jacobini, Sandro Ru‡ni, Conchita Montenegro and Luigi Pavese as Leopold Mozart. Music by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart; Written by Guido Cantini, Carmine Gallone and Ernst Marischka; Cinematography by Anchise Brizzi; Edited by Niccolo Lazzari; Produced by Giuseppe Amato; Directed by Carmine Gallone. Original language Italian B&W ¡0¡ minutes. Wen die Götter Lieben (¡942) AKA Whom the Gods Love Universum/UFA Cast: Hans Holt, Winnie Marcus, Irene von Meyendor›, Rosa Albracht-Retty, René Deltgen, Walter Jannsen, Otto Schmole, Hans Siebert, Erich Nikowitz, Richard Eybner, Fritz Imho› and Curt Jurgens. Music by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Ludwig van Beethoven; Arranged by Alois Melichar; Performed by the Vienna Philharmonic conducted by Alois Melichar; Written by Eduard von Borsody and Richard Billinger based on a novel by E. Strzygowski; Cinematography by Gunther Angers; Produced by Julius von Borsody; Directed by Karl Hart. Original language German B&W ¡¡2 minutes. The Mozart Story (¡948) Patrician Cast: Hans Holt, Winnie Marcus, Irene von Meyendor›. Rosa Albracht-Retty, René Deltgen, Walter Janssen, Hans Siebert, Erich Nikowitz, Richard Eybner, Fritz Imho› and Curt Jurgens, Tony Barr, Carol Forman, William Vedder as Franz Joseph Haydn and Wilton Gra› as Antonio Salieri. Music by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Ludwig van Beethoven; Arranged by Alfred Norkis and Alois Melichar; Performed by the Vienna Philharmonic conducted by Alois Melichar; Written by Arthur St. Claire based on a screenplay by Richard Billinger and Eduard von Borsody; Cinematography by Gunther Angers and

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Paul Ivano; Edited by Axel Hubert; Produced by Abrasha Haimson; Directed by Karl Hart and Frank Wisbar. B&W ¡04 minutes. The Life and Loves of Mozart (¡955) Cosmopolfilm Cast : Oskar Werner, Johanna Matz, Nadja Tiller, Erich Kunz, Gertrud Kückelmann, Hugo Gottschüch, Angelika Hau›, Anton Dermota, Gottlob Frick and Albin Skota as Antonio Salieri. Music by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart; Performed by Isolde Ahlgrimm (pianist), Anton Dermota, Hilde Guden, Erich Kuner, Else Liebesberg, Gottlief Frick (vocalists); Vienna Symphony Orchestra conducted by Hans Swarowsky; Written by Karl Hartl and Franz Tasslé based on a story by Karl Hartl and Egon Komorzynski; Cinematography by Oskar Schnirch; Edited by Henry Brunsch, Leopold Kuhnert and Rudolf Ohischmidt; Produced by T. W. Beyer, Julius Jonak and A.I. Paulini; Directed by Karl Hartl. Original language German Color 87 minutes. Mozart and Salieri (¡962) AKA A Requiem for Mozart Riga Film Cast : Innokenti Smoktunovsky, Pyotr Glebov, Serhei Lemeshev and Aleksander Pirogov. Music by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart; Based on the play Mozart and Salieri by Alexander Pushkin; Directed by Vladimir Gorikker. Original language Russian B&W 84 minutes. Mozart: A Childhood Chronicle (¡974) Artfilm Cast: Pavlos Beklaris, Diego Crovetti, Santiago Ziesmer, Nina Palmers, Marianne Lowitz, Dietlind Hübner, Ingeborg Schröder and Karl Maria Schley as Leopold Mozart. Music by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart; Written by Klaus Kirschner based on the letters of Mozart and his family; Cinematography by Pitt Koch; Edited by Klaus Kirschner; Directed by Klaus Kirschner. Original language German B&W 224 minutes. Mozart in Love (¡975) Planet Pictures Cast : Rich LaBonte, Margot Breler, Sasha Nanus and Sissy Smith. Music by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart; Written by Mark Rappaport; Cinematography by Peter Aaron and Peter Rubin; Edited by Mark Rappaport; Produced and Directed by Mark Rappaport. Color 99 minutes. Porporino (¡980) TF¡ Cast: Bruce Brewer, James Bowman, Daniel Emilfork, Pierre Romans, Frederico Verrière, Virginie Verrière and Bernard Chatelier. Music by Niccolò Porpora

149

and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart; Performed by James Bowman, Bruce Brewer (vocal soloists); Written by Bernard Chatelier and Dominique Fernandez; Produced by Roger Blanchard; Directed by André-Guy Fledrick. Original language French Color ¡02 minutes. Nol Tre (¡984) Duea Films Cast: Christopher Davidson, Gianni Cavina, Carlo Delle Plane, Ida Di Benedetto, Nik Novecento, Bob Tonelli, Giulio Pizzarani, Barbara Rebeschini and Lino Capolicchio as Leopold Mozart. Music by Riz Ortolani and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart; Written by Antonio Avati, Pupi Avati and Cesare Bornazzini; Cinematography by Pasquale Rachini; Edited by Amedeo Salfa; Produced by Antonio Avati; Directed by Pupi Avati. Original language Italian Color 88 minutes. Amadeus (¡984) Paramount Cast: F. Murray Abraham as Antonio Salieri, Martin Cavani as young Salieri, Tom Hulce, Miroslav Sekera as young Mozart, Roy Dotrice as Leopold Mozart, Elizabeth Berridge, Christine Ebersole, Charles Kay, Jonathan Moore, Cynthia Nixon, Je›rey Jones, Simon Callow, Peter DiGesu, Roderick Cook, Patrick Hines, Richard Frank, Herman Meckler, Nicholas Kepros, Barbara Bryne, Kenny Baker and Vincent Schiavelli. Music by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Antonio Salieri, Johann Sebastian Bach and John Strauss; Music edited by Mark Adler; Music and historical consultant Zdenek Mahler; Performed by June Anderson, Samuel Rainey, Felicity Lott, John Tomlinson, Suzanne Murphy, Richard Stilwell (vocalists); Ivan Moravec, Imogen Cooper (pianists); Prague Opera and the Chorus and Orchestra of the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields conducted by Neville Mariner and John Strauss; Written by Peter Sha›er based on his play Amadeus; Cinematography by Miroslav Ondricek; Edited by Michael Chandler, T. M. Christopher and Nena Danevic; Produced by Saul Zaentz; Directed by Milos Forman. Color ¡58 minutes original version; ¡80 minutes director’s cut. Forget Mozart (¡985) Slovart Cast : Armin Mueller-Stahl, Max Tidof, Wolfgang Preiss, Catarina Raacke, Uwe Ochsenknecht, Kurt Weinzierl, Jan Biczycki, Katja Flint, Andy Hyre, Zdenek Hradilak, Juraj Hrubant, Ondrej Malachovsky, Ladislav Chudik as Franz Joseph Haydn and Wilfried Glatzer as Anto-

150

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

nio Salieri. Music by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Antonio Salieri; Performed by Slovakischen Philharmonia conducted by Peter Breiner; Written by Zdenek Mahler, Werner Uschkurat and Jirina Koenig; Cinematography by Dodo Simoncic and Martin Barko; Edited by Peter Prcygoda, Alfred Bencic and Ingrid Wol›; Produced by Frank Hübner, Karel Dirka; Directed by Slavo Luther. Original language Czech Color 93 minutes. Divoka Srdce (¡989) Slovart Cast: Jiri Bartoska, Lukas Vaculik, Antonin Prochazka and Boris Rosner as Casanova. Music by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Zdenek Bartak; Written by Kamit Pixa, Jaroslav Soukup and Jarolslav Vokrai; Cinematography by Vladimir Smutny; Edited by Ivana Kacirkova; Produced by Hans-Günther Herbertz, Jaromir Lukas and Premysl Prazsky; Directed by Jaroslav Soukup. Original language Czech Color 87 minutes. Trillertrine (¡99¡) AKA Following Mozart DEFA Cast : Maria Ferrens, Peter Raasch, Rolf Schill, Klaus Pönitz and Werner Godemann. Music by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Andreas Algmüller; Written by Karl-Heinz Lotz and Wolf Müller and Jirina Koenig ; Cinematography by Claus Neumann; Edited by Helga Gentz; Produced and Directed by Karl-Heinz Lotz. Original language German Color 89 minutes. Not Mozart (¡99¡) Artifax An anthology in six parts. Part ¡: M Is for Man, Music and Mozart Cast: Ben Craft, Kate Gower and Karin Potsik. Music by Louis Andriesen; Cinematography by Sasha Vierny; Edited by Chris Wyatt; Written and Directed by Peter Greenaway. Part 2: Bring Me the Head of Amadeus Cast : H. K. Gruber, Peter Gruber, Dieter Moor, Thomas Pluch, Andrea Seeböhm and Lauren Newton as the voice of Mozart’s skull. Music by H. K. Gruber; Performed by the Mozartistan Polka Band; Written by Thomas Pluch; Song lyrics by Richard Blitschacher and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart; Cinematography by Chris Cox; Edited by Raoul Sobel; Directed by Barrie Gaven. Part 3: Letters, Riddles and Writs Cast: Ute Lemper, David Thomas, Michael Nyman, Tony Rohr as Beethoven and Julian Glover as Haydn. Written by Jeremy Newton; Music by Michael Nyman based on themes by

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and text by Leopold Mozart and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart; Cinematography by Simon Archer; Edited by Grant Watkins; Directed by Jeremy Newson. Part 4: Jazz Fantasy on Mozart Themes Music by Mathias Ruegg based on themes from Mozart’s string quartets; Performed by the Vienna Art Orchestra; Written by Mathias Ruegg; Cinematography by Gert Broser; Directed by Ernst Grandits. Part 5: WAM Limited Cast: Timothy Spall, Tim Henny, Gerard Thoolen, Adrian Brine, Gwen Eckhaus, Tony Moun and Jennifer Hall as Clara Schumann. Music by Mischa Mengelberg; Performed by the ICP Orchestra; Cinematography by Piortr Kukla; Edited by John Wilson; Written and Directed by Anthony Garner; Part 6: Scipio’s Dream Cast: Gwion Thomas, Frances Lynch, Jo McNally, James Meek, Clive Williamson and Eamon Dougan. Music by Judith Weir adapted from Mozart’s opera Il Sogno di Scipone; Performed by Gwion Thomas, Frances Lynch, Jo McNally (vocalists); Endymion Ensemble conducted by Andrew Parrott; Cinematography by Paul Wheeler; Edited by Michael Bradsell; Directed by Margaret Williams. Film anthology devised and produced by Annette Morreau and Elizabeth Queenan. Color ¡79 minutes complete film. Wolfgang Mehr als ein Prinz (¡99¡) MR Film Cast: Alexander Lutz, Barbara Wussow and Miguel Herz-Kestranek. Music by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart; Written by Zdenek Mahler and Wolfgang Rest; Cinematography by Jozsef Simoncsics; Produced by Kurt J. Mrkwicka; Directed by Juraj Herz. Original language German Color 53 minutes.

Noted Documentaries • Das Lieben Mozart (¡967) A film by Hans Conrad Fischer; ¡39 minutes • Mozart (¡987) A film by Nicholas Vazsonyi; 55 minutes • Mozart: The Opera Experience (¡992) Featuring Richard Baker; 90 minutes • Gelbert Is Mozart (¡992) Written by Andy Holmes; Directed by Richard Ti›any; 25 minutes

Modeste Mussorgsky • Biography — Mozart (¡995) A&E Network; 5¡ minutes • Mozart: Famous Composers Series (¡996) Written, produced and directed by Malcolm Hossick; SKAN Productions; 37 minutes • BBC Great Composers: Mozart (¡997) Narrated by Kenneth Branagh; BBC; 57 minutes

There are a number of excellent Mozart documentaries. Perhaps the lengthiest and most detailed one is Das Lieben Mozart, relying heavily on letters, documents and paintings from the era. Musical excerpts with major performers such as Walter Berry, Fritz Wunderlich and Maria Stader. Fischer’s masterpiece is in German with English subtitles. More accessible to the general public is Nicholas Vazsonyi’s picture made for Canadian television. It features Anthony Quayle, who visits Salzberg and Vienna discussing the composer and the places with which he was associated. A few brief enactments of events are included along with many musical excerpts. Mozart: The Opera Experience concentrates on the composer’s stage works,

151

with many excerpts performed by leading singers such as Kiri Te Kanawa and Benjamin Luxon, all selected from the Glydenbourne Festival. Richard Baker provides background and commentary for each excerpt, and actor Mark Gasser portrays Mozart. The final three documentaries are standard entries. The BBC documentary, narrated by Kenneth Branagh, makes a serious e›ort to identify the Mozart of legend as opposed to the authentic composer. The A & E Biography, in particular, is well done and packed with useful information. Hossick’s entry is usually targeted for students and young adults. On the other hand, Gelbert Is Mozart is a rare example of a program aimed at very young children, ages four to six, (or the approximate age when Mozart’s own musical genius became apparent). Produced for Toddler Television, Gelbert is a plush orange puppet who is transformed into young Mozart. Andy Holmes is the puppeteer who brings Gelbert to life, and actor George Latchford plays Leopold Mozart, who continually urges Gelbert to practice. Eventually, Gelbert plays a concert recital.

Modeste Mussorgsky Screen depictions • Leonid Snego› in Song of My Heart (¡948) • Aleksandr Borisov in Mussorgsky (¡950)

Modeste Mussorgsky (¡839–¡88¡) was a nationalist Russian composer, a member of the musical group known as “The Mighty Handful,” which included Alexander Borodin, Cesar Cui, Nikolai RimskyKorsakov and Mily Balakirev, who was their informal leader. Mussorgsky came

late to the study of music, and his educational background in the field was somewhat sporadic, resulting in a certain crudeness in his musical style. Working as a low-paid civil servant, Mussorgsky’s lifestyle often hovered near poverty. He was also an alcoholic and he died shortly after his forty-second birthday. Much of his music was left incomplete and later finished (and some believe “polished up” by other members of his circle, particularly Rimsky-Korsakov. In the twentieth cen-

152

Modeste Mussorgsky

tury, composer Dmitri Shostakovich prepared revised editions of his major works such as Boris Godunov, restoring the music closer to what Mussorgsky had originally intended. Mussorgsky’s major works include the piano suite Pictures at an Exhibition (later orchestrated by Maurice Ravel and Leopold Stokowski), the symphonic poem Night on Bald Mountain (later reorchestrated in versions by Rimsky-Korsakov and Stokowski) and the operas Boris Godunov, Khovantchina and The Fair at Sorochinsk. He was also a brilliant songwriter, with his dark and dramatic cycle Songs and Dances of Death considered to be his masterpiece. Modeste Mussorgsky is portrayed in a cameo in one picture and the central figure in another film e›ort. In Song of My Heart, an Allied Artist biopic about Tchaikovsky, Mussorgsky appears in one scene at the Imperial Conservatory with the other members of “The Mighty Handful” for a rehearsal of the second of Borodin’s Polovetsian Dances from his masterpiece Prince Igor, arranged for Tchaikovsky’s benefit. Mussorgsky slumps on a couch, apparently su›ering from a hangover. Mily Balakirev barks at him to sit up. He then tells the composer he needs to work harder. Mussorgsky looks over at Tchaikovsky and comments, “Some people can dribble out tunes like a leaky faucet. I can only work when I feel like it.” Mussorgsky then nods o› and is silent for the rest of the scene. The major film biography is the Russian picture Mussorgsky, directed by Grigori Roshal, one of the masters of Soviet cinema. Since the film was produced during the Stalin era, it was somewhat artificial and ultrapatriotic to conform with the dictates of the state. After Stalin’s passing, Roshal made the realistic and highly regarded Ways of Sorrow trilogy: The Sisters (¡957), The Eighteenth Year (¡958) and Gloomy Morning (¡959). This epic, based on the writings of Alexei Tolstoi, focuses

on the tribulations of the Bulavin family during the Russian Revolution and the years immediately following. Mussorgsky was briefly released in an English subtitled version in the West in ¡95¡, after which the picture largely disappeared until ¡973, when it was revised and reedited with the Stalinist propaganda removed. Most criticisms focus on the musical sequences, which were praised for their vigor and e›ective staging. The use of color, however, is ridiculed as being somewhat primitive. Mussorgsky is played by Aleksandr Borisov, the noted Soviet character actor who also plays the starring role in Roshal’s most recent feature film, Ivan Pavlov (¡949). Other Russian composers, members of “The Mighty Handful,” are played by Vladimir Balashov (Balakirev), Yuri Lepnidov (Borodin), Bruno Frejndlikh (Cui) and Andrei Popov (Rimsky-Korsakov). An elaborate and colorful film version of Mussorgsky’s opera Boris Godunov was released in ¡955, and it became one of the most successful of all Soviet films from the ¡950s.

Production Credits Song of My Heart (¡948) Allied Artists Cast: Frank Sundström as Tchaikovsky, Audrey Long, Cedric Hardwicke, Mikhail Rasumny, Gale Sherwood, Serge Krizman, Charles Trowbridge, Kate Lawson, Lester Sharpe, Gil Frye, Scott Elliott, Gordon Clark, Jimmie Dodd, Leonard Mudie, Lane Chandler, Elvira Curci, John Hamilton, Robert Barron as Alexander Borodin, David Leonard as Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, Lewis Howard as Mily Balakirev, William Ruhl as Cesar Cui and Leonid Snego› as Mussorgsky. Music by Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky and Alexander Borodin; Arranged by Nathaniel Finston, Fred Spielman and Janice Torre; Music supervised by Modeste Altschuler; Performed by José Iturbi (piano); Orchestra conducted by Nathaniel Finston and Edward J. Kay; Written by Benjamin Glazer and Bernard

Carl Nielsen Schubert; Cinematography by Roland Totheroh; Edited by Otho Lovering and Richard Heermance; Produced by Nathaniel Finston and J. Theodore Reed; Directed by Benjamin Glazer. Color ¡06 minutes. Mussorgsky (¡950) Lenfilm Cast : Aleksandr Borisov, Nikolai Cherkasov, Vladimir Balashov, Yuri Lepnidov, Andrei Popov, Bruno Frejndlikh, Fydor Nikitin, Lyubov Orlova, Lydia Shtyjan, Valentina Ushakova, Lev Fenin, Georgi Orlov and Aleksandra Vasilyeva. Music by Modeste Mussorgsky; Arranged by Dmitri Kabelevsky; Written by Anna Abramova and Grigori Roshal; Cinematography by Mikhail Magid and Lev Sokolsky; Edited by V. Mironova; Produced by Gennadi Kazansky; Directed by Grigori Roshal. Original language Russian Color ¡20 minutes.

153

• The Mighty Fistful (¡983) Music in Time series; 60 minutes • Great Russian Composers: Modeste Mussorgsky (¡999) Kultur; 30 minutes

Boris Godunov, Tremanov’s short documentary, is intended as an intermission feature for television opera broadcasts. The Music in Time series, hosted by flautist James Galway, devotes an episode to the lives and music of “The Mighty Handful,” which is both insightful and filled with excellent musical examples. The production by Kultur is part of their series providing overviews of the life and times of the best-known Russian composers.

Noted Documentaries • Boris Godunov: The Making of an Opera (¡977) A film by Vincent Tremanov; ¡¡ minutes

Carl Nielsen Screen depiction • Morten Gundel, Anders Forchhammer and Nikolaj Lie Kaas in Min Fynske Barndom (¡994)

Carl Nielsen (¡865–¡93¡) was the foremost Danish composer of his era. His principal works include his six symphonies, which have entered the general repertoire, two operas (including Saul and David), three concertos (one each for violin, flute and clarinet), four string quartets, and numerous choral and piano works. His symphonic poem Pan and Syrinx and the incidental music to the play

Aladdin have also. His dynamic Third Symphony (“Espansiva”) has been called the Eroica Symphony of Scandinavia. His Fourth Symphony (“Inextinguishable”) is noted for its dramatic use of kettledrums, which are placed at the front of the orchestra when this work is performed. Nielsen also published many volumes of folk music. In ¡928, at the request of his daughter, Nielsen wrote Min Fynske Barndom, the reminiscences of his childhood, which proved to be very popular. These reminiscences eventually were used as the basis for a feature film in ¡994. Three young actors were cast as Nielsen at various stages of his

154

Jacques O›enbach

childhood. Critics of the film praise it for its warm and charming nature. Unfortunately, the film was not subtitled or distributed to English-speaking countries,

Production Credits Min Fynske Barndom (¡994) AKA My Musical Childhood Nordisk Film Cast: Morten Gundel, Anders Forchhammer, Nikolaj Lie Kaas,

Jesper Milsted, Frits Helmuth, Karl Bille, Stina Ekblad, Anna Eklund, Daniel Flösser, Sandra Friis, René Hansen, Joachim Knop, Per Morberg, Steven Pedersen, Leif Sylvester, Steen Svare and Waage Sandø. Music by Carl Nielsen and Andy Pape; Written by Erik Clausen based on the memoirs of Carl Nielsen; Cinematography by Clais Loof; Edited by Grete Møldrup, Jesper Nielsen and Anders Refn; Produced by Henrik MøllerSørensen; Directed by Erik Clausen. Original language Danish Color ¡25 minutes.

Jacques O›enbach Screen depictions • Julius Falkenstein in Ich und die Kaiserin (¡933) • Julius Falkenstein in The Only Girl (¡933) • Miles Malleson in Idol of Paris (¡948) • Pierre Fresnay in La Valse de Paris (¡949) • Egon von Jordan in Hab’ Ich Nur Deine Liebe (¡953) • Arnulf Schröder in Ewiger Walzer (¡954) • Peter Wehle in The Waltz King (¡963) • Dominique Weber in The Great Waltz (¡972) • Philippe Nicard in Johann Strauss — Der König ohne Krone (¡986) • Tamas Jordan in O›enbachs Geheimnis (¡996)

Jacques O›enbach (¡8¡9–¡880) was brought to Paris in his youth by his father, a German cantor from Cologne. He enrolled in the Conservatoire to study the cello but left to take a job playing for the Opéra-Comique. By ¡850, he became a conductor and soon started composing his own comic operas as well. They proved to be so popular that he eventually wrote over eighty works, including Orpheus in the Un-

derworld (¡858), La Belle Hélène (¡864), La Vie Parisienne (¡866), Robinson Caruso (¡867) and even one for the British theaters, Whittington and His Cat (¡872). His music is clever, elegant and e›ervescent, illustrating satirical stories that debunk the traditional establishment. His best-known composition, The Tales of Ho›mann, was left unfinished at his death. Ernest Guiraud, who composed the recitatives for Bizet’s Carmen, prepared a performing version and completed the orchestration of O›enbach’s masterpiece, which debuted four months after the composer’s passing. It gained immediate acceptance into the standard repertoire. Most of O›enbach’s screen portrayals are cameos. The earliest two are historical romances. Julius Falkenstein plays the composer in a sequence that was used in both the English- and German-language versions of The Empress and Me, also known as The Only Girl. Conrad Veidt is featured in the German print, whereas Charles Boyer, Maurice Evans and Ernest Thesiger appear in the English version. The next appearance is in Idol of Paris, a soapopera drama about a ragman’s daughter, based on the novel Palva, Queen of Love by

Jacques O›enbach

Alfred Schirokauer. The plot revolves around Theresa Lachman, who climbs the ladder of success out of poverty by bewitching man after man until she becomes the leading courtesan in France. At first, she is deserted in Moscow by her first paramour, but she eventually makes the acquaintance of famous pianist and composer Henri Herz (¡803–¡888), played by Michael Rennie. Theresa later comes to the attention of O›enbach, well played by character actor Miles Mallerson, and she serves as the inspiration for his opera La Belle Hélène. Eventually, Emperor Napoleon III seeks her attentions. By that time, she is so powerful that she can a›ord to ignore the attention of the emperor. The remaining cameos are in composer biopics. Hab’ Ich Nur Deine Liebe is a relatively obscure film about Franz von Suppé (¡8¡9–¡895), a composer of Belgian descent who studied in Italy and made his success in Vienna. Although he wrote chamber and instrumental music, von Suppé’s true success is due to his thirtyone operettas including Franz Schubert (¡864), The Beautiful Galatea (¡865) and Boccaccio (¡879). Many of his overtures, such as The Light Cavalry Overture and The Poet and Peasant Overture, have become standards in the concert repertoire. O›enbach is depicted in four Johann Strauss films. Arnulf Schröder is a superb O›enbach in Ewiger Walzer. Johann Strauss, Jr., and Jacques O›enbach were booked together at an enormous Viennese dance hall, their bands positioned at opposite ends of the building. Partisans of both composers start to heckle each other. However, when Strauss begins to conduct, he plays only selections by O›enbach, such as the polka from Orpheus. In return, O›enbach conducts the polka from Die Fledermaus and other Strauss favorites. The cross-cutting of the two composers leading each other’s works is truly delightful, and their music meshes together in a colorful

155

synthesis. After the concert, both composers entertain each other with anecdotes, toasting one another until they are the last two men in the hall. Arnulf Schröder is excellent as O›enbach, elegant, unflappable and totally charmed by the a›ability of Strauss (Bernhard Wicki). The two actors have great screen chemistry together, and their brief scene together is terrific and the genuine highlight of the picture. Peter Wehle is a gnomelike O›enbach in The Waltz King, conducting his music, including the famous “Can Can” from Orpheus in the Underworld at a theater in Vienna. In the audience, Johann Strauss is impressed by the enthusiastic dancing on stage and the infectious music. He asks to be taken backstage during intermission and is told that O›enbach has already requested a meeting with Strauss. Unfortunately, Wehle makes an unconvincing conductor in the scene with awkward, mechanical gestures, although his broad smile is quite ingratiating. Backstage, he and Strauss pay each other genuine compliments during their cordial meeting. When O›enbach refers to Strauss’s companion, Jetta Tre›z, as “Mrs. Strauss,” before returning to the podium, Strauss takes the opportunity to propose to Jetta, and she immediately accepts. So, inadvertently, O›enbach becomes Strauss’s matchmaker. In The Great Waltz, O›enbach has very little screen time. Strauss arranges a reception for O›enbach when he visits Vienna. In his honor, Jetta sings an aria from one of O›enbach’s works. After her performance, Strauss tells O›enbach that he is amazed by his versatility, and the composer replies that Strauss himself should try his hand at opera. Dominique Weber is lackluster as O›enbach; however, the briefness of his appearance gives him little opportunity to be noticed. His appearance is reportedly quite brief as well in Johann Strauss — King Without a Crown, a

156

Jacques O›enbach

European telefilm that generated little notice. La Valse de Paris or Waltz of Paris is the more accessible of the two feature films based on O›enbach himself. The other feature, O›enbachs Geheimnis, a Hungarian-German coproduction from ¡996, has had few notices and very little exposure outside of Hungary and Germany. Waltz of Paris is a refreshing, charming ¡949 film, lighthearted in tone and even prefiguring the playful sexual innuendo that one would find in later Rock Hudson/Doris Day comedies. The credits capture the flavor of the piece as silhouettes appear with each title card. For example when the writing credits appear, we see the silhouette of a busy writer at his desk. The figure apologizes to O›enbach for the liberties he has taken with events of his life, and the silhouette of O›enbach replies that he doesn’t mind as long as they do not alter his music. O›enbach’s first appearance in the film largely represents the overall approach. A beautiful young woman, Hortense, smuggles her boyfriend into her bedroom for the night. She warns him to be quiet as only a thin wall separates her room from that of her mother. The boyfriend does not see how their plans to spend the night together can succeed, but Hortense tells him to be patient. A few minutes later, the sound of a piano thunders throughout the apartment. It is O›enbach, the downstairs tenant, rehearsing. The couple are now free to pursue their lovemaking. The following day, O›enbach’s o‡ce belongings are stripped clean by creditors, leaving him only his cello. He plays it, telling his friend about a piece of music, the Waltz of Paris, that his mother taught him, but she knew only the first sixteen bars. She told him that someday he will meet a woman who will teach him the rest of the melody. That evening, while walking home, O›enbach loses his glasses. He then hears Hortense, walking nearby, and

she is singing the waltz. Unable to see her, the composer asks her to continue to sing. Oddly enough, O›enbach does not know Hortense even though they are neighbors. When Hortense appears before him for an audition, she is surprised that he doesn’t know her, but when she sings, he recognizes at once the girl who knows the waltz tune. He casts her in his new operetta, and they achieve a lucrative success. Soon Hortense becomes a star, and she decides to pursue O›enbach as her new romantic conquest. Most of the film deals with their onagain, o›-again relationship. At the end, they agree to separate, but Hortense nevertheless inspires La Belle Hélène. (Inspiring this opera has become a regular motif in O›enbach films.) Pierre Fresnay is a total delight as the lively composer, witty, clever and eccentric. His makeup is distinctive with pince-nez and mutton-chop whiskers and mustache. With his elegant manners and fancy cigarette holder, Fresnay is an ideal O›enbach. His movements throughout the film are almost balletic, his conducting enthusiastic and lively and his singing like a Gallic Danny Kaye. He is well matched with the saucy Yvonne Printemps as Hortense, a worldly woman who is never serious about love. Printemps and Fresnay were married at the time they made Waltz of Paris, and their chemistry together is something quite special. There are numerous samples of O›enbach’s music, bubbly and sophisticated throughout. The similarity to some of Sir Arthur Sullivan’s clever songs is remarkable. The scene in which O›enbach improvises the number “My God, My God, How Stupid Men Are” is a simply wonderful highlight. Wisely, the film does not slip in anything from Tales of Ho›mann, which after all was a posthumous work. As the opening credits indicate, the events of the film bear little resemblance to those of the genuine O›enbach (a real workaholic),

Jacques O›enbach

but his personality is well captured, and the music is accorded a special prominence. Many selections are perhaps not very well known outside of France, and this film highlights them quite nicely. Although not a serious film, Waltz of Paris is a pleasant and unpretentious diversion. In conclusion, Tony Palmer has informed me that he has written a brand new screenplay about O›enbach which he intends to produce in the near future, casting Simon Callow as the composer.

Production Credits Ich und die Kaiserin (¡933) AKA The Empress and Me UFA Cast: Mady Christians, Conrad Veidt, Hans Hermann Schaufuss, Heinz Rühmann, Hubert von Meyerinck, Eugen Rex, Kate Kühl, Paul Morgan, Hans Nowack, Hans Deppe, Walter Reisch and Julius Falkenstein. Music by Franz Waxman and Friedrich Hollander; Written by Robert Liebmann and Walter Reisch based on a story by Felix Salten; Cinematography by Friedl Behn-Grund; Produced by Erich Pommer; Directed by Friedrich Hollander. Original language German B&W 82 minutes. The Only Girl (¡933) Fox/UFA Cast : Mady Christians, Charles Boyer, Lillian Harvey, Maurice Evans, Hubert von Meyerinck, Ernest Thesiger, Huntley Wright, Reginald Smith, Ruth Maitland and Julius Falkenstein. Music by Franz Waxman, Friedrich Hollander, Edmond Audran and Jacques O›enbach; Written by Robert Liebmann, Walter Reisch, John Heygate and Robert Stevenson based on a story by Felix Salten; Cinematography by Friedl Behn-Grund; Produced by Erich Pommer; Directed by Friedrich Hollander. B&W 89 minutes. Idol of Paris (¡948) AKA Palva, Queen of Love Premier Film Cast : Beryl Baxter, Michael Rennie as Henri Herz, Andrew Cruickshank, Henry Oscar, Christine Norden, Miles Malleson, Andrew Osborn, Margaretta Scott, Sybille Binder, April Stride, Patti Morgan, June Holden and Kenneth Kent as Napoleon III. Music by Mischa Spoliansky; Written by

157

Sta›ord Dickens, Norman Lee and Harry Ostrer based on the novel Palva by Alfred Schirokauer; Cinematography by Jack E. Cox; Edited by Bert Bates; Produced by R.J. Minney; Directed by Leslie Arliss. B&W ¡06 minutes. La Valse de Paris (¡949) AKA Waltz of Paris Lux Film Cast : Pierre Fresnay, Yvonne Printemps, Jacques Charon, Max Dalban, Pierre Dux, Léa Gray, Jean Hebey, Pierre Juvenet, Noëlle Norman, Denise Provence, Claude Sainval, Michel Salina, Renée Senac, Paul Vallé, Lucien Nat as Napoleon III and Alexandre Astruc as Jacques Halévy. Music by Jacques O›enbach and Louis Beydts; Written by Marcel Achard; Cinematography by Christian Matras; Produced by Bernd Hiethaler; Directed by Marcel Achard. Original language French B&W 92 minutes. Hab’ Ich Nur Deine Liebe (¡953) Schünbrunn Film Cast: Gretl Schörg, Walter Müller, Helmut Qualtinger, Erik Frey, Johannes Heesters as Franz von Suppé and Egon von Jordan. Music by Franz von Suppé; Written by H. F. Köllner, August Rieger and Philipp von Zeska; Cinematography by Bruno Mondi; Edited by Herma Sandtner; Produced by C. W. Telling; Directed by Eduard von Borsody. Original language German Color 87 minutes. Eternal Waltz (¡954) AKA Ewiger Walzer Rotary Film Cast: Bernhard Wicki as Johann Strauss, Hilde Krahl, Annemarie Düringer, Friedl Loor, Lis Van Essen, William Trank, Hans Putz, Ulrich Bettao, Erik Frey, Gert Fröbe, Carl Bohm, Hermann Thimig, Leonard Steckel, Michael Troost, Josef Hendrichs as Josef Strauss, Eduard Strauss, Jr., as Eduard Strauss and Arnulf Schröder. Music by Johann Strauss and Jacques O›enbach; Written by Alexander Lix and Paul Verhoeven based on a story by Ruth Charlotte Silbermann; Cinematography by Franz Koch; Produced by C. W. Telling ; Directed by Paul Verhoeven. Original language German Color 97 minutes. The Waltz King (¡963) Walt Disney Pictures Cast: Kerwin Mathews as Johann Strauss, Jr., Senta Berger, Brian Aherne as Johann Strauss, Sr., Fritz Eckhardt, Kai Fischer, Vilma Degischer, Michael Janisch, Karl Lie›en, Peter Kraus as Josef Strauss and Peter Wehle. Music by Johann Strauss, Jr., Johann Strauss,

158

Ignace Jan Paderewski

Sr., and Jacques O›enbach; Written by Fritz Eckhardt and Maurice Tombragel; Cinematography by Günther Anders; Edited by Alfred Srp; Produced by Peter V. Herald and Walt Disney; Directed by Steve Previn. Color 95 minutes. The Great Waltz (¡972) MGM Cast: Horst Bucholz as Johann Strauss, Jr., Nigel Patrick as Johann Strauss, Sr., Mary Costa, Yvonne Mitchell, Rossano Brazzi, Susan Robinson, George Howe, Vicki Woolf, Hermione Farthingale, Marty Allen, Guido Wieland, Willard Parker, Prince Johannes SchönbergHartenstein, James Faulkner as Josef Strauss and Dominique Weber. Music by Johann Strauss, Jr., Johann Strauss, Sr., Josef Strauss and Jacques O›enbach; Music arranged by George Forrest, Robert Wright and Ray Holder; Written by Andrew L. Stone; Cinematography by Davis Boulton; Edited by Ernest Walyer; Produced and Directed by Andrew L. Stone. Color ¡35 minutes. Johann Strauss — Der König ohne Krone (¡986) .

AKA Johann Strauss—King Without a Crown MGM Cast: Oliver Tobias as Johann Strauss, Mathieu Carrière, Mary Crosby, Audrey Landers, Karin Dor, Rolf Hoppe, John Philip Law, Zsa Zsa Gabor, Hugh Fucher and Philippe Nicaud. Music by Johann Strauss; Written by Franz Antel and Georg Kövary; Produced and Directed by Franz Antel. Original language German Color ¡24 minutes. O›enbachs Geheimnis (¡996) AKA O›enbach’s Secret Euroarts Cast : Tamás Jordán, Laurence Dale, Graham Clark, Janos Kulka, Pal Makrai, Istvan Bubik, Zoltan Benkoczy, Istvan Meszaros, Erzsébet Forgács, Peter Kalloy Molnar and Bela Palmer. Music by Jacques O›enbach; Performed by Jonathan BarretoRamos, Inger Dam-Jensen, Je›rey Francis, Justin Lavender, Jorge Lopez-Yanez (vocalists); Orchestra conducted by Jia Lü; Written by Ottokar Runze; Cinematography by Lajos Koltal; Produced by Bernd Hiethaler; Directed by Istvan Szabó. Original languages German and Hungarian Color 97 minutes.

Ignace Jan Paderewski Screen depiction • Ignace Jan Paderewski in Moonlight Sonata (¡936)

Ignace Jan Paderewski (¡860–¡94¡) had an active career with many di›erent facets: composer, piano virtuoso, teacher, philanthropist, statesman and the first head of the government of independent modern Poland (¡9¡9–¡920). He started as a prodigy, composing his first piano compositions at the age of six. From the ¡890s on, Paderewski decided to concentrate on his concert work, and he toured extensively throughout the world. His bestknown musical composition is his Minuet in G Minor, a charming vignette that became a standard encore item in every pi-

anist’s repertoire. He composed numerous piano works, a three-act opera, Manru (¡900), a colorful Fantasia on Polish Themes for piano and orchestra and his ambitious Symphony in B Minor (“Polonia”). His most successful, large-scale work is his flamboyant and romantic Piano Concerto in A Minor (¡889), dedicated to Franz Liszt. This work is still active in the concert repertoire and is represented on CD with over eight recordings, including a spectacular reading by Earl Wild. During World War I, Paderewski became a tireless champion for the cause of a free and independent Poland, and he briefly served as his country’s first premier. He returned to the world of music the following year. Padereweski died in New York City in ¡94¡, still an advocate of a free Poland, which had

Ignace Jan Paderewski

fallen to Nazi control at the outbreak of World War II. Paderewski, at age 76, was approached to star in a feature film playing himself. The British production, originally undertaken by Pall Mall Productions in association with United Artists, provided the famous Polish musician with enough screen time to legitimately designate him as the lead. The film opens in fact with a twentyminute sequence of a Paderewski concert recital, as Paderewski performs Chopin’s Polonaise in A Major “Heroic” followed by Liszt’s Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2. Paderewski’s performance is covered with many various camera angles of both him and the audience, including frequent close-ups of his hands on the keyboard. At the end of the Liszt, a very young girl drops her ball, and it rolls down to the stage. As she runs to pick it up, Padereweski bends down to greet her, and the audience applauds wildly. The girl’s parents come to the stage to retrieve her, and it is obvious that Paderewski recognizes them. The mother softly says, “Moonlight Sonata.” Paderewski nods and begins to play the famous Beethoven work as the scene fades out. Next, the pianist appears at a small reception at the home of a friend. The guests all compliment him on his playing. Paderewski remarks that he has performed over three thousand recitals. He reminisces about the rare concert in which something special happens and reflects on the lasting e›ect of music on some of its listeners. One of the guests asks him of his choice of his encore, the first movement of Beethoven’s Piano Sonata No. ¡4 “Moonlight,” and asks if it is unusual to play only one movement of a longer work as an encore. Paderewski observes that this was an unusual case, reminding them of the child who appeared onstage. He starts to tell a lengthy story, and this flashback takes up the remaining hour of the film. Five years earlier, while making a

159

concert tour of Sweden, Paderewski was a passenger in a small plane that had to make an emergency landing in a field adjoining the estate of Baroness Lindenborg, who provided room and shelter for the stranded travelers. The other passengers included Mr. Bishop, Paderewski’s tour manager, and Mario de la Costa. Baroness Lindenborg is overjoyed at Paderewski’s presence. While introducing the composer to her granddaughter Ingrid, she explains that her late daughter, Ingrid’s mother, had met her husband at one of Paderewski’s concerts in Stockholm many years earlier. In fact, they believe they fell in love while hearing him play Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata. Ingrid says she now regards that piece as sacred. Paderewski is intrigued when he hears this story. Ingrid will turn eighteen the following day and gain her inheritance, and Paderewski promises to play the Beethoven piano sonata for her. Eric Molander, the manager of the estate, is in love with Ingrid and plans to propose to her. The young woman, however, has become fascinated with the fashionable and debonair Mario de la Costa. By accident, Eric comes across a flyer that reveals that de la Costa is a stage hypnotist. When he investigates, he learns that he is both married and a notorious fortune hunter. Ingrid refuses to listen to Eric when he tries to dissuade her from associating with de la Costa, and he is afraid to embarrass her by revealing the truth. The next day, the baroness takes Paderewski to visit the girl’s school that she sponsors. As entertainment, the girls plan a little dance, but their young pianist runs o› in fear. The headmaster asks Paderewski if he might substitute. The composer is startled to discover that the music for the dance is one of his own compositions, his Minuet in G Minor, and he says, “I think I can just about manage that.” The girls are thrilled, and their dance charms the composer. Meanwhile, de la Costa takes Ingrid

160

Ignace Jan Paderewski

for a picnic. A storm breaks, and they take shelter in a cottage, where the hypnotist uses his powers to persuade Ingrid to elope with him. That evening, the baroness forces Eric to reveal why he is upset. She learns about the mistake that her granddaughter is about to make and expels de la Costa from her house. She shows Ingrid a newspaper clipping about de la Costa’s marriage. Ingrid is heartbroken. Paderewski intervenes by playing the Moonlight Sonata. Eric approaches Ingrid to console her, and they fall in love listening to the music. The audience then realizes that Eric and Ingrid are the parents from the opening scene in the concert hall. The film ends as Paderewski concludes his performance of the famous movement of the sonata. The film Moonlight Sonata may be only a flu›y cinematic diversion, but Paderewski’s presence elevates it to something quite charming. His acting is quite natural and unforced, and even when he garbles his words, he merely corrects himself and continues on with his dialogue. The other players work quite well with the composer, particularly Marie Tempest as the baroness, Charles Farrell as Eric and Barbara Grenne as Ingrid. Eric Portman overplays his part and is too transparent as the oldfashioned cad of the drama. The highlight of the film is not the ending with the Moonlight Sonata, but the earlier scene at the girl’s school, in which the natural charisma of Paderewski is wonderfully captured on film. This scene alone makes the film worthwhile and an important document for music lovers and filmgoers alike.

Production Credits Moonlight Sonata (¡936) United Artists Cast: Ignace Jan Paderewski, Charles Farrell, Marie

Tempest, Barbara Greene, Eric Portman, Graham Browne, Queenie Leonard, Lawrence Hanray, Bryan Powley and Binkie Stuart. Music by Frederic Chopin, Franz Liszt, Ludwig van Beethoven and Ignace Jan Paderewski; Performed by Ignace Jan Padereweski (pianist); Written by Edward Knoblock and E. M. Delafield based on a story by Hans Rameau; Cinematography by Jan Stallich; Edited by Philip Chariot; Produced and Directed by Lothar Mendes. B&W 86 minutes.

Noted Documentaries • Paderewski’s 20th American Tour (¡939) Documentary compilation by Videofact International • Paderewski’s Return (¡992) A film by Andrzej Krajewsky; 40 minutes

Excerpts of Ignace Jan Paderewski are featured in several documentaries highlighting the great pianists of the twentieth century, and there is even a ¡926 newsreel of Paderewski meeting a seven-year-old piano prodigy, Liberace. Two formal documentaries include a comprehensive ¡939 study of Paderewski’s last coast-to-coast tour of America, including his stay at a California ranch. Paderewski’s Return is a fascinating document. When the composer died in ¡94¡, he asked that his body be returned to Poland once his homeland regained freedom. This request was honored in ¡992, when his remains were transferred from Arlington National Cemetery to St. John’s Cathedral in Warsaw. This picture not only contains a review of Paderewski’s life, but also includes President George Bush’s comments about the famous musician and his work.

Niccolò Paganini

161

Niccolò Paganini Screen depictions • Gaston Severin in La Fin du Paganini (¡9¡0) • Raoul Lange in Das Dreimäderlhaus (¡9¡8) • Conrad Veidt in Paganini (¡923) • Ivan Petrovich in Paganini (¡934) • Maurice Schutz in Symphonie Fantastique (¡942) • ? in Rossini (¡943) • Roxy Roth in A Song to Remember (¡945) • Stewart Granger in The Magic Bow (¡946) • Karel Dostal in Bohemian Rapture (¡948) • Francisek Jamry in Young Chopin (¡952) • Danilo Berardinelli in Casta Diva (¡954) • Antonio Theba in Paganini (¡972) • Gidon Kremer in Spring Symphony (¡983) • Klaus Kinski in Paganini (¡989)

Niccolò Paganini (¡782–¡840) is universally regarded as the greatest violin virtuoso in history, and many critics consider him the finest composer for the instrument as well. He is recognized as the prototype of the celebrity superstar, not only of classical titans like Franz Liszt or Enrico Caruso, but also the forerunner of twentieth-century sex symbols such as Frank Sinatra, Elvis Presley and the Beatles. He had a genius for publicity and even encouraged fantastic legends about himself (such as having bartered his soul to the devil in exchange for his talent). Paganini was initially secretive about his musical technique, which led him to refrain from publishing most of his compositions during his lifetime, and over half his output was issued posthumously. His major works include his twenty-four Caprices, Op. ¡, still regarded as the ultimate work for solo violin, six violin concertos, six sonatas for

violin and guitar and countless sets of variations on well-known tunes such as “God Save the King” and popular operatic airs. Paganini’s film depictions can be loosely classified into four categories: silent films (all considered lost); cameo portrayals (usually as a character in biopics of other composers to whom he serves as an inspiration); operetta films (based on Franz Lehar’s Paganini) and finally pictures in which he is the central character. We will examine his film appearances based on these groupings. La Fin du Paganini is a ten-minute French short by the esteemed pioneer Louis Feuillade. Abel Gance, who went on to direct Napoleon (¡927) and Un Grand Amour de Beethoven (¡936), is credited with the screenplay. A few sources list a second French short from ¡9¡0 simply titled Paganini, but others believe that it is simply an alternate listing for La Fin du Paganini. Das Dreimäderlhaus or The House of the Three Girls is a ¡9¡8 German production based on a popular operetta about Franz Schubert. This picture was later remade twice, but neither remake includes Paganini, so his appearance is undoubtedly a cameo. Conrad Veidt stars as Baron Schober, Schubert’s best friend. When the shy Schubert writes a love song to woo a girl, he asks Schober to sing it to her. When he does, the girl then falls in love with Schober. It would be interesting to speculate if Veidt shares any screen time in this film with Raoul Lange, who plays Paganini, since Veidt went on to assume the role in the ¡923 feature film Paganini. Although lost, the basic plot can be easily reconstructed from numerous published reviews. Conrad Veidt was highly acclaimed for his e›ective manner in por-

162

Niccolò Paganini

traying the great violinist, particularly in emulating his gaunt and sinister appearance. The film opens with Paganini’s death in Paris. After his burial, he mysteriously arises from the grave and returns to his home. It is unclear if this sequence is a nightmare or a vision, but the experience greatly depresses Paganini, who loses interest in his wife and spends much of his time roaming the graveyard. One evening, he meets Giulietta, the daughter of the local florist. He feels revived by her innocence and purity, and he falls in love with her, unaware that her father has been hired to assassinate him. Duke Marsini, jealous that his wife is infatuated with the violinist, vows to see him destroyed. Giulietta attempts to intervene and save Paganini. The duke himself is killed instead in a confrontation, and Paganini runs o› with Giulietta. He is captured and imprisoned, but when he plays his violin in jail, the doors mysteriously open and he is set free. A crowd appears to acclaim Paganini, and they carry him o›, but the late duke’s wife appears with soldiers, ordering that they shoot the man who rejected her. Giulietta throws herself in front of the violinist and is killed. She is buried in the cemetery where she first met Paganini. The violinist takes his young son, Achille, whom he loves deeply, and embarks on a concert tour. His heart is no longer in his music. He performs at a concert in Paris but collapses at the end of his recital, still mourning his lost Giulietta. The silent Paganini was filmed in the style of German Expressionism, stressing odd camera angles, visual shadows and supernatural elements in the story. Veidt apparently appears quite believable in his handling of the violin onscreen. The second category, the cameos, dates back to Das Dreimäderlhaus, discussed above. The French Berlioz film Symphonie Fantastique (¡942) also has a

short sequence with veteran character actor Maurice Schutz in the role of Paganini, most likely when the celebrated violinist asked Berlioz to write a work for him, the origin of his memorable Harold in Italy. In Rossini, Paganini makes a surprise appearance during a Roman street carnival. All the revelers are masked and in costume. Suddenly, one of the musicians starts to play a remarkable passage on the violin. The crowd, stunned, slowly realizes this is no ordinary violinist. “Paganini! It’s Paganini!” they begin to shout. Someone rips o› his mask to confirm their supposition. The violinist is hoisted on the shoulders of the members of the crowd, and everyone cheers as he is carried down the street. The performer portraying Paganini is uncredited in this brief scene, but he was undoubtedly a master violinist by the expert fingering and playing in the scene. In the famous Chopin biopic A Song to Remember (¡945), Roxy Roth plays Paganini in a brief bit near the beginning of the picture. In ¡828, Chopin (Cornel Wilde) is selected to play at a Polish nobleman’s private party. The musicians, however, are treated like servants, forced to wait in the kitchen. In the first scene, Chopin is late, and his father is pacing the kitchen while Paganini sits meekly in a corner chair, holding his violin in his lap. In the next scene, Chopin arrives and is told that Paganini is playing. Through the closed door, the audience can hear Paganini’s famous Caprice No. 24 in A minor, featuring the melody that inspired numerous variations from other composers, including Liszt, Brahms, Rachmanino› and Lutoslawski. Modest applause is heard as the door to the dining hall opens, and Paganini returns to the kitchen. Chopin smiles and bows to him, but the violinist takes no notice. Chopin enters the dining hall and begins to play. Back in the kitchen, Paganini has packed his violin and is leaving, but he hesitates when he hears Chopin’s music.

The image of Paganini playing his violin in prison has been used in films, such as the silent Conrad Veidt version.

164

Niccolò Paganini

Roxy Roth is never seen playing the violin, but he is tall and makes an acceptable Paganini in appearance. However, it is highly unlikely that Paganini would have been treated so shabbily at this point in his career, reduced to playing background music for a banquet. Chopin was unknown at this point, so it is conceivable that he would have been treated in this fashion. Paganini, however, was the most famous artist of his day and at the height of his popularity. More often kings and members of the nobility were forced to wait for him, not vice versa, so the depiction of Paganini as a meek and largely ignored “pickup” artist fails to ring true. Chopin is also involved in the next two Paganini cameos, Bohemian Rapture (¡948) and Young Chopin (¡952). The first is an obscure Czech musical, but it seems that both Chopin and Paganini have relatively minor parts. Young Chopin is a lavish Polish film. Midway through the picture, the twenty-year-old Chopin (Czeslaw Wollejko) attends a Paganini recital on June ¡4, ¡830, in Warsaw. The concert hall is filled, and Chopin is sitting up in the balcony. The hall quiets as Paganini makes a dramatic appearance. A coughing man stifles his noisemaking as Paganini stares at him. An elderly woman dressed entirely in black (and resembling Una O’Connor) crosses herself as Paganini descends a staircase to the stage. Francisek Jamry makes a charismatic Paganini, and his appearance is painstakingly based on sketches and drawings from the era. This is Jamry’s only film, and he appears to be an accomplished violinist, as his fingering and bowing technique clearly demonstrate. Jamry plays Paganini’s Caprice No. 24 in A minor almost in its entirety, with only a modest cut. The camera focuses equally on Paganini and the members of the audience during the first half of the piece. As the work progresses, beginning with the pizzicato passage in the caprice, the camera concen-

trates more and more closely on Paganini. At the conclusion, the audience almost explodes with applause and ecstatic shouts of approval. A priest, however, exclaims that he is the devil. The old woman who crossed herself claims Paganini resembles Beelzebub. Chopin, thunderstruck, does not applaud. Instead, he races downstairs and backstage. He walks up to Paganini, bows down and kisses his hand. Paganini gently pats Chopin on his head. In the next scene, as he walks home with other students, Chopin claims to have had a revelation. Paganini has demonstrated to him that a single instrument can have the same power as a full orchestra with the right music and performer. The ¡954 Italian film Casta Diva is based on the life of Vincenzo Bellini. After the credits, the picture opens at a Paganini concert in San Carlo on April ¡8, ¡8¡9. The first image of the film is the shadow of Paganini as he plays the violin. The camera pans back and shows a modest orchestra of a dozen musicians accompanying Paganini as he plays a set of variations on themes of Rossini. Danilo Berardinelli is as stunning and dramatic as Jamry in Young Chopin, except his Paganini is appropriately years younger. Berardinelli is also a competent violinist, and his handling of his instrument has much flair. As he plays, Paganini notices a student standing at the back of the box. Something about the student irritates Paganini, and at the end of the piece he storms o›stage. He demands that the student be brought to his dressing room at once. When the young man appears, Paganini insists to know why he appeared to be laughing during his concert. The student replies that he was laughing at himself. He was hoping to become a composer, but while listening to Paganini’s compositions, he began to realize how modest his own e›orts are compared to those of a master. Paganini is placated and asks the young man his name. “Vincenzo

Niccolò Paganini

Bellini,” the student replies, and Paganini repeats his name so he can remember it. Danilo Berardinelli makes a remarkable Paganini, but this appears to have been his only film. In Spring Symphony (¡983), a virtuoso of world renown, Gidon Kremer, is cast as Paganini. The very first shot of the film is a close-up of Kremer’s hands on the violin as he launches into a bravura performance of Paganini’s Caprice No. ¡7 in E flat major. The credits appear as his playing continues. Kremer is visually less impressive that Jamry or Berardinelli, but his playing is so brilliant and captivating that one can easily accept him as Paganini. His technique is breathtaking, and he sways and weaves with the music unlike the other two violinists, who were more stationary. Although no date is provided for this concert, it would probably have been in ¡829, when Schumann decided to switch careers from law to music. After Paganini finishes playing, Schumann boasts to his companion that he intends to become the Paganini of the piano. Kremer’s appearance in the film is brief and without any dialogue. Paganini makes a second brief appearance about twenty minutes into the film when he makes another concert appearance accompanied by Clara, the gifted daughter of Friedrich Wieck, who later marries Robert Schumann. The third category contains films based on Franz Lehar’s three-act operetta Paganini, which debuted in ¡925. In terms of musical style, the work bears little relationship to the actual music of Paganini, owing more to the influence of Puccini and Dvorak instead. The original libretto is by Paul Knepler, a publisher from Vienna who sent his work anonymously to Lehar. The composer thought the subject to be ideal, but he revised the work using another writer, Bela Jenbach. The plot draws heavily on Paganini lore rather than fact. The inspiration is Paganini’s stay in the Italian

165

principality of Lucca during the years ¡806–¡809, concentrating on his rumored a›air with Princess Anna Elisa, the sister of Napoleon Bonaparte. In fact, Paganini was twenty-four at the time he accepted an appointment as second violinist in the princess’s chamber orchestra. He later became a member of the court’s string quartet and served as musical instructor as well. In ¡807, Paganini composed his first musical triumph, the Napoleon Sonata for the G String. Played on one string alone, this work was also fiendishly di‡cult and required perfect technique. Restless by nature, Paganini left the service of the princess in ¡809, but they possibly had a liaison in Trieste in ¡8¡6. In his career, Paganini was associated with many women and had many love a›airs, yet it is his initial dalliance with Princess Elisa that has sparked the most rumors and legends. Actually, very little is known about their relationship, although Elisa gave Paganini a priceless Florentine mosaic in honor of his Napoleon Sonata. In any case, the libretto to Paganini concentrates on this a›air. In the first act, Paganini visits Lucca, where the Princess Elisa (and the entire female population) become enchanted with the great violinist. Prince Felice, however, orders that his concert be canceled. The princess gets him to withdraw this order by threatening to expose her husband’s a›air with Bella Giretta, the prima donna of the Royal Opera. In the second act, Paganini has gambled away his Stradivarius violin. Pimpinelli, an ambitious local o‡cial, redeems it for him on condition that the virtuoso share his secret for conquering women. The princess and Paganini begin an a›air, but eventually he wanders and is caught flirting with Bella Giretta. The princess learns of this and plans to arrest the violinist after his concert, but he plays so passionately that she forgets her anger and falls in love with him again. In the third and final act, Bella Giretta

166

Niccolò Paganini

tries to win back Paganini, who decides to leave Lucca in disguise with a group of smugglers. Having failed in her e›orts, Bella Giretta instead takes up with Pimpinelli, who now knows Paganini’s technique with women. Disguised as a street singer, Princess Elisa shows up seeking out Paganini. He sees through her disguise and bids her farewell, claiming that his one and only love must remain his violin. In essence, Paganini is sonic pastry, a work well crafted to beguile lovers of operetta, perhaps a trifle schmaltzy, but not a piece that would foster much interest in the genuine Niccolò Paganini. Interestingly, Franz Lehar composed Paganini specifically for the tenor Richard Tauber, who later went on to star as Franz Schubert in the film Blossom Time (¡934). The first film version of the operetta was made in Germany in ¡934, at the time when the Nazi party began to solidify its total control of the arts under the watchful eye of Joseph Goebbels. The innocuous script of Paganini, however, was unprovocative to the Nazis so they did not tamper with it. At one point the initial title was Gern Hab’ Ich die Frau’n Geküsst or I’ve Enjoyed Kissing the Ladies, which is Paganini’s act-two aria, when he explains to Pimpinelli his success with women. Paganini is played by Ivan Petrovich, a Serbian actor and occasional opera singer. Eliza Illiard sings the role of the princess, and Theo Lingen portrays Pimpinelli. Franz Lehar himself approved of this screen adaptation, which has been regularly revived in German theaters down the years. The ¡972 version of Paganini is basically a film of a stage performance of the operetta starring tenor Antonio Theba as Paganini, opera diva Teresa Stratas as Princess Elisa and Peter Krauss as Pimpinelli. There are also a number of recordings of the operetta, the most distinguished version recorded in ¡977 by the Bayreuth State Opera led by Willi Boskovsky. Nicolai

Gedda sings the role of Paganini, Anneliese Rothenberger performs Elisa and Pimpinelli is played by Heinz Zednik. The final category features full-screen treatments in which Paganini is the main character. Three films qualify here, including the silent ¡923 version with Conrad Veidt previously covered. The Magic Bow (¡946) is a rather old-fashioned British film based on a novel by Manuel Komro› and starring Stewart Granger as the famous violinist. Essentially, the story takes a number of true anecdotes and legends from Paganini’s career and repackages them in a contrived framework that blends fact with fiction. The story is set during the Napoleonic era, which leads to a number of time incongruities. For example, before a Paris concert, Paganini is informed that Franz Liszt will be in the audience. Since Liszt was born in ¡8¡¡, and the Napoleonic era came to an end in ¡8¡5, the contradiction is obvious. The Magic Bow opens in Genoa in ¡80¡, as a title card compares Paganini and Napoleon as emerging forces in their selected fields. A young aristocrat, Jeanne de Vermond, overhears Paganini performing in a music shop and hires him to play his instrument in the street outside the prison. Unknowingly, the musician has been hired to provide a distraction while the noblewoman’s father saws through the bars to escape. Paganini claims to be improvising during this scene, but the actual music comes from the Rondo of the Second Violin Concerto. Stewart Granger’s violin technique is passable, but the music heard is truly exceptional. None other than Yehudi Menuhin provides the violin solos. An acquaintance of the young violinist, a singer named Antonia Bianchi, appears and informs him that he was only a dupe. Since the prisoner has escaped, she teases him about continuing his playing. Disgusted, Paganini decides to leave his parents’ home and travel to Parma,

Niccolò Paganini

167

Paganini (Stewart Grainger) obtains his Stradivarius in The Magic Bow.

where he hears that Bazzini, a wealthy amateur composer and violin collector, is wagering his Stradivarius if any musician can correctly play on sight his most di‡cult composition, La Ronde des Lutins. En route, Paganini makes the acquaintance of Luigi Germi, a lawyer who o›ers to become his manager. In Parma, Paganini easily wins the Stradivarius and is invited by the wealthy de Vermond family to play at a banquet at their estate. Jeanne apologizes for the ruse in winning the release of her father, and they become friends. Paganini storms out of the recital, however, since the guests completely ignore his playing. Antonia Bianchi, who is also engaged to sing, follows Paganini back to his lodgings to cheer him up. They visit a casino, and Paganini loses a great deal of money gambling and is forced to pawn his Stradivar-

ius. Germi has engaged a public concert for Paganini, and the lawyer persuades Jeanne de Vermond to pay the debt and redeem the violin. The concert is a great success, and Paganini performs his First Violin Concerto. During the last movement, an army passes by in the streets, and a French o‡cer enters the concert hall, salutes Paganini with his sword and allows the concert to continue. After the performance, Paganini has a rendezvous with Jeanne, and they pledge their love for each other. They make plans to elope, but then Jeanne learns that she has been requested by Napoleon to wed Paul de la Rochelle, the o‡cer who appeared at Paganini’s concert. Since refusal would bring ruin to her family, Jeanne breaks o› her elopement with Paganini. Outraged, the violinist asks Germi to

168

Niccolò Paganini

arrange a concert tour and include Bianchi in the programs. A montage follows as Paganini plays in Vienna, Munich, Brussels, London and Paris. Paganini spots Jeanne while at a sidewalk cafe, and he sends her tickets to his concert. Paul, her fiancé, is outraged and challenges Paganini to a duel. The violinist accept the challenge, even though he has never handled a sword. Jeanne appears too late to intervene, and Paganini is slightly wounded in his right arm. Paganini stops playing, and although his wounds heal, he doesn’t touch his violin for months. Bianchi goes to visit Jeanne to plead for her help in restoring Paganini’s self-confidence. Jeanne uses her influence at the French court so that Napoleon persuades the pope to summon Paganini for a command performance. Jeanne and Paul attend the concert, and when Jeanne admits to him that she still loves Paganini, he releases her from her engagement. Paganini plays Beethoven’s Violin Concerto for the pope at St. Peters. Jeanne smiles at him triumphantly as he finishes his performance. It is di‡cult to separate the genuine from the imaginary characters without a scorecard. Jeanne de Vermond is fictitious, a composite of many of Paganini’s aristocratic amours, including Napoleon’s sister Princess Elisa. Antonio Bianchi is real, however. Paganini met her in ¡824, and she bore him his son Achille the following year. They eventually separated in ¡828, with Paganini retaining custody of his son. Although he treated her shabbily at the time of their parting, Paganini left her a generous annuity in his will. Luigi Germi is also real and was probably Paganini’s closest friend over a thirty-year period. Paganini was summoned to play before the pope. That occurred in ¡827, however, far outside the time frame of The Magic Bow. In real life, Paganini did have a gambling addiction, and the story of him pawning his violin before a concert is based on fact.

He also gained possession of his Stradivarius through a wager by performing an “impossible to play” composition. His favorite instrument was not his Stradivarius, but a Guarnerius, which was initially lent to him by a French merchant. After hearing Paganini play the instrument, the merchant gave him the violin, which became his most cherished possession. He eventually bequeathed the violin to his hometown of Genoa. The soundtrack of the film contains ample selections of Paganini’s music, particularly his Caprices and his first two violin concertos. Giuseppe Tartini’s Devil’s Trill Sonata is also played in addition to the Finale from Beethoven’s Violin Concerto. One hybrid work is also heard frequently during the picture, a work called his Romance Caprice. This composition was arranged by Phil Green and is principally derived from the Caprice No. 2¡ in A major. Oddly enough, The Magic Bow completely avoids any of the sinister or diabolic implications surrounding the figure of Paganini, who instead is depicted as pure and simple as a romantic artist su›ering from unrequited love. This is at variance with the historical Paganini, who is often regarded as the Casanova of composers due to his large number of a›airs and liaisons. Stewart Granger is not really convincing as Paganini, resembling the great virtuoso neither in his appearance nor in his acting, which seems strained and somewhat artificial. The second biographical feature is Klaus Kinski’s ¡989 endeavor titled Paganini. This project was initially envisioned as a six-hour miniseries, but budgetary concerns and Kinski’s poor health forced the project to be cut back to a picture of modest length. The resulting film is not a linear story, but rather an impressionistic character portrait of Paganini during the last few months of his life, fo-

Niccolò Paganini

cusing on his relationship with his son Achille with a number of random flashbacks of incidents throughout his career. Kinski served as director, writer, editor and star of the film, and he included family members in key roles, particularly his son Nicolai as Achille Paganini. In fact, Nicolai is a bit too young for the part, since Achille was fifteen when his father died, and Nicolai seems to be only eight or nine. Kinski’s Paganini is a blending of good and bad elements. On the positive side, Kinski is simply remarkable as Paganini, very faithful to his appearance and very sinister in his manner (except around Achille, upon whom he lavishes his a›ection). On the other hand, Kinski handles the violin backward, holding the instrument in his right hand and bowing with his left, the direct opposite of how the violin is played. Only Charlie Chaplin in Limelight (¡954) ever handles the instrument in such a fashion on screen. To further confuse matters, Kinski is often doubled by master virtuoso Salvatore Accardo, who of course plays the violin in the proper fashion and whose fingering is amazing to watch. Yet audience members must be bewildered by the shifting positions of the instrument in the film. The musical performances heard on the soundtrack are a genuine triumph, as practically every note is pure, unaltered Paganini. Accardo’s playing of the Caprices is astonishing, and the highlight is when Caprice No. 24 is performed. The camera positioning is never static in these scenes, constantly moving as the music is played, creating a feverish mood. In the opening concert sequence, the cinematography and editing create a genuinely intoxicating atmosphere. The women in the audience respond to Paganini’s playing with an intensity that is almost orgasmic (although in truth so many unaccompanied women would not have appeared in a public concert during

169

this era). A particularly memorable line of dialogue heard after the recital states that Paganini is a sexual vampire who drains away the spirits of his female listeners. Perhaps the finest scene in the film is based on a genuine Paganini anecdote. Walking the streets, the composer encounters a young street violinist playing his heart out, but without receiving any donations in his upturned hat. Paganini takes the poor youngster’s violin, and starts to play variations on a Haydn tune from his Emperor Quartet (later known as Deutschland über Alles). A crowd gathers, fascinated by Paganini’s playing. He then passes the hat around, collecting a healthy sum which he turns over to the boy, telling him to go eat a good supper. Other scenes in Paganini can be distasteful, particularly some of his sexual encounters, which are rather graphically portrayed, earning the film an “R” rating. In any case, Klaus Kinski’s Paganini is an intense and highly idiosyncratic picture, brilliant but self-indulgent, flawed but hard to forget. It debuted at the Cannes Film Festival, where its reception was enthusiastic, but the film was never actually distributed in the United States except for a few festival performances. It was Kinski’s only directorial e›ort, and he died shortly after its release. This makes the scene of young Achille Paganini (Nicolai Kinski) lamenting over the body of his dead father in the film seem especially poignant.

Production Credits La Fin du Paganini (¡9¡0) Gaumont Cast: Gaston Severin, Reneé Carl. Written by Abel Gance; Produced and Directed by Louis Feuillade. Original language French B&W ¡ reel. Das Dreimäderlhaus (¡9¡8) Richard Oswald Films Cast: Conrad Veidt, Wilhelm Diegelmann, Sybilla Binder, Kathe Oswald, Ruth

170

Niccolò Paganini

Werner, Anita Berber, Raoul Lange, Bruno Eichgrün, Max Gülsto›, Adolf Suchanek, Julius Spielmann as Franz Schubert. Based on the operetta Das Dreimäderlhaus by A. M. Wilner and Heinz Reichert and the novel Schwammerl by Rudolf Hans Bartsch; Cinematography by Max Fassbinder; Produced and Directed by Richard Oswald. Original language German B&W 5 reels. Paganini (¡923) Conrad Veidt Films Cast: Conrad Veidt, Greta Schrödter, Martin Herzberg, Hermine Sterler, Alexander Granach, Eva May, Harry Hardt, Hans Wassmann, Jean Nadolovitch as Hector Berlioz and Gustav Frölich as Franz Liszt. Written by Heinz Goldberg based on a story by Paul Beyer; Cinematography by Stefan Lorant; Produced by Richard Oswald and Conrad Veidt; Directed by Heinz Goldberg. Original language German B&W 6 reels. Paganini (¡934) AKA Gern Hab’ Ich die Frau’n Geküsst Majestic Cast: Ivan Petrovich, Eliza Illiard, Theo Lingen, Adele Sandrock, Maja Feist, Rudolf Klein-Rogge, Aribert Wäscher, Maria Belling and Veit Harlan. Music by Franz Lehar; Written by Georg Zoch based on the operetta Paganini by Paul Knepler, Bela Jenbach and Franz Lehar; Cinematography by Ewald Daub; Edited by Martha Dübber; Produced by Franz Tapper and Helmut Eweler; Directed by E. W. Emo. Original language German B&W 83 minutes. La Symphonie Fantastique (¡942) Continental Cast: Jean-Louis Berrault as Hector Berlioz, Reneé Saint-Cyr, Lisa Delamare, Jules Berry, Bernard Blier, Gilbert Gil, Julien Bertheay, Catherine Fonteney, Roland Armontel, Jean Darcant, Georges Gosset and Maurice Schutz; Music by Hector Berlioz; Written by Jean-Pierre Feydeau; Cinematography by Armand Thirard; Edited by Jacques Desagneaux; Directed by Christian-Jaque. Original language French B&W 95 minutes. Rossini (¡943) BCS Cast: Nino Besozzi, Paola Barbara, Carmillo Pilotto, Lamberto Picasso, Armando Falconi, Greta Gonda, Paola Stoppa and Memo Benassi. Music by Gioachinno Rossini; Arranged by Vittorio Gui; Performed by Dianna Pederzinni, Tancredi Pasero, Gabriella Gatti, Mariani Stabile, Enzo De Muro Lomanto, Piero Pauli (vocalists); Orchestra and Chorus conducted by

Fernando Previtali; Written by Mario Bonnard, Parsifal Bassi, Vittorio Novarese and Gherando Gherardi; Cinematography by Mario Albertelli; Edited by Renzi Lucidi; Produced by Carlo Benetti; Directed by Mario Bonnard. Original language Italian B&W 94 minutes. A Song to Remember (¡944) Columbia Cast : Cornel Wilde as Frederic Chopin, Maurice Tauzin as Chopin in his youth, Paul Muni, Merle Oberon, Nina Foch, George Coulouris, Howard Freeman, Peter Cusanelli, Fay Helm, Michael Visaro›, Ian Wolfe, George Macready, Darren McGavin, Stephen Bekassy and Roxy Roth. Music by Frederic Chopin, Niccolò Paganini and Miklos Rozsa; Orchestrations by Eugene Zador; Performed by José Iturbi (pianist); Orchestra conducted by Morris Stolo›; Written by Sidney Buchman based on a story by Ernst Marischka; Cinematography by Tony Gaudio and Allen M. Davey; Edited by Charles Nelson; Produced by Sidney Buchman and Louis F. Edelman; Directed by Charles Vidor. Color ¡¡2 minutes. The Magic Bow (¡946) Gainsborough Cast : Stewart Granger, Phyllis Calvert, Jean Kent, Dennis Price, Cecil Parker, Felix Aylmer, Frank Cellier, Marie Lohr, Henry Edwards, Mary Jerrold, David Horne, Robert Speaight, Betty Warren, Eliot Makeham, Charles Victor and O. B. Clarence. Music by Niccolò Paganini, Giuseppe Tartini, Ludwig van Beethoven and Henry Geehl; Paganini’s Romance Caprice arranged by Phil Green; Yehudi Menuhin (violinist); National Symphony Orchestra conducted by Basil Cameron; Written by Roland Pertwee and Norman Ginsbury based on the novel The Magic Bow by Manuel Komro›; Cinematography by Jack Cox; Edited by Alfred Roome; Produced by R. J. Minney; Directed by Bernard Knowles. B&W ¡05 minutes. Bohemian Rapture (¡948) National Film Studio of Prague Cast: Karel Dostal, Vlasta Fabianova, Karel Jelinek, Libuse Zemkova, Eduard Kohout, Jirinka Krelsova, Jaromir Spol, Jiri Steimor and Vaclav Voska as Frederic Chopin. Directed by Vaclav Krska. Original language Czech B&W 88 minutes. Young Chopin (¡952) WFF Lodz Cast: Czeslaw Wollejko as Frederic Chopin, Z. Lobodzinski, J. Nieweglowki, Jerzy Duszynski, Leon

Niccolò Paganini Pietraszkiewicz, S. Drewicz, Adam Cyprian, Aleksandra Slaska, Jan Kurnakowicz, Janusz Galc, Maria Gorcynska, Wanda Jakubinska, Ignace Jaiszewski and Francisek Jamry. Written by Hubert Drapella, Zbigniew Kurzimski, Olga Ford and Aleksander Ford; Music by Frederick Chopin, Niccolò Paganini and Kazimierz Serocki; Cinematography by Jaroslaw Tuzar; Edited by Krystyna Tunis; Produced and Directed by Aleksander Ford. Original language Polish B&W ¡2¡ minutes. Casta Diva (¡954) Documento Film Cast: Maurice Ronet as Vincenzo Bellini, Faust Tozzi as Gaetano Donizetti, Antonella Lualdi, Nadia Gray, Jacques Castelot, Marina Berti, Renzo Ricci, Jean Richard, Paola Borboni, Manilo Busoni, Dante Maggio, Camillo Pilotto and Danilo Berardinelli. Music by Vincenzo Bellini, Gaetano Donizetti, Niccolò Paganini and Renzo Rossellini; Caterina Mancini, Giulio Neri, Gianni Poggi, Gino Materia, Juanita Satiman and Enrico Formichi (vocalists); Orchestra and Chorus of the Rome Opera conducted by Oliviero DeFabritiis; Written by Mario Chiari; Cinematography by Marco Scarpelli; Edited by Niccolo Lazzari; Produced by Franco Riganti; Directed by Carmine Gallone. Original language Italian Color 98 minutes. Paganini (¡972) Unitel Cast: Antonio Theba, Teresa Stratas, Johannes Heesters, Dagmar Koller, Peter Kraus, Fritz Tillmann, Wolfgang Lukschy and Klaud Havenstein. Music by Franz Lehár; Written by Rolf Becker and Eugen York based on the operetta Paganini by Paul Knepler, Bela Jenbach and Franz Lehár; Cinematography by Günter Haase; Edited by Eugen York; Produced by Fritz Buttenstedt; Directed by Eugen York. Original language German Color ¡08 minutes. Spring Symphony (¡983) Cine International Cast: Nastassja Kinski as Clara Schumann, Herbert Grönmeyer as Robert Schumann, Rolf Hoppe, Bernhardt Wicki, Edda Seippel, Margit Geissler, Inge Marschall, Kitty Mattern, Anja Christine Preussler, Sonja Tuchmann, Wolfgang Greese, Gunter Kraa, Uwe Müller, Gidon Kremer and André Heller as Felix Mendelssohn. Music by Robert Schumann, Niccolò Paganini and Herbert Grönmeyer; Performed by Gidon Kremer (violinist); Ivo Pogorelich, Babette Hierholzer and Wilhelm Kempf (pianists); Dietrich Fis-

171

cher-Dieskau (vocal soloist); Berlin Hymnentafel; Uncredited orchestra conducted by Wolfgang Swallisch and Manfred Rosenberg; Written by Peter Schamoni and Hans E. Neunzig; Cinematography by Gerard Vandenberg; Edited by Elfie Tillack; Produced and Directed by Peter Schamoni. Original language German Color ¡02 minutes. Paganini (¡989) Luminous Cast: Klaus Kinski, Debora Kinski, Nicolai Kinski, Dalila Di Lazzaro, Andre Thorent, Eva Grimaldi, Marcel Marceau, Donatello Rettore Bernard Blier, Tosca D’Aquino, Beba Balteano, Fabio Carfora, Feodor Chaliapin and Salvatore Accardo. Music by Niccolò Paganini; Performed by Salvatore Accardo (violinist); London Philharmonic conducted by Charles Dutoit; Written by Klaus Kinski; Cinematography by Pier Luigi Santi; Edited by Klaus Kinski; Produced by Augusto Caminito; Directed by Klaus Kinski. Original language Italian Color 83 minutes.

Noted Documentaries • Meeting of Minds: Leonardo da Vinci, William Blake and Niccolò Paganini (¡98¡) An imaginary roundtable discussion by Steve Allen; PBS; ¡20 minutes • Art of the Violin: The Devil’s Instrument (200¡) A film by Bruno Monsaingeon; PBS; ¡20 minutes • Niccolò Paganini (¡997) Directed by Christopher Nupen; Allegro Films; 55 minutes

Robert Rudie served as concertmaster for the American Symphony Orchestra in the ¡970s. He developed the idea to combine the “one-man show” concept with a violin recital. He would dress as Paganini and give a concert in the guise of the great violinist. At times he would stop and explain violin techniques, comparing what is ordinary with what is extraordinary, using musical examples. The author of this book helped Rudie to present one of his first Paganini recitals at the Sunday music series for the Paterson (N.J.) Public Library

172

Giovanni Battista Pergolesi

in ¡975. Years later, Rudie’s imaginative routine came to the attention of Steve Allen, who had a clever PBS series titled Meeting of Minds, in which three or four famous characters from history would gather for a roundtable discussion hosted by Allen. This entertaining concept flourished for over four seasons. Paganini appeared as one of the characters with Leonardo da Vinci and William Blake in the final year of the show. For the program, Rudie presented large segments of his show, which Allen incorporated into the script, fortunately providing a permanent

record of Rudie’s exceptional e›orts in bringing Paganini to life for many viewers. Christopher Nupen’s Paganini documentary is a more traditional presentation. It was originally developed for the South Bank Show on ITV. Bruno Monsaingeon’s epic violin documentary actually focuses on twentieth-century masters of the instrument, but Paganini’s influence on the instrument is so persuasive that his contributions to the art of the violin are covered quite succinctly in the course of the program.

Giovanni Battista Pergolesi Screen depiction • Elio Steiner in Pergolesi (¡932)

Giovanni Battista Pergolesi (¡7¡0– ¡736) is primarily remembered for composing the first comic operas in music history, particularly La Serva Padrona (The Maid as Mistress) in ¡733 and Il Faminio in ¡735. He is also remembered for his moving Stabat Mater, composed shortly before his death from tuberculosis at the age of twenty-six. Pergolesi has often been compared to Mozart, whom he undoubtedly inspired with his sense of style and melody. Igor Stravinsky based one of his ballets, Pulcinella, on melodies by Pergolesi. Pergolesi is portrayed in only one film, Pergolesi, which was acclaimed for its notable art direction which used eighteenth-century art as its stylistic model.

The plot is largely based on legends of the composer’s romantic escapades, which also served as the basis for two nineteenth-century operas which were also based on these stories. Guido Bregnone, the director, was best known for his fantasy films, including the wildly popular Maciste in Hell (¡927). He directed over seventy films, remained active in Italy throughout the war years and afterward. His final film was Sheba and the Gladiators (¡958).

Production Credits Pergolesi (¡932) Pittaluga Films Cast : Elio Steiner, Tina Lattanzi, Giacomo Almirante, Romolo Costa, Carlo Lombardi and Dria Paola. Music by Giovanni Battista Pergolesi; Cinematography by Ubaldo Arata; Produced and Directed by Guido Bregnone. Original language Italian B&W 92 minutes.

Giacomo Puccini

173

Giacomo Puccini Screen depictions • Gabriele Ferzetti in Two Loves Have I (¡952) • Gabriele Ferzetti in Casa Ricordi (¡954) • Robert Stephens in Puccini (¡984) • Massimo Ghini in Casa Ricordi (¡987)

Giacomo Puccini (¡858–¡924) is considered the master of late Romantic Italian opera. Ricordi, the great music publisher, heard conservatory student Puccini play excerpts from his opera Le Villi and staged it. Thereafter, Puccini devoted himself to opera. His major compositions in the field include Manon Lescaut (¡893), La Bohème (¡896), Tosca (¡900), Madame Butterfly (¡904), Girl of the Golden West (¡9¡0) and his trio of one-act operas Il Tabarro, Suor Angelica and Gianni Schicchi (¡9¡8). Turandot, perhaps his greatest opera, was left unfinished at his death in ¡924. Franco Alfano, a well-known opera composer in his own right, completed the last duet and finale scene, using the fragments and sketches by Puccini. Besides the two brief depictions in Casa Ricordi and its television remake, Puccini has been represented on screen by two laudable productions, the first, Two Loves Have I, traditional, and the second, Puccini, stimulating and innovative. Two Loves Have I opens with a title card announcing that it is “a free and poetical interpretation” of the life of Puccini. The music excerpts during the credits are orchestral renditions of key passages from Turandot, Tosca, Madame Butterfly and La Bohème (in that order). In truth, Two Loves Have I does not stray as greatly from the facts as most composer biopics. When it does distort and alter events, oddly enough,

it is not to protect the composer’s reputation, but that of his wife, Elvira. On the whole, Puccini led a relatively uneventful life outside of one tragic scandal known as “the Doria A›air.” Puccini was a ladies’ man with an active libido, but he kept his transgressions low key and quiet. He had numerous but short-lived liaisons, usually with chorus girls or other women of modest means whom he usually treated without any false promises or illusions. His wife, Elvira, knew of these relations and was deeply jealous. In ¡908, she became convinced that Puccini was having an a›air with Doria Manfredi, the gentle, young servant girl who had worked for them for five years. The composer denied it, and Doria denied it, but Elvira made her accusations public, embarrassing the young servant throughout the quiet village of Torre del Lago, where they lived. Elvira’s persecution of the girl became outrageous, even pursuing her down the street hurling insults. When her own family began to accept Elvira’s lies, Doria swallowed poison while proclaiming her innocence. A post mortem confirmed the girl’s virginity, clearing her good name and that of Puccini. The Manfredi family sued Elvira for public defamation, and she was sentenced to several months in jail and a fine. Puccini eventually stepped in and o›ered the family a generous out-of-court settlement, which they accepted since they regarded the composer with a›ection, an innocent victim like their daughter. It is this fascinating and explosive drama which is completely altered in Two Loves Have I. First, Elvira is absent from the scene, having left the composer temporarily. Puccini is injured in a car accident, and the local doctor hires a servant to assist him.

174

Giacomo Puccini

She is called Delia instead of Doria, and she lies to the composer about the distance to her home, so that he will allow her to stay in his house. The accusations against Delia and Puccini come from unidentified town gossips. Instead of poison, Delia drowns herself in the lake, and Elvira returns home after the uproar to comfort the composer! The other major plot alteration also concerns Elvira. When she and Puccini fell in love, she was already married to a grocer and had two children. In ¡884, she ran o› to live with the composer, and they did not marry until after the death of her original husband. In the film, however, Elvira is engaged to a count, an arrangement made by her father, and she runs o› with Puccini the day before her wedding. For years, however, she only lives with Puccini before he eventually marries her. This plot change, like that of the Doria a›air, seems entirely for Elvira’s benefit, with the composer coming o› as a rather capricious scoundrel. Outside of these two major changes, the bulk of the story sticks close to established fact. Two Loves Have I opens in Milan in ¡884, as Puccini gains fame after playing selections from his first opera, Le Villi (The Witches) at a party attended by the music publisher Giulio Ricordi. Although the excerpts we hear of Le Villi are played on the keyboard, the full orchestra takes over on the soundtrack. Arrigo Boito (¡842–¡9¡8), renowned librettist and composer of the opera Mefistofele, based on the Faust legend, proclaims that this opera must be produced, and Giulio Ricordi o›ers Puccini a contract. His next opera, Edgar, debuts in ¡889 but is a failure. Facing financial di‡culties, Puccini persuades Ricordi to sponsor his new opera, Manon Lescaut, based on the novel by Abbé Prévost. There is some initial resistance by critics, since the French composer Jules Massenet (¡842–¡9¡2) had composed a successful version of this work ten

years earlier. The film spends considerable time as Puccini struggles with the score. At one point, he is seized with inspiration as he plays the piano, leaving Elvira knocking helplessly at the door of the apartment, unable to get his attention. Manon Lescaut is a tremendous success, but he begins an a›air with Christina Vernini, the singer playing Manon, whom he met earlier when he was a struggling student. Christina is a fictitious character based on opera diva Cesira Ferrani, with whom the historical Puccini had a brief but casual a›air. Cesira was the original Manon and Mimi. The first of the numerous stage excerpts, the highlights of any Gallone production, follows with the tenor aria “Donna Non Vidi Mai,” from the first act of Manon, beautifully sung by Beniamino Gigli. All the operatic excerpts were filmed at Teatro alla Scala, commonly known as La Scala, the legendary opera house in Milan where many of Puccini’s operas had their debut. The rest of the production alternates between scenes of the various operas and scenes of Elvira’s su›ering, either from Puccini’s other romantic dalliances (with Christina, who stands as a composite of Puccini’s numerous short flings) or from loneliness as she spends most of her time at home knitting. Finally, she has enough and decides to leave the composer, and it is during this absence that the scandal with “Delia” occurs. The operatic scenes include lengthy passages from La Bohème (the love duet from Act ¡ and the finale with Mimi’s death scene) and Madame Butterfly (the “Humming Chorus” and Butterfly’s suicide). The opening-night La Scala failure of Madame Butterfly is reenacted in precise detail, with large numbers of the audience walking out during the final scene. At this point, the film jumps twenty years, to ¡924. Dying from throat cancer, Puccini struggles to finish his last work, Turandot. In a poignant scene, the composer sits at

Giacomo Puccini

the piano, playing and writing down passages for the final duet. He then stands, stares at the ticking metronome, and desperately returns to the piano. His son later helps him over to his bed. The scene fades out, followed by a close-up of the debut poster for Turandot with Toscanini conducting at La Scala. A scene from Act III is enacted on stage, as the blind, deposed King Timur sings his farewell to Liu, his servant who had committed suicide. At the end of the scene, conductor Arturo Toscanini turns to the audience and says, “Here the opera ends because of the death of the Master.” (Other sources report he said, “Here the Master laid down his pen.”) The audience stands, and the soundtrack intones the final chorus from Turandot as the camera focuses on a tearful Elvira sitting alone in a second-tier box, followed by a quick, closing title card, accompanied by the same musical passage with which the film opened. There is much to admire in Two Loves Have I, particularly the operatic selections, which are sumptuously played and well chosen. Gabriele Ferzetti is excellent as Puccini, and his natural charm carries the day since the character of Puccini is not really as sympathetic as written. His appearance closely resembles that of Puccini, and his many gestures correspond to those of the composer (including his chain-smoking technique). However, the production concentrates too much on Elvira. The audience is far more interested in Puccini composing than Elvira knitting, but there seems to be more scenes of the latter. As portrayed by Marta Toren, Elvira comes across as a virtually flawless saint, far di›erent than the sullen, cold and possessive woman recorded by most acquaintances. In any case, the next film to be covered, Tony Palmer’s Puccini, provides a more accurate assessment. Puccini is undoubtedly one of the most interesting titles in this book. The

175

main segment of the film is a well-crafted depiction of the Doria a›air, with the three principals brilliantly played by Robert Stephens, Virginia McKenna (Elvira) and Judith Howarth (Doria). The crisis develops once Elvira overhears and misinterprets some perfectly innocent banter between Puccini and Doria in the kitchen. Her hostility and conviction grow, despite the composer’s best e›orts to placate his wife. Since Puccini’s reputation with women is well known, Elvira’s claims are believed by the locals until Doria’s death exonerates her. Then the tide of public opinion swings against Elvira. These events are intercut with rehearsal scenes for a new production of Turandot with the Scottish National Opera conceived by Tony Palmer. The innovative concept behind this new staging of Turandot is that it reflects the events of the Doria a›air, with Princess Turandot representing Elvira, the servant Liu transformed into Doria and Calaf becoming Puccini himself. Controversial and audacious, this stage concept manages to enrich the portrayal of the original events. True, there is some stylization in the story to underline the parallel, such as the town gossips reflecting Ping, Pang and Pong, but on the whole it works extraordinarily well. The character of Elvira becomes especially poignant, as she is portrayed with icy fury by McKenna, recalling Sian Phillips’ brilliant portrayal of Empress Livia in I, Claudius. If McKenna does not engender sympathy, she manages to provide understanding. Robert Stephens, a solid performer who is so good that he is usually taken for granted, delivers a reading of incredible insight and depth. The composer’s sympathy for both the gentle and kindly Doria and his embittered and hostile wife is magnificently handled by the actor. His own sense of quiet guilt is well portrayed, since he knows his past indiscretions are

176

Giacomo Puccini

responsible for making his wife’s claims credible. Puccini’s scenes with Doria’s father have tremendous, but quiet, intensity. Judith Howarth’s role is perhaps less challenging, but she is totally convincing. Part of the brilliance of the production is the superb editing of the two parallel tracks, the modern-day rehearsal and the original events. Director Palmer becomes one of the main personalities in the opera-staging scenes, which are both fascinating and enlightening. Blending the dry, documentary scenes at the Scottish opera with the dramatized events at Torre del Lago in ¡908 and ¡909 is a challenge. There are conventions to each approach that do not easily mix, but it is the subject matter of the central events that binds them together, making Puccini a remarkable success. Naturally, Puccini’s music is very well handled in the production, although anyone who loves Turandot might regret that the famous aria “Nessun Dorma” (perhaps the greatest tenor aria in all opera) is not included. Concentrating on the historic Puccini dramatization alone, there are many priceless moments, including the composer’s recollections about the libretto of Girl of the Golden West. He considered tinkering with it because there were not enough female characters on stage. Puccini’s boat conversation with his publisher is also memorable, particularly his desire to write “something of substance.” The production is also filled with interesting personal details about the composer, such as his struggles with diabetes and his sugar-free diet or his fondness for duck hunting. Many viewers watching this film will get the impression that they have been in the actual presence of the composer himself, a rare accomplishment matched by few other biopics.

Production Credits Two Loves Have I (¡952) AKA Puccini: Vissi d’arte, Vissi d’amore Rizzoli Films Cast : Gabriele Ferzetti, Marta Toren, Nadia Gray, Miriam Bru, Sergio Tolfano, Mimo Billi, Jacques Famery, Nelly Corradi, Gino Sinimberghi, Dino Lopatto, Dea Korono›, Carlo Duse, Rene Clermont, Oscar Andreani and Paolo Stoppa. Music by Giacomo Puccini; Arranged by Carlo Rustichelli; Performed by Beniamino Gigli, Giulio Neri, Antonietta Stella, Rossanas Carteri, Gino Penno (vocalists); Conducted by Fernando Previtali and Francesco Molinari Pradelli; Cinematography by Claude Renoir; Edited by Rolando Benedetti; Produced by Luigi Rovere; Directed by Carmine Gallone. Original language Italian Color ¡05 minutes. Casa Ricordi (¡954) Cormoran Films Cast : Paolo Stoppa, Marta Toren, Andrea Checchi, Daniele Delorme, Nadia Gray, Vera Silenti, Manlio Busoni, Miriam Bru, Renzo Giovampietro, Gabriele Ferzetti, Micheline Presle, Sergio Tofano, Roldano Lupi, Fausto Tozzi as Arrigo Boito, Roland Alexandre as Rossini, Fosco Giachetti as Verdi, Marcello Mastroianni as Donizetti and Maurice Ronet as Bellini. Music by Ricardo Zandonai, Vincenzo Bellini, Gaetano Donizetti, Giacomo Puccini, Gioacchino Rossini, Giuseppe Verdi and Richard Wagner; Music arranged by Renzo Rossellini; Performed by Nelly Corradi, Mario Del Monaco, Aldo Ferraguti, Enrico Formichi, Tito Gobbi, Ferdinando Lifonni, Giulio Neri, Giulietta Dimionato, Italio Tajo, Renata Tebaldi (vocalists); Conducted by Renzo Rosselini; Written by Leonardo Benvenuti, Luigi Filippo, Carmine Gallone, Age Incrocci, Vittorio Nino Nobarese and Furio Scarpelli; Cinematography by Marco Scarpelli; Edited by Niccolo Lazzari; Produced by Franco Riganti; Directed by Carmine Gallone. Original language Italian Color ¡¡0 minutes. Puccini (¡984) Ladbroke Films Cast : Robert Stephens, Virginia McKenna, Andrew Cruickshank, Bill Fraser, Rupert Graves, Phil McCall, Ronald Pickup, William Squire, Robert Urquhart, Peter Woodthorpe, Judith Howarth and Tony Palmer. Music by Giacomo Puccini; Turandot performed by Linda Esther Gray, Phyllis Cannan, Eduardo Alvares,

Giacomo Puccini Marie Slorach, Alan Oke, Hugh Hetherington, Gordon Christie, Willard White, John Robertson, Norman White (vocalists); JeanYves Thibaudel (pianist); Scottish Opera Orchestra and Chorus conducted by Sir Alexander Gibson; Written by Charles Wood; Cinematography by Nic Knowland; Edited by Tony Palmer; Produced by Simon Channing-Williams; Directed by Tony Palmer. Color ¡¡3 minutes. Casa Ricordi (¡987) Junior Film International Cast : Adriana Asti, Favio Camilli, Anna Kanakis, Marco Minietti, Melba Ru›o di Calabria, Eduardo Siravo, Marco Vivio, Kim Rossi Stuart, Luca Barbareschi, Mariano Rigillo, Alessandro Gassman, Massimo Ghini and Federico Scribani as Arturo Toscanini. Music by Vincenzo Bellini, Gaetano Donizetti, Giacomo Puccini, Gioacchino Rossini and Giuseppe Verdi; Written by Sergio Bazzini and Ugo Pirro; Cinematography by Camillo Vazzoni; Produced by Manolo Bolognini; Directed by Mauro Bolognini. Original language Italian Color ¡04 minutes.

Noted Documentaries

177

den City of Beijing, China. Conductor Zubin Mehta selected a Chinese film director, Zhang Yimou, to stage the opera incorporating authentic Chinese motifs. The production was initially presented in Florence, Italy, in ¡997. The following year, it was restaged for an open-air performance in the historic heart of the Chinese capital. It was probably the most expensive opera production in history, with three di›erent leads for the major roles, a huge chorus and a vast number of extras drawn from the Red Army. The Turandot Project is stunning on all levels. It also forms an interesting counterpoint and contrast to Tony Palmer’s staging of Turandot for the Scottish National Opera. Much of his insight into the work was internal, based on the private life of the composer. Alternatively, Zhang Yimou and Zubin Mehta, working on an epic scale, stressed grandeur, pageantry and the cultural ramifications of the opera. As a film, The Turandot Project can also be regarded as a work of art that can stand on its own.

• Puccini’s Funeral (¡924) Gaumont; 7 minutes • Puccini: A Documentary (¡980) German/ Italian coproduction; 60 minutes • BBC Great Composers: Puccini (¡997) Narrated by Kenneth Branagh; BBC; 57 minutes • Turandot Project (¡999) Directed by Allan Miller; Euroarts Entertainment; 84 minutes

There are several short newsreels of Puccini’s funeral in ¡924, and they were shown widely throughout Europe and the United States. The documentary produced by Gaumont contains various fragments from the last years of the composer’s life as well. The BBC documentary is particularly good, with Simon Callow excellent in various guises during the production. The Turandot Project is a magnificent study of the staging of Turandot in the ancient Forbid-

Robert Stephens and Virginia McKenna as Puccini and his wife Elvira in Puccini.

178

Henry Purcell

Henry Purcell Screen depiction • Michael Ball and Edward Michie in England, My England (¡995)

Henry Purcell (¡659–¡695) was the first British composer of major stature, and he is considered “the father of English music.” In his youth, he was a choir boy in the Chapel Royal, later becoming organist at Westminster Abbey and uno‡cial court composer. His music was widely praised for its melodic ingenuity. His string fantasias are regarded as among the finest works of the late seventeenth century, but his real fame is due to his songs, choral works (both secular and religious) and his operas including The Fairy Queen, King Arthur and especially Dido and Aeneas. Purcell occasionally appeared as a singer, receiving critical praise, for example, in November ¡692, for his performance in his own Ode on St. Cecilia’s Day. The composer died at the age of thirty-six, shortly after composing his eloquent Funeral Music for Queen Mary. Conceived as a telefilm tribute for the three-hundredth anniversary of the composer’s death, England, My England: The Story of Henry Purcell is also regarded by a number of critics as one of the finest screen depictions of Restoration England. Major figures of the day, such as poet laureate John Dryden (who serves as narrator), Samuel Pepys, King Charles II and Nell Gwynne are featured in the production, as are the dramatic events of late seventeenth-century England, including the plague of ¡665, the Great Fire of London, the Monmouth Rebellion, the popish plot and the Glorious Revolution of ¡688. These historical events are intercut with a mod-

ern story, revolving around a ¡960s’ actor named Charles (Simon Callow), who performs the lead in the play In Good King Charles’ Golden Days by George Bernard Shaw at the Royal Court Theater. Some reviewers have called Charles an alter ego for the writer John Osborne, particularly in his biting social commentary. England, My England was Osborne’s last work. The character of Charles is also writing a film script about Henry Purcell, so events from both time periods become interrelated. Some actors are cast in roles in both eras and sometimes appear to cross from one time period to the other and back again. This allows the film to draw a number of parallels between the two eras. The music of Purcell is also featured throughout, sometimes as background music and sometimes performed in the context of a scene. The selections are all well chosen and impeccably played. Michael Ball, a well-known popular singer who created the original role of Marius in Les Misérables, undertakes the part of Purcell with genuine enthusiasm and conviction. The composer is also portrayed in his youth by Edward Michie, who does a fine job. England, My England manages to be informative, entertaining and stimulating, another impressive triumph for filmmaker Tony Palmer.

Production Credits England, My England: Story of Henry Purcell (¡995) Ladbroke Films Cast: Michael Ball, Simon Callow, Edward Michie, Rebecca Front, Lucy Speed, Letitia Dean, Nina Young, John Shrapnel, Terence Rigby, Bill Kenwright, Corin Redgrave, John Fortune, Guy Henry, Peter Woodthorpe, Murray Melvin,

Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov Vernon Dobtche›, Tim Newton, Patricia Quinn, Ben Soames and Robert Stephens as John Dryden. Music by Henry Purcell; Performed by David Blackadder (trumpet), Michael Chance, James Bowman, Jennifer Smith, Paul Agnew, David Thomas, Lynne Dawson, Peter Harvey, Nancy Argenta, Su-

179

san Graham (vocalists); the Monteverdi Choir and the English Baroque Soloists conducted by John Eliot Gardiner; Written by John Osborne and Charles Wood; Cinematography by Nic Knowland; Edited by Tony Palmer; Produced by Mike Bluett; Directed by Tony Palmer. Color ¡52 minutes

Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov Screen depictions • Jean-Pierre Aumont in Song of Scheherazade (¡947) • David Leonard in Song of My Heart (¡948) • Andrei Popov in Mussorgsky (¡950) • Grigori Belov in Rimsky-Korsakov (¡952)

Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov (¡844– ¡908) was the youngest and most productive member of the group of Russian composers nicknamed “The Mighty Handful.” He came from a family with a strong naval tradition. For years he balanced two careers as a naval o‡cer and a professor of music at the St. Petersburg Conservatory. He composed fifteen operas, usually based on Russian folk themes, but his most popular works are his colorful orchestral compositions such as Scheherazade, Capriccio Espagnol, the Russian Easter Overture and his Second Symphony (“Antar”). RimskyKorsakov also devoted much time and e›ort to revising and completing the works of Modeste Mussorgsky and Alexander Borodin, left unfinished at their deaths. With Prince Igor, Rimsky-Korsakov was on the same stylistic plane as Borodin, but many felt he never fully understood Mussorgsky’s music. Boris Godunov, for example, was later revised by Shostakovich to reflect Mussorgsky’s original intent. Rimsky-Korsakov also became famous as a

teacher, and Alexander Glazunov and Igor Stravinsky are among his best-known pupils. Song of Scheherazade is a remarkable example of Hollywood kitsch, a ludicrous exotic musical that more closely resembles a Danny Kaye comedy than a biographical composer film. Just imagine a four-minute battle with whips between the composer and a playboy nobleman accompanied by music from the Russian Easter Overture, or the composer dashing o› the main themes to Scheherazade on the back of an art sketch hanging on the wall of a Moroccan bordello. Actually, Song of Scheherazade is really an amazing tour de force, an extremely entertaining farce that, believe it or not, has even a few nuggets of historical fact blended in with the nonsense. The soundtrack is entirely wall-towall Rimsky-Korsakov, colorfully arranged by Miklos Rozsa, who occasionally adds a wordless chorus to the proceedings. Music from the third tableau of Scheherazade (The Young Prince and Young Princess) accompanies the opening credits. The story opens in ¡865 aboard the Russian naval academy clipper Antar in the Mediterranean as a sailor sounds a horn (playing a fanfare from Tale of the Tsar Sultan). Due to a heat wave and lack of wind, Captain Vladimir Gregorovitch (Brian

180

Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov

Naval Lieutenant Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov (Jean-Pierre Aumont) is ordered not to compose by Captain Vladimir Gregorovitch (Brian Donlevy) in Song of Scheherazade.

Donlevy) decides to enter a Moroccan port and grant the crew shore leave. Lieutenant Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov (usually called Nicky) and his friend, the ship’s doctor Klin (played by opera tenor Charles Kullman), barge into a large estate so they can play excerpts from the opera Rimsky-Korsakov had been composing during the voyage. Instead, they play Song of India. Madame de Talavera (Eve Arden), owner of the estate, is destitute and sees an opportunity to raise some money by throwing a party for the sailors and winning money from them through high-stakes card games. When Nicky returns to the ship to spend time composing, Captain Gregorovitch is saddened. He orders the young sailor instead to return ashore and either

undertake an adventure, get drunk or find himself a girl. He heads to the Cafe Oriental, where he watches a beautiful, veiled dancing girl (who performs to music from the Antar Symphony). When other shipmates appear, Nicky impulsively grabs the dancing girl and asks her to sit with him and pretend she is his date. The other sailors are amazed to see him with a beautiful girl. He then escorts her upstairs to a private room. Prince Mischetsky, another naval lieutenant, tries to persuade the girl to have a private dinner with him instead, but the girl, who calls herself Scheherazade (Yvonne DeCarlo), prefers the company of Rimsky-Korsakov. Once alone, Nicky thanks her for going along with his charade. They chat about the story of the legendary character of Scheherazade, and Nicky gets the

Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov

idea for a symphonic poem. He even pulls out a harmonica and starts to play some of the themes. He grabs a sketch o› the wall and starts to jot down the music. The next day, Captain Gregorovitch is stunned, and secretly pleased, that Nicky has stayed out overnight and missed morning roll call. Madame de Talavera visits the ship and invites everyone to attend her party that evening. When she returns home, she discovers Nicky back at her piano. When Cara, Madame de Talavera’s daughter, shows up, Nicky recognizes her as the dancing girl. She asks him not to reveal her secret to her mother, who is unaware she is paying their bills with earnings from the cafe. For the party, Nicky is asked to provide the music, and the guests dance to music from Capriccio Espagnol. Nicky leads a small band, playing the violin (although the soundtrack provides the full orchestral treatment). Madame de Talavera marks the cards, preparing for her gambling scheme, but Prince Mischetsky is an even more accomplished card shark, and she winds up owing him five thousand francs. When Nicky finds out, he meets up with the prince at the Cafe Oriental and asks him to forgive the debt. The prince challenges him to a duel with whips (which is incongruously accompanied by the Russian Easter Overture). When Nicky unexpectedly wins the battle, the prince congratulates him, and they become good friends. He even o›ers to sponsor Cara at the ballet in St. Petersburg. Cara falls in love with Nicky, and when one of the sailors elopes with de Talavera’s maid, Nicky, Mischetsky and the other sailors conspire to have Cara pose as the missing sailor. When Captain Gregorovitch discovers the charade, he punishes Rimsky-Korsakov by forcing him to promise not to compose another note of music or set foot in a concert hall while he is in the navy. As the Antar sets sail, Nicky waves farewell to Cara on the dock.

181

The scene shifts to December in St. Petersburg. Scheherazade by Rimsky-Korsakov is performed at a concert in St. Petersburg sponsored by Prince Mischetsky. Captain Gregorovitch is invited to the concert, and he encounters Nicky outside the hall standing in the snow. The captain releases Nicky from his promise, but the composer reveals that he has just been honorably discharged. Cara also appears at the concert, performing the lead role in an Arabian dance accompanying the music. Rimsky-Korsakov takes the baton from the conductor and leads the final portion of his new composition, and Song of Scheherazade concludes, a most charming cinema divertissement. In real life, Rimsky-Korsakov was a naval o‡cer. He spent three years, from April ¡862 through May ¡865, on a tour of foreign waters. In his spare time aboard ship, he worked on his First Symphony instead of an opera. This composition is considered to be the first bona fide symphony by a Russian composer. It debuted on December ¡8, ¡865, at a concert directed by Mily Balakirev. So these facts provide the actual basis for the film. Of course, Song of Scheherazade presented a whole host of musical compositions in the story, from Flight of the Bumblebee and Capriccio Espagnol to Scheherazade, that were not composed until many years later. The last two works, for example, were completed in ¡887 and ¡888. Also, Rimsky-Korsakov remained in the navy long after ¡865. For example, he served as inspector of naval bands from ¡873 through ¡884. Of course, Rimsky-Korsakov’s Moroccan adventure depicted in the film is pure fantasy, even though the premise upon which the episode is based is real. Jean-Pierre Aumont is very pleasant in his role as Rimsky-Korsakov, although he constantly reminds viewers of Danny Kaye, both in his appearance and movements. The comic whip battle could have come

182

Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov

from any Kaye comedy. One should not forget that Kaye was also an amateur conductor, and one of his famous patter numbers, the “Russian Composer Song,” features the comedian rattling o› the names of over fifty Russian composers in less than a minute. So perhaps Aumont was deliberately cast to resemble Danny Kaye, who was at the height of his popularity in the late ¡940s. The music of Rimsky-Korsakov is well played and highlighted through much of the picture. The Capriccio Espagnol dance sequences at the party are particularly exhilarating. Brian Donlevy, with his mock pomposity, and Eve Arden provide excellent comic relief. Tenor Charles Kullman, best known for singing the role of Faust in the Charles Gounod opera at the Metropolitan Opera, is not in his best voice in the picture, but he still is a definite plus to the proceedings, and Yvonne DeCarlo’s dance routines are appropriately exotic, and the larger-scale dance numbers are also good. It is as di‡cult to dislike Song of Scheherazade as it would be to dismiss the charming Broadway musical Kismet, which similarly appropriates the music of Rimsky-Korsakov’s friend and fellow member of “The Mighty Handful,” Alexander Borodin. Rimsky-Korsakov appears briefly in the Tchaikovsky biopic Song of My Heart. A scene is set at the Imperial Conservatory in St. Petersberg. Alexander Borodin conducts a small chorus in a passage from his Polovetsian Dances from Prince Igor, while Rimsky-Korsakov accompanies them at the piano. Tchaikovsky rushes up to Borodin at the conclusion, congratulating him for his brilliant music. Borodin graciously accepts the compliment but acknowledges that Rimsky-Korsakov had helped him with the piece. Mily Balakirev, the leader of “The Mighty Handful,” then addresses them, saying they should help each other. Cesar Cui and Modeste Mussorgsky seem

unimpressed by his words. Rimsky-Korsakov starts to play Tchaikovsky’s song “None but the Lonely Heart,” but Balakirev snaps at him due to the interruption. He starts to belittle Tchaikovsky’s music, particularly Swan Lake. Tchaikovsky replies that Balakirev wishes to compose only through a committee and that it cannot be done that way. He storms out, and Rimsky-Korsakov again starts to play Tchaikovsky’s song. Balakirev looks around, muttering, “What did I say?” This short scene is one of the most e›ective in this film and is fairly accurate as Tchaikovsky did play his music, such as his First Symphony (“Winter Dreams”) for the group. Tchaikovsky did often bristle at Balakirev’s authoritarian attitude. Borodin, Mussorgsky, Balakirev and Cui all appear very close to their appearance in real life. The only flaw is that David Leonard’s makeup makes him appear too old as Rimsky-Korsakov, who was the youngest of “The Mighty Handful.” Rimsky-Korsakov is also portrayed in two Soviet films in the early ¡950s by director Grigori Roshal, known for his serious and rather poker-faced patriotic films. One of his e›orts, The Oppenheim Family (¡939), is noted for its harrowing portrayal of Nazi anti–Semitism. In a way, the films Mussorgsky and Rimsky-Korsakov can be viewed as related since the activities of Rimsky-Korsakov can be regarded as the continuing thread. Mussorgsky also focuses on “The Mighty Handful.” Andrei Popov made his screen debut as Rimsky-Korsakov, the first role in a long film career through the ¡980s. Popov’s most memorable role, perhaps, is as Iago in the Russian Othello (¡955). Grigov decided to replace Popov with the far older Grigori Belov to play the mature composer in Rimsky-Korsakov. Belov was celebrated for his leading role in Michurin (¡948), a biopic of the famous Russian scientist. RimskyKorsakov’s influence as a teacher is stressed

Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov

in this film, helping to shape the next generation of Russian composers, best represented by Alexander Glazunov, portrayed in this film by Viktor Khokhryakov. A number of reviewers of Rimsky-Korsakov commented negatively on the heavyhanded emphasis on Russian patriotism but positively on the high quality of the musical performances during the operatic sequences.

Production Credits Song of Scheherazade (¡947) Universal Cast : Jean-Pierre Aumont, Yvonne DeCarlo, Brian Donlevy, Eve Arden, Philip Reed, John Qualen, Richard Lane, George Dolenz, Elena Verdugo, Terry Kilburn and Charles Kullman. Music by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov; Arranged and conducted by Miklos Rozsa; Written by Walter Reisch; Cinematography by Hal Mohr and William V. Skall; Edited by Frank Gross; Produced by Edward Kaufman; Directed by Walter Reisch. Color ¡06 minutes. Song of My Heart (¡948) Allied Artists Cast: Frank Sundström as Tchaikovsky, Audrey Long, Cedric Hardwicke, Mikhail Rasumny, Gale Sherwood, Serge Krizman, Charles Trowbridge, Kate Lawson, Lester Sharpe, Gil Frye, Scott Elliott, Gordon Clark, Jimmie Dodd, Leonard Mudie, Lane Chandler, Elvira Curci, John Hamilton, Robert Barron as Borodin, Leonid Snego› as Mussorgsky, Lewis Howard as Balakirev, William Ruhl as Cui and David Leonard as Rimsky-Korsakov. Music by Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky and Alexander Borodin; Arranged by Nathaniel Finston, Fred Spielman and Janice Torre; Music supervised by Modeste Altschuler; Performed by José Iturbi (piano); Orchestra conducted by Nathaniel Finston and Edward J. Kay; Written by Benjamin Glazer and Bernard Schubert; Cinematography by Roland Totheroh; Edited by Otho Lovering and Richard Heermance; Produced by Nathaniel Finston and J. Theodore Reed; Directed by Benjamin Glazer. Color ¡06 minutes. Mussorgsky (¡950) Lenfilm Cast: Andrei Popov,

183

Aleksandr Borisov as Modeste Mussorgsky, Vladimir Balashov as Mily Balakirev, Yuri Lepnidov as Alexander Borodin, Bruno Frejndlikh as Cesar Cui, Fydor Nikitin, Nikolai Cherkasov, Lyubov Orlova, Lydia Shtyjan, Valentina Ushakova, Lev Fenin, Georgi Orlov and Aleksandra Vasilyeva. Music by Modeste Mussorgsky; Arranged by Dmitri Kabelevsky; Written by Anna Abramova and Grigori Roshal; Cinematography by Mikhail Magid and Lev Sokolsky; Edited by V. Mironova; Produced by Gennadi Kazansky; Directed by Grigori Roshal. Original language Russian Color ¡20 minutes. Rimsky-Korsakov (¡952) Mosfilm Cast: Grigori Belov, Viktor Khokhryakov as Alexander Glazunov, Aleksandr Kuznetsov as Anatoly Liadov, Aleksandr Borisov, Nikolai Cherkasov, Bruno Frejndlikh, Fydor Nikitin, Lidiya Gritsenko, Lidiya Sukharevskaya, Yevgeni Lebedov, Tatyana Lennikova, Boris Kokovkin and Aleksandr Ognivtsev as Feodor Chaliapin. Music by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov; Arranged by Yuri Sviridov; Written by Anna Abramova and Grigori Roshal; Cinematography by Mikhail Magid and Lev Sokolsky; Edited by V. Mironova; Produced by Gennadi Kazansky; Directed by Grigori Roshal. Original language Russian Color ¡¡4 minutes.

Noted Documentaries • Master of the Orchestral Pallette (¡978) Wentworth Music Appreciation; ¡2 minutes • Prince Igor: The Making of an Opera (¡980) A film by Vincent Tremanov; 9 minutes • Face of Russia — Part Three (¡998) Malone Gill productions; 60 minutes • Great Russian Composers: Nikolay RimskyKorsakov (¡999) Kultur; 30 minutes

The first film, part of the Wentworth Music Appreciation series, uses RimskyKorsakov to illustrate the art of orchestration. Prince Igor is one of a series of documentaries by Vincent Tremanov that are intended as intermission features during

184

Sigmund Romberg

opera broadcasts. This episode examines how Rimsky-Korsakov prepared a performing version of Prince Igor by Alexander Borodin, left unfinished at the time of the composer’s death. The Malone Gill documentary is particularly good in depicting the influence of Rimsky-Korsakov

in his overview of Russian music contained in Face of Russia — Part Three. The Kultur production is one of their series of programs intended to provide overviews of the lives and work of the best-known Russian composers.

Sigmund Romberg Screen depiction • José Ferrer in Deep in My Heart (¡954)

Sigmund Romberg (¡887–¡95¡) was a Hungarian composer who moved to America in ¡909. He worked at an Austrian cafe in New York City, where he conducted a small orchestra. After writing a few popular songs, he was hired as a house composer for the Shubert theatrical firm. Unsatisfied with grinding out popular tunes, Romberg strove to create light opera which combined both American and Viennese elements. He eventually composed over sixty productions in his career, including many musical comedies and at least seven bona fide light operas, including Maytime, The Student Prince, Blossom Time (adapting music by Franz Schubert), Desert Song and New Moon. Romberg also organized his own symphony orchestra, and they toured the country playing his music in a program called An Evening with Sigmund Romberg. In ¡943, he led his orchestra in their debut at Carnegie Hall. Deep in My Heart was conceived as an all-star tribute to Romberg shortly after the composer’s death in November ¡95¡. Indeed, MGM pulled out all the stops in terms of lavish set pieces and a stellar cast. The resulting film is a breathtaking collection of staged highlights from Maytime,

The Student Prince and Desert Song. Romberg’s personal history, however, is tossed o› in a rather hackneyed fashion that seldom attempts to examine the actual life of Romberg, o›ering instead an artificial series of vignettes left over from the screen biographies of George Gershwin or George M. Cohan. José Ferrer manages his best in a rather threadbare script. His performance and the film have one tremendous low point, in which Ferrer attempts to act out an entire show (playing all the parts) that he had composed for Al Jolson titled Jazzbo. Since the title Jazzbo does not appear in his credits, this is probably a leftover fragment from some other MGM script. Perhaps Danny Kaye might have pulled this stunt o›, but it is a complete embarrassment for Ferrer, who seems unable to reestablish his Romberg characterization until the end of the picture. Ferrer is excellent in the last scene, recreating Romberg’s Carnegie Hall debut. His conducting appears credible, even if his baton is too long. His half-voice singing of one of Romberg’s memorable ballads is honest and very charming. The biographical portions of the film remain its weakest point. One saving grace is the presence of Wagnerian soprano Helen Traubel as Romberg’s friend, cafe owner Anna Mueller. She practically steals

Gioacchino Rossini

the show, both in terms of her unpretentious acting and with the numerous songs that the script provides for her. Her rendition of “Stout-Hearted Men,” for instance, is unforgettable. Merle Oberon is refreshing as lyricist Dorothy Donnelly, although at first the script implies she was going to sink her talons into Romberg as she did George Sand with Chopin in A Song to Remember. The real triumph of the film is the many colorful character roles, such as Paul Henreid playing Florenz Ziegfeld, and the brilliant musical excerpts. Undoubtedly, these rate among the finest screen treatments of all times. Cyd Charisse’s dancing in Desert Song, for example, is graceful, captivating and astonishing. William Olvis is stunning in The Student Prince. Jane Powell and Vic Damone perform the timeless duet from Maytime in perfect style, as does Tony Martin and Joan Weldon in New Moon. The genuine historical milestone, however, is the only screen appearance of Gene Kelly dancing up a storm with his brother Fred. The picture opens with a title card which reads, “To all those

185

who love the music of Sigmund Romberg,” and the film lives up to this dedication. This is ample compensation for the fact that the life of the actual Sigmund Romberg falls between the cracks of the production.

Production Credits Deep in My Heart (¡954) MGM Cast: José Ferrer, Merle Oberon, Helen Traubel, Doe Avedon, Paul Stewart, Paul Henreid, Jim Backus, Douglas Fowley, Walter Pidgeon, David Burns, Tamara Toumanova, Rosemary Clooney, Jane Powell, Ann Miller, Vic Damone, Cyd Charisse, James Mitchell, Howard Keel, William Olvis, Tony Martin, Joan Weldon, Gene Kelly and Fred Kelly. Music by Sigmund Romberg ; Orchestrated by Hugo Friedhofer and Alexander Courage; Arranged by Robert Tucker; Supervised and conducted by Adolph Deutsch; Written by Leonard Spigelgass and Luchino Visconti based on the book by Elliott Arnold; Cinematography by George Folsey; Edited by Adrienne Fazan; Produced by Roger Edens; Directed by Stanley Dolen. Color ¡32 minutes.

Gioacchino Rossini Screen depictions

• Pierfrancesco Favino in Dolce far Niente (¡999)

• Edmund Breon in The Divine Spark (¡935) • Nino Besozzi in Rossini (¡943) • Loris Gizzi in Verdi, the King of Melody (¡953) • Roland Alexandre in Casa Ricordi (¡954) • Ken Parry in Lisztomania (¡975) • Luca Barbareschi in Casa Ricordi (¡987) • Philippe Noiret in Rossini! Rossini! (¡99¡) • Joe Dimambro in Rossini’s Ghost (¡996)

Gioacchino Rossini (¡792–¡868) dominated the world of opera from ¡8¡3 through ¡829, then retired at the height of his fame, composing only two additional works, his Stabat Mater (¡84¡) and Petit Messe Solenelle (¡863) and a handful of piano vignettes collectively titled Sins of My Old Age. Rossini’s principal avocation during his extended retirement was cuisine, and among the dishes he invented is

186

Gioacchino Rossini

“Tournedos Rossini.” Of his thirty-eight operas, the best known are L’Italiana in Algieri (¡8¡3), Il Barbieri di Siviglia (¡8¡6), Otello (¡8¡6), La Cenerentola (¡8¡7), Semiramide (¡823), The Siege of Corinth (¡826) and William Tell (¡829). In many cases, the overtures to these works outlasted the operas themselves, becoming a part of the regular concert repertoire. Many of the Rossini film depictions are relatively short appearances in a supporting role. The Divine Spark (¡935) for example is about Bellini. Edmund Breon, who plays Rossini, was usually cast playing British eccentrics, such as Colonel Winterbottom in The Scarlet Pimpernel (¡934) or “Stinky,” the colorful aristocrat in the Sherlock Holmes thriller Dressed to Kill (¡946) with Basil Rathbone. Rossini was a definite change of pace for the character actor. Loris Gizzi was a more traditional Rossini, a raconteur and wit who hosts a posh Parisian reception for Verdi and Victor Hugo after a performance of Rigoletto in Verdi, the King of Melody. Rossini tries to referee the dispute between his illustrious guests. Hugo is angry because his characters were altered in the opera, but Verdi finally explains that was due to Austrian censors who must approve opera librettos before they can be staged. Rossini’s triumph is complete when Verdi and Hugo shake hands. Roland Alexandre is a colorful Rossini in the original Casa Ricordi, but Luca Barbareschi was less e›ective in the television remake. Ken Parry is one of the most successful of the Rossini cameos, played as a broad parody in the restaurant scene at the beginning of Lisztomania. Richard Wagner is hounding Franz Liszt, who tells the German composer that if he wants to write operas, he should talk instead to Rossini. The hefty composer, who seems to run the restaurant, tells Wagner that he is too thin and encourages him to eat. He then stu›s a fried chicken leg into Wag-

ner’s mouth. As they both munch away, Wagner asks him if it was true that Beethoven attended a concert given by Liszt when he was a little boy and kissed him after he played the Moonlight Sonata. “Certainly Beethoven kissed the boy,” Rossini exclaims, tossing away the chicken bone while starting on an ice cream cone, “but at the time he was as deaf as a post.” In this brief exchange, director Russell manages to skewer not only Rossini’s passion for food, but also his fondness for snappy remarks. The remaining Rossini cameo is in Dolce far Nieti, a French-Italian coproduction based on the occasion when novelist Stendahl was in Italy at the start of his career. Named Henri Beyle before he adopted his famous pen name, Stendahl spent his time wandering as he wrote articles about music and the arts. He has an a›air with a young woman, Josephine, and learns about love and betrayal. Perhaps the highlight of his travels is his meeting with the illustrious composer Rossini, played somewhat sti°y by Pierfrancesco Favino. The only conjecture possible about his interpretation is that Rossini is bored with the adulation he receives. Of the biopics, Rossini! Rossini! was intended as a major production, but the film first fell victim to legal di‡culties in terms of rights of distribution. By the time it received a few sporadic test runs in several European markets, the film was regarded by critics as a white elephant. The picture has yet to be released on video, which is unfortunate as the star, Philippe Noiret, seems to be ideally cast as Rossini. Noiret is familiar to both European and American audiences, having starred in Night of the Generals (¡967) with Peter O’Toole and Omar Sharif, as well as Alfred Hitchcock’s Topaz (¡969). Hopefully, Rossini! Rossini! may still be salvaged. The remaining two biopics, however, are both excellent and readily available on

Gioacchino Rossini

video. The first is Rossini (¡943), considered to be the last film production made while Italy was controlled by the Fascist government of Benito Mussolini. Il Duce was deeply interested in the film industry, even writing several plays that were made into films. His son, Vittorio, served as a film producer on occasion before the war. Mussolini’s government collapsed in late July ¡943, and he was placed under arrest. He was later rescued by the Germans, who set him up in a puppet government in northern Italy. Despite the turbulent background, the film Rossini was quite successful and even imported to other countries for viewing since the content was untainted by any Fascist undertones. The atmosphere of the film is remarkable, often light-hearted and even e›ervescent, with dazzling cinematography, art direction and sound. Many famous singers of the era made their only screen appearances in the numerous operatic sequences from Il Barbiere di Siviglia, Otello, Moses in Egypt and William Tell. The script is fairly accurate, although it sometimes obscures Rossini’s relationship with Isabella, his first wife. There are also a few out-and-out falsifications, such as in the debut of Otello. Ferdinand, the King of Naples, forces Rossini to alter the final act of the opera in order for it to have a happy ending. It is a rather bizarre twist of the famous Shakespearean plot, having Desdemona survive for a joyful final duet with her husband, with the music borrowed from another opera, Armida (which in fact had not yet been written). The story is presented in four acts, each one progressively shorter. The first one occurs in Naples in ¡8¡5, when Rossini is summoned by Ferdinand, the King of Naples, to write an opera. He meets the leading soprano, Isabella Colbran, mistress of both the king and the local impresario, Barbajas. After meeting Ferdinand, the composer is handed a man-

187

uscript and asked to finish the aria in twenty minutes. He is left alone in the piano room with Isabella, and they fall in love as he composes. The king is pleased when he hears the aria and asks Rossini to complete the opera, titled Elizabetta in fifteen days. The opera is a great success, with Isabella singing the part of Queen Elizabeth. Rossini’s triumph in Naples is undermined when enemies inform the king that Rossini has composed a song in honor of revolutionary ideals. Tired of court intrigue, Rossini leaves. The second act takes place in Rome in ¡8¡6. Rossini feels he is on the verge of greatness with his new opera, Il Barbiere di Siviglia. A clique of opera fanatics plans to ruin the opening because many of them admire an earlier version of Il Barbiere di Siviglia composed by Giovanni Paisiello. Isabella visits Rome to warn Rossini not to return to Naples, as the king is still angry with him. On its opening night, the opera is a fiasco due to audience heckling. The entire sequence, however, is a cinematic triumph. The arias “Largo al Factotum” (sung by Mariana Stabile) and “La Calunnia” (sung by Tancredi Pasero) are brilliantly performed. One slight error is that we hear the familiar overture to Il Barbiere di Siviglia. In fact, the original overture played on this occasion was later lost, and Rossini substituted the now familiar overture which he had previously used for Elizabetta. Meanwhile, Isabella goes to visit the elderly Paisiello, who endorses both Rossini and his new work. In fact, Paisiello lived only a few months after the debut of Rossini’s opera. Rossini refuses to attend the second performance of Il Barbiere di Siviglia, but the performance is such a triumph that the audience marches from the theater to the composer’s lodgings to shower him with their cheers and applause. He receives a friendly letter from Ferdinand imploring his return to Naples.

188

Gioacchino Rossini

The composer presents his next opera, Otello, in Naples but abandons the city in disgust when the king changes the ending of his opera. The third act is Vienna ¡822. In real life, Rossini had married Isabella by this time, but their marriage isn’t mentioned in the scene. After a concert, Rossini is summoned by Prince Metternich, but he cuts short their meeting to visit Beethoven. This scene is the highlight of the film, and it is covered fully in the chapter on Beethoven. The fourth act is Paris ¡827. Isabella is upset that her voice has failed her and she is no longer able to sing opera, so she leaves Rossini. He is working on his latest opera, William Tell, but he has lost interest in composing. He completes the score as choral excerpts of William Tell are heard on the soundtrack. He turns over the last page of the score, and the camera focuses on the handwritten word “Ende” on the score. Nino Besozzi is excellent as Rossini, although he is far too old for the part. Rossini was only in his early twenties at the point when the story begins; however, Besozzi appears to be in his mid-forties. The actor plays Rossini superbly, with many subtleties and fine shadings. For instance, he is simply magnificent during the controversial opening night of Il Barbiere di Siviglia. He su›ers the audience disruptions calmly, as if he were the eye of the storm. This approach works far better than having Rossini become agitated or upset. He smiles, encourages the singers and behaves with complete dignity as chaos breaks out around him. Besozzi is also exceptional in the Beethoven sequence and in the last scene as he completes his final opera. In many ways, Rossini is the most successful of the Italian film productions based on the lives of the composers. Rossini’s Ghost is one of the finest entries in the “Composers’ Specials Series” developed by David Devine. It is the most

fanciful and playful of these films, a virtual comedy with a supernatural premise. Reliana is a young girl in ¡862 who is fascinated by the memories of her grandmother and her best friend Martina, who were cast members at the debut of Il Babiere di Siviglia. The English title of the opera, The Barber of Seville, is highlighted in this production. As if by magic, Reliana is thrown back in time to ¡8¡6 to witness the rehearsals and debut of the opera. Reliana is invisible to all the people around her, including Rosalie Simone, her grandmother, and Martina, the lead soprano. Amazingly, however, the composer Rossini can both see and hear Reliana, and he believes her to be a ghost. The youthful Rossini comes to depend on Reliana as he discusses his problems with staging the opera. Someday, he tells her, he will leave the mad world of the theater and open a restaurant instead, since that is what he really wants to do. The production of The Barber of Seville appears to be under a curse, cast by Zeno Vittorelli, the singer who played Don Basilio in the opera. He was jealous of the larger salary commanded by the actor playing Figaro. Vittorelli had the “evil eye,” and when his request for a raise was denied, he cast his spell. Duke Cesarini, the opera’s sponsor who denied Vittorelli’s request, died a few days afterward. During opening night, a series of mishaps plagued the performance. Singers were o› key, a stray cat wandered onto the stage, props failed to work and scenery toppled. Vittorelli himself walked into a wall and had to sing with a handkerchief pressed to his forehead. The opera was howled o› the stage. Rossini, sulking, refused to attend the next performance. However, this time everything went perfectly, and the audience raved and paraded down the street to Rossini’s lodgings to acknowledge the young composer. Joseph Dimambro is delightful as Rossini, charming, witty and

Gioacchino Rossini

completely convincing. Moreover, he was the proper age to play the youthful Rossini, who was only twenty-four when he composed The Barber of Seville. The other performers, both the young and old Rosalie and Martina, are first rate in their roles. The editing, switching back and forth for comments by the women, is imaginative and well done. The entire production moves like quicksilver, with generous portions of The Barber of Seville heard and with other Rossini overtures heard in the background of the soundtrack. It is hard to imagine a finer or more clever introduction to The Barber of Seville or to the character of Rossini, either for adults or children.

Production Credits The Divine Spark (¡935) AKA Casta Diva ACI Films Cast: Phillips Holmes as Bellini, Martha Eggerth, Benita Hume, John Clements, Felix Aylmer, Edmund Breon, Donald Calthrop, Edward Chapman, Peter Gawthorne and Arthur Margetson. Music by Vincenzo Bellini and Gioacchino Rossini; Written by Emlyn Williams and Walter Reisch; Cinematography by Fritz Panner; Edited by Fernando Tropea and Fritz Pressburger; Produced by Arnold Pressburger; Directed by Carmine Gallone. B&W 88 minutes. Rossini (¡943) BCS Cast: Nino Besozzi, Paola Barbara, Carmillo Pilotto, Lamberto Picasso, Armando Falconi, Greta Gonda, Paola Stoppa and Memo Benassi as Beethoven. Music by Gioacchino Rossini; Arranged by Vittorio Gui; Performed by Dianna Pederzinni, Tancredi Pasero, Gabriella Gatti, Mariani Stabile, Enzo De Muro Lomanto, Piero Pauli (vocalists); Orchestra and Chorus conducted by Fernando Previtali; Written by Mario Bonnard, Parsifal Bassi, Vittorio Novarese and Gherando Gherardi; Cinematography by Mario Albertelli; Edited by Renzi Lucidi; Produced by Carlo Benetti; Directed by Mario Bonnard. Original language Italian B&W 94 minutes. Verdi, the King of Melody (¡953) P. A. T. Film

189

Cast: Pierre Cressoy as Verdi, Anna-Maria Ferraro, Gaby André, Camillo Pilotto, Emilio Cigoli, Sandro Ru‡ni, Laura Gore, Irene Genna, Enrico Glori, Enzo Biliotti and Loris Gizzi as Rossini. Music by Giuseppe Verdi; Music arranged by Renzo Rossellini; Performed by Mario Del Monaco, Tito Gobbi (vocalists); Chorus and Orchestra of the Rome Opera conducted by Giuseppe Morelli; Written by Leonardo Benvenuti, Liana Ferri, Mario Monicelli, Piero Pierotti and Giovanna Soria based on a story by Maleno Malenotti; Cinematography by Tino Santoni; Edited by Mario Serndrei; Produced by Maleno Malenotti; Directed by Ra›aello Matarazzo. Original language Italian Color ¡¡7 minutes. Casa Ricordi (¡954) Cormoran Films Cast : Paolo Stoppa, Marta Toren, Andrea Checchi, Daniele Delorme, Nadia Gray, Manlio Busoni, Vera Silenti, Miriam Bru, Renzo Giovampietro, Micheline Presle, Sergio Tofano, Roldano Lupi, Fausto Tozzi as Arrigo Boito, Marcello Mastroianni as Donizetti, Fosco Giachetti as Verdi, Maurice Ronet as Bellini, Gabriele Ferzetti as Puccini and Roland Alexandre. Music by Ricardo Zandonai, Vincenzo Bellini, Gaetano Donnizetti, Giacomo Puccini, Gioacchino Rossini, Giuseppe Verdi and Richard Wagner; Music arranged by Renzo Rossellini; Performed by Nelly Corradi, Mario Del Monaco, Aldo Ferraguti, Enrico Formichi, Tito Gobbi, Ferdinando Lifonni, Giulio Neri, Giulietta Dimionato, Italio Tajo, Renata Tebaldi (vocalists); Conducted by Renzo Rosselini; Written by Leonardo Benvenuti, Luigi Filippo, Carmine Gallone, Age Incrocci, Vittorio Nino Nobarese and Furio Scarpelli; Cinematography by Marco Scarpelli; Edited by Niccolo Lazzari; Produced by Franco Riganti; Directed by Carmine Gallone. Original language Italian Color ¡¡0 minutes. Lisztomania (¡975) Warner Brothers Cast : Roger Daltrey as Liszt, Paul Nicholas as Wagner, Ringo Starr, Rick Wakeman, Sara Kestelman, John Justin, Fiona Lewis, Veronica Quilligan, Andrew Reilly, Nell Campbell, Imogen Claire, Rikki Howard, David English, Anulka Dziubinska, Aubrey Morris, Andrew Faulds, Kenneth Colley as Chopin, Murray Melvin as Berlioz, Otto Diamant as

190

Gioacchino Rossini

Mendelssohn and Ken Parry. Music by Rick Wakeman, Franz Liszt and Richard Wagner; Roger Daltrey, Paul Nicholas, Linda Lewis, Mandy More (Vocalists); English Rock Ensemble, National Philharmonia Orchestra; Written by Ken Russell; Cinematography by Peter Suschitzky; Edited by Stuart Baird; Produced by Roy Baird and David Putnam; Directed by Ken Russell. Color ¡06 minutes. Casa Ricordi (¡987) Junior Film International Cast : Adriana Asti, Favio Camilli, Anna Kanakis, Marco Minietti, Melba Ru›o di Calabria, Eduardo Siravo, Marco Vivio, Alessandro Gassman, Kim Rossi Stuart, Luca Barbareschi, Mariano Rigillo as Verdi, Massimo Ghini as Puccini and Federico Scribani as Arturo Toscanini. Music by Vincenzo Bellini, Gaetano Donnizetti, Giacomo Puccini, Gioacchino Rossini and Giuseppe Verdi; Written by Sergio Bazzini and Ugo Pirro; Cinematography by Camillo Vazzoni; Produced by Manolo Bolognini; Directed by Mauro Bolognini. Original language Italian Color ¡04 minutes. Rossini! Rossini! (¡989) Cathargo Films Cast: Philippe Noiret, Sergio Castellitto, Pino Toschi, Sabine Azema, Jacqueline Bisset, Assumpta Serna, Giorgio Gaber, Ariane Kah and Vittorio Gassman as Beethoven. Music by Gioacchino Rossini; Written by Nicola Badalucco, Bruno Cagli, Suso Cecchi d’Amico and Mario Monicelli; Cinematography by Franco Di Giacomo; Produced by Piero Amati; Directed by Mario Monicelli. Color ¡24 minutes. Rossini’s Ghost (¡996) Devine Entertainment Cast : Joseph Dimambro, Melissa Pirrera, Frances Bay, Margaret Illmann, Janne Mortil, Lally Cordeau, Tony Nardi, Michael Marinucci and Erik Panak. Music by Gioacchino Rossini; Music edited by Bruno Degavio and Walter Babiak; Performed by John Greer (pianist); Elisabeth Forster, John Kriter, Bruce Schaef, Peter Wiens (vocalists); Slovak Philharmonic and Chorus conducted by Ondrej Lenard; Written by Heather Conkie based on a story by Richard Mozer and David Devine; Cinematography by Rick Maguire; Edited by Gordon McClellan; Produced by

Richard Mozer and David Devine; Directed by David Devine. Color 52 minutes. Dolce far Nieti (¡998) AKA Sweet Idleness CNC/ Eurimages/France 2 Cinema Cast: François Cluzet as Stendahl, Isabella Ferrari, Margherita Buy, Giancarlo Giannini, Teresa Saponangelo, Pierfrancesco Favino and Gianni Fantoni. Music by Nicola Piovani; Written by Nae Caranfil based on the book La Comedie de Terracina by François Vitoux; Cinematography by Cristian Comeaga; Edited by Maryline Monthieux; Produced by Antoine de Clermont-Tonnere and Rosanna Seregni; Directed by Nae Caranfil. Original language Italian Color ¡¡9 minutes.

Noted Documentaries • Rossini (¡97¡) A film by Quentin Chambers; 20 minutes • The Barber of Seville: The Making of an Opera (¡979) A film by Vincent Tremanov; ¡¡ minutes • An Homage to Rossini (¡985) TelFrance; 60 minutes

Chambers provides a succinct but somewhat unimaginative overview of Rossini’s career, depending too often on static shots of one portrait or another while the narrator drones on. Tremanov concentrates on the colorful and hectic background of the first performance of The Barber of Seville at the Argentino Theater in Rome and how the opera’s fortunes changed after the debacle of the premiere. An Homage to Rossini presents a series of musical excerpts and commentary presented by conductor Claudio Abbado and soloists Montserrat Cabellé, Marilyn Horne, Francisco Araiza, Ruggero Raimondi and Samuel Raimey. Paul Brooke appears briefly as Rossini in this telefilm tribute.

Camille Saint-Saëns

191

Camille Saint-Saëns Screen depiction • Jacques Debary in Anna Pavlova (¡983)

Camille Saint-Saëns (¡835–¡92¡), one of the most prolific composers of the nineteenth century, is noted for producing music of charm and elegance. A child prodigy, he started composing at the age of six. Saint-Saëns trained formally to become an organist and he was declared to be that instrument’s greatest master by no less an authority than Franz Liszt. SaintSaëns’s principal compositions include a dozen operas (the best known being Samson et Dalila), his symphonic poems (including Danse Macabre, Le Rouet d’Omphale, Phaëton and La Jeunesse d’Hercule), numerous concertos (five for piano, three for violin and two for cello), many organ, piano and chamber works, as well as a large number of choral selections (including Hail, California, composed for his American visit in ¡9¡6). In ¡908, Saint-Saëns became the first major composer to write a film score. His greatest composition is probably his Symphony No. 3 for Organ and Orchestra, dedicated to Liszt. His most popular piece, however, is his Carnival of the Animals, which he subtitled a “zoological fantasy.” He refused to allow this work to be published until after his death, fearing it would overshadow his other compositions. The only feature film that features a depiction of Saint-Saëns is the lavish Rus-

sian biopic of ballet diva Anna Pavlova (¡882–¡93¡). Actually, production costs were shared by France, Cuba, East Germany and Great Britain. The western version of the film was supervised by Michael Powell, the last production ever worked on by this screen giant. Nevertheless, the film received very limited distribution in the West. The film includes a large number of cameo appearances, including an appearance by Martin Scorsese as opera impresario Giulio Gatti-Casazza. Jacques Debary, who plays Saint-Saëns, was a minor French character actor active in the ¡970s. Anna Pavlova was his last screen film. Reportedly, the cameo with the composer consists of him complimenting Pavlova on her performance.

Production Credits Anna Pavlova (¡983) AKA The Divine Anna Lenfilm/Mosfilm/Cosmos Film Cast: Galina Belyayeva, Lina Buldakova, Sergei Shakurov, Vsevolod Larionov, Svetlana Toma, Georgio Dimitriou, Pyotr Gusev, Michael Kradunin, Bruce Forsyth, John Murray, James Fox and Martin Scorsese. Music by Yevgeni Doga; Cinematography by Yevgeni Guslinska and Fladimir Nakhabtsev; Edited by Jim Connock, Yelena Galkina, Irina Kolotikova and Michael Powell; Produced by Frixos Constantine, Serafim Karalexis and Erik Waisberg; Western version supervised by Michael Powell; Directed by Emil Lotenau. Original language Russian Color ¡55 minutes.

192

Pablo de Sarasate; Erik Satie

Pablo de Sarasate Screen depiction • Alfredo Mayo in Sarasate (¡94¡)

Pablo de Sarasate (¡844–¡908) was one of the finest violin virtuosos during the latter half of the nineteenth century. Famous composers such as Edouard Lalo and Max Bruch dedicated concertos to him. He was also a composer, best remembered for his fantasies based on famous operas such as Carmen, The Magic Flute and others. His original compositions included Zigeunerweisen and Jota Aragonesa. The Spanish film star who portrays

the famous violinist is Alfredo Mayo, who specialized in biographical films during the ¡940s. Due to World War II, Sarasate received little distribution outside of Spain itself.

Production Credits Sarasate (¡94¡) Hispano Films Cast: Alfredo Mayo, Margherita Carosio, José Niero, José Maria Seoane, Luchy Soto, Manolo Moran and Alberto Romea. Music by José Muñoz Molleda and Pablo de Sarasate; Written, Produced and Directed by Richard Busch. Original language Spanish B&W 99 minutes.

Erik Satie Screen depictions • Lars-Ake von Vultée in Adventures of Picasso (¡978) • Nicholas Pennell in Satie and Suzanne (¡994) • Sergei Zamoryev in La Musique de l’Amour: La Chouchou (¡995) • Matthew Whittet in Moulin Rouge! (200¡)

Erik Satie (¡866–¡925) was an eccentric French composer whose music influenced a number of musicians including Claude Debussy, Darius Milhaud, Arthur Honegger and Francis Poulenc. He is best remembered for his ballet Parade and a large number of piano vignettes with whimsical or surreal titles such as Pieces en Forme de Poire (Pieces in the Shape of a

Pear), Embryons Desséchés (Shriveled Embryos) and Veritables Preludes Flasque pour un Chien (Truly Flabby Preludes for a Dog). Some of his instructions in his manuscripts were even stranger, such as when he asked one passage to be played “like a nightingale with a toothache.” His most popular composition is his Gymnopédie No. 3, which was orchestrated by Debussy. Erik Satie appeared in an odd variety of feature films. The first, Adventures of Picasso, is an outlandish burlesque of the famous artist’s life, including a wild assortment of appearances by luminaries including Henri Rousseau, Vincent Van Gogh, Salvador Dali, Winston Churchill, Adolf Hitler and Enrico Caruso. Satie appears in two sequences. In the first he is seated at the piano in an outdoor cafe in

Erik Satie

Paris. Hemingway sits knitting while seated at an adjacent table. The narrator (Bernard Cribbins as Gertrude Stein) describes Satie as “a misunderstood composer.” He plays one of his piano pieces. When Pablo Picasso notices that the hands of the waitress, Mimi, are cold, he tries to warm them. Satie starts to play music from Puccini’s La Bohème, and Picasso and Mimi start to sing the famous arias. (Mimi is played by the noted soprano Elisabeth Soderström.) By the end of the scene, everyone in the cafe is singing. The next scene is set after World War I. Sergei Diaghilev recruits Picasso for the Ballet Russe to design Parade, the new stage work by Satie, who plays music from his ballet at the piano. The debut of the ballet is set in London before the King of England. The nervous dance company dines on cauliflower and bean soup just before their performance. The premiere becomes a hilarious parody, in which the flatulence of the dancers enables them to fly in rhythm to Satie’s music. In real life, the ballet premiered in Paris and resulted in a riot. Satie eventually wound up spending a week in jail due to the controversy. The second film, La Musique de l’Amour: La Chouchou, is a French film made in Russia, the companion piece to a film about Robert and Clara Schumann. This picture concentrates on Satie’s friend Claude Debussy. La Chouchou was the nickname of Debussy’s daughter, who was born in ¡905. The third picture, Satie and Suzanne, is essentially a ballet picture constructed around Erik Satie and his memories. The composer, played by Nicholas Pennell, is seated at a table in a Parisian cafe, lost in his daydreams about his unrequited love, Suzanne Valedon. He hardly notices that the river Seine has overflowed its banks, surrounding the cafe. Meanwhile, his reverie take shape in the form of a ballet, performed by Veronica Tennent (as Suzanne) and her troupe as they dance to a number

193

of Satie’s piano compositions. The final film, and the most elaborate, is Moulin Rouge!, the blockbuster musical. The film is a surreal fantasy set at the famous Parisian night club in the Montmartre district. The picture supposedly takes place in ¡900; however, the score is loaded with references to songs written from the late nineteenth century through the rock era, including Richard Rodgers, David Bowie and Paul McCartney. In fact, the score can largely be considered to be a rock opera. Ewan McGregor plays a young writer named Christian, who meets Henri Toulouse-Lautrec (John Leguizamo) and Erik Satie as they are working on a musical show entitled Spectacular Spectacular to be performed at the Moulin Rouge with their headline star, Satine (Nicole Kidman). Christian falls in love with Satine, who is also a high-priced call girl. Harold Zidler (Jim Broadbent), the colorful operator of Moulin Rouge, manages to interest a wealthy duke in sponsoring the show, but the duke considers the services of the glamorous Satine to be part of the arrangement. Satine, however, is now in love with Christian and can no longer perform as a prostitute. Unknown to everyone but Zidler, Satine is actually dying from consumption. (Somehow, this doesn’t a›ect her singing.) All these elements, the creation of the show, the love of Christian and Satine, and the desires of the duke coalesce in a wild phantasmagoria, combining elements of Camille, La Bohème and Andrew Lloyd-Webber’s version of The Phantom of the Opera. Eventually, the duke threatens to kill Christian unless Satine leaves him. Christian attends the debut of the show, however, and his romance ends up becoming part of the production. Satine chooses Christian, but she dies as the curtain falls. Left alone with his memories, Christian writes the story of his romance. Satie, Toulouse-Lautrec and their friends function like a Greek chorus, observing

194

Erik Satie

events and commenting on them. The character of Satie is included as an unconventional and flamboyant figure, one of the genuine leaders of the French avant garde, to add color to the story. When first seen, Satie sports tinted granny glasses, and he wears eccentric clothes reminiscent of the hippie movement for most of the film, except during the finale when he dresses in a tuxedo to conduct his new musical. In fact, a tiny figure of a conductor opens and closes the film, and this could be considered to be Satie as well. Matthew Whittet is memorable in the part but more as an ensemble player instead of the French composer. Even though the production is a showcase for the figure of Erik Satie, nothing in Moulin Rouge! reflects the reallife composer. Ironically, with the tremendous jumble of songs and musical snatches in the film, not a single note of authentic Satie is heard.

Production Credits Adventures of Picasso (¡978) Svenska Ord Cast: Gosta Ekman, Hans Alfredson, Margaretha Krook, Lena Olin, Bernard Cribbins, Wilfred Brambell, Lennart Nyman, Per Oscarson, Olle Ljungberg, Birgitta Anderson, Elisabeth Soderström, Dune Manhs, Magnus Harenstram, Lisbeth Zachrisson, Lena Nyman, Sven Lindberg, Ulf von Zeigbergh, Lars-Ake von Vultée and Yngve Gamlin as Diaghilev. Music by Gunnar Svenson, Erik Satie, Modeste Mussorgsky and Giacomo Puccini; Written by Hans Alfredson, Tage Danielsson and Gosta Ekman; Cinematog-

raphy by Tony Forsberg and Roland Sterner; Edited by Jan Perrson; Produced by Sta›an Hedqvist; Directed by Tage Danielsson. Color 88 minutes. Satie and Suzanne (¡994) Rhombus Cast: Nicholas Pennell and Veronica Tennant. Music by Erik Satie; Performed by Reinbert de Leeuw (pianist); Written by Tim Southam; Cinematography by Paul Sarossy; Edited by David New; Produced by Jennifer Jonas and Daniel Iron; Directed by Tim Southam. Color 53 minutes. La Musique de l’Amour: La Chouchou (¡995) TelFrance/Petropol Cast : François Marthouret as Claude Debussy, Thérèse Liotard, Pascale Rocard, Marc Berman, Akla Chibarova, Boris Sokolov, Vladimir Bogdanov, Dimitri Issayev, Valeriya Rud, Zhana Malinovskaya, Oleg Ogui and Sergei Zamoryev. Music by Claude Debussy; Performed by Alain Bernard (pianist); Written by EricEmmanuel Schmitt; Cinematography by Valeri Martynov; Edited by Wally Rebane; Produced by Nelly Kafsky; Directed by James Cellan Jones. Original language French Color 78 minutes. Moulin Rouge! (200¡) 20th Century–Fox Cast: Nicole Kidman, Ewan McGregor, John Leguizamo, Matthew Whittet, Jim Broadbent, Richard Roxburgh, Garry McDonald, Jacek Koman, Kerry Walker, Caroline O’Connor, Natalie Mendoza, Christine Anu, Lara Mulcahy and David Wenham. Music by Craig Armstrong, with additional excerpts by many composers including Richard Rodgers and Jacques O›enbach; Written by Baz Luhrman and Craig Pearce; Cinematography by Donald McAlpine; Edited by Jill Bilcock; Produced by Fred Baron, Martin Brown and Baz Luhrman; Directed by Baz Luhrman. Color ¡27 minutes.

Franz Schubert

195

Franz Schubert Screen depictions • Julius Spielmann in Das Dreimäderlhaus (¡9¡8) • ? in S’ Hannerl von der Dreimäderlhaus (¡923) • Paul Muni in Seven Faces (¡929) • Carl Jöken in Schuberts Frühlingstraum (¡93¡) • Hans Jaray in Unfinished Symphony (¡933) • Richard Tauber in Blossom Time (¡934) • Nils Asther in Love Time (¡934) • Paul Hörbiger in Drei Mäderl um Schubert (¡936) • Bernard Lancret in Serenade (¡940) • Alan Curtis in Melody Master (¡94¡) • Franz Böheim in Seine Einzige Liebe (¡947) • Tino Rossi in La Belle Meunière (¡948) • Heinrich Schweiger in Franz Schubert — Eine Leben in Zwei Sätzen (¡953) • Claude Laydu in Sinfonia d’Amore (¡954) • Carl Bohm in Das Dreimäderlhaus (¡958) • Al Bano in Angeli Senza Paradiso (¡970) • Udo Samel in Notturno (¡988) • Simon Russell Beale in The Temptation of Franz Schubert (¡997)

In a remarkably short lifetime, Franz Schubert (¡797–¡828) composed an impressive number of works. Although the facts about his life are known, his personality is considered an enigma by many musicologists because very little is known about his character, since he left few letters or personal writings. He was born in Vienna, became a member of the Imperial Court choir, and came to the attention of Antonio Salieri, who became his teacher. When his voice broke, he turned his attention to becoming a schoolmaster, but

he never abandoned music, becoming a prodigious composer. He had a small coterie of loyal friends who helped support him. Although he wrote numerous operas, they were largely insignificant. His genius became apparent as a lieder composer, writing over five hundred individual songs, such as “Der Erlkönig” (“The Erl King”), “Hark Hark the Lark” and “Who Is Sylvia?” His song-cycles, such as Die Schöne Müllerin (The Beautiful Maid of the Mill), Winterreise (Winter Journey) and Schwanengesang (Swan Song) are considered the absolute pinnacle of the form. There are numerous masterpieces among his piano works, including his sonatas, and his chamber music, such as the Trout Quintet and his String Quartet No. ¡4 “Death and the Maiden.” Scholars di›er as to the actual number of symphonies he composed, but his two movement Symphony No. 8 “Unfinished” and Symphony No. 9 are counted among the greatest ever written. At first glance, the number of Franz Schubert films is astonishing, given his short and relatively uneventful life. Upon closer examination, most of these films are actually based on two operettas, in particular Das Dreimäderlhaus (House of the Three Girls), which is almost pure fiction. Even when the music from these works isn’t used, the basic elements of the plot remain. Moreover, the appearance of the actor playing Schubert is almost always unrealistic, either too tall and handsome, such as Alan Curtis in Melody Master or Carl Bohm in Das Dreimäderlhaus. Or, like famous tenor Richard Tauber, he may be too old and hefty. Schubert was actually very short (just a little over five feet one inch tall), had curly brown hair, a pug nose

196

Franz Schubert

and was very young (he died at age thirtyone). Yet in most of the films, all they manage to get right is his wire spectacles. To portray Schubert accurately would require an actor like Gary Burgho›, who played Radar O’Reilly in M*A*S*H, particularly as he appeared in the earliest episodes. From ¡824 onward, Schubert’s health was poor (he had contracted syphilis), and he su›ered from extreme bouts of depression. He finally died of typhus in November ¡828. These facts are ignored by most of the films. So rather than examining the films in detail, it might be better to study the source dramas. The first operetta is Franz Schubert (¡864), composed by Franz von Suppé with a libretto by Hans Max. The plot is set in the year ¡8¡8, when the young Schubert spent five months as music teacher to the daughters of Count Esterhazy on his estate in Hungary. The story invents a romance between Schubert and Caroline Esterhazy (who in fact was only eleven at the time). In addition, the plot involves Schubert’s interest in the activities of a nearby mill and his acquaintance with the miller’s daughter, leading to the composition of his song-cycle Die Schöne Müllerin. The films Schuberts Frühlingstraum, La Belle Meunière and Angeli Senza Paradiso draw on elements from the text of this von Suppé work. The second operetta, Das Dreimäderlhaus, had a far greater impact. The source of this piece is a ¡9¡¡ novel Schwammerl by Rudolf Hans Bartsch. “Schwammerl” was one of Schubert’s nicknames, which can be interpreted as either “pudgy” or “mushrooms.” The plot depicts Schubert in ¡826 as he attempts to win the love of Hannerl Tschöll, one of the three daughters of the court glass maker. The composer persuades his best friend Franz von Schober to sing his love song to Hannerl, but his plan backfires when Hannerl falls in love with Schober instead. The three girls are com-

pletely fictitious, but two friends of the composer in the story, Schober and singer Johann Vogl, are based on real people. There was a suggestion that three sisters named Fröhlich inspired the story, but there was never any romance between Schubert and any of them. In ¡9¡5, writers Alfred Maria Wilner and Heinz Reichert wrote a libretto for Das Dreimäderlhaus. Composer Heinrich Berté (¡857–¡924) wrote the music, but the piece was rejected for production. The original music included just a single Schubert song, “Ungeduld” (“Impatient”) from Die Schöne Müllerin. It was suggested that Berté adopt other Schubert melodies for the piece. He went back and raided over thirty Schubert works, including orchestral works, chamber music, songs and piano pieces, in particular his waltzes for the new score to Das Dreimäderlhaus. The operetta debuted on January ¡5, ¡9¡6 (in the midst of World War I), and it became one of the greatest theatrical successes of the century. It racked up over ¡,¡00 performances in Vienna alone over the next ten years. The work was later adapted into twenty di›erent languages. Two di›erent English versions appeared (with some juggling of the characters and the plots). In America, the piece became Blossom Time, with the libretto refashioned by Dorothy Donnelly and the music by Sigmund Romberg. In England, the piece became Lilac Time, rewritten by Adrian Ross with the music adapted by George Clutsam. As far as the image of Schubert in the mind of the public goes, Das Dreimäderlhaus swept the boards. The films based either wholly or in major part on Das Dreimäderlhaus include Das Dreimäderlhaus (¡9¡8), S’ Hannerl von der Dreimäderlhaus, Unfinished Symphony, Blossom Time, Love Time, Drei Mäderl um Schubert, Franz Schubert — Eine Leben in Zwei Sätzen, Sinfonia d’Amore and Das Dreimäderlhaus

Franz Schubert

(¡958). Of the films, the two that stand out are Blossom Time and the ¡958 version of Das Dreimäderlhaus. The most memorable scene in Blossom Time occurs when Schubert arranges for a concert of his lieder to be sung by Johann Vogl. On the night of the concert, the hall has sold out, but Vogl is unable to sing due to a bad cold. Schubert himself sings the recital, since the sequence was especially tailored to the vocal talents of Richard Tauber. Schubert’s singing is portrayed as a huge success. However, in terms of the storyline, the concert makes no sense because his triumph seems to be immediately forgotten in the film. When his beloved gets married to another, Schubert sings with the Vienna Boys Choir in the church loft. In fact, the historical Schubert had been a member of the choir when he was a youth. In the last scene of the film, Schubert returns alone to his room where he sings, this time mournfully, as darkness engulfs him. The ¡958 version of Das Dreimäderlhaus has all the earmarks of a musical in which all the songs have been shortened to squeeze them into the allotted time. The most interesting new element added to the story is the Beethoven subplot. Schubert is composing his Unfinished Symphony specifically to present to Beethoven. Numerous scenes of the film portray him working on the composition, playing it on his piano. But when he hears that Beethoven has gone deaf, he puts the work aside. Of course, this also is pure fabrication. Schubert wrote the opening two movements (and a few bars of a third) of his symphony in ¡822, by which time Beethoven’s deafness was common knowledge. The last scene of Das Dreimäderlhaus is poignant. After Schubert loses the love of Hannerl to his best friend, he composes the Ave Maria for their wedding, playing it on the church organ. He leaves the wedding reception early, however, returning to

197

his own room where he collapses on his piano. The remaining Schubert films are also somewhat of a mixed bag, but the first sound-film portrayal is unique. Seven Faces was the talking-film debut of Paul Muni, who plays the night watchman in a wax museum who imagines that the wax figures come to life and talk with him. Inspired in part by the classic Waxworks (¡924) by Paul Leni, the film also permitted Muni to play six of the wax figures as well, including Napoleon Bonaparte, Don Juan, a black prizefighter, the devil and Franz Schubert. Seven Faces is an acting triumph for Muni, who was critically praised for his versatility as amazing as that of Lon Chaney. Melody Master, also known as New Wine, returns Schubert to being a semicomic stock figure. The setting of Melody Master is an all-Schubert concert in Carnegie Hall. A young man (Alan Curtis) is stood up by his date, and he arrives at his seat late. He winds up sitting next to a woman who has followed her boyfriend to the concert, where he is with another woman. The disappointed couple make friends with each other and read about the story of Schubert in the program booklet. A series of flashbacks occurs in which Alan Curtis also plays the role of Schubert. The details about his life, however, are almost entirely inaccurate. The year is ¡826, and Schubert is fired from his teaching job because of his emphasis on music. (In fact, Schubert voluntarily left teaching ten years earlier in a school operated by his own father.) Schubert then flees to Hungary to avoid being drafted into the army. He attempts to work as a sheep shearer at the estate of a countess, managed by a young woman named Anna (Ilona Massey), who takes an interest in him. She hires him as a bookkeeper. When the countess gives a musical soiree, Anna persuades the noblewoman to allow Schubert to play the

198

Franz Schubert

piano. He is supposed to debut a piano sonata written by the local duke, but it is so awful that Schubert tries to improve it by adding his own melodies (such as his Serenade and the main theme from the Unfinished Symphony). The duke is outraged, and the countess discharges both Anna and Schubert. Back in Vienna, Schubert and Anna have fallen in love, and the composer struggles to become a success. The music publisher Heislinger refuses to look at his music, and Schubert is forced to return to teaching to earn money. Anna sneaks o› with one of his manuscripts to show Beethoven. After looking through the Unfinished Symphony, he calls it a work of genius. Beethoven promises to promote the work but makes Anna swear not to tell Schubert that Beethoven has seen his work before it is finished. Later Anna tries to encourage Schubert to complete the symphony. When she hears the news that Beethoven has died, she is devastated, figuring that no one will believe that Beethoven was enthusiastic about Schubert’s symphony. The countess seeks out Anna and asks her to return to the estate. Anna realizes that Schubert will never become a composer if he has to support a wife and family, so she makes the sacrifice for music by ending their a›air. Meanwhile, events return to the modern-day concert where the young man and woman have now bonded their friendship after listening to a performance of Ave Maria. In many ways Melody Master may remind viewers of the Laurel and Hardy screen version of operettas, such as Daniel Auber’s Fra Diavolo (¡933) or William Balfe’s Bohemian Girl (¡936). The supporting cast of comedians— Billy Gilbert, James Finlayson and Binnie Barnes (as the unnamed countess who refers to the composer as “Screwbert”)— reinforces this impression. The soundtrack includes numerous references to Schubert’s melodies, but

only the modern-day concert scenes with fragments of the last movement of the Ninth Symphony or the music from Rosamunde do any justice to the music. By default, the best scene is the one with Beethoven. So the status of Melody Master is even further away from the authentic Schubert than Das Dreimäderlhaus. Likewise, the French film Serenade was considered to be similar in tone to Melody Master, but that film was hardly noticed since it debuted shortly before France fell to the Nazis in ¡940. Only the last two films present a serious e›ort to portray Schubert in realistic terms. Notturno (or Love Has Died) is the theatrical version, shown in France and Italy, of an Austrian miniseries that focuses on the life and times of Schubert. It was also inspired by a short, German experimental film from ¡979, I Came as a Stranger, in which the composer has a series of macabre hallucinations on his deathbed. In Notturno, Schubert is discharged from the hospital after having been diagnosed with venereal disease. He is befriended by Kajetan, an invalid whom he met in the hospital. The composer thinks back upon his life and career while trying to cope with his disease. No matter how he tries, he seems unable to regain his lost enthusiasm for life until one of his oldest friends, Franz von Schober, is able to give him a renewed sense of hope. The Temptation of Franz Schubert is a British telefilm commemorating the bicentennial of the composer’s birth. Again, this picture focuses on the darker and more tragic elements of Schubert’s life while he is confined in the hospital. Simon Russell Beale was cited by critics for his exceptional portrayal of the tragic young composer.

Franz Schubert

Production Credits Das Dreimäderlhaus (¡9¡8) Richard Oswald Films Cast: Julius Spielmann, Conrad Veidt, Wilhelm Diegelmann, Sybilla Binder, Kathe Oswald, Ruth Werner, Anita Berber, Bruno Eichgrün, Max Gülsto›, Adolf Suchanek, Raoul Lange as Niccolò Paganini. Cinematography by Max Fassbinder; Produced and Directed by Richard Oswald. Original language German B&W 5 reels. S’ Hannerl von der Dreimäderlhaus (¡923) Filmaktualitätenbüro Cast: Fritz Bascht, Ernst Deutsch. Based on the operetta Das Dreimäderlhaus by A. M. Wilner and Heinz Reichert; Produced and Directed by Gustav Mayer. Original language German B&W 4 reels. Seven Faces (¡929) Fox Films Cast: Paul Muni, Marguerite Churchill, Lester Lonergan, Russell Gleason, Gustav von Sey›eritz, Eugenie Besserer, Walter Rogers and Salka Stenermann. Music by Hugo Friedhofer; Written by Dana Bunet based on the short story “A Friend of Napoleon” by Richard Connell; Cinematography by Joseph H. August and Al Brick; Edited by Edwin Robbins; Produced by William Fox and George Middleton; Directed by Berthold Viertel. B&W 78 minutes. Schuberts Frühlingstraum (¡93¡) AKA Schubert’s Spring Dream Richard Oswald Films Cast : Carl Jöken, Gretl Theimer, Alfred Läutner, Willy Stettner, Lucie Englisch, Sig Arno, Oskar Sima and Gustl Gustettenbaur. Music by Franz Schubert and Felix Gunther; Written by Arthur Rebner and Leo Lasko; Cinematography by Willy Goldberger; Edited by Paul Falkenberg ; Produced and Directed by Richard Oswald. Original language German B&W 90 minutes. Unfinished Symphony (¡933) AKA Leise Flehen Meine Lieder Cine-Allianz Cast: Hans Jaray, Martha Eggerth, Helen Chandler, Eliot Makeham, Ronald Squire, Beryl Laverick, Hermine Sterler, Esme Percy, Frida Richard, Paul Wagner and Cecil Humphries as Antonio Salieri. Written by Willi Forst, Benn W. Levy and Walter Reisch; Cinematography by Franz Planer and Albert Benitz; Edited by Viktor Gertier; Produced by Willi Forst; Directed by Anthony Asquith and Willi Forst. Original language German B&W 84 minutes.

199

Blossom Time (¡934) British International Cast: Richard Tauber, Jane Baxter, Carl Esmond, Athene Seyler, Paul Graetz, Charles Carson, Marguerite Allan, Edward Chapman, Lester Matthews, Gibb MacLaughlin, Ivan Samson, Frederick Lloyd and Cecil Ramage. Music by Franz Schubert and Sigmund Romberg ; Music edited by G. H. Clutsam; Written by Roger Burford, G. H. Clutsam, John Drinkwater and Franz Schulz based on the operetta by Sigmund Romberg; Cinematography by Otto Kranturek and Bryan Langley; Edited by Leslie Norman; Produced by Walter C. Mycroft; Directed by Paul Stein. B&W 90 minutes. Love Time (¡934) British International Cast: Nils Asther, Pat Paterson, Herbert Mundin, Henry B. Walthall, Henry Kolker, Lucien Littlefield, Albert Conti, Herman Bing, Roger Imhof, Paul England and Mary Blackford. Music by Franz Schubert, Sidney Clare and Samuel Kaylin; Written by William M. Conselman, Henry Johnson, Sally Sandlin and Lynn Starling based on a story by Richard Carroll; Cinematography by Arthur C. Miller; Edited by Alex Tro›ey; Produced by John Stone; Directed by James Tinling. B&W 72 minutes. Drei Mäderl um Schubert (¡936) AKA Three Girls Around Schubert Alga Films Cast: Paul Hörbiger, Gretl Theimer, Maria Andergast, Gustav Waldau, Julia Serta, Wolfgang von Schwindt, Ivan Petrovich, Fritz Ley and Hans Junkermann. Music by Franz Schubert and Alois Melichar. Based on the operetta Das Dreimäderlhaus by A. M. Wilner and Heinz Reichert and the novel Schwammerl by Rudolf Hans Bartsch. Written by E. W. Emo and Arthur Pohl; Directed by E. W. Emo. Original language German B&W 93 minutes. Serenade (¡940) AKA Schubert’s Serenade Astra Paris Films Cast: Bernard Lancret, Robert Arnoux, Jacques Butin, Edmond Castel, Lillian Harvey, Louis Jouvet, Marcel Lupovici, Marcel Vallée and Auguste Bovério as Ludwig van Beethoven. Music by Franz Schubert and Paul Abraham; Written by Jacques Companéez, Max Maret, Pierre Wol› and Ernest Neuville; Cinematography by Claude Renoir, Boris Kaufman and Maurice Pecqueux; Edited by Louisette Hautecoeur and Marc Sorkin; Produced by Marc Le Pelletier

200

Franz Schubert

and Christian Stengel; Directed by Jean Boyer. Original language French B&W 90 minutes. Melody Master (¡94¡) AKA New Wine United Artists Cast: Alan Curtis, Ilona Massey, Billy Gilbert, Binnie Barnes, Sterling Holloway, Maynard Holmes, Barnett Parker, John Qualen, Richard Carle, Sig Arno, Gilbert Emery, George O’Hanlon, Forrest Tucker, Harry Hayden, James Finlayson and Albert Basserman as Beethoven. Music by Franz Schubert and Miklos Rozsa; Arranged by Eugene Zador; Orchestra conducted by Artur Guttmann. Written by Howard Estabrook and Nicholas Joy; Cinematography by John J. Mescall; Edited by James Smith; Produced by William Sekely; Directed by Reinhold Schünzel. B&W 87 minutes. Seine Einzige Liebe (¡947) AKA It’s Only Love Royal Film Cast : Franz Boheim, Walter Gynt, Jenny Liese, Heinz Conrada, Klara Maria Skaia, Rudolf Kreitner, Julius Brandt and Martha Lukas. Music by Franz Schubert; Written by Walter Gynt and Benno A. Haas; Cinematography by Willi Sohm; Edited by Gerda Garay; Directed by Emerich Hanus. Original language German B&W 84 minutes. La Belle Meunière (¡948) AKA The Pretty Miller Girl Société du Film Cast: Tino Rossi, Jacqueline Pagnol, Pierre Labry, Emma Lyonel, Suzanne Desprès, Roaul Marco and Pirette Rossi. Music by Franz Schubert and Vincent Scotto; Produced and Directed by Marcel Pagnol. Original language French Color 99 minutes. Franz Schubert — Eine Leben in Zwei Sätzen (¡953) AKA An Unfinished Life United Artists Cast : Heinrich Schweiger, Aglaja Schmidt, Rolf Wanka, Erwin Strahl, Louis Soldan, Hans Thimig and Chariklia Baxevanos. Music by Franz Schubert and Karl Pausperti; Written by Walter Kolm-Veltée based on the operetta Das Dreimäderlhaus by A. M. Wilner and Heinz Reichert; Cinematography by John J. Mescall; Edited by Josef Juvancic; Directed by Walter KolmVeltée. Original language German B&W 87 minutes. Sinfonia d’Amore (¡954) Imperial films Cast: Claude Laydu, Lucia Bosé, Marina Vlady, Gino Becchi, Heinz Moog, Riccardo Fellini, Silvio Bagolini, Paolo Stoppa, Rosanna Car-

teri and Nicola Monti. Music by Franz Schubert; Written by Liana Ferri, Agenore Incocci and Glauco Pellegrini; Cinematography by Mario Montuori; Produced by Luigi Rovere; Directed by Glauco Pellegrini. Original language Italian Color ¡¡7 minutes. Das Dreimäderlhaus (¡958) Aspa Films Cast: Carl Bohm, Rudolf Schock, Magda Schneider, Gustav Knuth, Richard Romanowsky, Erich Kunz, Eberhardt Wachter, Lotte Lang, Edith Elmay, Helga Neumer and Ewald Balser as Beethoven. Music by Heinrich Berte, Franz Schubert, Ludwig van Beethoven and Anton Profes; Arranged by Anton Profes; Performed by the Vienna Philharmonic conducted by Heinrich Hollreiser; Written by Ernst Marischka based on the operetta Das Dreimäderlhaus by A. M. Wilner and Heinz Reichert; Cinematography by Bruno Mondi; Edited by Alfred Srp; Produced by Karl Ehrlich; Directed by Ernst Marischka. Original language German B&W 98 minutes. Angeli Senso Paradiso (¡970) Mondial Cast: Al Bano, Romina Power, Agnostina Belli, Emma Baron, Wolf Fischer, Gerard Herter, Antonio Marsina, Paul Müller and Claudio Trionfi. Music by Franz Schubert and Angelo Francesco Lavagnino; Written by Ettore Maria Fizzarotti; Cinematography by Mario Capriotto; Produced by Richard Mozer and Directed by Ettore Maria Fizzarotti. Original language Italian Color 92 minutes. Notturno (¡988) AKA Love Has Died AKA Mit Meinen Heissen Tränen ORF Cast : Udo Samel, Daniel Olbrychski, Traugott Buhre, Florentin Groll, Michaela Widhaum, Maja Komorowska, Wolf Dietrich Sprenger, Gabriel Barylli and Wojciech Pszoniak. Music by Franz Schubert; Written by Fritz Lehner; Cinematography by Gernot Roll; Produced and Directed by Fritz Lerner. Original language German B&W ¡45 minutes theatrical version; 385 minutes miniseries version. The Temptation of Franz Schubert (¡997) AKA The Double Life of Franz Schubert Oxford Productions Cast: Simon Russell Beale, Jason Flemyng, Emilia Fox, Richard van Allan, Karl Johnson, Freddie Jones and Michael Vogl. Music by Franz Schubert; Written by Nicholas Kent; Cinematography by Douglas Welton; Produced by Mark Bentley and

Robert Schumann and Clara Schumann

201

Nicholas Kent; Directed by Peter Webber. Color 60 minutes.

• Franz Schubert: The Lieder of the Pack (200¡) Featuring Jon Kimura Parker; Bravo; 30 minutes

Noted Documentaries

These are three excellent documentaries of Schubert. The Nupen film focuses on Schubert’s last year and includes performances by pianist Vladimir Ashkenazy. Malcolm Hossick’s film is clear, concise and thorough, although a trifle dry. Jon Kimura Parker is witty and stimulating. As always, he inspires the viewer to seek out additional Schubert works to explore.

• Franz Peter Schubert: Grand Amour (¡994) Directed by Christopher Nupen; Allegro Films; 55 minutes • Schubert: Famous Composers Series (¡996) Written, produced and directed by Malcolm Hossick; SKAN Productions; 32 minutes

Robert Schumann and Clara Schumann Screen depictions (Robert Schumann) • Mathias Wieman in Träumerei (¡944) • Paul Henreid in Song of Love (¡947) • Marcel Cuvelier in Monsieur Schumann (¡976) • Herbert Grönmeyer in Spring Symphony (¡983) • Thomas Langman in La Musique de l’Amour: Robert et Clara (¡995)

Screen depictions (Clara Schumann) • Hilde Krahl in Träumerei (¡944) • Katharine Hepburn in Song of Love (¡947) • Anouk Ferjac in Monsieur Schumann (¡976) • Nastassja Kinski and Anja Christine Preussler in Spring Symphony (¡983) • Isabelle Carré in La Musique de l’Amour: Robert et Clara (¡995) • Lori Piitz in Brahms and the Little Singing Girls (¡997)

Robert Schumann (¡8¡0–¡856) is one of the major figures of the Romantic movement in the first half of the nineteenth century. He came late to the study of music, having initially worked toward obtaining a law degree. In ¡829, he became a student of Friedrich Wieck, whose daughter Clara was widely praised as a child prodigy of the piano. Schumann’s own career as a virtuoso pianist was thwarted after a hand injury, and he concentrated his e›orts on becoming a composer. Young Clara fell in love with Robert, but her father opposed their union for several years until a court permitted their marriage in ¡840. Schumann also became an influential critic, founding The New Journal of Music. Schumann’s major compositions include piano works such as Carnaval, Kinderscenen (which includes his most famous work Träumerei), Kreisleriana and Phantasiestücke, chamber works such as his three string quartets, three piano trios and his Piano Quintet in E Flat Major (one of the crowning jewels of chamber pieces) and his three concertos (one each for piano, cello and violin). Despite criticism

202

Robert Schumann and Clara Schumann

of weak orchestration, Schumann’s four symphonies have all entered the general repertoire. He composed an opera, Genoveva, and oratorios such as Scenes from Goethe’s Faust. Among his most popular works are his numerous songs and songcycles, such as Dichterliebe. Schumann experienced episodes of mental distress. He kept hearing a recurring note in his inner ear, which some musicologists suggest the composer imitated in his Second Symphony (¡846). Schumann eventually su›ered a complete breakdown in ¡854, jumping into the Rhine one evening in a fit of despair. He was committed to an asylum and died two years later. Clara Schumann (¡8¡9–¡896) was likewise a major figure in music, generally regarded as the finest pianist of the nineteenth century after Franz Liszt. She was also a composer whose music is still occasionally performed. Her works include Piano Concerto in A Minor and numerous songs, chamber works and piano music. She frequently advised Brahms, who sent her his manuscripts, and he often incorporated her suggestions. Robert Schumann has been better represented in his portrayals on screen than many composers. Spring Symphony, for example, is one of the finest composer films in this book, one that combines dramatic interest with a high degree of historical accuracy. Even though it is the fourth of the five films produced, it will be the first to be examined since it covers the first half of his career, from Schumann’s decision to study music in ¡829 to his marriage with Clara in ¡840 and the debut of his Symphony No. ¡ “Spring” in ¡84¡. Herbert Grönmeyer is excellent in his performance as the composer, a passionate reading that is totally convincing. Nastassja Kinski, Klaus Kinski’s daughter, is certainly exceptional as Clara. The piano technique of both actors is remarkable and credible, even if the playing of professional

pianists such as Ivo Pogorelich and Wilhelm Kempf is edited onto the soundtrack. Rolf Hoppe matches the reading of the two leads with his sensitive, subtle and magnificent interpretation of Professor Frederick Wieck, Clara’s overprotective father. The basic storyline is uncomplicated. Robert Schumann moves in as a guest of the Wieck family in Leipzig when he begins his studies with the professor, who treats him generously. Robert acts as Wieck’s assistant, helping to teach the professor’s other students. As Clara grows and matures, she becomes more and more attracted to Schumann. At first, Robert is attracted to Ernestine von Fricken, another pupil of Wieck. They become secretly engaged, but her wealthy family opposes their betrothal. After Robert learns that she is in fact penniless since she is adopted, he breaks o› their association. The young composer later falls in love with Clara, which leads to a complete rift with Wieck, who strongly opposes their marriage. For a number of years, the two young lovers carry on their romance surreptitiously, with Clara gently but clearly defying her father by including Schumann’s music in her recitals. For his part, Schumann is less faithful, having a relationship with a local barmaid. In one colorful scene, Schumann’s girlfriend has to hide in a closet when Wieck pays a surprise visit to Schumann’s apartment to plead with him to give up his e›orts to marry Clara. The break in the stalemate occurs when Clara insists on traveling without her father on her concert tour to Paris. She refuses to return home and joins Robert in petitioning the local court in Leipzig to permit their marriage over the objections of her legal guardian, her father. The hearing is an extraordinary sequence as Professor Wieck’s arguments and criticism against Robert, his writing and his music sound petty and inconsequential. Robert’s

Robert Schumann and Clara Schumann

recent nomination as a doctor of music by the University of Jena appears to sway the court in his favor. Wieck’s final comments to the court, mentioned almost as an afterthought, cite the professor’s somber observation that both Schumann’s father and sister su›ered from mental disturbances and that madness might run in his family. These prophetic comments seem to hang in the air as the scene shifts to the wedding of Clara and Robert. After the marriage, Professor Wieck and his family move to Dresden as a protest of the court’s decision. Clara is surprised when her father leaves a grand piano for her as a gift. (Professor Wieck became reconciled with Clara and Robert three years later. He eventually outlived Robert by sixteen years.) Felix Mendelssohn (Andre Heller) visits the Schumanns and helps Robert in preparing the manuscript of his First Symphony for performance. The story comes to a triumphant conclusion as Mendelssohn conducts the debut concert of Schumann’s first major orchestral work. Spring Symphony itself ends with a series of drawings and photographs of the actual Robert and Clara Schumann, and it is remarkable how closely Herbert Grönmeyer resembles the historical Schumann. In almost all aspects, Spring Symphony is an exemplary model of a nearly flawless screen e›ort. The screenplay is very intelligent and even utilizes authentic Schumann letters and journals as the basis for portions of the dialogue. The cinematography and art direction are first class. The acting is uniformly good, especially Anja Christine Preussler as the young Clara, who is transformed almost seamlessly into Nastassja Kinski as Clara matures. There are many unforgettable moments in the film, such as when Clara becomes faint after Robert’s first kiss. Also quite intriguing is the sequence portraying Robert’s injury to his hand using an

203

odd contraption designed to strengthen his fingers and his various bizarre e›orts to try to repair the damage. The music is presented in splendid manner throughout. Paganini (Gidon Kremer) is shown playing one of his Caprices, and Mendelssohn performs one of his Songs Without Words. Numerous snippets of Clara’s compositions are also heard, including her Op. ¡ Polonaise as well as her Piano Concerto. Of course, Schumann’s music receives the most exposure, including Papillons, Träumerei and his Piano Sonata No. 2 in G Minor, not to mention the work that serves as the film’s title, the Spring Symphony. Viewers need to be knowledgeable about the Schumanns to fully appreciate this e›ort, but it is a film worth rewatching in order to savor its many subtleties. The French telefilm, La Musique de l’Amour: Robert et Clara, was actually filmed in Russia. It is a companion piece to a similarly titled film about Debussy. La Musique de l’Amour again concentrates on the romance and marriage of Robert and Clara Schumann just as Spring Symphony. It played on French television in ¡995 and was critiqued at the time for being too slow moving and verbose. Song of Love is a traditional Hollywood biopic, yet in its own way it is almost as good as Spring Symphony. Song of Love can be excused for its lapses in accuracy, particularly when considering the opening title card: “In this story of Clara and Robert Schumann, of Johannes Brahms and Franz Liszt, certain necessary liberties have been taken with incident and chronology. The basic story of their lives remains a true and shining chapter in the history of music.” This disclaimer, too often taken for granted in other productions, clearly proclaims a balance between dramatic impact and historical veracity. By drawing the audience’s attention to this, Song of Love opens on an honest note. On

204

Robert Schumann and Clara Schumann

Paul Henreid as Schumann in Song of Love.

the whole, Song of Love plays far less with the facts than many other productions. It is also a top-of-the-line production, featuring major stars such as Katharine Hepburn as Clara and Paul Henreid as Robert. The film opens at a concert in Dresden on May ¡0, ¡839, in honor of the king of Saxony. Clara performs Franz Liszt’s First Piano Concerto. Liszt (Henry Daniell), sitting in a box seat with the king, appears to be very pleased with her playing. Professor Wieck (Leo G. Carroll) sits immediately behind his daughter on stage, whispering instructions as she plays. Robert Schumann, seated in the audience, applauds wildly at the conclusion of the work. Clara defies her father and changes her encore to Träumerei. The king, greatly impressed, asks Liszt about the selection.

After the concert, Wieck and Robert quarrel, as the professor insists he will never approve of his daughter’s engagement with Robert. Clara and Robert appeal to the court to allow their marriage over Wieck’s objection. The judge appears to be taking Professor Wieck’s side when Liszt approaches the bench to testify that he considers Schumann to be a composer of great promise and mentions that he was awarded an honorary doctorate by the University of Jena. Liszt’s speech turns the tide, and Schumann’s petition is granted. They wed, and as a gift Robert presents Clara with his composition titled Dedication, or in German Widmung, Op. 25, No. ¡ from his song cycle Myrthen. The work is played on the piano in its entirety by Robert, with Clara joining in for the last few notes.

Robert Schumann and Clara Schumann

The scene then shifts thirteen years later when Johannes Brahms (Robert Walker) pays his first visit and meets Robert, Clara and their seven children at their home in Düsseldorf. Schumann is very busy with his teaching and composing, but he welcomes Brahms with open arms to stay as their house guest. Very quickly, the young Brahms makes himself indispensable to the Schumanns. When Brahms plays one of his Hungarian Dances, Robert is troubled when he starts hearing a sound in his head that drowns out the music he is listening to. Clara persuades a doctor to visit, and he urges that her husband both rest and enjoy the emotional uplift of a success. Unknown to Robert, his latest work, an opera/oratorio titled Scenes from Goethe’s Faust, is rejected for performance. Brahms takes the work to Liszt to ask his help. Liszt invites Robert, Clara and Brahms to a salon concert where he plays his transcription of Dedication, filled with dramatic flourishes. Clara, in contrast, plays the work in its original form. This provides Liszt with an opportunity to convince the music director of the Gewandhaus Orchestra to program Scenes from Goethe’s Faust with Robert conducting. Brahms decides to leave the Schumanns because he fears he can no longer hide his love for Clara. At the premiere of Scenes from Goethe’s Faust, Robert has a breakdown when the sound he hears in his head becomes unbearable and he is unable to continue conducting. Robert is placed in an asylum, but he fails to make any improvement. When Clara visits him, he tells her he is working again and plays her his new work. It is Träumerei, but Robert doesn’t realize it is an old composition. He collapses and dies as he finishes playing. The last quarter of the movie concentrates on Clara’s friendship with Brahms and her decision to dedicate her concert

205

career to playing Robert’s music. The film concludes with a concert in May ¡890 at the same hall in Dresden where the film opened. Clara plays Schumann’s Piano Concerto. At the conclusion of the concert, she plays Träumerei as an encore. Song of Love then comes full circle, as the son of the king of Saxony from the opening scene attends the ¡890 concert as an old man. Although the script is occasionally hokey, with Brahms’s unrequited love seeming to carry greater weight than the tragedy of Robert’s madness, the quality of the performances of Katharine Hepburn, Robert Walker and Henry Daniell manages to rise above the material. Paul Henreid’s acting is particularly strong and poignant. His scenes with Hepburn also have a genuine warmth that is unique. Of course there are a number of weaknesses. Hepburn, for example, pounds away at the piano with the same repetitive motion in an unconvincing fashion no matter which passages she is playing. Some of the scenes of the Schumann children are too cloying. The dramatic moments work better, particularly Schumann’s valiant e›orts to continue conducting when he can no longer hear his music. On the whole, the production treats the music with great consideration, o›ering generous portions of Liszt, Brahms and Schumann (except for Clara — not a note of her own music is heard). One concert scene is particularly entertaining, when Clara races through the concluding moments of Schumann’s Carnaval in order to attend to her baby in need of nursing back in her dressing room. Schumann’s symphonies are not heard in the course of the picture; however, his rarely heard Scenes from Goethe’s Faust is featured during the film’s climactic moment. Even with its flaws, Song of Love remains one of the most highly regarded of composer films. The next two Schumann pictures, Träumerei and Monsieur Schumann, have

206

Robert Schumann and Clara Schumann

Leo G. Carroll, as Professor Wieck, keeps close tabs on his daughter (Katharine Hepburn) even at a concert recital in Song of Love.

a number of similarities. Both are foreign films that cover roughly the same time span, concentrating on Schumann’s hopeless battle against his mental illness, and both are indisputable tragedies. The German feature Träumerei, made in ¡943 and released in ¡944, is notable as one of the last major films of the Nazi era that wasn’t light entertainment, such as a comedy or musical, or a propaganda piece. Even neutral countries like Switzerland booked and distributed the picture, and after the war it was cleared for performance since it was deemed to be apolitical. Yet, one could build a case of a possible subliminal message, since Träumerei portrayed a decent man like Schumann sinking into irrationality and madness. Could the German

filmgoing public have equated the composer’s plight with that of the German nation as it sank into irrationality and madness with the Nazi regime? In reviews of Träumerei, Mathias Wieman’s performance as the doomed composer was widely praised, cited for both subtlety and integrity in the heartbreaking story. The French production Monsieur Schumann, on the other hand, received very little critical notice. Although made in ¡976, it was not broadcast on French television until October ¡9, ¡978. It didn’t receive a second playing until August 26, ¡990, and has since disappeared from public view. Clara is played by Lori Piitz in Tony Palmer’s Brahms and the Little Singing Girls, and the direc-

Robert Schumann and Clara Schumann

tor informs me that he deliberately portrayed the relationship between her and Brahms as vague. Nevertheless, the emphasis is on the figure of Brahms and portrays his feelings after Clara’s implied rejection.

Production Credits Träumerei (¡944) UFA Film Cast : Mathias Wieman, Hilde Krahl, Ullrich Haupt as Brahms, Emil Lohkamp as Liszt, Eduard Bornträger, Knut Hartwig, Isot Kilian, Elly Burgmer, Rudolf Drexler, Waldo Favre, Emil Hess, Lisa Wunderlich, Bruno Harprecht and Friedrich Kayssler. Music by Robert Schumann, Johannes Brahms, Franz Liszt and Werner Eisenbrenner; Written by Harald Braun and Herbert Witt; Cinematography by Robert Baberske; Produced by Fritz Thiery; Directed by Harald Braun. Original language German B&W ¡¡0 minutes. Song of Love (¡947) MGM Cast : Katharine Hepburn, Paul Henreid, Robert Walker as Brahms, Henry Daniell as Liszt, Elise Janssen, Leo G. Carroll, Ludwig Stossel, Kurt Katch, Roman Bohnen, Tala Birell, Gigi Perreau, Yinker Furlong, Ann Carter, Janine Perreau, Jimmie Hunt, Anthony Sydes, Eilene Janssen, Henry Stevenson, Konstantin Shayne, Wheaton Chambers, Byron Foulger and George Chakiris. Music by Robert Schumann, Johannes Brahms, Franz Liszt and Bronislau Kaper; Performed by Artur Rubinstein (pianist), Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Symphony Orchestra conducted by William Steinberg ; Written by Ivan Tors, Irmgard von Cube, Allen Vincent and Robert Ardrey based on a play by Bernard Schubert and Mario Silva; Cinematography by Harry Stradling ; Edited by Robert J. Kern; Produced and Directed by Clarence Brown. Color ¡¡9 minutes. Monsieur Schumann (¡976) AKA Il Etait un Musicien — Monsieur Schumann RJD Cast: Anouk Ferjac, Marcel Cuvelier, Stephane Jobert as Brahms, Jean-Christophe Bouvet and Yvonne Danny. Music by Robert Schumann; Performed by Alexis Weissenberg (pianist), Mstislav Rostropovich (cellist); Orchestra conducted by Wolfgang Sawallisch;

207

Written by Janine Sperling and Bernard Queysanne; Produced by Christine GouzeRénal and Roger Hanin; Directed by Bernard Queysanne. Original language French Color 80 minutes. Spring Symphony (¡983) Cine International Cast: Herbert Grönmeyer, Nastassja Kinski, Anja Christine Preussler, Rolf Hoppe, Bernhardt Wicki, Edda Seippel, Margit Geissler, Inge Marschall, Kitty Mattern, Sonja Tuchmann, Wolfgang Greese, Gunter Kraa, Uwe Müller, Gidon Kremer and André Heller as Felix Mendelssohn. Music by Robert Schumann, Niccolò Paganini and Herbert Grönmeyer; Performed by Gidon Kremer (violinist); Ivo Pogorelich, Babette Hierholzer and Wilhelm Kempf (pianists); Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau (vocalist); Berlin Hymnentafel; Uncredited orchestra conducted by Wolfgang Sawallisch and Manfred Rosenberg; Written by Peter Schamoni and Hans E. Neunzig ; Cinematography by Gerard Vandenberg ; Edited by Elfie Tillack; Produced and Directed by Peter Schamoni. Original language German Color ¡02 minutes La Musique de l’Amour: Robert et Clara (¡995) TelFrance/Petropol Cast: Thomas Langman, Isabelle Carré, Ivan Shvedo›, Sasha Likov, Marina Starykh, Sergei Orlov, Yuri Orlov, Svetlana Smirnova, Nikolai Dik and Aleksandr Cherednik as Franz Liszt. Music by Robert Schumann; Performed by Alain Bernard (pianist); Written by Sean Allen and Stefan Arngrim; Cinematography by Sergei Astakhov; Edited by Frederic Viger; Produced by Nelly Kafsky; Directed by Jacques Cortal. Original language French Color 78 minutes. Brahms and the Little Singing Girls (¡997) Isolde Films Cast: Warren Mitchell, Lori Piitz as Clara Schumann and Ulrika. Music by Johannes Brahms; Performed by Olaf Baer, Susan Chilcott and Ning Liang (soloists); NDR Symphony Orchestra conducted by Peter Leonard; Written by Tony Palmer; Cinematography by Dave Marsh; Edited by Tony Palmer; Produced and Directed by Tony Palmer. 90 minutes.

208

Dmitri Shostakovich

Noted Documentaries • A Portrait of Robert Schumann (¡988) Düsseldorf Festival Films; ¡8 minutes • Musica — Dr. Robert Schumann, Teufelsromantiker (¡999) German television; 60 minutes • In the Lovely Month of May: Robert Schumann, a Biography, Part One (2000) Directed by Michael Fuehr; 52 minutes • He Who Gives Way to Stillness: Robert Schumann, a Biography, Part Two (2000) Directed by Michael Fuehr; 58 minutes

Because of the tragic circumstances regarding his decline, Schumann has also been well represented in documentaries. Musica — Dr. Robert Schumann, Teufelsromantiker is reported to be the finest one, and although an English-language version was made, it has yet to be released. The two-part documentary by Michael Fuehr is also quite good, however, and includes generous musical selections.

Dmitri Shostakovich Screen depictions • ? in Leningradskaja Simfonija (¡957) • Ben Kingsley in Testimony (¡987) • Sergei Makovetsky in Rothschild’s Violin (¡996)

Dmitri Shostakovich (¡906–¡975) is considered to be the last great composer in the traditional mold, certainly the last great symphonist and composer of string quartets. Like Mozart, he was one of the few composers to write out his musical manuscripts directly to full score. His fifteen symphonies are the finest of the twentieth century. His other major works include his six concertos (two each for piano, cello and violin), chamber music (including fifteen string quartets, two piano trios, an exceptional piano quintet and a number of sonatas), operas (including Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk District), ballets (including The Age of Gold), choral music (including The Execution of Stenka Razin), piano music (including his collection of Twenty-Four Preludes and Fugues), song cycles and songs (the first man in space,

Yuri Gagarin, sang a Shostakovich song, “Rodina Slyshit,” while in orbit). In addition, Shostakovich wrote the scores for almost forty films, including The New Babylon (¡929), Hamlet (¡964) and King Lear (¡970). Moreover, his impressive output was produced in the harsh and oppressive atmosphere of the Soviet totalitarian regime, which frequently targeted composers for criticism using the expression “formalism” to identify music that didn’t tow the correct propaganda line as decreed by the state. The ¡957 film Leningradskaja Simfonija tells the story of the composition and first performance of Shostakovich’s Seventh Symphony, commonly known as the Leningrad Symphony, which became a patriotic rallying point not only in the siege of Leningrad during ¡94¡ and ¡942, but for all the Allied powers during World War II. Shostakovich composed the first movement in Leningrad in August ¡94¡, and the next two movements in September, while the city was being bombarded. He completed the finale at Kuibyshev, the provisional capital of the Soviet Union in De-

Dmitri Shostakovich

cember. The Bolshoi Theater Orchestra, evacuated to Kuibyshev, debuted the piece on March 5, ¡942. The original manuscript of the symphony was then microfilmed as if it were a secret document and smuggled out of Russia by a circuitous route through Teheran, eventually to an American naval ship. The score arrived in New York like a top-secret document. The major conductors, Serge Koussevitzky, Artur Rodzinski, Leopold Stokowski and Arturo Toscanini had a fierce competition to debut the work in the United States. Toscanni and the NBC Symphony Orchestra won the race, beating his closest rival by a week, playing the symphony during a national broadcast on July ¡9, ¡942. Meanwhile, on August 9, a ragtag orchestra consisting of whatever musicians were available performed the symphony in the besieged city of Leningrad, which was broadcast to all of Russia. The legend of the symphony is contained in the long first movement, in which an innocuous little march appears, becomes louder and louder through repetition and changes in orchestration, in e›ect combining the technique of Ravel’s Bolero with something sinister, until the melody becomes a voracious beast that rages for the rest of the movement. Everyone assumes it is a portrait of Hitler’s invasion of Russia and the siege of Leningrad. In truth, however, Shostakovich revealed years later that it was actually his portrait of Stalin and his reign of terror, largely composed before Hitler’s attack on Russia. Leningradskaja Simfonija is the screen depiction of the heroic Soviet myth, told in reverent terms. Curiously, cast lists of this film note the characters only in somewhat vague terms, as “the professor” or “the conductor,” so it is unclear which actor is meant to portray Shostakovich, unless the film was deliberately structured to keep the most important character in the story o›

209

screen, like Christ in Ben-Hur (¡958) or Mohammad in The Message (¡977). In any case, the actor who portrays Shostakovich in this initial film appears to be hidden behind a veil of secrecy. Incidentally, the Seventh Symphony completely disappeared from the repertoire in the West after the war, until revived and recorded twice by Leonard Bernstein, who championed the work. Oddly enough, when Bernstein died in October ¡990, he had originally scheduled the Leningrad Symphony as the major work he was to perform that fall with the New York Philharmonic. Another feature film that was intended to include a cameo of Shostakovich is Ken Russell’s first big commercial e›ort, The Billion Dollar Brain (¡967), one of the Harry Palmer spy films starring Michael Caine. Shostakovich’s music plays a vital role in this picture, as a mad billionaire, General Midwinter (Ed Begley), attempts to invade and liberate Latvia. The opening movement of Shostakovich’s Seventh Symphony is played throughout the climax of the film. Earlier in the picture, the hero, British agent Harry Palmer, is brought to a symphony concert in Leningrad by his friendly opponent from Russian Intelligence, Colonel Stok (Oscar Homolka). There is a glimpse of a figure who resembles Shostakovich as the camera pans through the audience. In the film, the music heard at the concert is the coda of Shostakovich’s Eleventh Symphony (“¡905”). However, Colonel Stok tells Harry Palmer it is the Seventh Symphony. When I asked Ken Russell about this inconsistency, he replied that he switched the music on the soundtrack to the Eleventh Symphony because it had a more exciting climax, not to suggest that Stok didn’t know what symphony was being played. As for the intended Shostakovich cameo, Russell didn’t comment except to say that he didn’t have time to properly cast an extra who looked like the composer. So perhaps he left this hint of a cameo instead.

210

Dmitri Shostakovich

The two remaining feature films, Testimony and Rothschild’s Violin, are both legitimate masterpieces. These films, however, first require some background commentary. Testimony is a somewhat controversial volume that is subtitled The Memoirs of Dmitri Shostakovich as Related to and Edited by Solomon Volkov. The work is based on an extensive number of interviews by the author, a musicologist from Leningrad, with the composer. Volkov would later arrange these sometimes rambling conversations into typed sections which the composer reviewed and signed. The understanding was that the book would not be published until after Shostakovich’s death, and it was also understood that the book would not be printed in Russia due to the anti–Soviet thoughts expressed in the text. Volkov emigrated to America a year after Shostakovich’s death in August ¡975. (The first public announcement of his passing was not issued in Russia, but at Tanglewood in Lenox, Massachusetts, by Seiji Ozawa and Mstislav Rostropovich at a concert at which Shostakovich’s Fifth Symphony was performed.) Testimony was translated and published by Harper and Row four years after the composer’s death, and it was immediately denounced as a fraud by experts in the Soviet Union. In the West, reception of the book was a sensation. It brought attention to the composer’s artistic struggle with the Communist regime and his opposition to the su›ering inflicted on the Russian people as a whole, as well as writers, artists and musicians in particular. Shostakovich’s rage, partially expressed in his choice of text for his Fourteenth Symphony, is provided full vent in Testimony. However, a number of musicologists considered the book to be a partial fraud, since the volume seemed to contain passages that were cribbed from Shostakovich’s earlier writings as well as some earlier inter-

views. The debate with many scholars was at a virtual stando› until the fall of the Soviet Union, after which more and more scholars endorsed the position of authenticity, with any inconsistencies and omissions being the result of the haphazard way the composer responded to Volkov’s questions. Tony Palmer’s film adaptation of Testimony dates from ¡987. It is not a literal depiction of the book, but a stylized portrait of the composer inspired by Testimony. Solomon Volkov served as a technical adviser on the film. Testimony alternates between actual events, concert performances, and distorted, fantastic scenes such as a wild carnival in which the composer plays the piano on a flatcar of a train, before his piano eventually sinks into a lake. Some events were factually altered for dramatic purposes. For example, Stalin ran a competition to select a new national anthem, with the finalists being Shostakovich, Aram Khachaturian, Iona Tuskiya and Grigori Alexandrov. In the film, Palmer depicts Shostakovich as the winner. In reality, as in the memoirs, Alexandrov was the winner chosen by Stalin. However, the scene in the film in which Shostakovich has to awkwardly accept the praise and congratulations of the Soviet dictator whom he despises is one of the most insightful scenes in the entire film. Certainly the spirit of the scene is correct even if it is factually untrue. The script of Testimony, written by David Rudkin with Palmer, manages to give an incomparable look at the persona of Shostakovich, who faced a unique challenge in music history to maintain his own musical voice and dignity in the face of massive state control and domination by Soviet society. It also shows the painful compromises that the composer had to make, particularly in his appearance at the Congress of World Peace in ¡949, when he was used as a puppet by the Soviet regime.

Dmitri Shostakovich

To portray the complicated figure of Shostakovich, Palmer made an inspired choice, Academy Award–winner Ben Kingsley, one of the finest character actors of our time. Kingsley threw himself into the role magnificently, with an uncanny resemblance to the real Shostakovich at various stages of his career. The picture opens at Shostakovich’s funeral in the grand hall of the Moscow Conservatory on August ¡4, ¡975. Slides of the real Shostakovich are projected onto a huge screen as a list of the composer’s honors is ceremonially intoned by an o‡cial speaker. Then Ben Kingsley, giving voice to Shostakovich, mockingly repeats these honors. “Look, the ravens are here, even claiming our corpses,” the composer adds with irony as the camera pans by government o‡cials. “Oh, something they feel. Their state composer is dead. I am dead, how else should I be smiling?” As the co‡n is carried o›, the third movement of the Eighth Symphony is played as a flashback takes the audience back to the composer’s student days at the conservatory in Leningrad. This is followed by the triumphant debut in May ¡926 of his First Symphony. Hailed as the “First Composer of the Revolution,” Shostakovich is befriended by Red Army Marshal Mikhail Tukhachevsky (Ronald Pickup), who warns him that his life as the preeminent composer in Soviet Russia will be “di‡cult.” Ten years later, Shostakovich realizes the truth of the comment when he is the target of a vicious, front-page review in Pravda (largely dictated by Stalin himself ) titled “A Muddle Instead of Music,” which condemns his opera Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk District (which was considered a great success when it debuted two years earlier). The publication of this article in January ¡936, musicologists suggest, marked the end of Shostakovich’s career as a free and independent artist (in which case his last artistically “free” works would be his Cello

211

Sonata, Five Fragments for Orchestra and his Fourth Symphony). Thereafter, he would be allowed to function only as a servant of the state. The most brilliant shot in the film occurs at this point. The composer is standing in the train station reading the newspaper article in total disbelief. A long shot portrays him alone on the platform as an oozing red cloud (the first use of color in the black-and-white film) slowly starts to envelop him and the entire screen. Shostakovich finds himself a pariah. In a poignant scene, Marshal Tukhachevsky takes the composer for a walk in a cold, bleak landscape. He advises him on how to survive the current wave of Stalinist terror and purges by withdrawing his complex new symphony in rehearsal (the Fourth Symphony) and writing a new symphony in a more popular style as a gesture to Stalin. The marshal’s own situation is more desperate, however, as Stalin is jealous of his military talents. He predicts Stalin will destroy him and leave Leningrad naked to a future German attack. In the book, Shostakovich spoke warmly of his relationship with the marshal, although this encounter was not included. Stalin did eliminate Marshal Tukhachevsky, his country’s most brilliant military strategist, in the so-called general’s plot in the summer of ¡937. On the other hand, Shostakovich was rehabilitated by the success of his Fifth Symphony in November ¡937, supposedly written as the composer’s reply to just criticism. The only other color scenes inserted into the film are London Philharmonic concert excerpts conducted by Rudolf Barshai, included in montages during extended excerpts of Shostakovich’s music. These musical interludes are exceptionally well done. After Shostakovich’s rehabilitation, the film continues with a number of major sequences, such as the war and the siege of Leningrad, the Union of Com-

212

Dmitri Shostakovich

posers’ Congress of ¡948, at which Shostakovich’s music (particularly his Ninth Symphony) was denounced, his journey to New York in ¡949 for the World Peace Conference, the competition for a new national anthem, the death of Stalin (after which the composer retrieves compositions he had hidden away in his rooms) and Shostakovich’s heart-breaking visit to Babi Yar, the desolate site near Kiev of a mass execution of Jews during World War II. Each of these scenes has a number of unforgettable moments, such as when Shostakovich shows up at a deserted soccer stadium, unaware that the Nazi surprise had occurred that morning. Testimony is unique in that the epic scenes, such as the composer’s visit to a vast film studio, work just as well as the intimate ones, such as the composer teaching music to his young children. In one special moment, Shostakovich shows his son the name of notes on the piano keyboard, and his son suggests the musical anagram D-S-C-H. In German notation, “S” equals “D sharp” and “H” equals “B natural,” so D-S-C-H can represent the Germanic spelling of the name D Schostakowitsch. In fact, Shostakovich used this phrase in a number of works including his Tenth Symphony, Eighth String Quartet and First Cello Concerto. In another scene, the composer demonstrates to his daughter his “story” depicted in the first movement of the Seventh Symphony with wit and humor, a rare light moment in the production. Another great scene is Stalin’s telephone call to the composer to insist that he represent the USSR at the World Peace propaganda event in New York City. This is taken directly from the book. Shostakovich’s capitulation at the New York press conference, where he mouths the platitudes of the Stalinist line, is the most uncomfortable scene in the picture, since the composer himself regarded his behavior as a betrayal of his convic-

tions. Kingsley captures this bitter moment in Shostakovich’s life with chilling anguish. Several other composers briefly appear in the film. Alexander Glazunov (¡865–¡936), played by Peter Woodthorpe, is depicted as the cantankerous, alcoholic head of the Leningrad Conservatory during Shostakovich’s youth. Aram Khachaturian (¡903–¡978) commiserates with Shostakovich over their persecution by the state. He even tells Shostakovich a joke about the national anthem contest, “First prize, dinner with Stalin. Second prize, a week with Stalin.” William Squire is quite e›ective as Khachaturian. An uncredited extra playing Serge Prokofiev can also be spotted briefly in the audience at the Composers’ Congress. The use of the composer’s music throughout the film is magnificent, including the hallucinatory image of the composer being chased by a massive stone head of Stalin and the Babi Yar scene, both with the composer’s Thirteenth Symphony sung in English. The final scene of Testimony is one of the most poetic moments in any composer film and includes the playing of the entire second movement of his Second Piano Concerto, which is both elegiac and simple. As it starts, Shostakovich is on his deathbed, and he is visited by the ghost of Stalin. The dictator tries to justify his actions while belittling Shostakovich’s music, but the composer replies defiantly that his work was able to reach out to people when words cannot su‡ce. The composer’s death is followed by a series of bittersweet clips from earlier in the film, ending with a new image of an untroubled and tranquil Shostakovich playing the gentle conclusion of the movement. Testimony can be an intense and draining experience for viewers, uncompromising at times in its dark vision, yet with a few moments of sublime tenderness, such as its very last shot.

Dmitri Shostakovich

Rothschild’s Violin is another magnificent and unique film featuring Shostakovich. The background concerns an unfinished, one-act opera composed by Veniamin (Benjamin) Fleischmann, a student of Shostakovich who was killed during the siege of Leningrad. Shostakovich completed and orchestrated the work. Although he characteristically downplayed his contribution to the piece, a number of musicologists believe that Rothschild’s Violin may be more Shostakovich than Fleischmann. No performance, however, was secured for the opera since Soviet authorities considered the work to be “too Jewish.” Solomon Volkov managed to stage the work in April ¡968, but it was banned after the premiere as “Zionist propaganda.” The piece languished for a number of years until a recording was undertaken by Gennady Rozhdestvensky and the Rotterdam Philharmonic with Konstantin Pluzhnikov as Rothschild and Sergei Leiferkus as Bronza, the leading roles. Shortly thereafter, the production of Rothschild’s Violin was conceived, an international coproduction with French funding, an Argentinean writer and director, Edgardo Cozarinsky, and an international cast of mainly Russian actors. Rights were obtained to use the Rozhdestvensky performance and the halfhour opera itself was filmed in Hungary with actors lip synching the recording. The opera itself serves as the centerpiece of the picture, with scenes involving Shostakovich, shot in Estonia and St. Petersburg, as substantial bookends. The film opens in ¡938, as students in Shostakovich’s orchestration class at the Leningrad Conservatory question him about Mussorgsky. The composer’s current project is to prepare a new version of Boris Godunov, and he demonstrates the di›erences between Mussorgsky’s original work and the version prepared by RimskyKorsakov. Shostakovich’s open and relaxed

213

teaching style is yet a di›erent side of the composer not explored in Testimony. One promising student, Benjamin Fleischmann, asks him about the concept of the “Yurodivy” in Boris Godunov, the “Holy Fool” who discusses the troubles of the nation. Speaking elliptically, Shostakovich discusses the Yurodivy as a distinctively Russian character, a mystic and critic with a unique moral standing who always tells the truth, even to those in power. The composer declares that the role of Yurodivy cannot exist in modern Soviet society. However, in later private conversations with Fleischmann, the student begs to know why Shostakovich never defends himself whenever he is criticized. Shostakovich implies that he has assumed the role of a musical Yurodivy, presenting his ideas and the truth in his work. Anyone interested can find his answers there. Working closely together, Shostakovich guides Fleischmann in preparing his opera, Rothschild’s Violin, based on a short story by Anton Chekhov. Events jump ahead to the Nazi invasion of Russia. Fleischmann joins the civilian volunteer brigade and is not heard from again, presumably killed in action. Shostakovich considers it his duty to complete Rothschild’s Violin. Standing by the side of a railroad track, the composer starts to envision the figure of a man strolling the tracks playing a violin. The opera then begins with a title card “Once upon a time.” The story concerns a band in a small Russian village, performing at a wedding. Rothschild, the flautist and poorest member of the band is criticized by Bronza, the second violinist, for playing too gloomily. Bronza walks o› in anger. An undertaker, Bronza laments as he walks home that no one in the town ever seems to die. When he gets home, his wife is desperately ill. Meanwhile, the other band members send Rothschild to try to persuade Bronza to return to the group. Bronza chases him away.

214

Dmitri Shostakovich

A gang of rowdy youngsters starts to follow him, taunting him with cries of “Jew!” When he turns and confronts them, the children disperse. Bronza’s wife dies, and he decides that he no longer wants to live. When Rothschild returns, Bronza gives him his most cherished possession, his violin. Taking the instrument, Rothschild starts to play it and finds he has a natural talent. He walks o› playing ecstatically. The exact running time of the opera is forty-one minutes. As it ends, Shostakovich is sitting outside an o‡ce. He closes his eyes, and a momentary image of Rothschild reappears. The composer is then summoned by the minister of culture and told that the opera Rothschild’s Violin does not conform to the standards of the great Soviet motherland. After he is dismissed, the composer conjures in his mind an image of Stalin, and he shakes his head in anguish. Later, when walking the streets, Shostakovich is mistaken by a group of Soviet women for a Jew and is surprised by the sting of their anti–Semitic comments. He discusses the issue with his friend, composer Moishe Vainberg, who is Jewish. Vainberg highlights the degree of danger that Jews face daily in the Soviet Union. Attending a movie house where he once worked as a pianist in the days of silent movies, Shostakovich watches a newsreel, and on the soundtrack we hear his feelings of disgust with “fellow travelers” such as Paul Robeson, who are blind to the intolerance and injustice in the Soviet state. Shostakovich picks up a slim volume of Jewish folk poetry at a sidewalk bookstall. The composer decides to set some of these verses to music, and in his own way, speak the truth as a musical Yurodivy. The film ends with Shostakovich walking the streets of Leningrad, noticing a young Jewish boy playing his violin. The Russian actor Sergei Makovetsky is splendid in his depiction of Shostakovich, although it is somewhat di›erent from the

approach of Ben Kingsley. Both are excellent and completely valid in their readings, but Makovetsky is warmer, more poised and self-confident in his interpretation. While Kingsley focused on the public-platform Shostakovich, Makovetsky provides a glimpse of the Shostakovich as seen privately by his friends. On the whole, it is fair to say that few composers have been portrayed with more sympathy, understanding and realism than Shostakovich.

Production Credits Leningradskaja Simfonija (¡957) AKA Leningrad Symphony Lenfilm Cast : Nikolai Kryuchkov, Sergei Kurilov, O. Malco. Mark Pertsovsky, Maksim Shtraukh, Vladimir Solovyov, Y. Stroyeva and Z. Sukhopolskaya. Music by Dmitri Shostakovich; Directed by Zakhar Agranenko. Original language Russian B&W 83 minutes. Testimony (¡987) Isolde Films Cast: Ben Kingsley, Terence Rigby, Sherry Baines, Magdalen Asquith, Mark Asquith, John Shrapnel, Robert Stephens, Robert Reynolds, Vernon Dobtche›, Colin Hurst, Joyce Grundy, Mark Thrippleton, Ronald Pickup, Liza Goddard, Robert Urquhart, Murray Melvin, Peter Faulkner, Christopher Bramwell, Marita Phillips, Frank Carson, Chris Barrie, Tracy Spence, Dorata Rae, Ed Bishop, David Sharpe, Julian Stanley, Nicholas Fry, Brook Williams as H.G. Wells, Andrew Brittain as Nicolai Malko, Peter Woodthorpe as Alexander Glazunov and William Squire as Aram Khachaturian. Music by Dmitri Shostakovich; Performed by Howard Shelley (pianist); Yuzuko Horigome (violinist); John Shirley-Quirk, Felicity Palmer (vocal soloists); Chilingirian String Quartet, The Golden Age Singers, London Philharmonic conducted by Rudolf Barshai; Written by David Rudkin and Tony Palmer based on Testimony: Memoirs of Dmitri Shostakovich as Related to and Edited by Solomon Volkov; Cinematography by Nic Knowland; Edited by Tony Palmer; Produced and Directed by Tony Palmer. Color ¡57 minutes. Rothschild’s Violin (¡996) Les Films d’Ici Cast:

Jean Sibelius Sergei Makovetsky, Danius Kazlauskas as Benjamin Fleischmann, Tonu Kark, Tanara Solodovnikova, Kaljo Kiisk, Epp Eespäev, Kirill Shigaev, Mari Töröcsik, Sandor Zsoter, Miklos B. Szekely, Ferenc Javori and Tarmo Mannard as Moishe Vainberg. Music by Dmitri Shostakovich and Benjamin Fleischmann; Performed by Larissa Diadkova, Sergei Leiferkus, Maria Shaguch, Konstantin Pluzhnikov, Ilya Levinsky (vocalists); Rotterdam Philharmonic conducted by Gennady Rozhdestvensky; Written by Edgardo Cozarinsky; Cinematography by Jacques Bouquin; Edited by Josiane Morand; Produced by Serge Lalou; Directed by Edgardo Cozarinsky. Original language Russian Color 99 minutes.

Noted Documentaries • A Birthday Tribute to Shostakovich (¡966) New York Philharmonic Young People’s Concerts with Leonard Bernstein; 60 minutes • Sounds Magnificent: Shostakovich (¡986) Story of the Symphony series Vol. 6; 86 minutes • Viola Sonata (¡986) A film by Semyon Aranovuch and Aleksandr Sokurov; 78 minutes • Shostakovich: A Career (¡987) A film by Peter Maniura; BBC; 60 minutes • The War Symphonies: Shostakovich Against Stalin (¡997) A film by Michael Weinstein; Rhombus; 82 minutes.

215

Because of his unique position as a cultural icon as well as a composer, Shostakovich has been the subject of a large number of significant documentaries, including a number of Soviet ones not covered here by such figures as director Alexander Gendelshtein. The Bernstein tribute focuses on a detailed analysis of the composer’s Ninth Symphony. André Previn examines the Fifth Symphony in the concluding chapter of the “Story of the Symphony.” Shostakovich’s last completed composition is his Viola Sonata. Sokurov’s film uses the work as a metaphor for the composer’s struggle as a creative artist in a repressive state. Somewhat impressionistic in style, Viola Sonata was basically completed in ¡98¡ but banned by the Russian government because it was anti–Soviet in its content. It was finally released in ¡986, under the banner of Gorbachev’s campaign of “perestroika.” This documentary still has a tremendous impact. The remaining two films by Peter Maniura and Michael Weinstein are both extraordinarily well done and feature comprehensive interviews with Irina Shostakovich, Maxim Shostakovich, Mstislav Rostropovich, Yevgeny Yevtushenko, Galina Vishnevskaya and other important figures from the composer’s personal and public life, with an emphasis on his position as the nation’s leading composer and covert but determined political dissident.

Jean Sibelius Screen depictions • Henri Kapulainen in Runoilija ja Muusa (¡978) • Oiva Lohtander in Puhtaaksikirjoittaja (200¡)

Jean Sibelius (¡865–¡957) is principally regarded as the one of the finest of all Scandinavian composers. Born in Hämeenlinna, Finland, Sibelius initially wanted to become a violin virtuoso, but he later shifted his ambition to composition under

216

Jean Sibelius

the influence of his teacher, the composer Ferruccio Busoni. His principal compositions are his seven symphonies, his Violin Concerto and a large number of tone poems, including Finlandia, En Saga, Pohjola’s Daughter, Nightride and Sunrise, The Bard, Oceanides and Luonnotar. His work Legends is a set of four tone poems, including the second selection, the famous Swan of Tuonela. Another piece to enter the standard repertoire is Valse Triste, from the incidental music to Kuolema. After World War I, Sibelius became increasingly reclusive. After completing Tapiola, his last tone poem, in ¡926, Sibelius wrote and then destroyed his Eighth Symphony. He did not compose during the remaining thirty years of his life. Jean Sibelius is portrayed in two Finnish productions, but neither one is a traditional biopic of the composer. Sibelius appeared in both films as a supporting character. The first film, Runoilija ja Muusa, was distributed only in Finland and Russia. It won three Jussi awards as best Finnish production in terms of best sets, best cinematography and best performing actress. The second film, Puhtaaksikirjoittaja, was a telefilm made for Finnish television. A new film titled Sibelius was in early production stages in Scandinavia late in 2002. Mariti Suosaio had been cast to portray the composer.

Production Credits Runoilija ja Muusa (¡978) AKA Poet and Muse Filmityö Film Cast: Henri Kapulainen, CarlAxel Heiknert, Esko Salminen, Katja Salminen, Paavo Liski, Elina Salo, Pertti Palo, Heidi Krohn and Jaakko Pakkasvirta. Music by Henrik Otto Donnor and Jean Sibelius; Cinematography by Pertti Mutanen; Edited by Irma Taina; Produced and Directed by Jaakko Pakkasvirta. Original language Finnish Color ¡05 minutes.

Puhtaaksikirjoittaja (200¡) AKA The Copyist Sveriges Cast: Oiva Lohtander, Seela Sella, Kari Heiskanen and Niklas Halmajärvi. Music by Jukka Linkota and Jean Sibelius; Written by Harri Virtanen; Cinematography by Raimo Hartzell; Produced by Harri Virtanen; Directed by Hannu Heikinheimo. Original language Finnish Color 86 minutes.

Noted Documentaries • A Tribute to Sibelius (¡965) New York Philharmonic Young People’s Concerts with Leonard Bernstein; 60 minutes • Themes of Heaven: Secret of Finlandia (¡997) A film by Jukka Konttori; 54 minutes • Jean Sibelius — Giant from the North (¡999) A film by Jukka Konttori; 90 minutes

Leonard Bernstein dedicated one of his Young People’s Concerts to Sibelius, his life and work on the centennial of his birth. Finnish filmmaker Jukka Konttori dedicated several works to Jean Sibelius. Themes of Heaven is the first of a three-part documentary focusing on di›erent compositions of Sibelius, how they came to be written and their social significance. The first part deals with Finlandia, the nationalistic tone poem that was banned by the Russian authorities who ruled Finland at the turn of the century. The film examines how the music became a symbol of freedom, even used by the students of China in their protests at Tiennamen Square, and how the music was also used as an Anglican hymn. Two later segments of Themes of Heaven cover Pohjola’s Daughter and the composer’s Seventh Symphony. Jean Sibelius — Giant from the North, also known as A Composer for All Seasons, is the definitive Sibelius documentary, combining archival footage with musical performances and commentary from such individuals as Sir Colin Davis and Esa Pekka Salonen.

Bedrich Smetana

217

Bedrich Smetana Screen depiction • Karel Höger in Z Meho Zivota (¡955)

Bedrich Smetana (¡824–¡884) is one of the first of the nationalist composers to emerge from central Europe in the nineteenth century. He began his career as a concert pianist and teacher. After meeting Liszt, he decided to become a composer, using Czech legends and history for his inspiration. His masterpiece is Ma Vlast (My Country), a cycle of six symphonic poems including Vlatava, or The Moldau. Among his other tone poems are Richard III, Wallenstein’s Camp and Hakon Jarl. He also wrote eight operas, of which The Bartered Bride is the best known. Among his chamber pieces, his First String Quartet (From My Life) has become a repertoire standard. The last movement of the highly personal quartet includes a high, sustained note in the first violin that symbolically portrays the composer’s oncoming deafness. After his sixtieth birthday, Smetana su›ered a breakdown, and he was confined to an asylum in April, ¡864, dying a month later. The only film to portray Smetana is a lavish Czech production based on a novel about the composer bearing the same sobriquet as the First String Quartet. The film stars one of the leading Czech actors, Karel Höger, in the role of Smetana. Höger previously played the title role in Jan Hus (¡954), another important Czech production. However, while Jan Hus was provided with English subtitles and released in English-speaking countries, Z Meho Zivota was never distributed outside of Czechoslovakia. No reviews could be located regarding Z Meho Zivota. The music of Sme-

tana was central in another film, A Voice in the Wind (¡945). Francis Lederer stars as a Czech concert pianist. After his country falls to the Nazis, he defies the new government’s ban on performing The Moldau. He plays the forbidden work, considered a national hymn by Czech patriots, in a piano transcription as an encore during his concert. The Nazis take their revenge on the pianist by arresting him and submitting him to torture. These events are shown in a flashback to explain the background of Lederer’s character, a mute halfwit whose only talent is the ability to play The Moldau on the piano.

Production Credits Z Meho Zivota (¡955) AKA From My Life Czech National Cast: Karel Höger, Karel Dostel, Vlasta Fialova, Gustav Heverle and Miroslav Hornicek. Music by Bedrich Smetana; Arranged by Jarmil Burghauser; Written by Vaclav Krska based on the novel by Jiri Maranek; Cinematography by Ferdinand Pecenka; Produced and Directed by Vaclav Krska. Original language Czech Color 94 minutes.

Noted Documentary • Bedrich Smetana: Founder of Czech Romantic Music (¡99¡) 26 minutes

This documentary focuses on the composer’s life, balancing his musical success with his personal tragedies. Stage excerpts from The Bartered Bride are included.

218

John Philip Sousa

John Philip Sousa Screen depictions • Clifton Webb in Stars and Stripes Forever (¡952) • ? in Scott Joplin (¡977)

John Philip Sousa (¡854–¡932) is popularly regarded as the greatest march composer of modern times. He was born in Washington, D.C., and his father was a trombone player in the United States Marine Band. When he was nine years old, he accompanied his father to Gettysburg, where he heard Abraham Lincoln deliver the Gettysburg Address, an event that moved him his entire life. He studied music, and by the time he was sixteen he was an orchestra leader of theatrical groups. He played under Jacques O›enbach when the French composer toured America in ¡876. Sousa became the director of the United States Marine Band from ¡880 to ¡892, when he organized his own touring band, which gained worldwide fame. He composed over one hundred marches, including Stars and Stripes Forever, Semper Fidelis, The Washington Post March and The Liberty Bell. Sousa was also a prolific songwriter and composer of light operas such as El Capitan and The Queen of Hearts. In addition, he wrote a number of suites for orchestra, including The Last Days of Pompeii and Sheridan’s Ride. He died while on tour in Reading, Pennsylvania, his last performance being a rousing encore of Stars and Stripes Forever. In ¡987, President Ronald Reagan signed a law recognizing Stars and Stripes Forever as the o‡cial march of the United States. The film version of Stars and Stripes Forever is a popular musical very loosely based on Sousa’s memoirs from ¡928, ti-

tled Marching Along. Clifton Webb is well cast as the dynamic composer and bandmaster, his dry wit seeming quite in character with the famous musician. Unfortunately, his performance is somewhat overshadowed by two fictitious characters played by Robert Wagner and Debra Paget. This subplot practically dominates the storyline. Sousa’s children, for example, are reduced to only one brief scene. Also, the film contains a large number of historical inaccuracies that would frustrate Sousa devotees. Willie Little, the Robert Wagner character, is portrayed as the inventor of the sousaphone, the bass tuba named in honor of Sousa. In actuality, the sousaphone was invented by J. W. Pepper in ¡893 and later refined in ¡899 by C. G. Conn for use in Sousa’s band. The entire screenplay is dotted with similar fabrications. The credits of Stars and Stripes Forever open not with the title number but instead with a rousing rendition of Semper Fidelis. The opening narration by Casey Adams, delivered as Sousa buys a hundred dozen pairs of white silk gloves at an exclusive shop during the ¡920s, suggests that the picture is going to portray the march king’s entire career. Instead, the screenplay covers events during only a brief span from ¡892 until the debut of Stars and Stripes Forever, ¡897 in reality, but pushed forward until ¡898 in the movie. The story begins as Sergeant Major Sousa leads the U.S. Marine Corps band in a parade review playing The Washington Post March. The following day, he is reprimanded because one of his men, Private Willie Little, had been found drunk and disorderly. Sousa doesn’t know Little, however, who claims to have invented a new instrument named the sousaphone in his honor. At his o›base

John Philip Sousa

219

Lobby card from Stars and Stripes Forever.

home that evening, Sousa plays and sings his latest song, “Weeping Willow,” for his wife, Jenny. Teasingly, she transforms the tune into a march on the piano (and in fact the tune is later incorporated into Semper Fidelis). Willie Little shows up to demonstrate the sousaphone. One blast on the instrument wakes the three Sousa children, who come pouring downstairs. Little has obtained free passes to a variety show at which a number of Sousa songs are programmed. Reluctantly, Sousa agrees to go. It turns out to be a vaudeville review, which gets raided by the police when the “living pictures” skit proves too risqué. Little sneaks Sousa out the stage door with one of the showgirls, Lily Becker, his fiancée. They head back to Sousa’s home, where Lily sings a sassy number, “Father’s Got ’Em,” to audition her voice. Sousa ac-

cepts Little into the marine band. He debuts at a White House reception held by President Benjamin Harrison. Greeting a long line of well-wishers, the president passes a message to Sousa to play something snappier. Sousa responds by presenting his new march, Semper Fidelis, which the president enjoys. Later, the march becomes the first piece of music o‡cially recognized by the U.S. government. However, Sergeant Major Sousa has decided to end his military career and form a civilian band. Willie Little also leaves the marines to join him. Sousa’s open audition for his new group attracts some of the finest players in the country. The band makes its debut at the Chicago World’s Fair, performing a brilliant rendition of Franz von Suppé’s Light Cavalry Overture. A montage se-

220

John Philip Sousa

quence follows, displaying the band’s repertoire, with the mainstay, of course, being Sousa’s own marches. Sousa pays for singing lessons for Lily Becker, planning to use her as a singer and dancer when the band tours. She and Willie secretly marry, so they won’t violate Sousa’s ban against band members bringing their wives on tour. Mrs. Sousa learns of their arrangement and finally informs her husband after he catches Willie sneaking into Lily’s compartment on the train. He then decides to pretend that he does not know. When touring the South, Sousa receives a notice canceling his appearance in Atlanta because “Northern bands are not popular here.” Sousa and his men show up anyway, marching to the ballroom hall playing “Dixie.” He announces his program, including Rossini’s William Tell Overture, Strauss’s Blue Danube Waltz and his own King Cotton March, all interspersed with “Dixie.” His appearance is a great success, even when he includes a black choir singing The Battle Hymn of the Republic. Another montage shows Sousa’s successful tour of Europe, being honored by the crowned heads of the continent. Sousa then stages an operetta to highlight the talents of Lily Becker. This stage show is interrupted when Sousa receives news that the battleship Maine has been blown up in Havana harbor, which quickly leads to the Spanish-American war. Willie Little reenlists in the marine corps. Sousa contracts a case of typhoid fever, and he goes to sea for a rest cure while working on his new comic opera, El Capitan. While walking the deck one night, he gets the inspiration to write Stars and Stripes Forever, which he quickly writes down in one sitting, without altering a single note. As El Capitan goes into production starring Lily Becker, Mrs. Sousa receives a letter from Willie informing her that he had been wounded in action in Cuba, and his leg was amputated. He asks her to

break the news to Lily. Sousa and his wife read the letter to her, who is surprised that the composer knew they were married. Willie is brought to a convalescent hospital at the Brooklyn Navy Yard. Sousa brings his band to play a concert for the war wounded, debuting his new composition dedicated to the veterans of the Spanish-American war, Stars and Stripes Forever. Sousa asks Willie to join him on stage to play the sousaphone. Stars and Stripes Forever is then played in its entirety, and as it concludes the scene shifts to modern times as a series of bands is portrayed, some marching home from World War II and some preparing to leave for new assignments. As the final military band marches by in a parade, the spirit of John Philip Sousa appears dressed in full regalia and joining in the march. The camera focuses in on this semivisible Sousa as the music and the film end. As noted earlier, almost all the details in the picture are totally inaccurate. Stars and Stripes Forever was first played by Sousa and his band on May ¡4, ¡897 (a full year before the Spanish-American War), at a dedication of a statue of George Washington in Philadelphia attended by President William McKinley, not at the Brooklyn Navy Yard. The composition was written on Christmas Day ¡896 as Sousa was returning from England from a short vacation after hearing of the sudden passing of David Blakely, the manager of his band. The Sousa band debuted at Stillman Hall in Plainfield, New Jersey, on September 26, ¡892, not the ¡893 Chicago World’s Fair. El Capitan was written in ¡895, well before the Spanish-American War. This is just the tip of the iceberg of misinformation, but since the fictitious characters of Willie Little and Lily Becker receive far more screen time than John Philip Sousa, the unreliability is obvious. It is easier to define what is accurate. The names of the principal musicians re-

John Philip Sousa

cruited for Sousa’s band are accurate. So are Sousa’s words describing how he composed the music for Stars and Stripes Forever, taken directly from his autobiography. Despite all the factual distortions of the script, the film Stars and Stripes Forever is highly diverting and entertaining, a very pleasant and colorful family picture. The rendition of Sousa’s famous marches on the soundtrack are lively and filled with zest. The stage numbers with Debra Paget, although lengthy, are agreeable divertissements. A few Sousa facts emerge from time to time. The Washington Post March, for example, did become a popular dance craze known as the “two-step,” and Sousa did tour Europe extensively, meeting many heads of state, but his first overseas tour did not occur until ¡900. Sousa makes a cameo appearance in the Scott Joplin film during the sequence dealing with the ¡904 St. Louis World’s Fair. Joplin was a performer at the fair, but unfortunately his piano was placed too near the hall where Sousa and his band performed. In the film, there is one quick close-up of Sousa conducting, and the uncredited performer had a remarkable likeness to Sousa in the sequence.

Production Credits Stars and Stripes Forever (¡952) Paramount Cast: Clifton Webb, Robert Wagner, Ruth Hussey, Debra Paget, Findlay Currie, Richard Gamrich, Frank Ferguson, Roy Gordon, Thomas E. Jackson, Helen Van Tuyl, Tito Vuolo, Casey Adams and Olan Soule. Music by John Philip Sousa and Alfred Newman; Written by Lamar Trotti and Ernest Vajda based on Marching Along by John Philip Sousa; Cinematography by Charles G.

221

Clarke; Edited by James B. Clark; Produced by Lamar Trotti; Directed by Henry Koster. Color 89 minutes. Scott Joplin (¡977) Universal Cast: Billy Dee Williams, Clifton Davis, Godfrey Cambridge, Margaret Avery, Eubie Blake, Seymour Cassel, DeWayne Jessie, Mable King, Taj Mahal, Spo-De-Odee, David Healey, Samuel Fuller, Leon Charles, Fred Pinkard, David Raynr and Art Carney. Music by Scott Joplin and Harold Johnson; Arranged and performed by Richard Hyman; Written by Christopher Knopf ; Cinematography by David M. Walsh; Edited by Patrick Kennedy; Produced by Stanley Hough; Directed by Jeremy Paul Kagan. Color 96 minutes.

Noted Documentaries • If You Knew Sousa (¡993) A film by Thomas and Linda Spain; PBS; 55 minutes • March On, Sousa (¡995) A film by the University of Illinois; 30 minutes

One of the most popular entries of the PBS series The American Experience was its John Philip Sousa documentary, If You Knew Sousa, which thoroughly examines the composer, his music and his career. It has probably received the most rebroadcasts of any entry of the series. March On, Sousa is shorter and less focused, concentrating on the collection of Sousa memorabilia held at the University of Illinois. After Sousa’s passing, his family sent most of his manuscripts and material to the University of Illinois, where the Sousa Archive of Band Research and Education (or SABRE) was established by Albert Austin Harding, Sousa’s friend and collaborator. The exhibits from the college make March On, Sousa quite remarkable.

222

Leopold Stokowski

Leopold Stokowski Screen depictions • Leopold Stokowski in The Big Broadcast of ¡937 (¡936) • Leopold Stokowski in One Hundred Men and a Girl (¡937) • Leopold Stokowski in Fantasia (¡940) • Leopold Stokowski in Carnegie Hall (¡947) • Leopold Stokowski in Fantasia 2000 (2000)

Leopold Stokowski (¡882–¡977), one of the preeminent conductors of the twentieth century, served as music director of several major symphony orchestras, including the Philadelphia Orchestra (¡9¡2– ¡94¡) and the American Symphony Orchestra (¡962–¡975), which he founded. Often nicknamed Stokie, he was an extraordinarily popular figure who was also a composer. He seldom programmed or promoted his own compositions, however, except for his numerous orchestrations and arrangements of works by Johann Sebastian Bach, Modeste Mussorgsky, Claude Debussy, Richard Wagner, George Frederic Handel and others. Among Stokowski’s works are his Benedicte Omnia Opera Domini (¡907), Dithyramb for flute, cello and harp (¡9¡7), Tennyson Songs, a Symphony, Negro Rhapsody for orchestra and his final work, a choral composition, Pianissimo Amen (¡968). Other famous conductors who were also distinguished composers include Leonard Bernstein, Pierre Boulez, Wilhelm Furtwängler, Otto Klemperer and André Previn. Stokowski plays himself in all his screen appearances, usually in his role as conductor. His screen debut was actually in a ¡92¡ newsreel, in which he led a band concert with an ensemble of convicts. His feature film debut was in the revue pro-

duction The Big Broadcast of ¡937, which includes Jack Benny, Martha Raye and Ray Milland. Stokowski led the Philadelphia Orchestra in two of his finest Bach transcriptions, the choral prelude Eine Feste Burg (“A Mighty Fortress Is Our God”) and the “Little” Fugue in G Minor. Stokowski’s appearance is introduced with a comic dialogue exchange by George Burns and Gracie Allen. As Eine Feste Burg begins, the camera focuses in on Stokowski’s expressive hands alone. Another angle concentrates on a frontal view of the conductor for the balance of the piece. The orchestra isn’t seen until the start of the second selection, as various performers are illuminated by a spotlight as they play. Exceptional lighting and intriguing camera angles characterize the remainder of the excerpt, with the full orchestra seen only as the camera pulls back for the final chords. The filming was done at the conclusion of a West Coast tour of Stokie and the Philadelphia Orchestra that also included a radio appearance on the Kraft Music Hall hosted by Bing Crosby. Stokowski’s next e›ort, One Hundred Men and a Girl, is his most extensive, featuring significant screen time including acting and dialogue as well as conducting. The plot centers on an unemployed trombone player, John Cardwell (Adolphe Menjou), and his daughter Pat (Deanna Durbin). Pat returns a lost purse to Mrs. Frost, a wealthy dowager, who casually suggests that she would sponsor a concert on her husband’s radio show featuring an orchestra of unemployed musicians. However, by the time Cardwell is able to recruit the orchestra, Mrs. Frost has left on a trip to Europe. When Mr. Frost is approached by Pat, he thinks her appeal is a practical

Leopold Stokowski

joke cooked up by his wealthy friends, and he agrees to fund the project. He pulls the plug, however, when he learns they are serious, stating that a concert would be possible only if a major conductor such as Leopold Stokowski would agree to lead the orchestra. Pat sneaks into an orchestral rehearsal by Stokowski to ask his help. At first, she is tossed out, but when the conductor hears Pat sing, he listens to her plea. He promises to help but has a number of contractual obligations in Europe that will make it impossible to schedule a concert for months. A telephone mix-up, however, results in a newspaper article stating that Stokowski will lead the concert. Frost reconsiders and o›ers Cardwell’s musicians a full-year contract. Desperate, Pat sneaks into Stokowski’s house and interrupts him as he is playing Bach on the piano. She confesses how she inadvertently caused the story to be published. She leads the conductor out to the stairwell where Cardwell and his friends start to play Stokowski’s transcription of Liszt’s Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2. Stokie can’t resist conducting them as they play. He finally agrees to lead their concert, postponing his European tour. The film ends with the triumphant concert. Stokowski conducts a number of works in the picture. In the opening credits, he is shown playing the finale of Tchaikovsky’s Fifth Symphony. His most impressive selection is a sizzling reading of Wagner’s Prelude to Act III of Lohengrin. Berlioz’s Rakoczy March is also played, and Stokowski accompanies Durbin when she sings “Alleluia” from Mozart’s Exultate, Jubilate and an aria from Verdi’s La Traviata. The most fascinating excerpt, however, is Stokowski’s piano rendition of Bach’s Toccata and Fugue in D Minor. There is some question of the participation of the Philadelphia Orchestra in the picture. Some sources claim the orchestra’s performances were taped for the

223

soundtrack but were not used. In any case, the film credits do not include the Philadelphia Orchestra. Stokowski is both charming and believable in most of his scenes, and his extensive dialogue sequences are natural and not forced. Stokie was a born showman, so his acting is consistent and credible. Some of his comments were reportedly ad libbed. He shows a sense of humor during the film, particularly in the scene where he involuntarily starts to conduct his transcription of Liszt’s Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2. He tries to interrupt the performance at first, but his spoken words are too soft to be heard. His right hand then starts to tremble in time with the rhythm before he plunges ahead with full-fledged gestures. It is certainly one of the most entertaining moments in the film. By the way, the original music score of One Hundred Men and a Girl won an Academy Award. Fantasia is one of the most distinctive and ambitious film concepts of all time. Originally, the project started as a collaboration between Walt Disney and Leopold Stokowski in late ¡937 to make a Mickey Mouse cartoon using Paul Dukas’ celebrated tone poem The Sorcerer’s Apprentice (based on a ballad by Goethe). Stokowski recorded the work during the early morning hours of January ¡0, ¡938, completing the recording at 3 A.M. Disney was so impressed with the results that he decided to expand the idea into a full-length concert film. Stokowski enthusiastically supported the idea and even suggested the title, Fantasia. After much brainstorming with the conductor, Disney and his expert sta› laid out a program consisting of Bach’s Toccata and Fugue in D Minor, selections from Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker, the Dukas tone poem, Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring, Beethoven’s Pastoral Symphony, the Dance of the Hours ballet from Ponchielli’s opera La Giaconda, Mussorgsky’s

224

Leopold Stokowski

Complicated setup for the opening segment from Fantasia.

Night on Bald Mountain and concluding with Schubert’s Ave Maria. Much of this program was heavily edited by Stokowski to fit Disney’s storylines. The Bach, Mussorgsky and Schubert selections were transcriptions written by Stokowski, and he even composed a special passage as a musical bridge to link Mussorgsky’s Night on Bald Mountain with Schubert’s Ave Maria. The conductor recorded all the music for the film with the Philadelphia Orchestra at the Philadelphia

Academy of Music in full stereo (then dubbed fantasound). The original Dukas recording was so good, however, that Disney retained the original Sorcerer’s Apprentice rendition. Together with musicologist Deems Taylor, Stokowski became a central figure in the filming, and he is portrayed conducting at the start of each selection. His only dialogue in the film is a conversation with Mickey Mouse at the conclusion of The Sorcerer’s Apprentice, when the world’s

Leopold Stokowski

most popular cartoon character hops up to the conductor’s platform to o›er Stokowski his felicitations. “Congratulations to you too, Mickey,” he says, adding a mellifluous “Goodbye” as the mouse bounds o›. This exchange became one of the most memorable encounters in cinema history. Stokie also stands out in the opening number, his orchestral transcription of Bach’s Toccata and Fugue in D Minor. This selection is illustrated at first with stimulating images inspired by the instruments of the orchestra. These images become more abstract and even expressionistic, combining various forms and colors. Toward the climax of the piece, Stokowski’s silhouette reappears conducting in the center of the screen, and his gestures appear to influence the heavens around him. In The Sorcerer’s Apprentice, Mickey seems to mimic some of Stokie’s gestures as conductor. As the music nears its dramatic conclusion, the camera centers in again on the figure of Stokowski as he conducts the final measures. Disney originally conceived of Fantasia as a film he would release every few years, adding several new selections each time, but the expense of the production made such ideas impossible. Nevertheless, Fantasia was frequently reissued over the years, gaining in stature with each release. Walt Disney passed away in ¡966, and forty years after his death, his nephew Roy Disney began work on a project to fulfill Walt’s dream. The new film, entitled Fantasia 2000, was released to celebrate the new millennium. Fantasia 2000 features advanced technology, state-of-the-art techniques, imaginative use of digital graphics as well as standard animation, all presented in the new IMAX format. James Levine and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra provided the music for the new project, but one selection from the original film, The Sorcerer’s Apprentice, was retained, although technologically enhanced.

225

Stokowski appears in the new film as if he himself were an ageless sorcerer, even though he had died twenty-three years before the film’s release. He first appears floating by on a miniscreen just after the film’s opening. Steve Martin refers to him during his monologue. The setting of the film is a spectacular concert hall in space. Mickey Mouse’s encounter with Stokowski is included, although Mickey is provided with a new voice (Mickey’s original voice had been provided by Walt Disney himself ). This time, Stokowski’s final goodbye is eliminated from the soundtrack. After Mickey leaves Stokie, he scampers over to chat with James Levine. Through special e›ects, Stokowski shares the same frame with Levine, as he is seen in the distance over Levine’s shoulder, implying perhaps that Stokowski has found a permanent home conducting in this celestial auditorium. Carnegie Hall, Stokowski’s final film from ¡947, is a pseudohistory of New York’s famous concert hall told through the eyes of a girl, Nora Ryan, who as a child sees one of the first concerts and later as an adult is employed at Carnegie Hall, working her way up through the years from a charwoman to a member of the executive sta›. She marries a promising young pianist, Tony Salerno, who dies prematurely. Nora then raises her son, also named Tony, to follow in his father’s footsteps, and he becomes a backstage regular at the concerts of musical celebrities. Tony later becomes estranged from his mother when his musical interests eventually turn from the classics to jazz. He also marries against her wishes. The story is peppered with numerous musical excerpts with many famous classical artists such as pianist Artur Rubinstein, cellist Gregor Piatgorsky and singers Lily Pons, Risë Stevens, Jan Peerce and Ezio Pinza. The New York Philharmonic is also highlighted, led by Bruno Walter (Wagner’s Meistersinger Overture),

226

Leopold Stokowski

Fritz Reiner (accompanying Jascha Heifetz in the opening movement of Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto) and the orchestra’s music director Artur Rodzinski (the finale from Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony). Stokowski is accorded a prestige slot with the lengthiest excerpt, the andante movement from Tchaikovsky’s Fifth Symphony. Stokie provides a lush, ultra-Romantic interpretation, but one that ideally fits the tone of the film. After an intermission, Stokowski returns onstage to announce an unexpected addition to the program, 57th Street Rhapsody, conducted from the piano by its composer, Tony Salerno, and featuring Harry James as trumpet soloist. This is a complete surprise to Nora, attending the concert with Tony’s wife, and it brings about a family reconciliation as the film concludes. Stokowski’s comments to the audience also reflect his reputation as a champion of new music who promoted the work of modern composers.

Production Credits Big Broadcast of ¡937 (¡936) Paramount Cast: Jack Benny, George Burns, Gracie Allen, Bob Burns, Martha Raye, Shirley Ross, Ray Milland, Benny Goodman, Larry Adler, Gene Krupa and Leopold Stokowski. Original music by Boris Morros; Written by Walter DeLeon and Francis Martin based on a story by Erwin Gesley; Cinematography by Theodor Sparkuhl; Edited by Stuart Heisler; Produced by Lewis E. Gensler; Directed by Mitchell Leisen. B&W ¡0¡ minutes. One Hundred Men and a Girl (¡937) Universal Cast: Leopold Stokowski, Deanna Durbin, Adolphe Menjou, Alice Brady, Eugene Palette, Mischa Auer, Alma Kruger, Frank Jenks, Billy Gilbert, Jack Smart and Jed Prouty. Music by Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky, Hector Berlioz, Richard Wagner, Franz Liszt, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Giuseppe Verdi, Charles Previn and Frederick Hollander; Music edited by Charles Previn; Performances conducted by Leopold Stokowski; Written by Bruce Manning, Charles Kenyon

and James Mulhauser; Cinematography by Joseph Valentine; Edited by Bernard W. Burton; Produced by Charles Rogers; Directed by Henry Koster. B&W 84 minutes. Fantasia (¡940) Walt Disney Productions Cast: Leopold Stokowski and Deems Taylor; Music by Johann Sebastian Bach, Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky, Paul Dukas, Ludwig van Beethoven, Igor Stravinsky, Amilcare Ponchielli, Modeste Mussorgsky and Franz Schubert. Music arranged and transcribed by Leopold Stokowski; Performed by the Philadelphia Orchestra conducted by Leopold Stokowski; Written by Joe Grant, Dick Huemer and Deems Taylor; Edited by Stephan Csillag; Produced by Walt Disney; Directed by Samuel Armstrong, James Algar, Bill Roberts, Paul Satterfield, Hamilton Luske, Jim Handley, Ford Beebe, T. Hee, Norm Ferguson and Wilfred Jackson under the supervision of Ben Sharpsteen. Color ¡20 minutes. Carnegie Hall (¡947) United Artists Cast: Marsha Hunt, William Prince, Frank McHugh, Martha O’Driscoll, Hans Yaray, Joseph Bulo›, Alfonso D’Artega, Olin Downes, Leopold Stokowski, Walter Damrosch, Harold Dyrenforth, Artur Rodzinski, Bruno Walter, Fritz Reiner, Artur Rubinstein, Gregor Piatgorsky, Lily Pons, Risë Stevens, Jan Peerce, Ezio Pinza, Harry James and Vaughn Monroe. Music by Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky, Ludwig van Beethoven, Robert Schumann, Richard Wagner, Leo Delibes, Camille SaintSaëns, Georges Bizet, Frederic Chopin, Manuel DeFalla and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart; Music edited by Sigmund Krumgold; Performed by Lily Pons, Risë Stevens, Jan Peerce and Ezio Pinza (vocalists); Arthur Rubinstein (pianist); Gregor Piatgorsky (cellist); Jascha Heifetz (violinist); New York Philharmonic conducted by Artur Rodzinski, Bruno Walter, Fritz Reiner, Charles Previn and Leopold Stokowski; Original music by Sam Coslow, M. Portno›, Gregory Stone, Frank Reyerson, Wilton Moore, Hal Borne and Charles Previn; Written by Karl Kamb; Cinematography by William Miller; Edited by Fred R. Feitshans, Jr.; Produced by William LeBaron and Boris Morros; Directed by Edgar G. Ulmer. B&W ¡34 minutes. Fantasia 2000 (2000) Walt Disney Pictures Cast : James Levine, Steve Martin, Itzhak

Johann Strauss, Jr. and Johann Strauss, Sr. Perlman, Quincy Jones, Bette Midler, James Earl Jones, Penn and Teller, Angela Lansbury and Leopold Stokowski; Music by Ludwig van Beethoven, Ottorino Respighi, George Gershwin, Dmitri Shostakovich, Camille Saint-Saëns, Paul Dukas, Edward Elgar and Igor Stravinsky. Music edited and arranged by Chris Montan, Bruce Coughlin, Patricia Carlin and Peter Schickele; Performed by Yefim Bronfman and Ralph Grierson (pianists); Kathleen Battle (vocalist); the Chicago Symphony Orchestra conducted by James Levine; Symphony Orchestra conducted by Leopold Stokowski; Written by Don Hahn, Irene Mecchi and David Reynolds; Edited by Jessica Ambinder Rojas and Lois Freeman-Fox; Produced by Roy Edward Disney and Don Ernst; Directed by Don Hahn, Pixote Hunt, Hendel Butoy, Francis Glebas, Eric Goldberg, James Algar, Gaetan Brizzi and Paul Brizzi. Color 74 minutes.

Noted Documentaries • Stokowski at Ninety (¡972) Produced by Conrad Foster; 20 minutes • Leopold Stokowski: A Portrait (¡969/75) A documentary by Glenn Gould; 58 minutes • The Making of Walt Disney’s Fantasia (¡999) A film by Walt Disney Productions; 55 minutes

There are numerous short documentaries about Leopold Stokowski that feature his career as one of the foremost con-

227

ductors of his age. Sometimes these studies were shown during broadcasts of concerts by Stokowski. The unusual thing about Stokowski at Ninety, however, is that it includes a brief snippet of Stokowski conducting one of his original compositions, the choral Pianissimo Amen, with the choir of St. Bartholomew’s church. Stokowski led a concert at St. Bartholomew in April ¡972, shortly before his ninetieth birthday, which commemorated his three years as organist and music director for the prestigious church (¡905–¡908), one of his earliest musical posts. The Art of the Conductor is one of two magnificent documentaries highlighting a number of the major podium figures in filmed concert excerpts. Colorful pianist Glenn Gould produced a large number of radio documentaries during the ¡960s and ¡970s. One of his most outstanding programs concentrates on the life and work of Stokowski, and his program was frequently rebroadcast, and was later released on compact disk. In ¡975, still photographs were added for a video version of the documentary. The Making of Walt Disney’s Fantasia concentrates on the creation of the famous film and includes Stokowski’s orchestral transcription of Claude Debussy’s Clair de Lune, a selection that was dropped from the final film. The unfinished visuals for this excerpt are indeed fascinating and well worth seeing.

Johann Strauss, Jr., and Johann Strauss, Sr. Screen depictions ( Johann Strauss, Jr.) • Alfred Abel in Heut’ Spielt der Strauss (¡928)

• Gustav Frolich in Heut’ Spielt der Strauss (¡932) • Esmond Knight in Waltzes from Vienna (¡933) • Paul Hörbiger in Petersburger Nacht (¡935)

228 • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Johann Strauss, Jr., and Johann Strauss, Sr.

Stanley Price in Champagne Waltz (¡937) Fernand Gravet in The Great Waltz (¡938) Fred Liewehr in Unsterblicher Walzer (¡939) Edmund Schellhammer in Operette (¡940) Edmund Schellhammer in Wiener Mädeln (¡949) Peter Czejke and Albert Truby in Wiener Walzer (¡95¡) Bernhard Wicki in Ewiger Walzer (¡954) Eduard Strauss in Der Komödiant von Wien (¡954) Kerwin Mathews in The Waltz King (¡963) Horst Bucholz in The Great Waltz (¡972) Pavel Vondruska in Jara Cimrman Lezici, Spici (¡983) Oliver Tobias in Johann Strauss — Der König ohne Krone (¡986) Michael Riley in The King of Three-Quarter Time (¡995)

Screen depictions ( Johann Strauss, Sr.) • Hans Junkermann in Heut’ Spielt der Strauss (¡932) • Edmund Gwenn in Waltzes from Vienna (¡933) • Anton Walbrook in Walzerkrieg (¡933) • Paul Hörbiger in Unsterblicher Walzer (¡939) • Anton Walbrook in Wiener Walzer (¡95¡) • Eduard Strauss in Mädchenjahre einer Königin (¡954) • Brian Aherne in The Waltz King (¡963) • Nigel Patrick in The Great Waltz (¡972)

Johann Strauss, Jr. (¡825–¡899), popularly dubbed “the Waltz King,” came from one of the most famous musical families in history. His father, Johann Strauss (¡804–¡849), was a violinist who formed a dance orchestra in Vienna that became enormously popular. He composed a vast number of pieces, many of them fantasies based on popular themes from various op-

eras. His best-known work, the Radetzky March, has remained an all-time favorite which stills serves as the final piece at the Vienna Philharmonic’s traditional New Year’s Day Concert. He initially opposed his son in following a career in music, which he felt lacked security. However, after Strauss left his wife, his son was able to freely pursue his musical studies. At the age of nineteen, Johann Strauss, Jr., set up his own dance orchestra, which later merged with that of his father, who died prematurely after contracting scarlet fever. Within ten years, the compositions of the younger Strauss had become the rage and surpassed those of his father. His most popular works are the Blue Danube Waltz, Vienna Blood, the Emperor Waltz and Tales from the Vienna Woods, which is almost a symphonic poem. He also composed some of the most popular light operas of all times, particularly Die Fledermaus (The Bat) and Der Zigeunerbaron (The Gypsy Baron). His brothers also worked with his orchestra and also composed many famous pieces. Josef Strauss (¡827–¡880) wrote over two hundred eighty compositions. Eduard Strauss (¡835–¡9¡6) excelled as a conductor and has over three hundred works to his credit, including the popular gallop Bahn Frei (Fast Track), which later became the trademark theme for radio humorist Jean Shepherd during the ¡960s and ¡970s. The rather complicated circumstances of the lives of the Strauss family are seldom portrayed in film, usually replaced instead with a fictional storyline. It might be useful to review some of the actual details (and scandals) surrounding the Viennese waltz dynasty. Johann Strauss the elder was of the son of an innkeeper of Hungarian descent. His rise in the music world was somewhat of a struggle, and his association with composer and violinist Josef Lanner brought him his initial success. Trying his own hand at composition, Strauss’s music soon surpassed that of his

Johann Strauss, Jr., and Johann Strauss, Sr.

mentor. In ¡825, he founded his own dance orchestra and married Anna Streim, an innkeeper’s daughter, who was pregnant. Johann Strauss the younger was born barely three months later. The boy had musical ability and started composing waltzes at the age of six. His father opposed the idea of a music career since he felt it lacked security. He wanted his son to become an accountant, and he was enrolled in a training program for that profession in ¡84¡. The following year, however, Strauss Sr. left his wife and their six children to live with his mistress, a dressmaker by the name of Emilie Trampusch. He fathered seven additional children with Emilie, but in spite of the scandal, his popularity soared. Johann Strauss, Jr., with full encouragement from his mother, devoted himself to music and founded his own small dance group in ¡844, debuting in the city of Heitzing. The elder Strauss was first peeved but later came to accept his son’s decision. There was some rivalry, however, when his son became conductor of the second civil regiment while the father remained conductor of the first civil regiment. Whenever a military parade occurred, both father and son marched side by side. Strauss Sr. died unexpectedly in ¡849 after catching scarlet fever from one of his children. At this point, Strauss the younger merged his band with that of his father, and his popularity grew enormously during the ¡850s. One of the most popular bachelors in the country, Strauss was engaged over ten times before he married singer Henrietta (Jetta) Tre›z in ¡862. Although his wife was seven years older, Strauss remained a loyal husband for the first ten years of their marriage, but then, like his father, he began to have a extramarital a›airs. Jetta, it turns out, also had a bastard son whom she initially concealed from Strauss, and he later became a thorn in their side. Jetta died unexpectedly in ¡878.

229

Strauss married another singer, Angelika Dittrich, but their union collapsed shortly afterward, and they were divorced in ¡882. Strauss converted from Catholicism to Protestantism in order to facilitate the divorce. Shortly thereafter, Strauss married his third singer, a very young Adele Deutsch, and they were devoted to each other until the composer’s death in ¡899. None of the feature films manages to cover the bulk of these basic facts (although the television miniseries The Strauss Family comes close (see Appendix B). Few really try, although they often compensate the viewers with generous portions of music. They also demonstrate the correct manner in which Strauss, both father and son, conducted their music, holding a violin and playing any solos contained in the piece The first Strauss film, Heut’ Spielt der Strauss, was a silent e›ort that largely fell between the cracks during the late ¡920s. It is listed among lost films today, as is its sound remake from ¡932. The next film, Waltzes from Vienna, is also partially lost since the original English-language soundtrack is missing, and only an abbreviated version dubbed in French seems to exist. The film was directed by none other than Alfred Hitchcock, but it was an assignment he loathed and considered it the least interesting picture in his career since the genre of musical comedy was simply not to his taste. The director’s wife, Alma Reville, cowrote the script, which was based on a play by Guy Bolton. The plot is pure fantasy, as Johann Strauss spends his time hiding out from his father and composing in a small room over a bakery. Hitchcock himself appears in a cameo at the beginning of the film as a heavyset baker dressed all in white and wearing a chef ’s hat. Esmond Knight is eminently forgettable as Strauss, although Edmund Gwenn has a few good moments as the elder Strauss,

230

Johann Strauss, Jr., and Johann Strauss, Sr.

who naturally opposes his son’s musical ambition. The crux of the plot is a scheme to allow Johann to conduct his father’s orchestra and play his newest composition. A conspiracy is hatched so that the elder Strauss is delayed and his timepiece altered so that he fails to arrive on time at the dance hall. Of course, this is the best scene in the picture because Hitchcock adds the ingredient of suspense to the plot, teasing the audience as to whether the elder Strauss will be late. The audience at the dance hall becomes restless, and Strauss Jr. assumes his father’s place at the podium and starts to conduct The Blue Danube Waltz, which in actuality was not composed until twenty years later. The Blue Danube is played almost in its entirety, and Hitchcock employs interesting camera angles that make the scene seem very fresh. Strauss Sr. arrives as the music is playing, and he too is swept away by the composition. The piece ends with great applause, and a young woman approaches the elder Strauss in the audience, asking for his autograph. He signs it, starts to hand it to the girl, but takes it back. He decides to add “the father” after his signature, since he now recognizes that there are two musicians bearing the name Johann Strauss. While making Waltzes from Vienna, Hitchcock was approached by producer Michael Balton on the set. He wanted Hitchcock to direct his next project, which turned out to be Hitchcock’s breakthrough film, The Man Who Knew Too Much (¡934). At least four Strauss films appeared in Germany and Austria during the Nazi era, and there possibly were even more. Oddly enough, the Nazis embraced Strauss and his music, suppressing the fact that he was part Jewish. Paul Hörbiger, one of the most popular actors of the period, wound up playing both the father and son in these films. He also played the friend and rival of the elder Strauss, Josef Lanner in Walz-

erkrieg. Strauss Sr. is featured in Walzerkrieg and Unsterblicher Walzer, while Strauss Jr. is the main figure in Petersburger Nacht. Austrian film champion Willi Forst made Operette in ¡940 as an escape from the oppressive society of the Nazi era. The film includes Strauss Jr. in one extended sequence, which also features operetta composers Franz von Suppé (¡8¡9–¡895), played by Leo Slezak, and Karl Millöcker (¡842–¡899), as depicted by Curt Jurgens. Edmund Schellhammer was praised for being an exceptional Strauss, so much so that director/writer/star Willi Forst later recast Schellhammer as Strauss for his ¡949 tribute to the background and culture of old Vienna, Wiener Mädeln. Two American films from the ¡930s also include Strauss. The first is Champagne Waltz, a Paramount comedy featuring Fred MacMurray and opera star Gladys Swarthout. This film is set in Vienna during the ¡920s. MacMurray plays Buzzy Bellew, a musician who opens a jazz club in Vienna near a waltz palace operated by an elderly composer, Franz Strauss (Fritz Leiber), and his daughter Elsa (Swarthout). When the jazz club starts to ruin their business, Elsa marches over to confront Buzzy, and naturally they fall in love. The climax of the film contains a joint venture, a synthesis of jazz and the waltz. The critics at the time hated the sequence, saying it merely demonstrated the incompatibility of the styles. Character actor Stanley Price plays Johann Strauss during a nineteenth-century flashback. The Great Waltz was one of MGM’s most lavish productions of the late ’30s. A title card after the opening credits declares that the film dramatizes the spirit of Strauss rather than the facts of his life. All the characters, except for Strauss himself, are imaginary. The screenplay even fails to mention that his father was a well-known composer. The only reference to his father is that he wants Johann to be a bank clerk.

Johann Strauss, Jr., and Johann Strauss, Sr.

When he quits, young Strauss has already composed some of his most famous tunes. Fernand Gravet (sometimes billed as Fernand Gravey) is rather good in the title role, but Luise Rainer is wasted as his cloying, self-sacrificing wife Poldi (who would like to see her husband have an a›air if it makes him happy). Miliza Korjus plays the operatic soprano Carla Donner, who becomes Strauss’s main interest. In the film’s most absurd sequence, a revolution breaks out, and Strauss hires a carriage to drive out in the country to protect Carla from the rioting mob. The pipes played by the shepherds while they pass, the clip-clopping of their horse and the horn calls of other carriage drivers inspire Strauss to write Tales from the Vienna Woods on the spot, perhaps the most ludicrous composing scene in cinema history. By chance, they stop at Grinzing’s Garden restaurant, where Strauss leads their band in the new waltz (even though the music was never actually written down). Of course, the musical performances are wonderful and enchanting, but Dimitri Tiomkin’s excellent arrangements are too often marred by the mundane lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein. As the story unfolds, Strauss continues with his womanizing until the debut of his opera Die Fledermaus (headlined by Carla Donner). He decides to take o› with Carla to Budapest, when Poldi shows up to tell him he is free to go if he wants. Even this does not give him pause. Carla, however, decides to call it o› and leaves Johann at the dock as her boat leaves. Strauss spends the night watching the waters of the Danube, composing (what else?) the Blue Danube Waltz. He returns to his wife, and the story leaps ahead forty-three years. Emperor Franz Joseph leads a grateful nation in honoring the composer and his music. All of the characters from the story are still alive, although far older, except for Carla Donner. Even so, as a large crowd cheers and the orchestra plays Tales from

231

the Vienna Woods, the ghost of a still youthful Carla appears to sing. As a cinematic bonbon, The Great Waltz proved to be very popular, even winning an Academy Award for its cinematography, but a large number of viewers were ba°ed by the claim that the story reflects the essence of Strauss. The actual spirit of Strauss was far better captured the following year by a seven-minute MGM cartoon by Hugh Harmon, The Blue Danube, which certainly foreshadowed Walt Disney’s Fantasia. The next two films, Wiener Walzer (Vienna Waltz, ¡95¡) and Ewiger Walzer (Eternal Waltz, ¡954), are the two finest Strauss films, the first concentrating on the father and the second on the son. Both are German-language films made in Austria that were also issued in excellent, Englishdubbed versions. Both take a more authentic approach to their biographical subjects with far fewer factual errors. Both have a certain freshness and vitality, even viewed fifty years later, and the music is treated with genuine respect and a›ection. Wiener Walzer opens in a unique fashion. In ¡95¡, a Viennese antique dealer examines a new acquisition, an old-fashioned desk, and finds a diary. It turns out to be the memoirs of Emilie Trampusch, the mistress of Johann Strauss, Sr. Her story is then presented in an extended flashback. This approach is unique because Emilie is generally portrayed unsympathetically in films, the “other woman” who breaks up the marriage of Strauss Sr. Here, however, she is presented as sweet, gentle and totally devoted to Johann. Anna Strauss, his wife, on the other hand, is presented as cold, unloving, argumentative and vindictive (again a far di›erent but perhaps more valid interpretation than in other films). The film concentrates on Emilie’s awkward position as Strauss’s mistress, enduring scorn and ridicule from society for

232

Johann Strauss, Jr., and Johann Strauss, Sr.

the sake of her paramour, whom she genuinely loves and who loves her in return. Marte Harell is superb as Emilie. Anton Walbrook, who previously appeared as Strauss Sr. in Walzerkrieg, delivers the definitive interpretation of the role. Johann Jr. is represented by several actors, as he grows from a child to a young man. The film has a number of outstanding scenes. In one, young Johann sneaks into the dance hall to witness one of his father’s musical triumphs, his battle-of-the-bands contest with Josef Lanner. In another, Emilie demonstrates the proper way to dance the waltz for Prince Metternich. The early dance halls, by the way, are portrayed more realistically than the ultraluxurious fantasy ballrooms that were characteristic of a period later in the century. The family squabble scenes are presented realistically, as the elder Strauss feels helpless as his wife uses their children as weapons in her battles with him. In another brilliant scene, Emilie and Anna have an unexpected confrontation when they meet at Strauss’s music publisher. The scene is handled with candor, a fascinating example of how an underplayed scene can be more powerful than a melodramatic one. While Anna is insulting, Emilie is gracious and wins over the audience with her dignity. The last third of the film starts to part from the facts, as Johann feels outclassed by the success of his son. The younger Strauss surpassed the music of his father only years after his death. So it is a real distortion when in ¡848 Johann Sr. slips into a dance hall to see his son perform and hears him conduct Tales from the Vienna Woods, not actually composed until ¡868, thirty years later. The film also fails to mention the numerous o›spring of Emilie and the elder Johann. The final scene is quite touching, although totally fictitious. Johann Strauss, Jr., brings his orchestra through the streets to entertain his dying

father by playing his last composition, the Radetzky March. While not his final piece, the Radetzky March was indeed composed during the last year of his life, ¡849. Emilie’s diary ends after Johann’s death, and the scene returns to modern times as the antique dealer decides to keep the desk for himself. Incidentally, the music throughout Wiener Walzer is magnificent. The waltzes of Strauss Sr. are not as well known compared to those of his son, and the performances of the Gabrielen Waltz and other compositions are remarkable. The next film, Ewiger Walzer, opens in the late ¡850s, during the era when Strauss Jr. would bring his orchestra to St. Petersburg each year for the midsummer festivities at Petropaulovski Park. Strauss becomes the target of an outraged aristocrat, who challenges him to a duel. When Strauss asks his o›ense, the prince claims that his fiancée sent him a pair of diamond-studded cu°inks. Strauss escorts him to a room filled with numerous gifts of jewelry and flowers, each containing an adoring note. Realizing his folly, the aristocrat apologizes and leaves. (This scene is based on a true anecdote.) Pursued by female admirers, Strauss escapes an entanglement with a lovesick girl by hiding in the Austrian Embassy. Finally back in Vienna, Strauss listens to a band marching past his house playing the Radetzky March, wondering if he himself will ever compose anything as popular. Pursued by many women, Strauss is intrigued by a woman at an outdoor cafe. He sends her one of his waltzes, but she does not respond. Later he is invited to a masked ball given by Baron Carlo Tedesco. A masked woman surprises him by singing the waltz, Voices of Spring, and he learns that she is the retired opera singer Jetta Tre›z, the baron’s mistress. When the baron tries to sabotage the opening-night performance of Indigo, Strauss’s first op-

Johann Strauss, Jr., and Johann Strauss, Sr.

eretta, Jetta is outraged and leaves the baron to marry Strauss. In actuality, they were already married nine years when Indigo debuted in ¡87¡. The film plunges ahead, showing the success of the composer’s career, including numerous stage sequences from his operettas. One of the film’s high points is a dance-hall sequence in which Strauss and O›enbach play each other’s music. Strauss has an a›air with one of the new singers. While he is entertaining her, Jetta dies of a heart attack, filling the composer with guilt and sorrow. In an unusual scene denoting the passage of time, the composer tours the inn where his father once worked. Later, Strauss meets and falls in love with a young singer, Adele Deutsch. He feels he is too old for her, but she convinces him of her love, and they marry. (The plot eliminates Strauss’s second wife, Angelika Dittrich.) When Strauss is honored toward the end of his life, he gives credit for his talent to his father, his teachers and most of all to Vienna. After the composer passes away in Adele’s arms, a message is sent to the dance hall where the composer’s brother Eduard Strauss is conducting. He lowers his baton and motions the orchestra to stand. Without making any announcement, he starts to conduct a lugubrious, almost eerie version of The Blue Danube. The audience members also stand, immediately understanding the meaning of this arrangement. This poignant conclusion is very well handled, without a hint of awkwardness. Slowly, the waltz assumes a more traditional rhythm as the scene shifts to an elegant ballroom as the end credits roll. Although more flawed than Wiener Walzer, Ewiger Walzer is the only Strauss film to adopt a tragic air at various stages of the film. Bernhard Wicki is excellent in his performance as Strauss, a more complicated and finely shaded interpretation, as the composer’s doubts, vanities and in-

233

securities emerge on occasion, as well as his customary generosity and love of music. In no other film does Johann Strauss seem more human. Two additional films of ¡954 contain Strauss cameos. The father is depicted in Mädchenjahre einer Königin, a drama about Queen Victoria. The elder Strauss performed at her coronation ball. The younger Strauss appears in Der Komödiant von Wien, a romantic drama that also includes an appearance by Franz von Suppé. The next major film is The Waltz King, a Walt Disney production that packages events to suit family entertainment. Like The Magnificent Rebel, Disney’s Beethoven biopic, the finished film was released theatrically in Europe but shown in the United States as a two-part episode on Walt Disney Presents. Events are sanitized, so Strauss the father, for example, never leaves his wife and family. Instead, he simply smashes his son’s violin at home when he catches him playing in Josef Lanner’s orchestra. In a later scene, he almost smashes his own violin after his son borrows it. Johann the son leaves home to become a music teacher. When opera singer Jetta Tre›z visits music publisher Tobias Haslinger, looking for new material, she overhears Johann auditioning Voices of Spring. She and Johann become friends, and she helps him with funding to found his own dance band. Johann the elder is angry when he hears of his son’s debut, so he hires a claque to ensure his failure. When Strauss starts to play, the hired disrupters blow whistles to drown out the music. Jetta responds by standing in her box seat and singing. Soon the entire audience is won over, and the claque falls silent. Strauss Sr. appears as the concert continues, and he is surprised when his son programs the Radetzky March in his honor. Realizing his error, the father approaches the stage, takes his violin and starts to conduct a selection written by his

234

Johann Strauss, Jr., and Johann Strauss, Sr.

son, Roses from the South. This scene is the finest in the film, despite the factual errors. Strauss the younger’s debut, for example, occurred five years before his father wrote the Radetzky March. However, he did include one of his father’s compositions as the last work in his debut, namely Lorelei Rheinklänge. Brian Aherne as the father and Kerwin Mathews as the son are excellent in this scene, which is magnificent in terms of both acting and musical performance. Strauss Sr. disappears from the story at this point, the exact midpoint of the film. During the second half, Strauss Jr. tours Europe, gaining both fame and fortune. In St. Petersburg, he is challenged to a duel by a jealous suitor (repeating the anecdote included in Ewiger Walzer). He finally decides to marry Jetta, and she encourages him to concentrate on composing. He encourages his brother Josef to assume his conducting duties, and he decides to write light opera. Jetta suggests the play Die Fledermaus as an excellent possibility for his libretto. Controversy brews, however, when the Russian ambassador objects, fearing the script ridicules the Russian aristocracy. The ¡874 debut of Die Fledermaus becomes a tense a›air, as the emperor himself attends, planning to ban the work if it is too controversial. The quality of Strauss’s infectious music wins everyone over, including the Russian ambassador. The Waltz King concludes at this moment of triumph. The best feature of the Disney production is the enthusiastic treatment provided to the music. Surprisingly, the vocal excerpts of Die Fledermaus are sung entirely in German. The cinematography is also excellent. The ¡972 remake of The Great Waltz has to be seen to be believed. The picture is essentially three di›erent movies that are in conflict with one another. First, the picture is a fairly truthful biography of Johann Strauss. The script is remarkably ac-

curate to the facts in the lives of both the father and son, who are well portrayed by Nigel Patrick and Horst Bucholz. The acting overall is decent, with at least one truly remarkable performance, Rossano Brazzi as a sympathetic Baron Tedesco, a far di›erent portrayal from the one in Ewiger Walzer. The story is also the only film to include the presence of Jetta’s conniving bastard son. The second film is the musical. When the film sticks to authentic Strauss, it is not bad, although somewhat tedious as the waltz routines are unimaginative and overly long. However, the film is also peppered with atrocious musical routines and songs, such as an endless Bavarian slap dance at a rustic wedding and a peasant songfest in the cellar of a Parisian restaurant. The third film is a slapstick comedy, which pops up like clockwork every twenty minutes or so, including a madcap chase through the streets of Vienna as Strauss and his band audition in two horsedrawn carts. They manage to encounter bakers in narrow alleys, scattering their pastry. In another scene, the action is speeded up as if it were an old cartoon. Naturally, none of these elements mesh, turning The Great Waltz instead into The Great Mess. Of the three remaining Strauss films, Jara Cimrman Lezici, Spici is a Czech production that had limited distribution, and Johann Strauss — King Without a Crown is a lavish European telefilm that also failed to have much exposure. The King of ThreeQuarter Time is one of the last entries in David Devine’s “Composers’ Specials Series.” The approach of this production is quite distinct, including some serious issues such as father/son rivalry and child abuse. In all, it is one of the best entries in this remarkable series. The setting is ¡868, as Johann Strauss is commissioned by the Countess Theresa Pauline to compose a waltz for her upcoming ball. Strauss accepts an invitation to stay at her castle

Johann Strauss, Jr., and Johann Strauss, Sr.

while he composes the waltz. He is fascinated when he hears Nicholas, the stable boy on the estate, playing his horn to soothe the horses. He befriends the boy, who is troubled by his stepfather, who hates music. Strauss shares his problems with his own father concerning music. Although a fictional story, the actual background of Strauss is worked into the plot very well. It even becomes rather poignant as the composer explains to his young friend how he felt being in the middle when his parents argued. When his father left, Strauss wanted to go with him but decided to stay with his mother, who needed him more. Nicholas, in turn, confides to the composer that his stepfather, the head groom in the stable, regularly beats both him and his mother, the countess’s personal maid. Strauss promises to help his young friend. When Nicholas overhears his stepfather planning to steal an expensive necklace owned by the countess, he speaks out and reveals the truth. The countess promotes Nicholas, and his stepfather is arrested. Nicholas’ mother is relieved by the solution. Strauss composes Tales from the Vienna Woods for the countess and even has Nicholas play his horn at the start of the piece. Michael Riley is exceptional as the composer, and the script contains far more accurate details than many of the other entries in the series. The only serious exclusion is the absence of Jetta, who does not appear in the story. One memorable scene depicts the busy composer whisking from event to event to fulfill his musical obligations. Josef and Eduard Strauss are also depicted in the story, leading the various musical groups during their brother’s whirlwind tour. In addition, there is a remarkable scene with the three brothers and their mother, who speaks both longingly and angrily of her bittersweet relationship with their father, Johann Strauss, Sr. After a few seconds, Johann Jr. cuts her short

235

when she appears to be starting to rant. This scene is unique, particularly in a film geared toward children.

Production Credits Heut’ Spielt der Strauss (¡928) UFA Cast: Alfred Abel, Imre Hajdu, Hermine Sterler, Lillian Ellis and Paul Hörbiger. Cinematography by Franz Planner; Produced and Directed by Conrad Wiene. Original language German B&W 9 reels. Heut’ Spielt der Strauss (¡932) AKA Johann Strauss — Hof kapellmeister UFA Cast: Gustav Frölich, Hans Junkermann, Ekkehard Arendt, Lee Parry, Anton Pointner, Michael Bohen, Max Schipper, Fritz Spira, Hanns Waschatko and Paul Hörbiger. Music by Johann Strauss and Hans May; Written by Ernest Neubach; Cinematography by Karl Drews; Produced and Directed by Conrad Wiene. Original language German B&W 83 minutes. Waltzes from Vienna (¡933) AKA Strauss’ Great Waltz Gaumont-British Cast: Esmond Knight, Edmund Gwenn, Jessie Matthews, Frank Vosper, Fay Compton, Robert Hale, Hindle Edgar, Charles Heslop, Marcus Barron, Sybil Grove, Billy Shine, Bertram Dench and Cyril Smith. Music by Johann Strauss, Sr., and Johann Strauss, Jr.; Music adapted by Hubert Bath; Orchestra conducted by Louis Levy; Written by Alma Reville and Guy Bolton based on a play by Guy Bolton; Cinematography by Glen MacWilliam; Edited by M. Wurtzer; Produced by Thomas Charles Arnold; Directed by Alfred Hitchcock; B&W 83 minutes original version; 53 minutes French version. Walzerkrieg (¡933) AKA The Waltz War UFA Cast: Anton Walbrook, Renate Müller, Willy Fritsch, Trude Brionne, Rosi Barsony, Hugo Flink, Karel Stepanek, Theo Lingen, Heinz von Cleve, Hanna Waag as Queen Victoria and Paul Hörbiger as Josef Lanner. Music by Johann Strauss, Josef Lanner, Franz Grothe and Alois Melichar; Written by Robert Liebmann and Hans Müller; Cinematography by Carl Ho›mann; Produced and Directed by Ludwig Berger. Original language German B&W 87 minutes.

236

Johann Strauss, Jr., and Johann Strauss, Sr.

Petersburger Nacht (¡935) Majestic Cast: Paul Hörbiger, Ernst Dumcke, Karl Etlinger, Eliza Illiard, Theo Lingen, Adele Sandrock, Erika Streithorst and Jakob Tiedtke. Music by Johann Strauss and Franz Doelle; Orchestra conducted by Aribert Wäscher; Written by Jan Fethke and Fritz Freisler; Cinematography by Friedl Behn-Grund; Directed by E. W. Emo. Original language German B&W 95 minutes. Champagne Waltz (¡937) Paramount Cast : Gladys Swarthout, Fred MacMurray, Jack Oakie, Herman Bing, Fritz Leiber, Vivienne Osborne, Frank Forest, Benny Baker, Rudolph Anders, Stanley Price and Adolf Zukor. Music by Victor Young, Con Conrad, Frederick Hollander, Ralph Freed, Milton Drake, Burton Lane and Johann Strauss; Music arranged by Phil Boutelje; Orchestra conducted by Boris Morros; Written by Frank Butler and Don Hartman based on a story by H. S. Kraft and Billy Wilder; Cinematography by William C. Mellor; Edited by Paul Weatherwax; Produced by Hartland Thompson and William LeBaron; Directed by A. Edward Sutherland. B&W 85 minutes. The Great Waltz (¡938) MGM Cast: Fernand Gravet, Luise Rainer, Miliza Kurjus, Hugh Herbert, Lionel Atwill, Curt Bois, Leonid Kinskey, Bert Roach, Alma Kruger, Christian Rub, George Huston, Herman Bing, Greta Meyer, Henry Hull, Sig Ruman, Gertrude Sutton, Minna Gombell and Henry Zynda. Music by Johann Strauss; Edited and arranged by Dimitri Tiomkin and Paul Marquardt; Lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein; Performed by Miliza Kurjus, Earl Covert, Ralph Leon, Alice Mock (vocalists); Orchestra conducted by Arthur Guttmann and Robert Mitchell; Written by Samuel Ho›enstein and Walter Reisch based on a story by Gottfried Reinhardt; Cinematography by Joseph Ruttenberg; Edited by Tom Held; Produced by Bernard H. Hyman; Directed by Julien Duvivier. B&W ¡02 minutes. Unsterblicher Walzer (¡939) AKA Immortal Waltz Tobis/Wien Film Cast: Paul Hörbiger, Dagny Servaes, Maria Andergast, Gretl Theimer, Friedl Czepa, Fred Liewehr, Julius Brandt, Hans Holt and Siegfried Bauer. Music by Johann Strauss and Alois Melichar; Orchestra conducted by Alois Melichar; Written by Karl Köstlin and Friedrich

Schreyvogel; Cinematography by Hans Schneeberger; Directed by E. W. Emo. Original language German B&W 96 minutes. Operette (¡940) Wien Film Cast: Willi Forst, Marla Holst, Dora Komar, Paul Hörbiger, Alfred Neugebauer, Trude Marlen, Siegfried Breuer, Edmund Schellhammer, Curt Jurgens as Karl Millöcker and Leo Slezak as Franz von Suppé. Music by Willy SchmidtGentner, Franz von Suppé, Johann Strauss and Karl Millocker; Performed by the Vienna Philharmonic; Written by Axel Eggebrecht and Willi Forst; Cinematography by Sepp Ketterer and Hans Schneeberger; Edited by Hans Wol›; Produced by Willi Forst; Directed by Willi Forst, Karl Hartl and Robert Naestelberger. Original language German B&W ¡¡2 minutes. Wiener Mädeln (¡949) AKA Vienna Beauties Wien Film Cast: Willi Forst, Curt Jurgens, Anton Edthofer, Judith Holzmeister, Dora Komar, Vera Schmidt, Hilde Foeda, Hans Moser, Leopold Hainisch, Lizzi Holzschuh, Hansl Stork, Fritz Imhof, Alfred Neugebauer, Edmund Schellhammer and Friedl Haerlin. Music by Willy Schmidt-Gentner, Karl Pausperti, Johann Strauss and John Philip Sousa; Performed by the Vienna Philharmonic; Written by Franz Gribitz and Willi Forst; Cinematography by Viktor Meihsl, Jan Stallich and Hannes Staudinger; Edited by Josefine Ramerstorfer, Hans Wol› and Hermann Leitner; Produced and Directed by Willi Forst. Original language German B&W ¡09 minutes. Wiener Walzer (¡95¡) AKA Vienna Waltz Cordial Film Cast: Anton Walbrook, Marte Harell, Lily Stepanek, Albert Truby, Peter Czejke, Leopold Rudolf, Lotte Lang, Fritz Imhof, Richard Eybner, Erik Frey, Viktor Braun, Franz Böheim, Oskar Wegrostek and Milan von Kamare. Music by Johann Strauss, Sr., Johann Strauss, Jr., Joseph Lanner and Willy Schmidt-Gentner; Written by Jacques Companéez, Hans G. Kernmeyer, Emil Reinert and Benno Vigny; Cinematography by Günther Anders; Edited by Henry Brünsch; Produced by Karl Ehrlich; Directed by Emil Reinert. Original language German Color ¡02 minutes. Ewiger Walzer (¡954) AKA Eternal Waltz Rotary Film Cast: Bernhard Wicki, Hilde Krahl, Annemarie Düringer, Friedl Loor, Lis Van

Johann Strauss, Jr., and Johann Strauss, Sr. Essen, William Trank, Hans Putz, Ulrich Bettao, Erik Frey, Gert Fröbe, Carl Bohm, Hermann Thimig, Leonard Steckel, Michael Troost, Josef Hendrichs as Josef Strauss, Eduard Strauss, Jr., as Eduard Strauss and Arnulf Schröder as Jacques O›enbach. Music by Johann Strauss and Jacques O›enbach; Written by Alexander Lix and Paul Verhoeven based on a story by Ruth Charlotte Silbermann; Cinematography by Franz Koch; Produced by C. W. Telling; Directed by Paul Verhoeven. Original language German Color 97 minutes. Der Komödiant von Wien (¡954) AKA Girardi Wien Film Cast: Karl Paryla, Alfred Neugebauer, Marianne Schönauer, Heinz Schulbaur, Vilma Degischer, Kurt Preger, Otto Wögerer, Oskar Wegrostek, Greta Zimmer, Angelika Hau›, Eduard Strauss and Wolfgang Heinz as Franz von Suppé. Written by Karl Stanzl; Produced by Karl Paryla; Directed by Karl Paryla and Karl Stanzl. Original language German Color 89 minutes. Mädchenjahre einer Königin (¡954) AKA The Story of Vickie Erma Film Cast: Romy Schneider, Adrian Hoven, Magda Schneider, Karl Ludwig Diehl, Christi Mardayn, Paul Hörbiger, Rudolf Vogel, Fred Liewehr, Hans Thimig, Alfred Neugebauer, Peter Weck, Elisabeth Epp, Viktor Braun and Eduard Strauss as Johann Strauss, Sr. Music by Anton Profes and Johann Strauss; Written by Ernst Marischka; Cinematography by Bruno Mondi; Edited by Hermann Leitner; Produced by Karl Ehrlich; Directed by Ernst Marischka. Original language German Color ¡¡8 minutes. The Waltz King (¡963) Walt Disney Pictures Cast: Kerwin Mathews, Senta Berger, Brian Aherne, Fritz Eckhardt, Kai Fischer, Vilma Degischer, Michael Janisch, Karl Lie›en, Peter Kraus as Josef Strauss and Peter Wehle as Jacques O›enbach. Music by Johann Strauss, Jr., Johann Strauss, Sr., and Jacques O›enbach; Written by Fritz Eckhardt and Maurice Tombragel; Cinematography by Günther Anders; Edited by Alfred Srp; Produced by Peter V. Herald and Walt Disney; Directed by Steve Previn. Color 95 minutes. The Great Waltz (¡972) MGM Cast: Horst Bucholz, Nigel Patrick, Mary Costa, Yvonne Mitchell, Rossano Brazzi, Susan Robinson, George Howe, Vicki Woolf, Hermione Far-

237

thingale, Marty Allen, Guido Wieland, Willard Parker, Prince Johannes SchönbergHartenstein, James Faulkner as Josef Strauss and Dominique Weber as Jacques O›enbach. Music by Johann Strauss, Jr., Johann Strauss, Sr., Josef Strauss and Jacques O›enbach; Music arranged by George Forrest, Robert Wright and Ray Holder; Written by Andrew L. Stone; Cinematography by Davis Boulton; Edited by Ernest Walyer; Produced and Directed by Andrew L. Stone. Color ¡35 minutes. Jara Cimrman Lezici, Spici (¡983) AKA Jara Cimrman Lying, Sleeping Barrandov Cast: Zdenek Sverak, Valerie Kaplanova, Petr Cepek, Josef Abrham, Libuse Safrankova, Ladislav Frej, Mila Myslikova, Milena Dvorska, Jiri Kostka, Vladimir Svitacek, Marie Drahokoupilova, Jiri Zahajsky, Pavel Vondruska, Jiri Halek as Anton Chekhov and Karel Houska as Antonin Dvorak. Music by Petr Skoumal; Written by Ladislav Smoljak and Zdenek Sverak; Cinematography by Richard Valenta; Edited by Jiri Brozek; Produced by Jan Balzer; Directed by Ladislav Smoljak. Original language Czech Color 8¡ minutes. Johann Strauss — Der König ohne Krone (¡986) AKA Johann Strauss—King Without a Crown MGM Cast : Oliver Tobias, Mathieu Carrière, Mary Crosby, Audrey Landers, Karin Dor, Rolf Hoppe, John Philip Law, Zsa Zsa Gabor, Hugh Fucher and Philippe Nicaud as Jacques O›enbach. Music by Johann Strauss; Written by Franz Antel and Georg Kövary; Produced and Directed by Franz Antel. Original language German Color ¡24 minutes. The King of Three-Quarter Time (¡995) Devine Entertainment Cast: Michael Riley, Derek Senft, Kate Trotter, Jill Frappier, Peter James Haworth, Linda Sorenson, Eugene Lipinski, Julian Richings, Hamish McEwan as Josef Strauss and Glen Peloso as Eduard Strauss. Music by Johann Strauss; Music edited by Bernie Clayton and Walter Babiak; Performed by the Slovak Philharmonic conducted by Ondrej Lenard; Written by Marlene Matthews based on a story by Richard Mozer and David Devine; Cinematography by Sean Valentini; Edited by Michael Pacek; Produced by Richard Mozer and David Devine; Directed by Kit Hood. Color 53 minutes.

238

Richard Strauss

Noted Documentaries • New Year’s Concert Vienna (¡987) Featuring Herbert von Karajan; 60 minutes • New Year’s Concert Vienna (¡988) Featuring Herbert von Karajan; 60 minutes • Strauss: The Magic of Vienna (¡999) A Classical Visions production; 56 minutes • Johann Strauss: Simplicius (2000) Directed by David Pountney; ¡32 minutes

Every year, the New Year’s Day concert by the Vienna Philharmonic is broadcast live worldwide. For the past sixteen years, they have been hosted by Walter Cronkite. The music of the Strauss family is always highlighted, often including short background pieces with locales as-

sociated with Johann Strauss. Two of the most successful broadcasts were performed by Herbert von Karajan at the very twilight of his career. Both of these concerts were later issued on video. Strauss: The Magic of Vienna is a selection from the popular Classical Visions series. Simplicius was the last stage work composed by Johann Strauss, an attempt to write a serious, three-act opera, but one filled with black humor (including a scene with hanging corpses swaying to waltz music). Originally, Simplicius was a huge failure. The opera was considered lost, but it was recently found and revived by the Zurich Opera for the one-hundredth anniversary of the composer’s death, as a special tribute.

Richard Strauss Screen depictions • Christopher Gable in Dance of the Seven Veils (¡970) • Hans Steunzer in Bride of the Wind (200¡)

Richard Strauss (¡864–¡949) was one of the last exponents of Romanticism. His career can be divided into various phases. He first made his mark as a composer of symphonic poems, including Aus Italien (¡886), Macbeth (¡887), Don Juan (¡888), Death and Transfiguration (¡889), Till Eulenspiegel’s Merry Pranks (¡895), Also Sprach Zarathustra (¡896), Don Quixote (¡897) and Ein Heldenleben (¡898). He then shifted his attention to operas, including Salome (¡905), Elektra (¡909), Der Rosenkavalier (¡9¡¡), Ariadne auf Naxos (¡9¡2), Die Frau ohne Schatten (¡9¡9), Intermezzo (¡925), Arabella (¡933) and Capriccio

(¡942). Among his other works are concertos (two for French horn and one each for violin and oboe), chamber music, choral works (including Wanderers Sturmlied after Goethe), program symphonies (Domestic Symphony and An Alpine Symphony) as well as hundreds of songs. Strauss was also active as a conductor. Ken Russell’s last telefilm for the BBC, broadcast on February ¡5, ¡970, caused a tremendous uproar, becoming one of the most controversial films of his career. The complete title of the work is The Dance of the Seven Veils: A Comic Strip in Seven Episodes on the Life of Richard Strauss, and viewers were so upset that the BBC ran a symposium to discuss the film, largely in critical terms. Of course, some viewers might have been expecting a similar film to Song of Summer, Russell’s most recent BBC project based on the last days

Richard Strauss

239

Stylized scene of Richard Strauss (Christopher Gable) conducting.

of Frederick Delius, an elegiac and traditional biopic. Dance of the Seven Veils instead was a burlesque with bitter overtones, a satire largely focusing on the partnership of Richard Strauss with the Third Reich (¡933–¡945). The true-life experiences of the elder Strauss and his uneasy relationship with the Nazi regime are chronicled in many books, such as Hitler and the Power of Aes-

thetics by Frederic Spotts. In short, Strauss was compliant with the Nazis in the early years of the regime, for example, serving as president of the Reich Music Chamber in ¡934 and composing a song “Das Bächlein” dedicated to Joseph Goebbels. In later years, however, Strauss grew very critical of the Nazi regime, to the point where they even considered banning his music. Ken Russell felt that Strauss had betrayed him-

240

Richard Strauss

self and his art when he attempted to curry favor with the Nazis. Russell chose seven episodes from the life and work of the composer, including distorted incidents from his operas, and treated them in a highly surreal fashion. Three sequences drew much of the criticism. The first is a Nazi picnic with Hitler (played by Ken Colley), Göring and Goebbels, during which Strauss entertains them with excerpts from his Alpine Symphony. The second features Ken Russell as a conductor who plays the Domestic Symphony in front of a bed where Strauss is making love with his wife. In fact, Russell used the image of himself as conductor in the final credits. The third sequence portrays Strauss conducting Der Rosenkavalier. He keeps asking the orchestra to play loudly to cover the screams coming from the audience, where members of the SS are torturing a Jew by carving a star of David on his chest. The brutality of these scenes was the primary complaint from unhappy viewers, as well as the outrageous vulgarity that they perceived. Other musicians and critics objected that Strauss was unfairly smeared with guilt for the Nazi genocide. On the other hand, Russell did include the actual words of Strauss in the film taken from his letters and journals, which confirm the extent of his collaboration with the Nazi authorities. The publishers and members of the Strauss family threatened lawsuits but were dissuaded when the BBC broadcast the symposium. One result, however, apparently undercut any future showing or video release of The Dance of the Seven Veils. The Strauss family revoked their permission for the use of Strauss’s letters and music on the soundtrack. Since much of The Dance of the Seven Veils relies on this material, this decision virtually censored the film. When Russell later showed clips of the film, he sarcastically substituted music by Johann Strauss, but the switch simply did

not work. Christopher Gable, the choreographer whom Russell recruited for the role of Eric Fenby in Song of Summer, was cast in the role of Strauss in the film. Naturally, he was far too youthful for the role, but Russell was not interested in a realistic impression of Strauss, but only a cartoonish caricature as his title of the film suggests. Ironically, Russell made a later feature film titled Salome’s Last Dance (¡988), which has been confused on occasion with his Strauss film. Salome’s Last Dance, however, focuses on the writer Oscar Wilde, author of the play upon which the opera Salome is based. The setting is a brothel, where a bawdy version of Wilde’s play is staged for the playwright and his friends. The only other Strauss appearance is a brief cameo in Bride of the Wind, the Bruce Beresford film about Gustav Mahler and his wife. Mahler and Strauss have a passing encounter at a reception. In real life, Mahler and Strauss had a rather cordial relationship. In fact, Strauss himself conducted the Berlin Philharmonic on March 4, ¡895, in the debut of the first three movements of Mahler’s Resurrection Symphony, a sign of genuine respect at a time when Mahler’s music was largely ignored.

Production Credits The Dance of the Seven Veils: A Comic Strip in Seven Episodes on the Life of Richard Strauss (¡970) BBC Cast: Christopher Gable, Kenneth Colley, Otto Diamant, Sally Bryant, Murray Melvin, Jackie Leven and Ken Russell. Music by Richard Strauss; Written by Ken Russell and Henry Reed based in part on selected letters by Richard Strauss; Cinematography by Dick Bush; Edited by Roger Crittenden; Produced and Directed by Ken Russell. Color 80 minutes. Bride of the Wind (200¡) Paramount Cast : Sarah Wynter, Jonathan Pryce, Vincent Perez, Simon Verhoeven, Gregor Seberg, Dagmar Schwarz, August Schmölzer, Wolf-

Igor Stravinsky gang Hübsch, Marion Rottenhofer, Sophie Schweighofer, Johannes Silberschneider, Werner Prinz, Daniela Dadieu, Brigitte Antonius, Monika Mandl, Peter Gruber, Erwin Ebenbauer, Hans Steunzer and Robert Herzl as Arnold Schönberg. Music by Gustav Mahler and Alma Mahler; Music edited by Christopher Kennedy; Performed by Renée Fleming (vocalist); Jean-Yves Thibaudel (pianist); Berlin Philharmonic conducted by Claudio Abbado; Vienna Philharmonic conducted by Pierre Boulez; Bratislava Philharmonic conducted by Peter Feranec; Original music and piano arrangements of Mahler’s music by Stephen Endelman; Written by Marilyn Levy; Cinematography by Peter James; Edited by Timothy Wellburn; Produced by Frank Hübner, Evzen Kolar and Lawrence Levy; Directed by Bruce Beresford. Color 99 minutes.

Noted Documentaries

241

• Art in the Third Reich (¡989) Written and produced by Peter Adam; BBC; 90 minutes

Hossick does an exceptional job outlining the life, career and music of Richard Strauss. In addition, there are numerous films that include Richard Strauss as a conductor. His most famous performance was at the ¡936 Berlin Olympic Games, at which he conducted his Olympic Hymn for massive chorus and orchestra, and clips of this appeared in newsreels and documentaries. Art in the Third Reich is an exceptional overview of all the arts, painting, architecture, film and music during the Nazi era in Germany. The music section focuses on Wilhelm Furtwängler and Richard Strauss, including an interview Strauss gave prior to conducting Parsifal in Bayreuth.

• Richard Strauss: A Concise Biography (¡987) A film by Malcolm Hossick; SKAN Productions; 35 minutes

Igor Stravinsky Screen depiction • Ronald Pickup in Nijinsky (¡980)

Igor Stravinsky (¡882–¡97¡) was a brilliant composer and innovator, one of the most influential figures of the first half of the twentieth century. His three early ballets, L’Oiseau de Feu (Firebird), Petrushka and Le Sacre du Printemps (The Rite of Spring), composed between ¡908 and ¡9¡2 for Diaghilev’s Ballet Russe, remain his most significant and popular compositions. Stravinsky was a bit of a musical chameleon, and his styles shifted

from his early, colorful “Russian” period (represented by the three ballets listed above) to a neoclassical approach (such as the oratorio Oedipus Rex, Symphony of Psalms and the opera The Rake’s Progress) to an even sparser technique influenced by serialism in his later years (such as The Flood and Requiem Canticles). He spent the last half of his career in the United States, composing, writing and occasionally conducting, often working in close association with Robert Craft, who collaborated with him on several books. The only screen portrayal of Stravinsky is in the lavish biographical film

242

Igor Stravinsky

Nijinsky (¡980), about the legendary dancer. In fact, this motion picture concentrates on only two years of Vaslav Nijinsky’s life, ¡9¡2 and ¡9¡3, and it focuses almost equally on the famous ballet impresario Sergei Diaghilev, who was not only Nijinsky’s mentor, but also his lover. The two make an interesting contrast: The dancer is emotional and passionate, while Diaghilev is cool, ruthless and autocratic. Both men are highly strung geniuses, self-centered and given to excesses. Diaghilev is also a hypochondriac who at times kisses Nijinsky through a handkerchief barrier so that no germs might pass through. As the film opens, Diaghilev’s Ballet Russe is the sensation of Europe, and he has spent the last three years nurturing Nijinsky into the world’s foremost ballet dancer. When the impresario decides to allow his protégé to conceive his own ballet, based on Debussy’s dreamlike tone poem Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun, it causes friction with the company’s regular choreographer, Mikhail Fokine. After several confrontations in which Diaghilev seems to downgrade Fokine’s next production debut, Ravel’s Daphnis and Chlöe, the impresario dismisses Fokine, giving Nijinsky double duty as the Ballet Russe’s male lead and choreographer. His main challenge occurs when Igor Stravinsky brings Diaghilev his next ballet project. In his initial appearance, Ronald Pickup makes an excellent visual impression as the thirty-year-old Stravinsky. The scene is the composer’s music room at his home in Switzerland in June ¡9¡2. The temperamental Stravinsky plays and pounds his piano, thrashing out the conclusion of the “Sacrificial Dance” from his new work. He is wearing a beret cocked to one side, a gray suit with bow tie, and a wispy mustache. Diaghilev and Nijinsky, listening to the work for the first time, find it incomprehensible. Stravinsky concludes the piece abruptly, not including the well-

known, two-note coda. The composer turns to look out the window, as Diaghilev approaches and embraces him, saying, “What do we call it?” Stravinsky replies, “Princess Tenisheva suggests Le Sacre du Printemps.” Maria Tenisheva was one of the composer’s sponsors. The script neglects to mention that Stravinsky developed the idea for this ballet with his friend, the artist Nicholas Roerch. The scene then switches as Stravinsky, still at the piano, counts out the complex rhythms of the dance, “¡-2-3-4-5, ¡-2, ¡-2-3-4-5, No? All right, try again.” Later, Stravinsky shouts out the numbers at the top of his voice as he plays, but Nijinsky, now attempting to dance to them, is still unable to grasp them. Stravinsky stops, pounds out the beat with his fist on his score. The composer then slams his keyboard shut and stomps o›. “The boy is hopeless! He can’t do it!” he shouts to Diaghilev, but the impresario tries to calm him. “My friend,” Stravinsky says softly, “loving someone does not turn him into what he is not.” Snidely, Diaghilev rejects the advice, telling the composer to restrict himself to teaching Nijinsky the counts. After this scene, Stravinsky fades into the background, glimpsed only briefly, but having no additional dialogue. Ironically, Nijinsky later resembles Stravinsky himself when the other dancers fail to grasp the intricate score. “Can you hear the rhythm of the music?” he bellows at Maria Piltz, the lead ballerina. Diaghilev intervenes, slapping Nijinsky after the excitable star exclaims that the impresario allowed Stravinsky to scream at him. Nijinsky declares that he hasn’t enough time to properly prepare the lengthy, new Stravinsky ballet. The picture then sidetracks as Nijinsky develops a ballet called Jeux by Debussy instead, on a commission from Baron Dimitri de Gunzburg. A parallel story follows Romola de Pulsky, a young,

Igor Stravinsky

wealthy Hungarian heiress infatuated with the ballet and Nijinsky. She works hard with her limited talent to earn a back bench position at the Ballet Russe. She approaches Nijinsky, wishing him success at the debut of Le Sacre du Printemps. However, when the work debuts at the Théâtre des Champs-Elysées on May 29, ¡9¡3, it creates one of the great scandals in the history of music, as shouts and catcalls drown out Stravinsky’s score so that it cannot be heard above the ruckus. Only the “Sacrificial Dance” is depicted. The relationship between Diaghilev and Nijinsky su›ers under the strain. Diaghilev begins to have doubts about Nijinsky’s ability as a choreographer. When the Ballet Russe goes on tour to South America, Diaghilev remains in Europe. When Baron de Gunzman receives a telegram that Diaghilev has gone to St. Petersburg to hire a new male lead dancer, Nijinsky is thunderstruck. Impulsively, he decides to marry Romola, with whom he has become friendly during the tour. When Diaghilev hears of this, he dismisses Nijinsky from the company as soon as the tour is completed. When the Ballet Russe returns to Europe, Diaghilev refuses to even meet with Nijinsky. The dancer is crushed, believing he could have talked himself into Diaghilev’s good graces. Realizing that he is not bisexual, simply homosexual, Nijinsky begins to show signs of a breakdown. Romola goes to see Diaghilev to inquire whether he might take Nijinsky back, either as a dancer or as a lover. Diaghilev refuses and suggests to Romola that the dancer’s mental health has become too delicate in any case. As the picture ends, Nijinsky is depicted confined in a padded cell, laced into a straitjacket. End title cards explain that Nijinsky gave his final performance in ¡9¡7, spending most of his remaining time until his death in ¡950 in and out of mental institutions. Romola remained married to Nijinsky, caring

243

for him as best she could. Diaghilev remained active as an impresario until his death in Venice in ¡929. Although based closely on the memoirs of Nijinsky and his wife, the screenplay manages to condense events so that they are not always factual. For instance, Nijinsky did return to the Ballet Russe during its ¡9¡6 season. The film is produced on a big budget and in a lavish fashion. The cinematography is breathtaking, often filmed at the actual locations depicted in the story. The ballet scenes are impressive, with the costumes and theatrical sets based carefully upon the original productions. The choreography of Fokine and Nijinsky is utilized whenever possible; however, some of the dance highlights are recreated by Kenneth MacMillan in their style. The acting ranges from adequate to very good. Alan Bates as Diaghilev is a strange characterization, remote and often impenetrable. George de la Pena’s performance is memorable but inconsistent. His dancing proves convincing, although several of his leaps appear to be aided by wires like Mary Martin as Peter Pan. Leslie Browne is likable as Romola, and Jeremy Irons is exceptional in his screen debut as Fokine. Alan Badel, as Baron Dimitri, has many of the script’s best lines, and he practically steals the show. Ronald Pickup, who later played Verdi and Nietzsche, is first rate in his brief appearance. It is a shame that Claude Debussy is not portrayed in the film, especially since so much of his music is used. He regularly attended the Ballet Russe and was even in the audience for the debut of Sacre. One of the picture’s greatest letdowns is that too little screen time is devoted to Le Sacre du Printemps, using only a brief snippet of the “Sacrificial Dance” to represent the entire work. The debut performance was one of the most dramatic events in music history, but the film hardly touches it. One would have relished watch-

244

Igor Stravinsky

ing the moment when Stravinsky, realizing that the rowdy elements of the crowd would not allow the music to be heard, stands up from his seat and shouts, “Go to hell!” as he stomps out of the theater. The conductor who led the orchestra at the debut, hardly seen in the sequence, was the legendary Pierre Monteux, and the film wastes an opportunity to portray him and a reaction to this raucous occasion. The principal Stravinsky music e›ort depicted in the film is from the third scene of Petrushka, and la Pena is simply magnificent in this excerpt. Other ballet highlights include Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun and Jeux by Debussy, The Invitation to the Dance by Carl Maria von Weber and Scheherezade by Rimsky-Korsakov. The opening credits likewise use music from Petrushka, but the end credits revert to Rimsky-Korsakov. The soundtrack makes much use of the music from Le Sacre du Printemps, despite the fact that only the “Sacrificial Dance” is performed onscreen. When Nijinsky makes love to Romola, the soundtrack blazes forth with the “Glorification of the Chosen One,” midway through the second section of the ballet. Perhaps the most successful element of Nijinsky is its magnificent and timely use of classical music throughout the picture.

Production Credits Nijinsky (¡980) Paramount Cast: Alan Bates, George de la Pena, Leslie Browne, Ronald Pickup, Alan Badel, Colin Blakely, Ronald Lacey, Vernon Dobtche›, Jeremy Irons, Carla Fracci, Frederick Jaeger, Anton Dolin, Janet Suzman, Stephan Chase, Henrietta Baynes, Sian Phillips, Charles Kay, Tomas Milian, Monica Mason, Valerie Aiken, Genesa Rosato, June Brown, Blaise Mills, Kim Miller, Dean McMillan, Olga Lowe, Dudley von Loggenberg, Ben van Cauwenbergh, and members of the London Festival Ballet.

Music by Igor Stravinsky, Alexander Borodin, Claude Debussy, Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, Robert Schumann and Carl Maria von Weber; Music edited and arranged by John Lanchbery; Performed by the Los Angeles Philharmonic conducted by John Lanchbery; Written by Hugh Wheeler based on Nijinsky by Romola Nijinsky and The Diary of Vaslav Nijinsky; Cinematography by Douglas Slocombe; Edited by William Reynolds; Produced by Harry Saltzman (executive), Nora Kaye and Stanley O’Toole; Directed by Herbert Ross. Color ¡25 minutes.

Noted Documentaries • Igor Stravinsky (¡965) A documentary by Roman Kroiter and Wolf Koenig; 50 minutes • Aspects of Stravinsky: Once at a Border (¡986) A film by Tony Palmer; Kultur; ¡66 minutes • Stravinsky: Famous Composers Series (¡996) Written, produced and directed by Malcolm Hossick; SKAN Productions; 36 minutes • A Portrait of Stravinsky (200¡) A film by Janos Darvas; 53 minutes

Two Stravinsky documentaries merit special consideration. The first is the ¡965 e›ort by Kroiter and Koenig, who accompanied the composer as he traveled to Hamburg, Germany, to conduct his Symphony of Psalms. Along the way he reminisced about his life and career. Among the highlights is his account of the disastrous debut of Le Sacre du Printemps. The second is Aspects of Stravinsky, directed and edited by the prominent filmmaker Tony Palmer, featuring a compendium of recollections and comments by the composer, his friends, associates and critics. This film is shown in two parts, prior to and after ¡939. Numerous musical excerpts are woven into the narrative.

Arthur Sullivan

245

Arthur Sullivan Screen depictions • Claude Allister in Lillian Russell (¡940) • Tudor Owen in The Return of Gilbert and Sullivan (¡950) • Muir Mathieson in The Magic Box (¡95¡) • Maurice Evans in The Story of Gilbert and Sullivan (¡953) • Allan Corduner in Topsy-Turvy (¡999)

Sir Arthur Seymour Sullivan (¡842– ¡900) is remembered as the finest composer of comic opera in history, in particular his collaborations with the gifted librettist William Schwenck Gilbert. Sullivan studied music at the Leipzig Conservatory, where he was a classmate of Edvard Grieg. He was a devotee of the music of Schubert, and during a trip to Vienna he uncovered a number of valuable manuscripts including two symphonies and the score to Rosamunde. He wrote his first comic opera at the age of twenty-two, titled The Sapphire Necklace. His first collaboration with Gilbert, Thespis, in ¡87¡, was a failure, and most of Sullivan’s original score has been lost. Trial by Jury in ¡875 marked the first in a series of brilliant successes scripted by Gilbert. Impresario Richard D’Oyly Carte even built a new theater, the Savoy, exclusively for their works, starting with Iolanthe in ¡882. In total, Sullivan composed 23 comic operas (¡4 with Gilbert), but only one of his non–Gilbert comic operas, Cox and Box, has remained popular. He also wrote one grand opera, Ivanhoe, which was moderately successful. His nontheatrical compositions include a number of oratorios, such as The Prodigal Son, The Light of the World and The Golden Legend. Other works include his Irish Symphony, a cello concerto, two ballets, nu-

merous incidental scores, overtures, choral works and songs, the most popular being “The Lost Chord.” He also wrote the famous hymn “Onward, Christian Soldiers.” The composer was knighted by Queen Victoria in ¡883. Su›ering from ill health much of his life, Sullivan died at the age of fifty-eight. The first film in which Gilbert and Sullivan make an appearance is Lillian Russell, the nostalgic biographical film about the famous actress and singer. In real life, Lillian Russell (¡859–¡922) had a number of encounters with Gilbert and Sullivan. In fact, her stage debut was in the chorus of a Brooklyn production of H.M.S. Pinafore in ¡878. Her first starring role was in a New York parody of The Pirates of Penzance titled The Pie Rats of Penn Yam. In ¡883, Russell eloped with the English operetta composer Edward Solomon (¡855– ¡895). She starred in London in Solomon’s Virginia and Paul in July ¡883. She was engaged to play the lead in Princess Ida, the new comic opera by Gilbert and Sullivan, but she incurred Gilbert’s wrath when she missed a rehearsal. According to Sullivan’s diary, she sent a letter of apology to Gilbert and Sullivan, but the librettist remained adamant, and she was discharged. Russell sued for breech of contract and received a fair out-of-court settlement. Although she continued to appear in numerous Gilbert and Sullivan operas (mostly in America), she never appeared in a Savoy Theater production. The film Lillian Russell largely distorts the factual record. Russell is fairly well played by Alice Faye, who shines in her musical numbers, but the overall script is bland and contrived. Russell’s H.M.S. Pinafore debut and her first marriage are completely over-

246

Arthur Sullivan

looked. Her romance and marriage to Edward Solomon is turned into a myth, except for the fact that they moved to London. Solomon, as played by Don Ameche, is honest, sincere and charming, and he dies from overwork while trying to compose a perfect operetta for Russell. In real life, Solomon was somewhat of a scoundrel, and Russell had the marriage annulled after discovering that her husband was a bigamist. Gilbert and Sullivan appear in two scenes of the film. Gilbert is played in rather blustery fashion by Nigel Bruce, best known for playing Dr. Watson to Basil Rathbone’s Sherlock Holmes. Gilbert dominates the scenes. Sullivan is played in a low-key but finicky fashion by Claude Allister. When first seen, Sullivan is at the piano playing a passage from Princess Ida. He then remarks to Gilbert that there are too many words in the chorus and that they clutter up the melody. Gilbert replies that the melody is ordinary and that the words save it. Gilbert says he wishes his plays did not have any music at all. Sullivan remarks that their collaborations work better without any personal contact and leaves. Solomon then visits Gilbert to explain why Russell missed her rehearsal. He and Gilbert get into a heated argument, and Gilbert dismisses her from Princess Ida. Solomon is secretly delighted because he wants his wife to star in his own production. Solomon later dies of heart failure while working on his operetta, collapsing at this piano. Lillian sinks into despair and is finally drawn out of her shell by a gracious letter from Gilbert, who o›ers her the lead in his latest work. She agrees, providing Gilbert allows her to perform Solomon’s final song, “Two Lovebirds,” before the start of the opera. A billboard is shown, saying, “Gilbert and Sullivan present Lillian Russell in their new operetta…” but the title of the work is obscured by shadows. Since this incident is entirely ficti-

tious, the screenwriter didn’t want to name the piece. Gilbert and Sullivan’s next work was The Mikado, of course. One could never imagine Gilbert allowing Russell, in a flashy gown, to sing the schmaltzy Solomon number as a curtain raiser to The Mikado. Yet after she sings, Gilbert and Sullivan are shown applauding heartily from the theater wings. Claude Allister, who spent much of his career playing pompous and monocled British stock characters in such films as Bulldog Drummond (¡929), makes little impression in his turn as Sir Arthur Sullivan. The next film, The Return of Gilbert and Sullivan, is believed to be lost. It was one of the first productions by Lippert Pictures and was of unusual length, too long to be considered a short, but too short for a normal feature. The plot involves the spirits of Gilbert and Sullivan returning to earth to protest the jazz arrangements of their music. The film reportedly used painted canvas sets and was shot in two days. Melville Cooper and Tudor Owen, who played Gilbert and Sullivan, were both distinguished character actors. Owen often played clergymen in such films as Angels in the Outfield (¡95¡), When in Rome (¡952) and How the West Was Won (¡962), but he also did vocal characterizations in cartoons such as One Hundred and One Dalmations (¡96¡). The only American member of the cast was the colorful Scatman Crothers, who provided some clever jazz renditions of Sullivan’s music. Perhaps the satirical highlight was the parody “I Am the Very Model of a Freudian Psychiatrist,” based on the “Major-General’s Song” from The Pirates of Penzance. Interestingly enough, the documentary Gilbert and Sullivan Present Their Greatest Hits uses the same premise with the spirits of Gilbert and Sullivan returning to earth to comment on the treatment of their music.

Arthur Sullivan

Sullivan makes an appearance without Gilbert in the next film treatment, The Magic Box, one of the most distinguished achievements of the British film industry. Many of the major English stars were included in cameos in this feature based on the life of William Friese-Greene, the inventor who developed a prototype of the motion picture camera in ¡889. Sullivan’s appearance in the story occurs between ¡875 (when Friese-Greene opened his photographic studio in Bath) and ¡877 (when inventor Fox-Talbot dies). Friese-Greene is played by Robert Donat and his wife, Helena, by Maria Schell. They are both members of the Bath Choral Society, which is preparing a performance of a choral work by Arthur Sullivan. The title of the piece isn’t mentioned in the film, but it is possibly On Shore and Sea, a dramatic cantata composed in ¡87¡. In the film, all the characters refer to him as Sir Arthur; however, this is an error because Sullivan wasn’t knighted until ¡883. Everyone in the society is excited when they learn that the composer himself will conduct their concert. On the day of the concert, however, Friese-Greene has an opportunity to meet William Fox-Talbot, one of the inventors of modern photography. Friese-Greene promises his wife that he will return in time for the concert, but he gets so involved in discussing his idea for a motionpicture camera with the inventor that he misses the concert. Scenes of the concert conducted by Sullivan are intercut as Friese-Greene continues to converse with Fox-Talbot. At one key moment, Friese-Greene is supposed to sing a brief solo in the cantata. Since he is absent, his wife sings the solo instead, and Sullivan does a doubletake when a female voice sings the male solo. Arthur Sullivan is played in the film by the distinguished British conductor Muir Mathieson, who is known for his work as a soundtrack conductor in hundreds of films, including Al-

247

fred Hitchcock’s Vertigo (¡958). This was Mathieson’s only onscreen appearance, and he appears reasonably close to the real Arthur Sullivan. Since he is an authentic conductor, Mathieson’s gestures with the baton are natural and entirely appropriate, and his doubletake is one of the highlights of the film. The Magic Box can be noted for including lengthy portions of one of Sullivan’s lesser-known works. The Story of Gilbert and Sullivan is a full-fledged, biographical portrait, largely accurate but with a small number of liberties taken for purpose of dramatic license. Both Robert Morley as Gilbert and Maurice Evans as Sullivan provide thoughtful, believable performances. Morley takes some of the rough edges o› Gilbert’s abrasive personality, and the script sanitizes Sullivan’s active love life, depicting him as chastely longing for his early lost love. The opening credits feature a sprightly overture with numerous Sullivan tunes, including “Hail, Friends Who Plow the Sea,” which ironically became more popular without Gilbert’s words under the title “Hail, Hail, the Gang’s All Here.” The film opens in ¡875, as Grace Marston, Sullivan’s wealthy fiancée, and her family are on their way to the Crystal Palace to witness the debut of Sullivan’s new oratorio, The Prodigal Son. William Gilbert and his wife are also in the audience, but Gilbert falls asleep during the piece. After the concert, Grace tells Arthur that she disapproves of his plans to write another comic opera with Gilbert. She reminds him that their first e›ort, Thespis, was a flop. Grace is unaware that her father had spoken to Sullivan, warning him that he would not bless their marriage unless he raises his income level, which is the reason the composer agreed to work with Gilbert and impresario D’Oyly Carte. After the debut of Trail by Jury, Grace breaks o› her engagement because of her disapproval of light opera. Her father, however, is de-

248

Arthur Sullivan

lighted with Trial by Jury and would now welcome him into the family. This incident is depicted as the origin of the Gilbert and Sullivan collaboration. The actual story is somewhat di›erent. Grace is based on the real-life Rachel Russell, whose mother objected to her engagement with Sullivan in ¡867. It is true that Rachel wanted Sullivan to stick to composing symphonies and oratorios; however, she helped Sullivan with his copying work on Cox and Box, his second comic opera. The Prodigal Son debuted at the Worcester Festival in ¡869. Rachel and Sullivan eventually broke up in ¡870. Thespis appeared in ¡87¡. So the lost-love/ money angle did not pave the way for Sullivan’s work with Gilbert, although Sullivan did become accustomed to his wealthy lifestyle principally due to the phenomenal success of his Savoy operas. The highlights of The Story of Gilbert and Sullivan are the extensive excerpts from the operas, most featuring Martyn Green, the leading character tenor of the D’Oyly Carte company in the mid–twentieth century. He is magnificent in the role of George Grossmith, the original comic tenor in most of the Savoy productions. There are lengthy stage recreations of Trial by Jury, H.M.S. Pinafore, The Pirates of Penzance, Iolanthe, The Mikado, Ruddigore, The Gondoliers and Yeoman of the Guard. The Sorcerer is seen in rehearsal, as Sullivan from the piano preps Grossmith in the role of John Wellington Wells. Several works, curiously, are omitted, including Princess Ida and Patience. Oscar Wilde, who was the satirical target of Patience, is observed, however, at the premiere of Iolanthe. Two additional scenes stand out in particular. In the first, Sullivan is struggling to complete two di›erent works simultaneously, The Mikado and the oratorio The Golden Legend. Singers for the two works keep alternating in the music room

of Sullivan’s house, sometimes hastily whenever Gilbert or the director of the Leeds Festival puts in an appearance. While writing down music for The Golden Legend, Sullivan sees the Leeds director drifting o›, and the composer switches to his manuscript for The Mikado. The other memorable bit occurs as Gilbert and Sullivan travel to New York for the American debut of The Pirates of Penzance. They entertain their fellow passengers with a rendition of “A Policeman’s Lot Is Not a Happy One,” with Gilbert tackling the solo and Sullivan playing the piano and singing the chorus. The famous quarrel over the expense of the carpets at the Savoy Theater is handled brilliantly, as the argument of Gilbert, Sullivan and D’Oyly Carte is intercut with the quarrel song from The Gondoliers. Unfortunately, the script totally ignores the last two Gilbert and Sullivan works, Utopia Limited (¡893) and The Grand Duke (¡896), implying that they never reconciled until just before Sullivan’s death in ¡900. In their last scene, Gilbert drops by the last dress rehearsal for a revival of Yeoman of the Guard and sees Sullivan in a wheelchair in the wings of the theater. Arthur suggests they make a surprise appearance with D’Oyly Carte that night, all three to be rolled out on stage in wheelchairs. But Sullivan does not appear on opening night, sending a note that he is too ill. The finale of Yeoman of the Guard, in which the leading character collapses and dies, is shown as a metaphor for Sullivan’s passing. The final scene of the film depicts Gilbert being knighted as the tune from H.M.S. Pinafore, “He Is an Englishman,” is played. The Story of Gilbert and Sullivan is such a charming movie that it is hard to resist. Maurice Evans is terrific with his warm and infectious interpretation. His conducting technique is credible, both in the oratorio sequences as well as in the

Arthur Sullivan

opera pit. In addition, the film treats the composer’s music with great respect, including passages from Sullivan’s opera Ivanhoe, as well as The Prodigal Son and The Golden Legend. Topsy-Turvy caused a sensation when it debuted at the Venice Film Festival on September 3, ¡999. The title refers to the nonsensical world view of Gilbert’s scenarios. The film is one of the most entertaining, clever and intimate studies of the creative process, in this case the creation and first performance of the comic opera The Mikado. In addition to providing the fairly accurate background and development of this masterpiece, it also focuses on all the personalities involved. It is an a›ectionate portrait, but it does uncover the foibles and idiosyncrasies of the major figures. Gilbert and Sullivan are provided ample coverage, not all of it complimentary, as Sullivan is depicted in a French brothel and Gilbert is shown in his cold and impersonal relationships with his wife and estranged parents. The script focuses, with keen insight, on various members of the Savoy Theater who played key roles in The Mikado, such as George Grossmith (Ko-Ko), Richard Temple (the Mikado), Leonora Braham (Yum-Yum), Rutland Barrington (PoohBah), Durwood Lely (Nanki-Poo), Jessie Bond (Pitti-Sing) and Rosina Brandram (Katisha). With great tact and utmost diplomacy, Richard D’Oyly Carte attempts to cajole and placate these temperamental artists. Ironically, they are brought together by Gilbert, when he decides to cut “The Mikado’s Song,” and the rest of the troupe unite to save Richard Temple’s solo number by demanding that Gilbert reinstate it. This unity then carries over to their theatrical triumph. Jim Broadbent is particularly brilliant as Gilbert, irascible, self-centered, a tad misanthropic but with genuine wit and vision. Allan Corduner is equally sharp as

249

Sullivan. While his character is less flamboyant than Gilbert’s, his conception of Sullivan has far greater depth and subtlety. The opening scene of the film concentrates on Sullivan, depicting the composer’s delicate health problems as he struggles to get to the Savoy Theater to conduct the debut of Princess Ida. Sullivan’s last dialogue scene in the film is again in his bedroom, as the composer tenderly reacts to his mistress, Fanny Ronalds, as she informs him of her pregnancy and her plans to deal with it. The rehearsal scenes are also of great interest, including Sullivan at the piano preparing the singers to learn the music and noting various nuances in his score. Curiously, several scenes in Topsy-Turvy reflect earlier ones in The Story of Gilbert and Sullivan. For instance, in both films George Grossmith, the comic tenor, is visited separately in his dressing room before a debut performance by both Gilbert and Sullivan. The Gilbert visit leaves him upset, and they refer to each other using only last names. (In Topsy-Turvy, he doesn’t let him in but speaks through the closed door.) The Sullivan visit, however, is warmer and leaves the singer feeling more confident, and they call each other by first names or even pet names (Sullivan calls him “Gee Gee”). The scenes in both films complement each other. Another common scene is Gilbert’s moment of inspiration for The Mikado while picking up a Japanese sword that has fallen o› the wall in his study. Topsy-Turvy includes a number of stage excerpts from Princess Ida, The Sorcerer and, of course, The Mikado. Oddly, neither Topsy-Turvy nor The Story of Gilbert and Sullivan refers to two of the most famous selections sung by Ko-Ko, “I’ve Got a Little List” and “The Willow Song.” Sullivan’s music is treated extraordinarily well in Topsy-Turvy. Almost all of the soundtrack music is adapted by composer Carl Davis from Sullivan’s

250

Arthur Sullivan

music, in particular The Grand Duke, Yeoman of the Guard and his incidental music to The Merchant of Venice. In addition, the film includes a scene in which Fanny Ronalds sings “The Lost Chord,” accompanied by Sullivan on the piano. In closing, TopsyTurvy is a magnificent film, not only for fans of Gilbert and Sullivan, but anyone who appreciates motion picture excellence. Another film, titled The Lost Chord (¡937), is largely centered around the unseen figure of Sir Arthur Sullivan. The title card of the film announces “Inspired by the immortal song by Sir Arthur Sullivan.” It is a somewhat creaky melodrama about a composer, David Graham, whose father was one of Sullivan’s best friends. The film opens in ¡9¡0, and Graham conducts a memorial concert on the anniversary of Sullivan’s death. The program includes the overture In Memoriam and the Irish Symphony. Graham has an a›air with Madeline, a married woman who is treated cruelly by her husband, an Italian count. The husband runs o› to Italy with their baby, and Graham pursues in an e›ort to retrieve the child, Joan. He accepts the count’s challenge to fight a duel, and his arm is badly wounded in the swordfight, but the count dies after toppling down a staircase. Joan is whisked away by the count’s mistress. When Madeline hears this, she secludes herself in a nunnery and refuses to appear when Graham visits her. Filled with despair, Graham plays Sullivan’s “The Lost Chord” on the organ in the chapel. Hearing the music, Madeline appears but dies of a broken heart in her lover’s arms. Graham retires from music to live like a hermit. Twenty years later, he is lured out of retirement to write the music to a new operetta, in the style of Sullivan, inspired by a new young singer, Joan. She, of course, turns out to be Madeline’s grown-up daughter. Graham and Joan become engaged, but he learns that she actually loves his nephew Jim, a brilliant surgeon who

cured his wounded arm. Graham then blesses their engagement by playing “The Lost Chord.” Reportedly, the original script of The Lost Chord includes a flashback in which Graham, as a child, meets Sir Arthur Sullivan, but it was either never filmed or cut from the final print.

Production Credits Lillian Russell (¡940) 20th Century–Fox Cast: Alice Faye, Henry Fonda, Don Ameche, Nigel Bruce as William S. Gilbert, Claude Allister as Arthur Sullivan, Edward Arnold, Warren William, Leo Carillo, Helen Westley, Lynn Bari, Dorothy Peterson, Ernest Truex, Una O’Connor, Joseph Cawthorne, Robert Homans, Harry Hayden, Eddie Foy, Jr., Joe Weber and Lew Fields. Music by Alfred Newman, Bronislau Kaper, Edward Solomon and Arthur Sullivan; Written by William Anthony McGuire; Cinematography by Leon Shamrot; Edited by Walter Thompson; Produced by Darryl F. Zanuck; Directed by Irving Cummings. B&W ¡27 minutes. The Return of Gilbert and Sullivan (¡950) Lippert Cast : Melville Cooper as William S. Gilbert, Tudor Owen as Arthur Sullivan, Scatman Crothers, Billy Gray, Dean Turnwell, Mara Lynn, Pat Hogan and Joe Graves. Music by Arthur Sullivan; Arranged by Scatman Crothers; Performed by Scatman Crothers and The Sportsman; Written by Sid Kuller; Produced by Irving Allen; Directed by Sid Kuller and Irving Allen, B&W 53 minutes. The Magic Box (¡95¡) British Lion Cast: Robert Donat, Maria Schell, Margaret Johnson, Robert Beatty, Richard Attenborough, Ernest Thesiger, David Tomlinson, Basil Sydney, Leo Genn, Dennis Price, Margaret Rutherford, Michael Redgrave, Mervyn Johns, Glynis Johns, Bessie Love, Stanley Holloway, Cecil Parker, Eric Portman, Emlyn Williams, Laurence Olivier and Peter Ustinov. Music by William Alwyn and Arthur Sullivan; Written by Eric Ambler based on the book Friese-Greene: Close-Up of an Inventor by Ray Allister; Cinematography by Jack Cardi›; Edited by Richard Best; Produced and Directed by John Boulting. Color ¡¡8 minutes.

Arthur Sullivan The Story of Gilbert and Sullivan (¡953) AKA The Great Gilbert and Sullivan British Lion/ United Artists Cast: Robert Morley as William S. Gilbert, Maurice Evans as Arthur Sullivan, Peter Finch, Martyn Green, Eileen Herlie, Isabel Dean, Muriel Aked, Dinah Sheridan, Wilfred Hyde-White, Bernadette O’Farrell, Eric Berry, Charlotte Mitchell and Michael Ripper. Music by Arthur Sullivan; Written by Sidney Gilliat and Vincent Korda based on The Gilbert and Sullivan Book by Leslie Bailey; Cinematography by Christopher Challis; Edited by Gerald TurneySmith; Produced by Frank Launder and Sidney Gilliat; Directed by Sidney Gilliat. Color ¡09 minutes. Topsy-Turvy (¡999) Thin Man Films Cast: Jim Broadbent as William S. Gilbert, Allan Corduner as Arthur Sullivan, Ron Cook, Martin Savage, Timothy Spall, Shirley Henderson, Lesley Manville, Eleanor David, Vincent Franklin, Louise Gold, Sam Kelly, Andy Serkis, Kevin McKidd, Wendy Nottingham, Charles Simon, Alison Steadman, Matthew Mills, Eve Pearce, Sukie Smith, Dorothy Atkinson and Naoki Mori. Music by Arthur Sullivan; Arranged and conducted by Carl Davis; Written by Mike Leigh; Cinematography by Dick Pope; Edited by Robin Sales; Produced by Simon Channing-Williams; Directed by Mike Leigh. Color ¡60 minutes.

Noted Documentaries • Gilbert and Sullivan Present Their Greatest Hits (¡982) Written and Directed by Alan Birkinshaw; 54 minutes • Here’s a How De Do (¡998) A film by Barry Purves; Channel 4 (U.K.); 30 minutes

Gilbert and Sullivan Present Their Greatest Hits is a very unusual project, combining elements of both a concert broadcast and a documentary, based around a November ¡982 performance at Royal Albert Hall on the centenary of the debut of Iolanthe, the first theatrical performance to be lit by electricity. Two actors playing Gilbert (Peter Cellier) and Sullivan (John Rapley) are featured in wrap-around seg-

251

ments, commenting on the music and circumstances surrounding their creation. Many of these comments are authentic, drawn from primary sources such as letters and diaries, justifying the documentary classification of this production. The program opens as Gilbert and Sullivan arrive at the concert in a nineteenth-century, open carriage. Sullivan expresses his admiration for Royal Albert Hall and wishes Queen Victoria could have been induced to also attend, but Gilbert remarks that she would have found the modern technology too distracting. They sit in a box seat and continue their discussion between each group of selections. Their scenes appear to have been taped separately and edited into the production; however, one scene does show their presence at the actual concert. Five singers from the D’Oyly Carte company (Vivian Tierney, Patricia Leonard, Geo›rey Shovelton, Peter Pratt and Alan Ayldon) sing sixteen selections from five operas, primarily The Mikado. They are accompanied by the Hertfordshire Youth Orchestra and massive choral forces of a thousand voices conducted by Marcus Dods. The performances are excellent, and Alan Ayldon delivers one of the most enthusiastic and outlandish renditions of “The Mikado’s Song” you may ever hear. After the concert, Gilbert and Sullivan banter about the cost of carpets in concert halls, a reference to their famous feud over the cost of replacement carpets at the Savoy Theater. They are escorted back to their carriage, and the end credits roll. Here’s a How De Do is also an unusual concept, a serious, animated documentary (including use of puppets) focusing on the working relationship of Richard D’Oyly Carte, William S. Gilbert and Sir Arthur Sullivan. A large number of musical excerpts are included in the production, an obvious labor of love by Barry Purves, who wrote and developed the project.

252

Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky

Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky Screen depictions • Hans Stüwe in Es War eine Rauschende Ballnacht (¡939) • Alfonso D’Artega in Carnegie Hall (¡947) • Frank Sundstrom in Song of My Heart (¡948) • Richard Chamberlain and Alex Brewer in The Music Lovers (¡970) • Innokenti Smoktunovsky in Tchaikovsky (¡969/7¡) • Peter Linke in What Price Immortality? (¡999)

Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky (¡840–¡893) is one of the most popular of all composers among the concert-going public, particularly beloved for his passionate melodies. Even so, a large part of his musical repertoire is little known. Among his works are nine operas (including Eugene Onegin and The Queen of Spades), three ballets (including Swan Lake and The Nutcracker), eight symphonies (counting the unnumbered Manfred Symphony and the reconstructed Seventh Symphony), four concertos (three for piano and one for violin), various other instrumental works such as the Rococo Variations for cello and orchestra, the Concert Fantasy for piano and orchestra and the Serenade Melancholique for violin and orchestra, many tone poems, often called “Fantasy Overtures” (including Romeo and Juliet, Francesca da Rimini, Hamlet, The Tempest, The Storm, Fatum and The Voyevoda), other orchestral works (¡8¡2 Overture, Capriccio Italien, Marche Slav, Serenade for string orchestra), four orchestral suites, chamber works (including three string quartets, a piano trio and a sextet called Souvenir de Florence), piano works (including two sonatas and a cycle

known as The Seasons), over seventy songs and choral works including Russian religious works such as the a cappella Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom. Tchaikovsky has been a controversial figure for scholars and music historians down the years due to a number of thorny issues. First is his hypersensitive and often depressive personality. No other composer’s anxieties and possible neuroses have been as thoroughly examined and argued over as Tchaikovsky’s. For example, when he conducted, Tchaikovsky would often place one of his hands on his head because he had a fear that his head would fall o›. So each biographer would draw often contradictory conclusions about his idiosyncrasies. Then there is the matter of his sexuality. There are arguments over whether he accepted his homosexuality or struggled against it. Finally, his death is a matter of raging dispute. The o‡cial record claims that he died of cholera, but there are conspiracy theorists who claim that he poisoned himself to avoid a scandal. The cholera theory also has di›erent variants. Some claim that it was an accident while others insist the composer deliberately drank unboiled water during an epidemic of the waterborne disease, a foolhardy deed. Still others suggest that he may have been murdered, that his food had been tampered with and infected. Two recent major biographies of the composer, Anthony Holden’s Tchaikovsky and Tchaikovsky’s Last Days by Alexander Poznansky take diametrically opposed views, with Holden seriously considering rumors of a secret tribunal that condemned the composer, while Poznansky analyzes the concept as illogical and ridiculous. All of these factors provide an inter-

Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky

253

Zarah Leander and Hans Stüwe were the leading screen couple in Germany when they made the Tchaikovsky biopic Es War eine Rauschende Ballnacht.

esting backdrop to the films about Tchaikovsky, each of which has to confront or dance around these issues. The earliest screen biography, oddly enough, was produced in Nazi Germany in ¡939. Influenced no doubt by the pact of friendship between Hitler and Stalin, the film is an idealized portrait of nineteenth-century Russia. Es War eine Rauschende Ballnacht is heavily influenced by the flu› and pageantry of Viennese operetta, and it stars the highest-paid female star of the Nazi era, the Swedish singer Zarah Leander, who was considered the successor to Greta Garbo. The bland Hans Stüwe was often cast as Leander’s leading man, so he inherited the role of Tchaikovsky, even though he bears little resemblance to the composer. The third leading role, music professor Otto Hunsinger, is filled by Leo Slezak, one of the leading Wagnerian ten-

ors of his day, who became a screen character actor in his sixties. He is the father of Walter Slezak, who had moved to America to appear in anti–Nazi films such as Once Upon a Honeymoon (¡942). The other major performer in the production is Aribert Wäscher as Baron Murakin, the villain of the piece, who resembles James Coco wearing a goatee. Tchaikovsky is depicted as a heterosexual in the film, but it is ironic, with the present-day connotation of the word “gay,” that the original English title of the film was It Was a Gay Ballnight. The first half of the film takes place at a lavish ball in Moscow in ¡865, with hundreds of extras all dressed in gorgeous ball gowns and white suits. The music selections at the dance are all Tchaikovsky works that were composed many years later, including excerpts from The Nutcracker and The Sleeping Beauty Waltz.

254

Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky

Tchaikovsky had written only a mere handful of pieces by ¡865, such as his overture The Storm. In the story, the young composer, without a beard, is in love with Katharina, wife of Baron Murakin. Accompanied by her music teacher, Professor Hunsinger, Katharina comes to the ball and slips away for a romantic assignation with Tchaikovsky. At home, Baron Murakin is becoming suspicious of his wife’s interest in Tchaikovsky, and he seems relieved when she returns with Hunsinger. Later they attend a recital at which Tchaikovsky plays the piano. He keeps staring longingly at Katharina in the audience, visibly perturbed when the baron takes her hand. She slips o› to visit Tchaikovsky in his dressing room during intermission. The composer is becoming increasingly frustrated that their romance has no future. The second half of the concert features the premiere of his Fourth Symphony, but the composer storms out of the hall. He heads to a nightclub, where dancer Natasha Petronova is performing a routine to the music of Capriccio Italien. She is overjoyed to see Tchaikovsky in the audience. He becomes drunk and takes her home with him. Later that night, looking for his wife, Baron Murakin goes to Tchaikovsky’s house and demands to know if there is anything between the composer and Katharina. Tchaikovsky tells him that he is planning to marry Natasha Petronova. Listening at the doorway, Natasha bursts into the room and throws her arms around the composer, leaving the baron dumbfounded. Katharina, of course, is astonished and heartbroken when she hears the news of Tchaikovsky’s engagement. Murakin holds a dinner party on the same day as the composer’s wedding. The film intercuts between the two events. Later that evening, when his new bride encourages him to come to bed, Tchaikovsky runs o› into the snowy night. Natasha puts her wedding

dress back on and goes to the nightclub, where guests from their wedding are still celebrating. She dances for them. Tchaikovsky turns up at Hunsinger’s house and explains his dilemma. The professor tells him that there is only one course open to him, to dedicate his life to his music. The film jumps ahead twenty-eight years to ¡893. The composer, now wearing his trademark beard, is conducting the debut of his Sixth Symphony “Pathétique” at Assembly Hall in St. Petersburg. He is shown vigorously conducting the third movement. Later, while returning by train to Moscow, Tchaikovsky assists his ill servant, who collapses with cholera. He attends to the man, despite warnings to keep his distance. He later encounters Katharina, who is also in Moscow, and she comments on the posters announcing the composer’s next concert. They have a private reconciliation in her hotel room. At the concert, Tchaikovsky falls ill while conducting the fourth movement of the Pathétique Symphony. The concertmaster takes over the baton as Tchaikovsky stumbles o›stage, collapsing in his dressing room. Katharina rushes backstage, as the composer dies in synch with the last notes of his symphony. Most of the characters and events of Es War eine Rauschende Ballnacht are purely fictitious. There is little regard for the actual chronology of his works, which all seemed to exist in ¡865. The Fourth Symphony, for example, did not appear until ¡877. There is much dramatic irony in having Tchaikovsky die while conducting the Pathétique Symphony in Moscow. In real life, he was scheduled to conduct the work in Moscow three weeks after the debut in St. Petersburg. He died, however, nine days after the St. Petersburg debut. The final concert scene of Es War eine Rauschende Ballnacht is undoubtedly the best in the picture, perhaps a trifle corny but very e›ective. A huge orchestra is em-

Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky

ployed in the sequence, which is very e›ectively photographed. Hans Stüwe handles the conducting sequence rather convincingly (although better in the third movement than the fourth). The playing of the music is very intense in the sequence. It sounds similar to the famous ¡938 recording by Wilhelm Furtwängler and the Berlin Philharmonic, but there is no attribution of the performance in the film. The other music in the film includes several songs for Zarah Leander written by Theo Mackeben, as well as one by Tchaikovsky, “Take My Heart Away.” The Barcarole from his piano cycle The Seasons is played quite charmingly. The other fragments, particularly at the ball, are provided lively readings. The script provided a rather noble depiction of how Tchaikovsky contracted cholera — by caring for his dying servant. In actual life, his faithful servant, Alexei Sofronov, survived his master and in fact was heir to a one-seventh portion of Tchaikovsky’s estate. There was no noticeable Nazi ideology that filtered into the script, so an English-language version was later released in ¡948 to compete with another Tchaikovsky biopic, but that version has largely vanished, although the German-language original is still extant and has frequently appeared on television in Europe. Carnegie Hall is an all-star gala of classical music artists designed as a tribute to the most famous concert hall in America. Tchaikovsky was the guest of honor at the inaugural concert in Carnegie Hall on May 5, ¡89¡. In all, he led portions of four concerts, conducting his Coronation March written for the occasion, his Third Orchestral Suite, arrangements of various songs and his First Piano Concerto with soloist Adele aus der Ohe. The fictional framework of Carnegie Hall is the life and times of Nora Ryan, who at the age of five witnesses the concert at which Tchaikovsky conducted his First Piano Concerto. In a

255

flashback, she relates to temperamental pianist Tony Salerno her memories of the concert. Walter Damrosch sees the little girl backstage, an Irish orphan who has just arrived in America and is being cared for by her aunt, a backstage matron. He positions her in a chair in the wings so she can watch Tchaikovsky conduct and aus der Ohe play the piano. Alfonso D’Artega plays Tchaikovsky. He is seen only in the distance, but he very closely resembles the composer. He is visible in perhaps a dozen shots. As the flashback ends, Nora remarks cryptically, “Somehow I can still see him, so dark and strange, almost like some of his own music.” There is one other film with a Tchaikovsky cameo, the Grieg picture What Price Immortality? The composer is depicted attending a banquet with Grieg and Brahms. Peter Linke is e›ective in this short scene, and he looks remarkably like Tchaikovsky. The producers of Song of My Heart wanted a fresh face to star as Tchaikovsky. They initially approached the dynamic young conductor Leonard Bernstein with an o›er, but he wisely declined. They imported a Swedish actor, Frank Sundstrom, to play Tchaikovsky. Unfortunately, his performance was such a misfire that the actor returned to Europe, never to appear in another American film. Song of My Heart is a very strange concoction, which includes a handful of good scenes, but most of them are quite ludicrous. The film was recut twice, and new scenes were added including a World War II introduction. A disclaimer was also added at the tail end of the picture, saying that the story was “inspired by the music of Tchaikovsky” and “certain events” of his life, but that all characters except “Tchaikovsky and other well known composers” are fictitious. Song of My Heart starts with the fanfare from the first movement of the Fourth Symphony (exactly the same as Es War eine

256

Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky

Rauschende Ballnacht). The setting is ¡944 at an American outpost on the Lend-Lease Highway heading to Russia. A Soviet o‡cer named Ivanov is escorting a collection of Tchaikovsky memorabilia back to the Tchaikovsky Museum in Klin, which was recently freed from German occupation. When the American soldiers inform him that a classical concert is planned that evening for the troops, the conversation turns to music. The o‡cer claims that his father, Stefan Ivanov, had been Tchaikovsky’s servant. The other soldiers start asking him questions, and Ivanov becomes outraged when the subject of the composer’s relations with women is raised. He tells them to ignore what books say, because he heard from his father that Tchaikovsky had a›airs with “plenty of women.” He then starts to talk about Tchaikovsky’s life as a lengthy flashback commences. Tchaikovsky attends the rehearsals for the debut of Swan Lake in ¡877. Dissatisfied with the music, the conductor stomps o› the day before the premiere, and Tchaikovsky himself is asked to conduct. Sundstrom bears only a passing resemblance to the composer, sporting a wispy moustache instead of the full beard Tchaikovsky himself wore since his early twenties. Unfortunately, Sundstrom lacks credibility when he attempts to conduct, waving his arms around with overly broad gestures that seem completely unrelated to the music being played. The debut is a disaster, but Tchaikovsky is nevertheless invited to the royal box, where Tsar Alexander II (played by John Hamilton, best known as Perry White from the Superman TV series) tells him, “Your waltzes were very charming.” The next day at the conservatory, the composer meets Sophia Petrovna Minakova, who has transcribed the second movement of his Fourth Symphony into a popular song. He criticizes it, and she starts to cry. When he gives her a little kiss to comfort her, she embraces the com-

poser, saying she loves him. In the next scene, they are about to be married. Tchaikovsky’s servant warns him, however, that “she is not the right one for you.” (The actual name of the woman Tchaikovsky married briefly in ¡877 was Antonina Ivanovna Milyukova.) The scene switches back to the soldiers, as Ivanov explains to the other soldiers why the marriage failed. When the story resumes, Tchaikovsky is free of his marriage and working furiously on his First Piano Concerto. The camera focuses on the keyboard as the entire introduction and a large chunk of the finale are played. (The orchestral parts are also heard.) The pianist in this scene is actually the great virtuoso José Iturbi, and the various camera angles capture his magnificent keyboard technique perfectly. A few shots of Sundstrom’s face are intercut to create the illusion that he is playing. Unfortunately, this scene is almost ruined because it is preceded and followed by a lengthy and irritating routine between Tchaikovsky’s servant and an attendant of the grand duke arguing over which one’s master is the more important. The attendant brings Tchaikovsky an o›er from an unknown patron o›ering the composer the use of a villa in Italy. When Tchaikovsky arrives, he asks to be received by his hostess, who lives in the main house of the estate, but he is told she wishes to remain anonymous. The composer settles down to a regular routine, working on various compositions such as the Barcarole from The Seasons. One evening while walking, he encounters a beautiful woman. When he questions her, she admits to being his patron. She hid her identity because she is Princess Amalia, first cousin to the tsar. They first become friends and soon lovers. She makes the composer promise to keep their romance a secret. The courtship scenes that follow, however, are staged so

Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky

awkwardly that they are unintentionally funny. The grand duke, her father, played by Sir Cedric Hardwicke, finally arrives to break up their love nest since rumors have leaked back to Russia. He warns her to give up the composer or he will be destroyed, and she is forced to return to St. Petersburg. The composer is broken hearted when she explains the situation to him. After she leaves, Tchaikovsky goes on a concert tour, trying to bury his sorrows in his work. Years pass, and when the grand duke and the princess attend a concert in St. Petersburg, they hear Tchaikovsky conduct his Fifth Symphony. By this time, the composer has finally grown a beard, although a very thin one. After the concert, the grand duke tells his daughter that he has decided to withdraw his objections to their liaison. He even promises to persuade the tsarina to give her approval if they decide to marry. The princess approaches Stefan to inquire if the composer still loves her. When she learns that he does, she instructs him not to inform his master until the last hurdles between them can be cleared. A cholera epidemic breaks out in St. Petersburg, and Tchaikovsky absentmindedly drinks a glass of unboiled water while working on the score of his Sixth Symphony. The princess is horrified when she hears that Tchaikovsky has come down with cholera. She rushes to his bedside, but he is delirious and believes that his nurse is the princess. By the time the real princess enters the room, Tchaikovsky is dying, and he tells her a parable about two ants on a railroad track. While Amalia ponders the meaning of this, the composer expires. Of course, the last movement of the Pathétique Symphony is heard in the background throughout the scene. A closeup of the dead composer dissolves into the concert for the soldiers, as the conclusion of the ¡8¡2 Overture is played to the admiration of Ivanov and his American friends.

257

Song of My Heart is undoubtedly one of the corniest of the composer biopics. I can’t imagine any audience accepting Tchaikovsky’s deathbed parable with a straight face. Yet it is quite entertaining to see how Madame von Meck, Tchaikovsky’s real-life sponsor, is transformed into the tsar’s cousin and how Alexei Sofronov becomes Stefan Ivanov. Oddly enough, in real life Tchaikovsky became quite friendly with the tsar’s cousin, the Grand Duke Konstantin Konstantinovich. Interestingly, there is one interpretation which can explain the wild distortion of events in the story. The flashback throughout the film may have been the sugar-coated version of events that Stefan told his young son, the narrator of the story, who believed them to be true. Despite its ridiculousness, Song of My Heart is quite entertaining. The cinematography by Rollie Totheroth is magnificent. Totheroth was Charlie Chaplin’s favorite cinematographer. The music is generally treated well except in the few scenes when it is tampered with, such as in the dinner scenes set in Italy. José Iturbi’s contributions to the film are breathtaking. The performance of the Fifth Symphony sounds bland, however, especially when compared with Stokowski’s reading of the same music in Carnegie Hall. The closing moment with the choral version of the ¡8¡2 Overture, on the other hand, is quite good. The remaining two Tchaikovsky films are high-profile productions that were filmed at the same time and were more or less in competition with each other. One is the major Soviet film Tchaikovsky, a threehour blockbuster with a Hollywood connection since veteran screen composer Dimitri Tiomkin served as producer, conductor and music editor. The other is The Music Lovers, a United Artists production helmed by the brilliant and unconventional Ken Russell. Russell later commented that the only similarity between

258

Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky

Richard Chamberlain in the dynamic concert scene from The Music Lovers.

the two films was the use of silver birch trees; however, the two biopics set o› and counterbalance each other almost perfectly. Both films are very demanding on their audience and require a certain degree of knowledge about the composer before viewing the picture. Both are rather episodic and symbolic in their approach, although the symbols in the Soviet film are more di‡cult to interpret. Both directors, Igor Talankin and Ken Russell, are exceptional craftsmen, combining provocative visuals with a sensitivity to the musical passages which form the backbone of many scenes. At times, both films cover the same events, and it is fascinating to examine and compare these scenes. Both films, for instance, contain flashback scenes of the composer as a small boy. Both films con-

centrate on the same musical selections, such as Swan Lake or the “Letter Scene” from Eugene Onegin. There are also several dissimilar elements. Russell spends far too much time on Tchaikovsky’s wife, Antonina Milyukova, but then Glenda Jackson is a superstar and the title of his film is The Music Lovers (encompassing the composer, Nina and Madame von Meck). It is one of the film’s weak points, since the activities of Nina are far less interesting than those of Tchaikovsky. The Russian film shows a di›erent musical emphasis, paying far more attention to the operas than would interest Western listeners. Eventually, the Russell film emerges as the more successful. It is audacious, colorful, spirited and mindful of the facts even when it exaggerates or distorts them. Many scenes soar

Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky

with pure cinematic vitality and humor. The Soviet film is more prosaic and somber, with hardly a smile in the entire picture. It also includes the traditional nugget of Soviet propaganda. When Tchaikovsky and the Russian novelist Turgenev stroll along the banks of the Seine in Paris, they predict that the next generation of Russian youth will be prepared to accept revolutionary change. Just like the ¡939 and ¡948 films, the opening credits of Tchaikovsky are accompanied by the fanfare from the Fourth Symphony. The story opens with its central image, a childhood incident when the sixyear-old runs screaming to his mother that he cannot get the sound of the piano out of his head, and it won’t leave him in peace. A second image is his traumatic parting from his mother when she leaves after bringing her son to attend preparatory school at the age of ten. He chases desperately after her departing carriage. This event becomes symbolic of his mother’s death from cholera four years later. The Russian child actor playing Tchaikovsky is excellent, but he is unbilled. In the Russell film, young Tchaikovsky is played e›ectively by Alex Brewer. The Music Lovers opens with the Dance of Mère Gigone and the Clowns from The Nutcracker. As background to the credits, Tchaikovsky is attending a winter festival, sliding down an ice ramp and romping with a male companion. Coincidentally, Nina Milyukova is also there, flirting with a military o‡cer, and Nadezhda von Meck, a wealthy widow, passes by in a carriage with a number of her children. In the Russian Tchaikovsky, we first see the adult Tchaikovsky as a young music professor living at the home of the great pianist Nicholas Rubinstein, director of the Moscow Conservatory and brother of the noted composer Anton Rubinstein. Tchaikovsky is at the piano working on the opening movement of his First Piano Con-

259

certo. When asked for his comment, Rubinstein criticizes the work, saying it is unplayable and requires many changes. Tchaikovsky replies that he won’t change a note. Rubinstein goes to an adjoining room and starts to play Beethoven’s Emperor Concerto, saying that is how a concerto should sound. In response, Tchaikovsky plays his concerto, stating that is the way he wants his concerto to sound. Innokenti Smoktunovsky provides an extremely credible reading as the composer. His makeup is perfect at every stage of the production, always with full beard and expressive eyes. Smoktunovsky’s performance is one of the picture’s strengths. His interpretation is one of a completely depressed personality, content only when he is deeply involved in composing. In The Music Lovers, we are introduced to Tchaikovsky as his brother Modeste warns him to be careful about being seen with known homosexuals such as his companion at the carnival, Prince Alexei Golitsyn. The composer is escorted by his brother and other family members to the conservatory, where he plays his First Piano Concerto at an open student rehearsal. (The o‡cial debut of this work actually occurred in Boston, Massachusetts). After the concert, Rubinstein criticizes the concerto as worthless and vulgar, with only one or two pages worth saving. Tchaikovsky snatches the score out of Rubinstein’s hands, shouting “I will not change one single note” and bolting out of the hall. In comparing the Soviet and the Russell version of the Rubinstein incident, Russell is closer to the truth. Rubinstein’s outburst against the concerto occurred at the conservatory in the presence of others, not in a private conversation at Rubinstein’s home. In the Soviet version, the pianist’s complaints are more technical, centering on Tchaikovsky’s use of contrary instead of parallel octaves in the cadenza. He acts as if he is trying to be helpful because

260

Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky

Tchaikovsky’s first two operas were fiascoes. In the Russell version, Rubinstein’s critique is more of a broadside with a mocking tone. “It’s not as if you were famous!” The staging of the piano concerto in The Music Lovers may be the best concert scene in any composer biopic. The performance of the piece is exceptional and flawlessly played on the soundtrack by Raphael Orosco and the London Symphony under André Previn. The cinematography is superb, never static, capturing the intensity of the performance balanced with the reception of the members of the audience. Passages from all three movements of the concerto are included. In the second movement, for example, the thoughts of the composer and his sister are reflected in their memories of the past summer. The reactions and fantasies of other members of the audience, including Nina, Prince Alexei and Madame von Meck, are blended together perfectly. At first, Richard Chamberlain seems an unusual choice to play Tchaikovsky, but his performance is so passionate and his devotion to the part is so evident that any objections or reservations soon melt away. Chamberlain reportedly worked weeks to perform the fingering correctly in the concerto, and his dedication shows. Chamberlain’s approach shows the composer as more of a manic depressive, alternating between lethargy and moments of hyperactivity. The only flaw in his reading is that he is fails to project Tchaikovsky’s extreme shyness and self-doubt. Chamberlain appears far too extrovert in the part. Smoktunovsky, on the other hand, captures the composer’s insecurities, hypochondria and morose nature far better. He manages to do this while underplaying the part. At times, however, Smoktunovsky is too subtle. The composer’s homosexuality is hinted at only obliquely. One has to read it between the lines, such as in the ball

scene where he pursues the Belgian soprano Desirée Artôt. Parts of the Soviet film are very confusing. One is never certain if this ball was real or occurred only in Tchaikovsky’s mind. Characters come and go without any introduction or explanation, and we never know who they are. Some important personages, such as Tchaikovsky’s brother Modeste, never appear at all. Other characters, such as Madame von Meck’s assistant, former Tchaikovsky pupil Vladislav Pakulsky, are given far greater emphasis than they would normally merit. The Russell film, in comparison, has far greater clarity and focus, his main focus being the tragic marriage between a homosexual and a nymphomaniac. Modeste Tchaikovsky (played brilliantly by Kenneth Colley) is one of the key personages in the film, but Russell fails to note that he was also a bisexual. Much of the controversy regarding Tchaikovsky is due to his brother’s memoirs, which often colored and sometimes altered events. For instance, his book declares that it was Modeste himself who suggested the subtitle Pathétique for Tchaikovsky’s Sixth Symphony on the day following its premiere. Yet, Tchaikovsky’s letters to his publisher, written weeks earlier, already uses the name Pathétique Symphony long before Modeste claims he invented it. Modeste is also responsible for two contradictory stories about when and where Tchaikovsky drank unboiled water and risked contracting cholera. Nevertheless, the interaction in The Music Lovers between Colley and Chamberlain is magnificent to watch. Jackson’s highlights, oddly enough, are not in her scenes with Chamberlain, which are sometimes uncomfortable to watch, such as in the graphic, train-compartment sequence. Jackson truly shines later in the film when she becomes increasingly mad. When her mother introduces her to men for onenight stands, she suggests to her that they

Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky

are all composers. The soundtrack then humorously plays Scheherazade when Nina thinks she is meeting Rimsky-Korsakov or The Polovetsian Dances when she thinks she is meeting Borodin. The climax of the film intercuts scenes of her internment in an asylum with Tchaikovsky’s last days. In fact, Nina was not committed until years later. Likewise, some of Chamberlain’s best scenes are in his platonic romance with Madame von Meck, particularly when he resides at her estate, yet they never meet. Both the Soviet and the Russell films contain an elaborate fireworks display at the estate in honor of Tchaikovsky’s birthday. In the Russell film, the script has von Meck rejecting Tchaikovsky when she learns of his homosexuality. This is simply untrue. Their platonic relationship broke up in ¡890, after a period of fourteen years of intimate correspondence, due to a combination of factors including von Meck’s increasingly poor health, the decline of her fortune and her grown children’s desire to end the relationship. Vladislav Pakulsky, now von Meck’s son-in-law, also wanted this link severed. By this time, Tchaikovsky was fairly wealthy and commanded impressive fees for his conducting engagements. The Music Lovers has an elaborate and amusing fantasy scene (heads are blown o› by canon fire during the ¡8¡2 Overture) illustrating Tchaikovsky’s success as a touring artist. Neither film includes Tchaikovsky’s Carnegie Hall debut, but the Soviet film has a lengthy sequence in which Tchaikovsky is honored with a doctorate at Cambridge University. The highlight of Smoktunovsky’s performance is the banquet at the Moscow Conservatory in honor of his marriage to Nina. The Soviet version of Nina presents her as a bubble-headed flirt. Smoktunovsky is simply remarkable in this sequence. His range of emotions, demonstrating the strain of this marriage on Tchaikovsky, is handled with pure genius. This scene might be the

261

Soviet actor Innokenti Smoktunovsky in Tchaikovky.

high point of the entire film. Smoktunovsky is also wonderful in the conducting scenes. On the other hand, Tchaikovsky comes to an unsatisfying conclusion as it basically omits Tchaikovsky’s death scene and avoids taking any stand on the suicide theory or other issues dealing with the composer’s death. Russell’s film, on the other hand, shows the composer drinking the unboiled water as if to tempt fate, since the so-called bath cure for cholera is one of the central images of that picture. Naturally, both films end with the playing of the last movement of the Pathétique, but The Music Lovers handles the sequence with far greater impact. In regard to the use of Tchaikovsky’s music, The Music Lovers does a much better job overall. Russell’s version uses less music simply because it is a shorter film, but it uses it more e›ectively. André Previn provides more intense readings of the works with greater sweep. The music in Tchaikovsky is sometimes wayward and too

262

Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky

reprocessed to serve as incidental music. For example, in the Parisian sequence, when Tchaikovsky enters a cafe, we hear accordions playing a tune from the second movement of the First Piano Concerto. These bits are more distracting than anything else. This is not to say that Dimitri Tiomkin does not provide some moments of brilliance. The excerpts from Eugene Onegin, for example, are stunning. Both films were successful to a certain degree. Tchaikovsky was nominated for an Academy Award in the category of Best Foreign Film of ¡97¡, and The Music Lovers earned Russell recognition as one of the best directors of the era by such critics as Richard Schickel of Life. To Russell, however, the greater honor was that his film won the admiration of composer Dmitri Shostakovich, who saw The Music Lovers during a visit to England.

Production Credits Es War eine Rauschende Ballnacht (¡939) AKA It Was a Gay Ballnight Ufa Film Cast: Hans Stüwe, Leo Slezak, Aribert Wäscher, Zarah Leander, Marika Rökk, Fritz Rasp, Paul Dahlke, Hugo Froelich, Karl Haubenreisser, Karl Helmer, Wolfgang von Schwindt, Kurt Vespermann and Leopold von Ledebur. Music by Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky and Theo Mackeben; Performed by Orchestra der Staatsoper Berlin conducted by Theo Mackeben; Written by Jean Victor, Georg Wittuhn and Frank Thiess based on a novel by Geza von Czi›ra; Cinematography by Franz Weihmayr; Produced and Directed by Carl Frolich. Original language German B&W 89 minutes. Carnegie Hall (¡947) United Artists Cast: Marsha Hunt, William Prince, Frank McHugh, Martha O’Driscoll, Hans Yaray, Joseph Bulo›, Alfonso D’Artega, Olin Downes, Leopold Stokowski, Walter Damrosch, Harold Dyrenforth, Artur Rodzinski, Bruno Walter, Fritz Reiner, Artur Rubinstein, Gregor Piatgorsky, Lily Pons, Risë Stevens, Jan Peerce, Ezio Pinza, Harry James and Vaughn Mon-

roe. Music by Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky, Ludwig van Beethoven, Robert Schumann, Richard Wagner, Leo Delibes, Camille SaintSaëns, Georges Bizet, Frederic Chopin, Manuel DeFalla and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart; Music edited by Sigmund Krumgold; Performed by Lily Pons, Risë Stevens, Jan Peerce and Ezio Pinza (vocalists); Arthur Rubinstein (pianist); Gregor Piatgorsky (cellist); Jascha Heifetz (violinist); New York Philharmonic conducted by Artur Rodzinski, Bruno Walter, Fritz Reiner, Charles Previn and Leopold Stokowski; Original music by Sam Coslow, M. Portno›, Gregory Stone, Frank Reyerson, Wilton Moore, Hal Borne and Charles Previn; Written by Karl Kamb; Cinematography by William Miller; Edited by Fred R. Feitshans, Jr.; Produced by William LeBaron and Boris Morros; Directed by Edgar G. Ulmer. B&W ¡34 minutes. Song of My Heart (¡948) Allied Artists Cast: Frank Sundstrom, Audrey Long, Cedric Hardwicke, Mikhail Rasumny, Gale Sherwood, Serge Krizman, Charles Trowbridge, Kate Lawson, Lester Sharpe, Gil Frye, Scott Elliott, Gordon Clark, Jimmie Dodd, Leonard Mudie, Lane Chandler, Elvira Curci, John Hamilton, Robert Barron as Alexander Borodin, Leonid Snego› as Modeste Mussorgsky, Lewis Howard as Mily Balakirev, William Ruhl as Cesar Cui and David Leonard as Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov. Music by Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky and Alexander Borodin; Arranged by Nathaniel Finston, Fred Spielman and Janice Torre; Music supervised by Modeste Altschuler; Performed by José Iturbi (pianist); Orchestra conducted by Nathaniel Finston and Edward J. Kay; Written by Benjamin Glazer and Bernard Schubert; Cinematography by Roland Totheroh; Edited by Otho Lovering and Richard Heermance; Produced by Nathaniel Finston and J. Theodore Reed; Directed by Benjamin Glazer. Color ¡06 minutes. The Music Lovers (¡970) United Artists Cast: Richard Chamberlain, Alex Brewer, Glenda Jackson, Max Adrian, Kenneth Colley, Consuela Chapman, Christopher Gable, Isabella Telezynska, Sabina Maydelle, Maureen Pryor, Bruce Robinson, Andrew Faulds, Ben Aris, Joanne Brown, Imogen Claire, John Myers, Dennis Myers, Ernest Bale, Clive

Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky Cazes, Xavier Russell, James Russell, Victoria Russell, Alexander Russell and Graham Arnitage. Music by Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky; Performed by April Cantelo (vocalist), Raphael Orozco (pianist), London Symphony Orchestra conducted by André Previn; Written by Melvyn Bragg based in part on the book Immortal Friend by Catherine Drinker Bowen and Barbara von Meck; Cinematography by Douglas Slocombe; Edited by Michael Bradsell; Produced by Ken Russell and Roy Baird (executive); Directed by Ken Russell. Color ¡23 minutes. Tchaikovsky (¡969/7¡) Mosfilm Cast: Innokenti Smoktunovsky, Antonina Shuranova, Maria Pisetskaya, Yvgeny Leonov, Vladislav Strzelchik, Alla Demidova, Kirill Lavrov, Yvgeny Evstigneyez, Lilia Yudina and Bruno Freindlikh. Music by Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky and Rodian Shchedrin; Music edited and adapted by Dimitri Tiomkin; Performed by Lev Vlasenko, Irina Arkhipova, Galina Oleinchinko, Vladimir Atlantov, Valentina Lenko, Yuri Mazurok (vocalists); Maxim Rybensikov (pianist); Moscow Philharmonic conducted by Dimitri Tiomkin; Written by Igor Talankin, Budimir Metalnikov, Yuri Nagibin; Cinematography by Margarita Pilikhina; Produced by Dimitri Tiomkin; Directed by Igor Talankin. Original language Russian Color ¡53 minutes What Price Immortality? (¡999) AKA Edvard Grieg — What Price Immortality? RM Arts/ ZDF Production Cast: Sta›an Scheja, Philip Branmer, Derek Jacobi, Claudia Zöhner, Lasse Kolsrud, Haakon Rasmos Rasmusser, Sabine Oberhorner, Kaiole Taule, Tore Blaha, Berit Slettermark, Michael Baral, Günther Morbitzer, Stig Vaular, Hermann Schneider, Hans Albers, Wolfgang Teichmann, Peter Linke, Joachim Neier as Brahms and Emanuel Dyrr as Franz Liszt. Music by Edvard Grieg; Performed by Sta›an Scheja (pianist), Auryn Quartet (string quartet); Written by Thomas Olofsson, True Rangström and Johanna Olofsson; Cinematography by Konrad Kotowski; Edited by Elke Riemann; Produced by Reiner E. Moritz; Directed by Thomas Olofsson. Color 7¡ minutes.

263

Noted Documentaries • Tchaikovsky’s Homes (¡967) A Mosfilm production; ¡8 minutes • Sounds Magnificent: Tchaikovsky (¡986) Story of the Symphony series, vol. 5; 87 minutes • BBC Great Composers: Tchaikovsky (¡997) Narrated by Kenneth Branagh; BBC; 57 minutes • Great Russian Composers: Peter Tchaikovsky (¡999) Kultur; 30 minutes • Tchaikovsky: Hopeless Romantic (200¡) Featuring Jon Kimura Parker; Bravo; 30 minutes

Tchaikovsky has been covered in many documentaries, although only the ones by Parker and the BBC touch upon some of the controversial issues swirling around the composer. The Soviet documentary is actually composed of two different short films, the first covering Tchaikovsky’s birthplace and the second his final home, which is now the Tchaikovsky Museum at Klin. The piece concentrates on various mementos and personal items of the composer, his desk, his scores, his letters, etc. The DVD version of Tchaikovsky includes this selection as a bonus item. André Previn leads the Royal Philharmonic in Sounds Magnificent: Tchaikovsky, focusing on the composer’s Pathétique Symphony. Actor Ian McKellan provides the voice of Tchaikovsky in the rich BBC presentation. The Great Russian Composers documentary is conventional but provides an excellent overview. Parker’s documentary is not only more pointed and witty but covers more ground as well.

264

Giuseppe Verdi

Giuseppe Verdi Screen depictions • Paolo Rosmino in Verdi nella Vita e nella Gloria (¡9¡3) • Fosco Giachetti in Giuseppe Verdi (¡938) • Pierre Cressoy in Verdi, the King of Melody (¡953) • Fosco Giachetti in Casa Ricordi (¡954) • Mariano Rigillo in Casa Ricordi (¡987)

Giuseppe Verdi (¡8¡3–¡90¡) is regarded as the finest composer of Italian opera. His principal works include Nabucco (¡840), Macbeth (¡847), Luisa Miller (¡849), Rigoletto (¡85¡), Il Trovatore (¡853), La Traviata (¡853), Simon Boccanegra (¡857), La Forza del Destino (¡862), Don Carlo (¡867), Aida (¡87¡), Otello (¡887) and Falsta› (¡893). Other prominent compositions include his String Quartet, his Requiem and his final masterpiece, Four Sacred Pieces, written when he was eighty-five years old. When Verdi died, he left his fortune to the home for aged musicians, which he had founded in Milan. The first film to portray Verdi, Verdi nella Vita e nella Gloria, is also one of the earliest attempts at making a legitimate composer biopic. Paolo Rosmino, the actor who plays Verdi in the production, reportedly met Verdi and based his interpretation on his personal observations. Count Giuseppe de Luguoro-Presicce, one of the pioneers of Italian cinema, wrote and directed the film. Carmine Gallone was another trailblazer, starting his directorial career in ¡9¡3. In the mid–¡920s, however, he left Italy, working principally in France, Austria and Great Britain. In ¡937, on a personal appeal by Benito Mussolini, Gallone returned to helm Scipio Africanus (also known as The Defeat of

Hannibal), which was produced by Vittorio Mussolini, the son of Il Duce. Supposedly included in the o›er was a promise to back a future film of Gallone’s choice. Scipio Africanus proved to be a multimilliondollar flop, but nevertheless, he was given the green light to proceed with his pet project, Giuseppe Verdi. Gallone’s personal commitment was obvious, whereas Scipio Africanus appears to be slapdash in its approach (extras can be spotted wearing wrist watches in Ancient Rome), Giuseppe Verdi was filmed with genuine care. The opera sequences, for example, filmed at the Royal Rome Opera House, are well chosen and carefully done. Gallone selected Fosco Gianchetti to play Verdi, an excellent choice who seemed to be a natural for the part. Opera star Beniamino Gigli was hired to portray Ra›aele Mirate, the tenor who originated the role of the duke in Rigoletto. One of the highlights of the film shows Verdi and Mirate rehearsing “La Donna e Mobile” while riding in a gondola in Venice shortly before the debut of Rigoletto in ¡85¡. In real life, Verdi withheld the aria from Mirate until the night before the debut because he feared that it might become a sensation and detract from the debut if the tune leaked out too soon, so he kept it to himself. Gallone’s Giuseppe Verdi covers the composer’s career from its beginning through the debut of Aida in Cairo on Christmas Eve, ¡87¡. Even greater expense was lavished on Verdi, the King of Melody in ¡953, but a rather sti› performance by Pierre Cressoy undermines the film. In fact, since Cressoy is depicted in scene after scene wearing formal evening wear, some critics dubbed it “Verdi in a tux.” The script seems to concentrate on the public Verdi, making

Giuseppe Verdi

him seem remote and self-centered. The entire focus of his personal life, after the deaths of his son and first wife, is his romance with soprano Giuseppina Strepponi, and this is somewhat distorted since it includes a lengthy rift between the lovers that never occurred. In real life, Verdi and Strepponi threw convention to the winds and openly lived together for ten full years until they legally married in ¡859. The film sidesteps this long episode entirely, instead having Strepponi absent herself due to opposition from the father of Verdi’s first wife. On the other hand, the operatic scenes in the film are magnificent, including Mario Del Monaco in Otello in the film’s opening scene, set in La Scala in January ¡90¡ when Verdi’s final illness is announced. The remaining scenes of the production are Verdi’s reminiscences from his deathbed. Opera highlights include Un Giorno di Regno (which is heartily booed by the opening night audience); Nabucco (the screenplay has Verdi compose his famous chorus of the Hebrew slaves in his head after but a single glance at the libretto, then cutting to the work onstage); Ernani (a lengthy Strepponi aria is expertly dubbed with the voice of Orietta Moscucci); Rigoletto (a montage of baritone highlights by Rigoletto and “La Donna e Mobile,” the famous aria sung by the duke); Il Trovatore (featuring “the Anvil Chorus”); La Traviata (the “Drinking Song” and the third-act duet); Aida (the Triumphal March), Otello and Falsta›. Other composers are included in some of these highlights. During Rigoletto, Rossini is portrayed cheering from his box seat. During Il Trovatore, Verdi is called out to the lobby to talk with Donizetti. In fact, Donizetti had been dead five years by the time Il Trovatore had its premiere. In the final three operatic excerpts, Verdi is always portrayed in his box seat, getting older and grayer. He is sitting beside an

265

aging Strepponi during the first two, but alone at the third, suggesting that Strepponi died before the ¡893 debut of Falsta›. Actually, Strepponi lived until November, ¡897. Returning to the deathbed scene, Verdi passes away while reaching for his wife’s picture. The end credits contains an epitaph, “He loved and su›ered for us all.” Fosco Giachetti returned to the role of Verdi during the first Casa Ricordi, also directed by Gallone. His interpretation had improved and is one of the better ones in the film. Mariano Rigillo undertook the role in the telefilm remake, and critics were quite pleased with his interpretation. Two additional Verdi performances should be mentioned before closing. Filmmaker and illusionist Leopoldo Fregoli was credited with including a quick impression of Verdi in a brief clip from ¡898 titled Maestri di Musica. It is not known if Verdi himself witnessed the clip. The distinguished actor Ronald Pickup, who is included in many films mentioned in this book, received rave reviews for his portrayal of Verdi in the ¡982 miniseries The Life of Verdi (see Appendix B). Although outside the main scope of this book, Pickup’s interpretation should be noted because it is considered as being the definitive Verdi.

Production Credits Verdi nella Vita e nella Gloria (¡9¡3) Milano Films Cast: Paolo Rosmino. Written, Produced and Directed by Giuseppe de LuguoroPresicce. Original language Italian B&W 3 reels. Giuseppe Verdi (¡938) ENIC Cast: Fosco Giachetti, Germana Paolieri, Gaby Morlay, Maria Cebotari, Camillo Pilotto, Beniamino Gigli, Maria Jacobini, Pierre Brasseur, Gabriel Gabrio, Gianni Agus and Lamberto Picasso. Music by Giuseppe Verdi; Performed by Beniamino Gigli, Tito Gobbi, Pia Tassinari, Gabriella Gatti, Apollo Granforte (vocalists); Rome Royal Opera Conducted by

266

Giuseppe Verdi

Tullio Serafin; Written by Lucia D’Ambra and Carmine Gallone; Cinematography by Massimo Terzano; Edited by Oswald Hafenrichter; Produced by Franco Riganti; Directed by Carmine Gallone. Original language Italian B&W ¡¡0 minutes. Verdi, the King of Melody (¡953) P. A. T. Film Cast: Pierre Cressoy, Anna-Maria Ferraro, Gaby André, Camillo Pilotto, Sandro Ruffini, Laura Gore, Irene Genna, Enrico Glori, Enzo Biliotti, Emilio Cigoli as Donizetti and Loris Gizzi as Rossini. Music by Giuseppe Verdi; Music arranged by Renzo Rossellini; Performed by Mario Del Monaco, Orietta Moscucci, Vito de Taranto, Tito Gobbi (vocalists); Chorus and Orchestra of the Rome Opera conducted by Giuseppe Morelli; Written by Leonardo Benvenuti, Liana Ferri, Mario Monicelli, Piero Pierotti and Giovanna Soria based on a story by Maleno Malenotti; Cinematography by Tino Santoni; Edited by Mario Serndrei; Produced by Maleno Malenotti; Directed by Ra›aello Matarazzo. Original language Italian Color ¡¡7 minutes. Casa Ricordi (¡954) Cormoran Films Cast : Paolo Stoppa, Marta Toren, Andrea Checchi, Daniele Delorme, Nadia Gray, Manlio Busoni, Vera Silenti, Miriam Bru, Renzo Giovampietro, Micheline Presle, Sergio Tofano, Roldano Lupi, Fausto Tozzi as Arrigo Boito, Roland Alexandre as Rossini, Marcello Mastroianni as Donizetti, Maurice Ronet as Bellini, Gabriele Ferzetti as Puccini and Fosco Giachetti. Music by Ricardo Zandonai, Vincenzo Bellini, Gaetano Donizetti, Giacomo Puccini, Gioacchino Rossini, Giuseppe Verdi and Richard Wagner; Music arranged by Renzo Rossellini; Performed by Nelly Corradi, Mario Del Monaco, Aldo Ferraguti, Enrico Formichi, Tito Gobbi, Ferdinando Lifonni, Giulio Neri, Giulietta Dimionato, Italio Tajo, Renata Tebaldi (vocalists); Conducted by Renzo Rosselini; Written by Leonardo Benvenuti, Luigi Filippo, Carmine Gallone, Age Incrocci, Vittorio Nino Nobarese and Furio Scarpelli; Cinematography

by Marco Scarpelli; Edited by Niccolo Lazzari; Produced by Franco Riganti; Directed by Carmine Gallone. Original language Italian Color ¡¡0 minutes. Casa Ricordi (¡987) Junior Film International Cast : Adriana Asti, Favio Camilli, Anna Kanakis, Marco Minietti, Melba Ru›o di Calabria, Eduardo Siravo, Marco Vivio, Mariano Rigillo, Alessandro Gassman as Donizetti, Kim Rossi Stuart as Bellini, Luca Barbareschi as Rossini, Massimo Ghini as Puccini and Federico Scribani as Arturo Toscanini. Music by Vincenzo Bellini, Gaetano Donizetti, Giacomo Puccini, Gioacchino Rossini and Giuseppe Verdi; Written by Sergio Bazzini and Ugo Pirro; Cinematography by Camillo Vazzoni; Produced by Manolo Bolognini; Directed by Mauro Bolognini. Original language Italian Color ¡04 minutes.

Noted Documentaries • Verdi’s Funeral (¡90¡) Filmed by Italo Pacchioni; 3 minutes • Verdi Places (¡948) A film by Luciano Emmer; 30 minutes • Verdi: Famous Composers Series (¡996) Written, produced and directed by Malcolm Hossick; SKAN Productions; 38 minutes

Verdi’s funeral in Milan was one of the first public events that was filmed and distributed to movie theaters worldwide. Verdi Places is an excellent example of the work of Luciano Emmer, who specialized in documentaries in Italy during the ¡940s, providing a study of various locations associated with the composer. Finally, Malcolm Hossick provides his usual reliable overview, this time on Verdi’s life and work.

Heitor Villa-Lobos; Antonio Vivaldi

267

Heitor Villa-Lobos Screen depiction • Antonio Fagundes, André Ricardo and Marcos Palmeira in Villa-Lobos — Uma Vida de Paixão (2000)

Heitor Villa-Lobos (¡887–¡959) is regarded as the finest composer to emerge from South America. Born and raised in Brazil, Villa-Lobos is among the most prolific of modern composers. His interests include Indian and Brazilian folk music, which he adapted to classical style in a new form that he called chôros. He composed twelve chôros for various instruments from solo guitar to full orchestra and chorus. Among his major works are five operas (including Zoé and Malazarte), eighteen ballets (such as Uirapuru), five symphonies, twelve symphonic poems (including Lobishome, Amazonas and New York Skyline), six string quartets as well as many other chamber works, film scores, oratorios, concertos, piano music and songs. He also wrote Sinfonietta on a Theme of Mozart and numerous suites inspired by Bach. His most famous composition is one of these, the Bachianas Brasileiras No. 5 for eight cellos and soprano. This Brazilian film received little distribution outside of its native country and Portugal, partly due to a hostile critical re-

ception. Intended as a lifetime biographical tribute to Brazil’s greatest composer, the film was described as a major letdown, unevenly written and directed, and poorly acted except for José Wilker and André Ricardo. Ricardo depicts the aged VillaLobos. The harshest criticism was directed at Marcos Palmeira, who plays the youthful composer. Antonio Fargundes, who plays the composer during his middle years, was described as miscast. One aspect of Villa-Lobos — Uma Vida de Paixão that was largely acclaimed was the soundtrack, which does an excellent job in representing the composer’s music throughout the film.

Production Credits Villa-Lobos — Uma Vida de Paixão (¡97¡) AKA A Life of Passion Mapa Film Cast: Antonio Fagundes, André Ricardo, Marcos Palmeira, Antonio Pitagna, José Wilker, Leticia Spiller, Ana Beatriz Nogueira, Marieta Severo and Emilio de Melo as Artur Rubinstein. Music by Heitor Villa-Lobos; Music edited by Daniel Gaber; Conducted by Silvio Barbato; Written by Joaquim Assis; Cinematography by Walter Carvalho; Edited by Eduardo Escorel; Produced and Directed by Zelito Viana. Original language Portuguese Color ¡30 minutes.

Antonio Vivaldi Screen depiction • Wojciech Pszoniak in Rouge Venise (¡989)

Antonio Vivaldi (¡678–¡74¡) is principally remembered today for The Four Seasons, which is actually a set of four vi-

268

Antonio Vivaldi

olin concertos. Vivaldi was ordained a priest in ¡703 and was popularly known as the “Red Priest,” due both to his hair color and his favorite vestments. He became one of the leading violin virtuosos of his day. Perhaps the leading figure of the Italian Baroque, Vivaldi wrote over thirty-eight operas, including Montezuma (¡733) and Griselda (¡735) and numerous choral compositions, of which his Gloria is the most famous. He composed innumerable chamber works. His real specialty was the concerto, both for instrumental ensembles as well as for specific instrumental soloists, including twelve flute concertos, twenty oboe concertos, twenty-seven cello concertos, thirty-seven bassoon concertos and over two hundred violin concertos. Considered an arrogant man, Vivaldi made many enemies, and his last years were controversial. In ¡737, for example, he was censured by the church for unpriestly conduct, reportedly due to his controversial a›air with a former student and opera singer, Anna Giro. He died in Vienna in ¡74¡ under mysterious circumstances. Antonio Vivaldi appears as a supporting character in Rouge Venise, or Venetian Red, a historic murder mystery set in ¡735. The central character is writer Carlo Goldoni, played by Vincent Spano. Together with his friends the composer Vivaldi and the artist Tiepolo, Goldoni is seeking financial backing for his work. But every time the trio identifies a potential patron, the man is murdered by a mysterious masked man who leaves behind a red silk handkerchief. When the writer is accused of being the serial killer, he is thrown in prison until he can establish an alibi. After he is released, however, Goldoni is warned by the killer that he will be his next victim. The city of Venice during carnival time provides a colorful backdrop to the film’s events, as Tiepolo, Vivaldi and Goldoni face the chal-

lenge of catching the serial killer. Vivaldi is played by Polish actor Wojciech Pszoniak, best remembered for his brilliant portrayal of Maximilien Robespierre in Danton (¡982). Critics praised his clever and quick-witted depiction of Vivaldi in the film, with some expressing the wish that the plot centered more on him rather than Goldoni.

Production Credits Rouge Venise (¡989) AKA Venetian Red Gaumont/Scena Films International Cast: Vincent Spano, Wojciech Pszoniak, Isabel Russinova, Massimo Dapporto, Victor Lanoux, Andrea Ferriol, Yorgo Voyagis, Valerie Mairesse, Stephane Bierry, Alain Doutey and Etienne Périer. Music by Antonio Vivaldi; Written by Etienne Périer, Matthew Pollack and Luciano Vincenzoni based upon the novel by Georges Garone; Cinematography by Marcello Gatti; Edited by Noëlle Balenci; Produced by Angelo Zemella; Directed by Etienne Périer. Original language French Color ¡20 minutes.

Noted Documentaries • A Man for All Seasons (200¡) Featuring Jon Kimura Parker; Bravo; 30 minutes • Vivaldi Unmasked (2002) Presented by Charles Hazelwood; BBC; 60 minutes

A Man for All Seasons is an episode of Bravo’s prestigious “Wholenotes” series that provides succinct and diverting overviews of the lives and music of the great composers. Vivaldi Unmasked has a more experimental format, using a rehearsal of The Four Seasons with conductor Charles Hazelwood and violinist Clio Gould. Spring is used as background to Vivaldi’s youth, his ordination as a priest and his teaching at a girls’ school. Summer shows Vivaldi at the height of his acclaim

Richard Wagner

as a major composer. Autumn covers Vivaldi’s relationship with singer Anna Giro, young enough to be his daughter, and his overspending as an opera impresario.

269

Winter portrays Vivaldi in his impoverished old age. Hazelwood has been compared to Leonard Bernstein as a charismatic and intelligent advocate for music.

Richard Wagner Screen depictions • Giuseppe Becce in The Life of Richard Wagner (¡9¡3) • Peter Lehmbrock in Ungarische Rhapsodie (¡954) • Paul Bildt in Ludwig II (¡955) • Alan Badel in Magic Fire (¡956) • Lyndon Brook in Song Without End (¡960) • Trevor Howard in Ludwig (¡972) • Paul Nicholas in Lisztomania (¡975) • Richard Burton in Wagner (¡983) • Otto Sander in Wahnfried (¡987) • Joachim Kaiser in Bruckners Entscheidung (¡995)

Richard Wagner (¡8¡3–¡883) is one of the most controversial figures in the history of music. The composer was an extraordinary visionary who wished to totally reform opera, sweeping away old formulas and conventions, developing instead the concept of “music drama,” a more symphonic and flowing approach with ongoing music instead of set pieces and unified by leitmotifs (expanding upon Berlioz’s idea of thematic unity from his Symphonie Fantastique). Wagner also insisted that the composer should write his own libretto, as he did starting with his very first opera Die Feen (The Fairies) in ¡834. Wagner had a troubled life, due to both his politics and his personality, and had to spend years as a fugitive from the

German states due to his support of the Dresden uprising of ¡848. Nevertheless, he composed a formidable body of work, including Rienzi (¡849), The Flying Dutchman (¡84¡), Tannhäuser (¡843), Lohengrin (¡848), Tristan und Isolde (¡859), Der Meistersinger (¡867) and Parsifal (¡882). His most impressive and significant achievement is a four-opera cycle Der Ring des Nibelungen (The Ring of the Niebelung), consisting of Das Rheingold, Die Walküre, Siegfried and Götterdämmerung (The Twilight of the Gods). Wagner started work on the cycle in ¡854 but set it aside in ¡856 in the middle of the second act of Siegfried. He did not resume work on it until twelve years later, finishing in ¡874. Wagner endeavored to build a new theater in Bayreuth to accommodate his masterpiece, which debuted in ¡876. The Bayreuth Music Festival, dedicated to Wagner’s music dramas, continues to this day and is still managed by the composer’s descendants. Wagner wrote only a handful of nonoperatic works, including two symphonies penned early in his career and a handful of piano pieces, songs and concert overtures. He composed the Siegfried Idyll, a short orchestral composition based on themes from Siegfried as a birthday gift for his wife, Cosima. In ¡876, he was commissioned to write the American Centennial Festival March. Shortly before his death in ¡883, Wagner confided to his father-in-

270

Richard Wagner

law, Franz Liszt, that his next composition would be a one-movement symphony. Richard Wagner is a di‡cult figure to portray on screen. The excesses of his personality can easily spill over into unintended caricature. Having a large and narcissistic ego, Wagner exploited many people, both knowingly and unknowingly. He was also careless about his finances, always believing that he deserved the best and frequently running up large debts. He had many far-flung ideas, occasionally ranted against the Jews, and these notions that foreshadowed the Nazis can make him appear to be responsible for their loathsome excesses. Of course, the main connection between Wagner and the Nazis is the fact that Adolf Hitler was smitten with Wagnerian opera. The principal advocate of Hitler among the composer’s descendants was Winifred Wagner, his daughterin-law. However, it should also be remembered that Wagner himself renounced anti–Semitism in his later years. Interestingly, the very first figure to portray Wagner on film was a composer himself, Giuseppe Becce (¡877–¡973). Among Becce’s works are an operetta, Das Bett der Pompadour (¡9¡0), and an opera, Tullipil (¡9¡2). Becce appeared in only one other film as an actor, Absturz (¡9¡9), but he became one of the most important film composers in Germany, particularly from ¡920 through ¡955, including his music for such important films as The Last Laugh (¡924), Ecstasy (¡933) and Madame Bovary (¡937). Becce was originally hired for the ¡9¡3 film as an arranger of music to be played during the showing of the film. His knowledge of and enthusiasm about Wagner led to him becoming both cowriter and star of the film. The Life of Richard Wagner is the earliest feature-length biopic. It is curious to note that despite the Nazi interest in Wagner, no representations of him appeared on screen during the time the Third Reich

dominated the German film industry. In fact, the next Wagner appearance did not occur until ¡954 and ¡955, when Wagner appeared in a supporting role in Ungarische Rhapsodie, a Liszt film, and Ludwig II, a film about the “Dream King” of Bavaria who became Wagner’s sponsor. Peter Lehmbrock and Paul Bildt were both noted character actors, but Bildt was the one who received critical praise for his portrayal. Incidentally, Bildt had starred as Sir Arthur Conan Doyle in the film The Man Who Was Sherlock Holmes (¡937), and he also appeared in the composer biopic Friedemann Bach (¡94¡). Magic Fire was one of the final productions of Republic Studios before they stopped making films in the mid–¡950s. It was a misconceived e›ort from the start, yet Magic Fire remains extraordinarily entertaining because of the wild, over-thetop histrionics by Alan Badel, one of the most eccentric actors to star in a composer biopic. Previously, Badel had been cast as an outlandish John the Baptist in Salome (¡953), with Rita Hayworth and Charles Laughton. In Three Cases of Murder (¡955), a supernatural anthology, he appears in each episode, most notably as the ghost of a member of Parliament who haunts Lord Mountdrago (Orson Welles), a pompous politician. In Magic Fire, however, Badel brings scenery chewing to the level of fine art. Three scenes stand out in this regard. The first is when Wagner starts to compose Tristan und Isolde. Occupying the guest house on the estate of Otto Wesendonk (Peter Cushing), Wagner has become infatuated with Wesendonk’s wife, Mathilde (Valentina Cortese). Seated at the piano, he tentatively plays the opening chords of the opera. The camera pans in on him as he stares up with anguish at the ceiling (as the fully orchestrated opening of Tristan plays on the soundtrack). He stands and starts to pound his head with his fists,

Richard Wagner

271

Alan Badel as Wagner in Magic Fire.

rushing to the window to watch Mathilde lounging in a hammock on the lawn. He races over to his desk, whips out a handful of manuscript paper, sketching the title “Tristan und Isolde,” before drawing sta›

lines and key signature. Brimming with excitement, he pounds the paper and again stares up at the ceiling as if he were about to erupt with his inspiration, when the mood is suddenly broken by the arrival of

272

Richard Wagner

his wife, Minna (Yvonne DeCarlo) at the estate. The second scene takes place in Venice, where Wagner had fled after his a›air with Mathilde is discovered. The composer is languishing, hand raised to his forehead. lying on a sofa in his darkened hotel suite. The soundtrack plays the act three Prelude from Tristan und Isolde. Suddenly a female visitor is announced and enters the room. Hoping it is Mathilde, Wagner is dejected to see it is only Cosima (Rita Gam), Liszt’s daughter. When she asks after his health, Wagner drops the music score with a thud, shouting, “Tristan is dying and you ask how I am!” When Cosima says that Mathilde will never abandon her husband and come to him, Wagner tosses a pillow, flings sheets of music all over the room and throws open the curtain to the balcony. At this instant, Hans von Bülow, Cosima’s husband enters. As Wagner spins around, all his anguish has vanished, and he casually acknowledges his friend as he calmly says, “Hans!” The last scene is at the very end of the film. Liszt (Carlos Thompson) has arrived in Venice to examine the score of Parsifal because he was informed that it may be too controversial. At first, Wagner slams the score down on the piano, but as he plays he seems pacified when Liszt mutters, “Exquisite!” Wagner jumps ahead and announces, “Parsifal’s redemption” and then “The holy spear, I bring it back!” Liszt sits down next to Wagner at the piano and joins him in playing. Wagner flashes him a dirty look, and soon both composers are jostling each other, trying to nudge each other out of the way, until Liszt rises to greet Cosima, who has just entered the room. Meanwhile, Wagner keeps staring at the ceiling and babbling on at the piano, “Su›ering! Sacrifice! Renunciation! This sums up what I’ve learned in my life.” Of course Badel’s interpretation is rather zany, but it is also infectious and

even compelling. He even has a few superb moments. For example, he is excellent in the conducting sequences, particularly near the beginning of the film when he directs Mozart’s Marriage of Figaro. The Liszt concert performance of Lohengrin in Weimar is a rather successful scene, as Wagner tries to sneak into the hall. The dramatic scene at Wesendonk’s house in which Minna, Mathilde and Cosima dramatically cross paths (wife, current mistress and future wife) comes across very well. The lengthy sequence leading to the composer’s initial audience with King Ludwig (Gerhard Riedmann) is another highlight. Some of the di‡culty with Magic Fire is due to its overly ambitious reach, which far exceeds its grasp. Too much material is awkwardly crammed into the limited running time. For example, one hilarious bit of exposition occurs as Wagner prepares a performance of Tannhäuser in Paris in ¡86¡. He is warned that placing a ballet in the first act will outrage a boisterous group of aristocrats, the Jockey Club, who have mistresses among the ballerinas and always arrive at the opera house fashionably late. Wagner is oblivious to the warning, but the audience is alerted in an abrupt, threesecond clip of a newspaper hawker in the street shouting out the headline, “Jockey Club Prepares for Opera Fight!” The opera snippets from Der Ring des Nibelungen are incredibly brief and cheesy, and at the close of Götterdämmerung Badel, sitting in a box seat, makes a farcical little hand gesture to indicate his complete satisfaction. Much of the film was shot on authentic locations, such as the Wesendonk estate, Ludwig’s castles and Bayreuth. One of the film’s unforgettable moments is when Wagner and King Ludwig leave the Bayreuth Festival Theater amid cheering crowds, enter an open coach and stare at each other as if doing a doubletake. Yvonne DeCarlo is clearly

Richard Wagner

miscast as Minna, and she delivers many of her lines in a drab monotone, “Richard, you are always reaching for the stars.” On the other hand, Rita Gam manages to deliver even trite lines in a tolerable fashion. However, when she says to Wagner, “Anyone who comes too close to you becomes consumed by the magic of your fire,” Badel upstages her by blowing cigar smoke in her face. The most successful of the supporting players is Charles Regnier as opera specialist Giacomo Meyerbeer (¡79¡–¡864). He not only resembles the composer, but the scene in which he receives visitors while still in bed is quite accurate. If Michael Medved, in his Golden Turkey movie books, had a category for composer biopics, Magic Fire would probably have received top honors, yet the film has a genuine charm compared to many straightforward films that are largely forgettable. Song Without End, the Franz Liszt biopic, contains a very arrogant depiction of Wagner incisively played by Lyndon Brook, son of the distinguished British actor Clive Brook, best remembered for his interpretation of Sherlock Holmes. Brook brings a fresh enthusiasm to his role with nervous, steel-like energy. Brook appears in three scenes, first approaching Liszt after a recital and demanding that he examine the score of his newest opera. In the second scene, Liszt congratulates Wagner after hearing him conduct a rehearsal of Rienzi, but Wagner rebu›s him, saying if he ever writes a piano work demanding technical dexterity, he will consider sending it to Liszt. In the third scene, a bedraggled Wagner sneaks into the opera house in Weimar to hand Liszt his score to Lohengrin. He begs Liszt for some money to help him escape since the police are chasing him because of his revolutionary activities in Dresden. As he leaves, he warns Liszt not to change any notes in his opera. Brook’s reptilian performance is fascinating, but his conducting technique during

273

the Rienzi rehearsal is far too sti› and unconvincing. Trevor Howard is remarkable as the crusty, flamboyant but very human Wagner in Luchino Visconti’s sumptuous, opulent but slow-moving Ludwig, which has been issued in versions with di›erent timings. Howard is particularly outstanding in the Siegfried Idyll sequence, in which he brings an orchestra into his house to surprise a sleeping Cosima on her birthday in ¡870. Howard is also memorable as King Ludwig’s castle guest, in which he is awakened with horn fanfares from his works. The only criticism is that, with such a lengthy film, the actual screen time including Howard is relatively short. Paul Nicholas is sly and amusing as the parody of Wagner in Ken Russell’s burlesque biopic, Lisztomania. In his opening scenes, Wagner is dressed in a sailor suit, as Liszt takes him to Rossini’s restaurant and finally to his piano concert, where he condescends to play a paraphrase of Rienzi to a screaming crowd of adolescent girls. Wagner only feels cheapened, however, as Liszt keeps alternating the music from Rienzi with Chopsticks à la Liberace. The last third of Lisztomania is a satire of horror films, in which Wagner is depicted as a cross between a musical Count Dracula and Dr. Frankenstein. He lives in a dark, gloomy, gothic castle. In one scene he appears with vampire fangs and bites Liszt in the neck (as a metaphor for his borrowing of Liszt’s music such as the famous opening chords from Tristan und Isolde). At the end of the film, the dead Wagner is brought back to life as a lumbering monster who resembles Hitler. Eventually, Liszt returns from the afterlife in a spaceship to destroy this Frankenhitler monster who goes on a killing rampage. The satirical finale of Lisztomania may be completely absurd, but as an example of outrageous humor in the shadow of Monte Python or SCTV, it is unparalleled.

274

Richard Wagner

Wagner (Lyndon Brook) tries to interest Franz Liszt (Dirk Bogarde) in his music in Song Without End.

There are two recent German-language films about Wagner. The first is the ¡986 Austrian production Wahnfried, named after Wagner’s villa in Bayreuth, where he lived beginning in the spring of

¡874. The name of the house literally means “Freedom from Torment.” The film Wahnfried focuses on the relationship of the composer and Cosima, whom he married in August ¡870. Minna Wagner, his

Richard Wagner

first wife, died in ¡866, and Hans von Bülow divorced Cosima in July ¡869. Richard and Cosima is the alternate title of the film, which covers the controversial relationship of the pair who openly lived together for a number of years before their marriage. Three of Cosima’s five children (Isolde, Eva and Siegfried) were sired by Richard, although Wagner was never o‡cially acknowledged as being the father of Isolde. Wahnfried treats the relationship of Richard and Cosima as part melodrama and part tragic myth. Unfortunately, the film was not well distributed internationally, despite the fact that Otto Sander received some good reviews for his depiction of Wagner. In Bruckners Entscheidung, Wagner appears only in a flashback cameo in which he and Bruckner meet for the first time. The remaining film, Tony Palmer’s Wagner, is a grandiose epic and one of the most distinguished films in this book. The film has been viewed in various cuts, ranging from three and a half to nine hours. Di›erent narrators are used in di›erent versions, although Tony Palmer preferred Andrew Cruickshank in his complete cut. Wagner has been shown theatrically in a five-hour print, which qualifies Wagner for inclusion in the main section of the book. (Television miniseries are covered in Appendix B.) Wagner was also shot in widescreen, 35mm Dolby stereo, as a full theatrical production instead of a typical miniseries. The five-hour and nine-hour versions have both appeared on video. The scope, quality and artistic standards of Wagner elevate it to a category all to itself. However, Wagner is also a challenge to viewers. Tony Palmer practically demands that his audience have a certain level of knowledge about the composer, his background, his life, his associates and his music before watching Wagner. The film is uncompromising in this regard. Viewers who lack familiarity with at least the basic

275

facts will quickly become lost in the rather labyrinthine plot (even though much of Wagner’s life has been simplified for the drama). This accounts for the number of critical reviewers who found the film “muddled, confusing and overlong,” to state the three most common complaints. Yet, for viewers with a degree of knowledge, the film becomes enthralling, fascinating and even hypnotic. Palmer has managed to achieve the results that Magic Fire found elusive, a genuine understanding of Wagner the man and the musician. The cast he assembled for the production is truly amazing. Richard Burton, in the last major role of his career, provides an in-depth portrayal of Wagner, part poet and philosopher, part charlatan and scoundrel, a rich interpretation that includes his musical genius and human flaws. Vanessa Redgrave is brilliant as Cosima. Many others stand out as well, including Sigfrit Steiner as Ludwig, Gemma Craven as Minna, Vernon Dobtche› as Meyerbeer, Christopher Gable as Peter Cornelius, Ronald Pickup as Nietzsche and the casting coup of the century in the portrayal of the top three Bavarian ministers— Sir Laurence Olivier, Sir John Gielgud and Sir Ralph Richardson. The top Wagnerian singers from the Pierre Boulez/Patrice Chereau Centennial Bayreuth production of Der Ring des Nibelungen provide excellent recreations of the major opera stars of Wagner’s time. Gwyneth Jones and Peter Hofmann excel as Malvina and Schnorr von Carolsfeld (the original Isolde and Tristan). Manfred Jung as Georg Unger, singing the Act ¡ “Forging Song” from Siegfried, and the ebullient Heinz Zednik as Alois Ander also shine in their roles. Another surprise in the cast is the cameo of one of our era’s finest composers, Sir William Walton, as Friedrich August II of Saxony. The only disappointment in the cast is the half-hearted portrayal of Franz Liszt by Ekkehardt Schall.

276

Richard Wagner

Wagner’s other production values are uniformly exceptional, particularly the cinematography by Vittorio Storaro (with many scenes filmed at authentic locations) and the music, supervised and conducted by Sir Georg Solti. Screenwriter Charles Wood developed a highly literate script using many original sources for dialogue such as letters and diaries. The script includes the various peaks and setbacks of Wagner’s career from his days as Kapellmeister in Dresden in the late ¡840s through his death in February ¡883. As usual, there are also a few fantastical interludes that dramatize images from Wagner’s work, principally the gnomelike dwarves, the Nibelung. With the various versions of the film, a synopsis would be impractical. Instead I will describe a few of the most impressive highlights. The earliest is Wagner’s speech of revolutionary principles delivered shortly before the uprising of ¡848. Richard Burton’s voice is one of the

Banner for Tony Palmer’s Wagner epic.

most famous in cinema, but he modulates it here like a master orator, accompanied on the soundtrack by orchestral crescendos from Das Rheingold associated with the Niebelung Albrecht and his cursed gold. Wagner is proclaiming the need for German ideals and nationalism, but echoes of his speech foreshadow the demagoguery of Adolf Hitler. The scene is creepy and very well staged. Another highlight is the debut of Tristan und Isolde in June ¡865. As the passionate music plays on the soundtrack, Wagner’s patron, King Ludwig, leaves Munich by train. The king stops the train at one point and walks o› into the night. The film then has a vision of Ludwig’s death twenty years later, after he has been deposed and declared mad. While taking a walk, he overpowers his doctor and drowns himself in a lake. (This scene is truly phenomenal, but those unfamiliar with Lud-

Wagner (Richard Burton) proudly holds his son Siegfried in a tender moment from Wagner.

Richard Wagner

wig’s fate must have been confused by it.) Then there is the priceless moment when Wagner is at Bayreuth preparing for the premiere of the Ring. A special device is rigged so that the Rhine maidens can appear to be swimming. To test if it is practical, Wagner himself is harnessed in the contraption. He starts to mimic swimming, and the usually reserved Cosima erupts in a howl of delight while watching him. The elderly Wagner’s visit to the Cathedral of Sienna with Paul von Joukowsky (the artist who designed the sets for Parsifal) is stunning and unforgettable, accompanied by the Transformation Music from Act ¡ of Parsifal. Wagner’s death scene is poignant yet subtle, exceptionally performed by Burton and Redgrave as his grieving wife, who refuses to relinquish her hold on his body (yet this scene is played very quietly, without unneeded histrionics). These moments are just a few of many unforgettable images. Others include shots of Wagner’s piano being transported as a visual metaphor of his enforced wanderings, the phenomenal scenes at the Paris Opera House, Nietzsche meandering through a bloody battlefield and Wagner’s body being transported by gondola in Venice. In many ways, one could compare the film Wagner to the opera cycle Der Ring des Nibelungen. Both are ambitious accomplishments that may be almost impossible to equal.

Production Credits The Life of Richard Wagner (¡9¡3) Messter Film Cast : Giuseppe Becce, Olga Engl, Miriam Horwitz, Ernst Reicher and Manny Ziener. Written by Giuseppe Becce and Carl Frölich; Cinematography by Carl Frölich; Produced by Oskar Messter; Directed by Carl Frölich and William Wauer. Original language German B&W 7 reels. Ungarische Rhapsodie (¡954) Oska Film Cast: Paul Hubschmid as Liszt, Colette Marchand,

277

Michel Simon, Willy Fritsch, Margot Leonard and Peter Lehmbrock. Music by Franz Liszt and Jacques Bazire; Written by André Haguet and André Legrand; Cinematography by Nicolas Hayer; Edited by Boris Levin and Annellese Schönnenbeck; Produced by Georges Bernier and Anton Schelkopf; Directed by Peter Berneis and André Haguet. Original language German Color 97 minutes. Ludwig II (¡955) Aura Cast: O.W. Fischer, Paul Bildt, Friedrich Domin, Erik Frey, Horst Hächier, Herbert Hübner, Albert Johannes, Klaus Kinski, Hans Quest, Marianne Koch, Wolfried Lier, Robert Meyn, Fritz Odemar, Ruth Leuwerik, Josef Mooshotzer, Willy Rösner and Erica Balqué as Cosima Wagner. Music by Henrich Sutermeister and Richard Wagner; Written by Peter Berneis and George Hurdalek; Cinematography by Douglas Slocombe; Edited by Annellese Schönnenbeck; Produced by Wolfgang Reinhardt and Conrad von Molo; Directed by Helmut Käutner. Original language German Color ¡¡5 minutes. Magic Fire (¡956) Republic Cast: Alan Badel, Carlos Thompson as Franz Liszt, Rita Gam as Cosima Wagner, Valentina Cortese, Yvonne DeCarlo, Peter Cushing, Gerhard Riedmann, Frederick Valk, Fritz Rasp, Hans Quest, Jan Hendriks, Werner Westerholt, Erik Schumann as Hans von Bülow and Charles Regnier as Giacomo Meyerbeer. Music by Richard Wagner, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Erich Wolfgang Korngold; Music edited and arranged by Erich Wolfgang Korngold; Soloists, Chorus and orchestra conducted by Erich Wolfgang Korngold; Written by David T. Chandler and Ewald André Dupont based on the novel Magic Fire by Bertita Harding; Cinematography by Ernest Haller; Edited by Stanley E. Johnson; Produced and Directed by William Dieterlie. Color 95 minutes. Song Without End (¡960) Columbia Cast: Dirk Bogarde as Franz Liszt, Capucine, Genevieve Page, Ivan Desney, Martita Hunt, Lou Jacobi, Albert Rueprecht, Marcel Dallo, Walter Rilla, Hans Unterkircher, Katherine Squire, Lyndon Brook, Patricia Morison as George Sand, Alexander Davion as Frederic Chopin and Erland Erlandsen as Sigismund Thalberg. Music by Franz Liszt, Morris Stolo›

278

Richard Wagner

and Harry Sukman; Music edited by Christopher Kennedy; Performed by Jorge Bolet (pianist); Written by Oscar Millard; Cinematography by James Wong Howe; Edited by William A. Lyon; Produced by William Goetz; Directed by George Cukor and Charles Vidor. Color ¡4¡ minutes. Ludwig (¡972) AKA Le Crépuscule des Dieux Mega Film Cast : Helmut Berger, Romy Schneider, Trevor Howard, Silvanna Magano as Cosima Wagner, Mark Burns as Hans von Bülow, Nola Ricci, Marc Porel, Adriana Asti, Folker Bohnet, Gert Fröbe, Helmut Griem, Isabella Telezynska, Umberto Orsini, John Moulder-Brown, Sonia Petrova and Heinz Moog. Music by Richard Wagner, Jacques O›enbach and Robert Schumann; Performed by the National Academy Orchestra of Santa Cecilia conducted by Franco Mannino; Written by Suso Cecchi d’Amico, Enrico Medioli and Luchino Visconti; Cinematography by Armando Nannuzzi; Edited by Ruggero Mastroianni; Produced by Dieter Geisser and Ugo Santalucia; Directed by Luchino Visconti. Original language Italian Color 245 minutes original version; 23¡ minutes video version; ¡84 edited version. Lisztomania (¡975) Warner Brothers Cast : Roger Daltrey as Franz Liszt, Paul Nicholas, Ringo Starr, Rick Wakeman, Sara Kestelman, John Justin, Fiona Lewis, Veronica Quilligan as Cosima Wagner, Andrew Reilly, Nell Campbell, Imogen Claire, Rikki Howard, David English, Anulka Dziubinska, Aubrey Morris, Andrew Faulds, Kenneth Colley as Chopin, Murray Melvin as Berlioz, Otto Diamant as Mendelssohn and Ken Parry. Music by Rick Wakeman, Franz Liszt and Richard Wagner; Roger Daltrey, Paul Nicholas, Linda Lewis, Mandy More (Vocalists); English Rock Ensemble, National Philharmonia Orchestra; Written by Ken Russell; Cinematography by Peter Suschitzky; Edited by Stuart Baird; Produced by Roy Baird and David Putnam; Directed by Ken Russell. Color ¡06 minutes. Wagner (¡983) London Trust Cultural Productions Cast: Richard Burton, Vanessa Redgrave as Cosima Wagner, Gemma Craven, László Gál‡, Ekkehardt Schall as Franz Liszt, John Gielgud, Ralph Richardson, Laurence Olivier, Joan Plowright, William Walton, Miguel Herz-Kestranek as Hans von Bülow,

John Shrapnel, Richard Pasco, Marthe Keller, Joan Greenwood, Franco Nero, Vernon Dobtche› as Giacomo Meyerbeer, Gwyneth Jones, Peter Hofmann, Manfred Jung, Heinz Zednik, Jess Thomas, Patrick Rollin, Liza Goddard, Sigfrit Steiner, Bill Fraser, Bernadette Schneider, Jean Luc Moreau, Ronald Pickup, Lisa Kreutzer, Prunella Scales, Daphne Wagner, Corin Redgrave, Edit Rujsz, Cyril Cusack, Barbara Leigh-Hunt, Matyas Usztics, Brook Williams, Peter Woodthorpe, Christopher Gable as Peter Cornelius, Stephen Oliver, Niall Tobin, Gabriel Byrne, Stephan Paryla, Arthur Denburg, Yvonne Kenny, Adele Leigh-Enderl, László Horváth, Andrew Cruickshank and Tony Palmer. Music by Richard Wagner; Performed by the London Philharmonic, Vienna Philharmonic and Budapest Symphony Orchestra conducted by Georg Solti and Ivan Fischer; Written by Charles Wood; Cinematography by Vittorio Storaro and Nic Knowland; Edited by Graham Bunn; Produced by Alan Wright; Directed by Tony Palmer. Color 300 minutes feature version; 420 minutes extended version; 540 minutes complete version. Wahnfried (¡996) AKA Richard and Cosima Star Production Cast : Otto Sander, Tatia Seibt as Cosima Wagner, Anton Di›ring as Franz Liszt, Peter Matic as Hans von Bülow, Fabienne Babe, Anjas Jaenicke, Luise Prasser. Carmen Fuggiss, Rudolf Wessely and Christoph Waltz as Friedrich Nietzsche. Music by Richard Wagner, Franz Liszt and Carl Maria von Weber; SWF Orchestra conducted by Pierre Boulez and Erich Leinsdorf; Written by Reinhard Baumgart; Cinematography by Anton Peschke; Edited by Michou Hutter; Produced by Rene Letzgus and Dietrich Mack; Directed by Peter Patzak. Original language German Color ¡08 minutes. Bruckners Entscheidung (¡995) AKA Bruckner’s Decision Pars Media/Bauerische Film Cast: Joachim Bauer, Markus Ertelt Halner, Sophie von Kessel, Michael Ponti, Julia Regeher and Joachim Kaiser. Music by Anton Bruckner and Richard Wagner; Written by Jan Schmidt-Garre; Cinematography by Pascal Ho›mann and Wedigo von Schultzendorf; Edited by Edith Eisenstecken and Evi Oberkofler; Produced and Directed by Jan Schmidt-Garre. Original language German B&W 80 minutes.

Peter Warlock

Noted Documentaries • Wagner and Venice (¡982) A film by Petr Ruttner; 43 minutes • The Making of the Ring (¡983) A documentary with Brian Large; Unitel; 54 minutes • Wagner’s Women (¡995) A film by Steve Ruggi; Oxford Television; 55 minutes • BBC Great Composers: Wagner (¡997) Narrated by Kenneth Branagh; 58 minutes

Wagner and Venice is an excellent documentary featuring Orson Welles, who reads from Wagner’s journals and letters. The film focuses on the composer’s a‡liation with the city of canals from ¡858 until his death in ¡883. The Making of the Ring deals with the history of Bayreuth, with special attention given to the centennial production of Der Ring des Nibelun-

279

gen, staged by Patrice Chereau, conducted by Pierre Boulez and featuring such opera luminaries as Donald McIntyre, Gwyneth Jones, Manfred Jung, Hermann Becht, Hanna Schwarz and Heinz Zednik as both Loge and Mime. The documentary is hosted by Friedelind Wagner, the composer’s granddaughter, and includes numerous archival photos of the Wagner clan and many productions of the Ring cycle. Wagner’s Women studies the last fourteen years of the composer’s life as recorded in the writings of his wife, Cosima, portrayed by Fiona Shaw. Kenneth Branagh narrates the BBC documentary Great Composers: Wagner, an entertaining study of the composer and his music that also contains much unexpected humor, such as the revelation that Cosima carried around her husband’s eyelashes in her purse for years after his death.

Peter Warlock Screen depiction • Jeremy Northam in Voices from a Locked Room (¡995)

Writer and musicologist Philip Heseltine (¡894–¡930) adopted the pseudonym Peter Warlock in ¡9¡6 for his composing e›orts. As an author, Heseltine published a large number of articles, critical reviews and nine books, including the brilliant Carlo Gesualdo: Musician and Murderer, a study of the madrigal composer who ordered his wife and her lover stabbed to death in ¡590, causing a great scandal. As a composer, Warlock lacked formal musical training so his works are primarily miniatures, influenced by the music of his mentor Frederick Delius and his friend

Constant Lambert. He was also an expert on the music of the Elizabethan period, editing several collections of songs from the era. The major works by Warlock include over a hundred and fifty songs for solo voice and piano, The Curlew: A Song Cycle After Yeats (¡922), a number of choral vignettes as well as a handful of orchestral compositions, principally the Serenade for Strings (¡922) and the Capriol Suite (¡928). Heseltine was found dead of gas poisoning in his London flat on December ¡7, ¡930. Although suicide was suspected, there was no conclusive evidence, and the possibility of an accident cannot be ruled out. The only feature film to portray Peter Warlock is a dramatic romantic tragedy titled Voices from a Locked Room. Directly

280

Peter Warlock

after the title, a unique title card appears, “A story inspired by the lives of Philip Heseltine and Peter Warlock.” This should immediately alert viewers that a factual presentation is not intended. In fact, the film is a psychological thriller combining various elements of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, The Three Faces of Eve, Masterpiece Theater and gothic melodrama. It is a very entertaining, impressive and even compelling film; however, it is basically a fantasy grafted onto the historical persona of Philip Heseltine. The plot of Voices from a Locked Room deserves a close study before winnowing out the factual ingredients. The film opens in London during the fall of ¡930, and Philip Heseltine is portrayed as an influential music critic with a major London newspaper. His editor warns him to end his vendetta against the music of Peter Warlock. In fact, he refuses to publish his latest review which clearly implies that Warlock is a plagiarist, and he orders him to tone down his commentary. At a later concert, Heseltine seems uncomfortable, almost ill, when Warlock’s composition for piano quintet, Sleep, is performed, and he dashes out of the concert hall as soon as the piece is finished. He steps into a nightclub for a drink and becomes impressed with the voice of Lily Buxton, a new singer making her debut. When Oscar Butterworth, her accompanist, notices Heseltine in the audience, he warns her that he is known as “the Grim Reaper” for his acerbic critiques. When Lily happens to overhear Philip dictating a nasty review from a phone booth, she berates him as “a supercilious know-nothing,” a comment that both delights and distresses the critic. When Butterworth escorts Lily home early in the morning, they are stunned to find Heseltine sleeping in their doorway. He hands them his published notice, a two-part review which lambastes Warlock’s Sleep but praises Lily for her pure

and fascinating rendition of American popular songs. Philip asks Lily out, and their relationship soon develops into a romance. She accompanies Philip when he goes to his next concert, which includes the debut of Warlock’s latest composition, Gigue Diabolique. When he takes her to a party, Philip introduces Lily to Gerald Du›y, the pianist in the Warlock piece, who he says is his oldest friend. The critic then mocks him for wasting his time with Warlock, who he says steals his music from Frederick Delius and William Byrd. When Philip leaves to get Lily a drink, the singer tells Gerald how much she enjoyed Warlock’s music. Gerald explains that Warlock is a recluse. In fact, Gerald handles all his a›airs including the promotion of Warlock’s music. Lily thinks Gerald is flirting with her, but when she tells Philip, he laughs, explaining that Gerald is homosexual. When Philip hears that the famous conductor Sir Thomas Beecham is planning to program a new work by Warlock, he tries to dissuade Sir Thomas from doing so. He talks to him after a BBC studio broadcast of Tchaikovsky’s Serenade for Strings. Beecham wryly deflects Heseltine’s objections. When visiting Philip’s apartment to check on his cats, Lily answers the phone and is surprised when she learns the caller is Peter Warlock, who is outraged that Heseltine tried to turn Sir Thomas against him. The composer tells her that Heseltine must cease his campaign to ruin his reputation. Lily is both moved and disturbed by his distress. When Philip arrives home, she mentions the threatening phone call, but he tells her to ignore it. As they talk, Philip explains that he is unable to play the piano except for one tune, a melody he composed himself based on a phrase his mother used to sing when he was a child. After one of Lily’s performances, Philip takes her on a train ride to Wales to

Peter Warlock

meet his mother, and he proposes to her on the journey. She accepts his ring but asks for more time before deciding about marriage. When they return to London, they find that Philip’s apartment has been broken into. His pet cats were killed when the gas valve on his stove was left open. A note from Peter Warlock exclaims that he was forced to take this action because he has been driven too far, claiming his musical ideas are his own and not stolen from Delius or Byrd. Because the pianist was the only person to hear when Philip made that comment, Lily now suspects that Gerald Du›y is actually Peter Warlock. She visits Du›y’s houseboat and finds a manuscript with Warlock’s address. She heads there for a confrontation but is stunned to find Philip in the cramped quarters composing at the piano. After a moment, she realizes that Peter Warlock is completely unaware that he is in fact Philip Heseltine. When she tracks down Du›y, he tells her that Philip has su›ered from a split personality disorder since they met in college. He asks her to protect the secret but warns that the killing of the cats might represent a new, violent phase of his condition. He implies that it might be Lily’s fault, and both sides of Philip’s personality may be battling over her. Lily begins to spend time with Peter Warlock, who is gentler and more sensitive than the selfassured Heseltine. A flashback reveals that the fracturing of his personality occurred in his youth, when his stepfather torched his piano in a confrontation to dissuade the youngster from choosing a career in music. Lily visits Philip’s mother on her own, but the old woman angrily rejects her when she suggests that Philip needs help. She turns her out, demanding that she leave her son alone. The next time Lily visits Warlock, he plays her a new composition, Nocturne, that he composed for her. Lily notices that the piece includes the one and only melody

281

that Philip is able to play on the piano. Warlock takes her to hear a boys’ choir singing his piece Rest, Sweet Nymphs, and he persuades her to sing a vocal solo in the piece. The next time Lily sees Philip, he is angry with her, complaining that she has been spending time with his nemesis, Peter Warlock. She tries to explain, but he refuses to listen. Philip visits Du›y, who finally blurts out the truth about Warlock’s identity. Philip becomes violent and attacks his friend, almost killing him. Philip is asked to review the next orchestral concert of Sir Thomas Beecham, but is warned to be fair in his review of Peter Warlock. When Sir Thomas begins to play the composition, Philip is stunned when he recognizes the melody. He stands up and interrupts the performance, claiming, “I am the composer!” Sir Thomas stops conducting, and the ushers remove Heseltine from the hall. He runs back to his apartment and locks himself in his room. Lily arrives and tries to intervene as Philip switches back and forth between his two personalities. He finally throws her down the stairs, and she is knocked out when her head hits the wall. Philip places her body on the doorstep, together with his new pet kitten. He then returns and locks himself in, turns on the gas jet, and starts to write a positive review of Warlock’s new composition. When Lily awakes, she breaks down the door, but it is too late. Philip is dead. The music of Rest, Sweet Nymphs is played over the end credits, including a closing title card stating that Philip Heseltine is best remembered today for the two hundred musical compositions he wrote under the name of Peter Warlock. Voices from a Locked Room is a beautiful and stunning film, but it takes tremendous liberties with the historical facts about Philip Heseltine. First, it was no secret that Peter Warlock was his musical pen name. Second, Heseltine never

282

Peter Warlock

wrote reviews criticizing the music of Peter Warlock. Third, Heseltine was by no means as potent a critic as portrayed in the film. Fourth and most important, he did not su›er from multiple personality disorder. Of course, there is a source for this fanciful interpretation. The character of Gerald Du›y is largely based on Cecil Gray, a close friend of Heseltine. The original concept of Heseltine’s possible split personality comes from his ¡934 book, Peter Warlock: A Memoir of Philip Heseltine, in which Gray suggests that as a critic Heseltine was dissatisfied with his own music. He also proposes that the dual aspects of his personality may have been responsible for his suicide. Other friends of Heseltine strongly disagreed with this assessment. The question of his suicide remains unresolved, but if he did take his own life it was because of financial pressures, due in part to a decline in the popularity of the type of songs for which Warlock was famous. Whereas the film shows Warlock as a composer of increasing productivity and fame, in reality Heseltine feared he was undergoing a creative decline. While somewhat superficial, Voices from a Locked Room comes close to depicting a reasonably credible Heseltine, whereas the depiction of his alter ego Warlock is primarily fantasy. Physically, Jeremy Northam looks remarkably like Philip Heseltine. He was a complex individual, as suggested in the film, and he did engage in a number of open feuds with other members of the musical establishment. The film shows his death occurring on December ¡7, ¡930, which is also accurate. Much of the rest, however, is pure invention. The character of Lily Buxton, for example, is fictitious, and in fact Heseltine had been married and had a son, events completely ignored by the screenplay. A more serious flaw in the film is that it is misleading in its use of Warlock’s music. Two of the compositions highlighted in the

film, Sleep and Rest, Sweet Nymphs, are authentic Warlock, but two other compositions, Gigue Diabolique and Nocturne, were actually written by Eliot Goldenthal for the film. This is unfortunate because Warlock certainly composed a number of outstanding works. Each movement of the Capriol Suite, for example, is magnificent. Although Goldenthal composed these two fictional works in the style of Warlock, it seems deceptive that these selections are highlighted. In fact, Warlock did not even write a Nocturne for Orchestra, and since this music plays such a key role in the drama, it is annoying that a phony composition is used. However, since the real Heseltine is so distorted in the film, this complaint is perhaps a minor one. Hopefully, the dramatic tale of Voices from a Locked Room will inspire a number of music lovers to seek out the actual story of Philip Heseltine and enjoy the authentic music of Peter Warlock. Incidentally, the production quality of Voices from a Locked Room is excellent. The cast, particularly Jeremy Northam, deliver stellar performances. Tushka Bergin is a complete delight as Lily Buxton, although the film spends a bit too much time on her nightclub songs (actually sung by Sylvia McNair). Colin Fox is superb as Sir Thomas Beecham, the colorful and witty conductor who was one of the most memorable musical personalities of the twentieth century.

Production Credits Voices from a Locked Room (¡995) Avenue Pictures Cast: Jeremy Northam, Tushka Bergin, Alan Corduner, Hilton McRae, Benoit Langrais, Dilys Laye, Domini Blythe, Bronwen Mantel, Frank Schorpion, Michael Sinelniko›, Chris Wiggins, Robert Burns, Ari Snyder and Colin Fox as Sir Thomas Beecham. Music by Peter Warlock, Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky and Eliot Goldenthal; Music edited by Eliot Goldenthal; Performed by Sylvia

Peter Warlock McNair (vocalist); Mendelssohn Quartet with Diane Walsh, Les Petits Chanteurs du Mont Royal, Pro Arte Orchestra conducted by Jonathan She›er; Written by Peter Barnes and Nicholas Meyer based on Double Jeopardy by Mark A. Stuart; Cinematography by Lauro Escorel; Edited by Jonathan Shaw; Produced by Cary Brokaw and Dina DeLuca; Directed by Malcolm Clarke. Color 92 minutes.

Noted Documentary • Peter Warlock (¡999) A film by Alan Torjussen; Genesis Media; 60 minutes

283

Genesis Media is a Welch production company that has created a very thoughtful, incisive and well-balanced documentary survey of Philip Heseltine’s career, highlighting his significance and musical compositions.

Appendix A: Films about Fictional Composers In addition to traditional biopics, there have been numerous motion pictures about fictitious composers. For example, the film Carnegie Hall, covered previously in the chapters about Stokowski and Tchaikovsky, includes a character named Tony Salerno, Jr., played by William Prince, whose composition 57th Street Rhapsody is

played at the conclusion of the film. I have prepared this representative sampling of nine imaginary classical composers and their music as portrayed in feature-film productions. They are arranged in alphabetical order by the last name of each composer.

George Harvey Bone

Darnell), for whom he composes a popular operetta, Gay Love. After learning that Netta is only toying with him, Bone kills her during one of his spells. Dr. Middleton confronts Bone, now believing him to be the killer, but the composer locks him in a closet and rushes o› to Sir Henry Chapman’s soiree to play his new concerto. Dr. Middleton escapes and summons the police to arrest Bone. While playing his concerto, the composer starts to remember his crimes. He breaks o› playing and asks Barbara to take his place. In a side room of Sir Henry’s mansion, the police question him, but he breaks free, throwing a lamp at the o‡cers, causing a fire to break out. The musicians and audience flee, except for the crazed Bone, who returns to the piano exclaiming, “You must hear the end of the concerto!” Dr. Middleton tries to take him to safety, but the composer remains at the piano, seeking release in his music as flames envelope the room. Laird Cregar’s performance as the

Portrayed by Laird Cregar in Hangover Square (¡945) Major Work: Piano Concerto (Actual composer Bernard Herrmann)

Hangover Square is an Edwardian gothic thriller about a promising young composer, George Harvey Bone, who su›ers blackouts brought about by unexpected, high-pitched or discordant sounds. During these spells, he sometimes commits violent and criminal acts, including arson and murder. He consults Dr. Middleton (George Sanders), a Scotland Yard psychologist, about his spells but is told that they are probably harmless, the result of overwork. Musicologist Sir Henry Chapman (Alan Napier) wants to conduct Bone’s latest composition, his Piano Concerto, and he urges him to finish the work. Although Bone is attracted to Chapman’s daughter Barbara (Faye Marlowe), a talented pianist, he falls in love with a manipulative singer, Netta Longdon (Linda

285

286

Appendix A

Lobby card from Hangover Square stressed sex and violence, but the psychological thriller itself was dominated by Bernard Herrmann’s music.

doomed composer is one of the finest of his career, poignant and sympathetic, unaware of his violent side until the very end. Tragically, the actor died a few weeks after completing this role after an abdominal operation to reduce his weight. Most of the cast assembled for a radio dramatization of Hangover Square, and Vincent Price assumed the role of George Harvey Bone. Titling his dramatic, Lisztian composition Concerto Macabre, Bernard Herrmann published the work, which received numerous performances in the concert hall, as well as many di›erent recordings. One of the distinctive features of Concerto Macabre is its conclusion, during which the orchestra falls silent, leaving the piano soloist to finish the composition entirely alone, reflecting the final scene in the film.

Lissa Campbell Portrayed by Margaret Lockwood in Love Story (¡944) AKA A Lady Surrenders Major Work: Cornish Rhapsody (Actual composer Hubert Bath)

A bittersweet wartime romantic drama, Love Story portrays a female composer, Lissa Campbell, dying of an incurable disease. At a Cornish resort, she meets and falls in love with an air force pilot (Stewart Grainger) who is going blind. Her final composition, Cornish Rhapsody, reflects her love. It is played at a concert at Royal Albert Hall with pianist Harriet Cohen and the London Symphony Orchestra. Composer Hubert Bath died shortly after he recorded the rhapsody and never anticipated the work’s later popularity on records.

Appendix A

Daniel Evans Portrayed by Dana Andrews in Night Song (¡948) Major Work: Piano Concerto (Actual composer Leith Stevens)

Night Song is a romantic drama about heiress Catherine Mallory (Merle Oberon), who becomes interested in a blind pianist, Dan Evans (Dana Andrews), she meets at a San Francisco nightclub. With the help of her aunt (Ethel Barrymore) and Dan’s best friend, Chick Morgan (Hoagy Carmichael), she poses as Mary, a blind girl who befriends Evans. She learns he is a composer and as Catherine Mallory, runs a contest for the best new classical composition. Evans enters the competition, and his Piano Concerto legitimately wins. He travels to New York to collect the money, paying for an operation which restores his vision. He falls in love with Catherine Mallory, unaware she is the same girl he knew as Mary in California. He composes a new piano work, Fifth Avenue Cakewalk, to impress Catherine. His Piano Concerto debuts at Carnegie Hall, performed by pianist Artur Rubinstein and the New York Philharmonic conducted by Eugene Ormandy. During the performance, Evans decides to return to California, finally learning that the two women he loves, Mary and Catherine, are the same person. Leith Stevens’s concerto sounds magnificent, particularly in the hands of Rubinstein and Ormandy. The nine-minute concert sequence is the highlight of the film.

Alexander Hollenius Portrayed by Claude Rains in Deception (¡946) Major Work: Cello Concerto (Actual composer Erich Wolfgang Korngold)

A romantic melodrama, Deception concerns the relationship of three musicians, cellist Karel Novak (Paul Henreid), pianist Christine Radcli›e (Bette Davis) and Alexander Hollenius, a great modern composer whose work rivals that of Stravinsky and Shostakovich. Novak and Radcli›e are engaged in Europe before World War II. Christine escapes to America, losing touch with Novak, whom she fears has been killed. In

287

New York, Christine meets and becomes the mistress of Hollenius. By accident, she sees a concert notice for Novak at a small college in New York. They are reunited and marry at once. Novak is surprised by the wealthy lifestyle of his wife. He is stunned to learn that she knows Hollenius. The composer is outraged by Christine’s sudden marriage and conceives a devious plan when he learns that the jealous Novak is unaware that Christine had been his mistress. He writes a cello concerto and asks Novak to serve as soloist for the premiere. At rehearsals, Hollenius plays on Novak’s tattered nerves, undermining his performance. Secretly, he asks Bertram Gribble (John Abbott), the first cellist of the orchestra, to learn the cello part as an understudy. Christine pleads with Hollenius not to ruin her husband’s career by replacing him as soloist. Hollenius exclaims that he would never ruin his concerto since Novak plays it superbly. However, he threatens to drop “a chance remark” about her having been his mistress during his dinner with the cellist after the concert. Christine shoots and kills Hollenius as he prepares to leave for the concert hall. A substitute conductor takes over for Hollenius when he fails to appear, and Novak’s performance of the work is critically acclaimed. After the concert, Christine tells her husband the truth about her a›air with Hollenius. She also admits to killing him. The film ends unresolved as Novak and Christine consider their options regarding the murder. Claude Rains is superb as the flamboyant, sarcastic and egocentric composer. The scene in which he rehearses the orchestra, with his fussy attention to minor detail, is priceless. Erich Wolfgang Korngold, who had an extensive career in Europe as a classical composer before he emigrated to Hollywood, composed a dynamic and interesting cello concerto, which he later listed as his Opus 37. The work has been played at concerts and released in a recording.

Jean Octavie Portrayed by Lev Prygunov in Haunted Symphony (¡995) AKA Blood Song

288

Appendix A

Major Work: Devil’s Symphony (Actual composer Vladimir Komarov and Bruno Louchouarn)

Haunted Symphony is a horror film produced by Roger Corman and shot in Russia with an English-speaking cast and a Russian crew. Set in France in the early nineteenth century, the film focuses on a corrupt aristocrat, Baron Octavie, who makes a deal with the devil, composing a symphony in his honor. The work is unfinished, however, when the local villagers break into his estate and burn him at the stake. Years later, Gabriella (Jennifer Burns), the baron’s niece, inherits the Octavie mansion. She orders Carlotta (Beverly Garland), the housekeeper, to unseal the bricked-up music room. She discovers the unfinished symphony and asks Marius Carnot (Ben Cross), the local church choirmaster and part-time composer, to complete the work. As Marius undertakes the project, he becomes possessed by the spirit of the baron. As more of the symphony is finished, the baron’s corpse comes back to life. Gabriella learns that the only way to destroy the baron is to burn the score of the symphony. Marius, however, is also killed in the struggle with the baron’s reanimated corpse, and the film ends quietly as the mournful Gabriella closes the estate and leaves. The music for the symphony is heard only in piano transcription. The music by Vladimir Komarov and Bruno Louchouarn is largely atonal and more representative of early twentieth-century music, rather than the Romantic era, which would have been more appropriate. This may be the only film in which the music itself is endowed with supernatural powers.

L. Petrie Portrayed by Herbert Lom in Phantom of the Opera (¡962) Major Work : Saint Joan (Actual composer Edwin Astley)

There have been seven filmed versions of Gaston Leroux’s novel about a mad composer who lives in the underground labyrinth beneath the Paris Opera House, as well

as numerous stage versions, such as the Andrew Lloyd-Webber musical and parodies such as The Phantom of the Paradise. The earliest film, the silent ¡925 version starring Lon Chaney, is the closest to the original story, and it includes references to Don Juan Triumphant, the opera composed by Erik, the phantom. Incidentally, the phantom, as envisioned by Leroux, was also an architect who worked under Charles Garnier, who designed the opera house, providing a logical basis for the secret passages and underground mazes, which go unexplained in most versions of the story. The second screen version, starring Claude Rains, is covered in the chapter on Franz Liszt, and the seventh version, with Julian Sand, is covered in the chapter on Charles Gounod. In other screen portrayals, the phantom is played by Herbert Lom, Maximilian Schell, Charles Dance and Robert Englund. Of these, the third version with Herbert Lom stresses the phantom’s abilities as a composer. The story is set in London instead of Paris, and the phantom is actually a music teacher named Petrie. In need of money, he o›ers to sell the publication rights of his music (a symphony, two string quartets, a viola concerto and an opera) to a wealthy aristocrat, Lord Ambrose D’Arcy (Michael Gough). Petrie is shocked to discover that D’Arcy is printing the music using his own name as composer. He breaks into the printing house at night, but as he burns the music, the fire gets out of control and he burns himself with acid while trying to extinguish the flames. In agony, he throws himself into the river and winds up in the catacombs under the opera house, nursed back to health by a strange, feral mute. Years later, when the opera house o›ers to debut D’Arcy’s opera Saint Joan, the phantom sabotages the performance, which is postponed. When he hears a new singer, Christine Charles (Heather Sears), audition for the role of Joan of Arc, he plans to train her voice, kidnapping her. She is rescued by opera producer Harry Hunter (Edward DeSousa), who learns that Petrie is the phantom

Appendix A and the actual composer of Saint Joan. He permits the professor to train Christine. At the rescheduled premiere, the phantom confronts D’Arcy, who flees. Saint Joan is a success. Christine is almost killed when the stage chandelier falls by accident, but the phantom shoves her out of the way and is himself killed by the heavy prop. On the whole, Lom is a sympathetic, even innocuous phantom, with any actual harm done by the strange mute. The music provided by Edwin Astley for Saint Joan is a mixed bag. The English libretto is awkward, making some excerpts, such as the chorus “Increased Taxes,” sound foolish. The soprano aria, “I Hear Your Voice,” is excellent and quite haunting. The melody of this selection is e›ectively used throughout the film as well, particularly during the final credits.

Stefan Radetzky Portrayed by Anton Walbrook in Dangerous Moonlight (¡94¡) AKA Suicide Squadron Major Work: Warsaw Concerto (Actual composer Richard Addinsell)

One of the most popular of screen concertos, the Warsaw Concerto is featured in Dangerous Moonlight, a wartime romance starring Sally Gray and Anton Walbrook, noted for his screen portrayals of Johann Strauss. As the film opens, the psychiatrists at a military hospital decide to place a piano at the disposal of a wounded pilot su›ering from amnesia. Since the patient, Stefan Radetzky, is a celebrated composer, they hope the instrument will stimulate his recovery. A lengthy flashback shows how Radetzky, a Polish pilot, meets Carol Peters, an American reporter, while taking shelter in a building in Warsaw during an air raid. Sitting at the piano, Radetzky plays some music he has just written, which becomes the main theme of the concerto. A few days later, Radetzky is ordered to fly his fighter plane out of Poland before the country collapses. Traveling to New York, he again meets Carol, and they fall in love. Radetzky launches a successful concert ca-

289

reer, but after the premiere of his new composition, the Warsaw Concerto, he joins the RAF to fight and defeat the Nazis. His wife Carol, however, opposes his plan, believing he could do more for Poland as a concert pianist who could raise money for the wartime cause. They quarrel as the composer leaves to enlist. Radetzky is shot down after a demanding air battle, and he loses his memory. As the film ends, he hears a recording of the Warsaw Concerto and suddenly recognizes his wife, signaling his recovery. The original script of Dangerous Moonlight suggested using Rachmanino›’s Second Piano Concerto for the concert scenes, but the producers decided an original concerto would strengthen the story, and Richard Addinsell was approached and asked to compose a work with an intense romantic sweep. Interestingly, a number of critics consider the Warsaw Concerto to be the finest concert piece written in Britain during World War II. The concerto has been recorded dozens of times. In the film, the concerto is highlighted in a program booklet as having three movements, but only the last movement, running nine minutes, is ever heard.

Roman Strauss Portrayed by Kenneth Branagh in Dead Again (¡99¡) Major Work: Untitled Opera (Actual composer Patrick Doyle)

A murder mystery and reincarnation tale, Dead Again, has LA detective Mike Church (Kenneth Branagh) helping a woman with amnesia (Emma Thompson). With help from a retired reporter (Andy Garcia), discredited psychiatrist (Robin Williams) and an antique dealer (Derek Jacobi) who specializes in regression therapy, Church comes to believe that both he and the woman are reincarnations of composer Roman Strauss and his pianist/wife Margaret. Strauss was accused, convicted and executed for his wife’s murder in the late ¡940s. Eventually, Church discovers that Strauss was innocent, composing his opera when his wife was attacked, and that the murderer is still alive.

290

Appendix A

The denouement has many complicated twists and surprises. Patrick Doyle provides a score of passionate fervor to represent the music of tragic composer Roman Strauss.

Richard Walden Portrayed by Michael Denison in The Glass Mountain (¡949) Major Work: Legend of the Glass Mountain (Actual composer Nino Rota)

A wartime romance, The Glass Mountain depicts Richard Walden, a British pilot and composer who crashes in Italy and is res-

cued by a local girl, Alida Morrosini (Valentina Cortese). Inspired by her and the landscape of the Italian Alps, he writes an opera which is staged in Italy after the war. The main conflict comes from Walden’s wife (Dulcie Gray), who suspects his infatuation with the Italian girl who rescued him. The opera sequence at the conclusion of the film, shot at Teatro La Fenice in Venice, includes a number of opera stars from La Scala, including Tito Gobbi and Elena Rizzieri. Composer Nino Rota gained later fame through his collaborations with director Federico Fellini.

Appendix B: Composers on Series Television This appendix includes composer depictions on series television, including miniseries. Telefilms about composers, however, are covered in the main body of the book. Appearances in the first category are rare indeed. I have selected three representative examples. The earliest one is a ¡954 episode of The Loretta Young Show titled “The Clara Schumann Story,” in which Loretta Young plays the title role and George Nader plays Robert Schumann. This particular episode won an Emmy. Lorne Greene, before saddling up as Ben Cartwright on Bonanza, played Ludwig van Beethoven in a January ¡957 episode of You Are There titled “The Torment of Beethoven.” This series, hosted by Walter Cronkite, took the imaginative approach of looking at historical events as if they had been covered by a modern-day television news teams. Although it is incongruous to watch reporters in modern dress interviewing historical figures, the show manages to capture the attention of a young audience. The Beethoven episode deals with the crisis in Beethoven’s life, coming to terms with his increasing deafness. Perhaps the strangest composer portrayal, however, is on the original Star Trek in the episode “Requiem for Methuselah,” written by Jerome Bixby and first broad-

cast on February ¡4, ¡969. The crew of the starship Enterprise are on a mercy mission to procure the ingredients for a drug to halt an infectious disease on a nearby colony when they encounter a mysterious man named Flint living in splendid isolation on a small planet. Captain James Kirk, Dr. Leonard McCoy and Mr. Spock are received with courtesy by Flint. Later in the episode, Spock finds a musical score, an unknown waltz by Brahms written in his own handwriting. Spock plays the selection but is puzzled because the manuscript appears to be new. Flint then confesses that he is, in fact, Johannes Brahms. He has also been other famous figures in history, such as Leonardo da Vinci. Flint was originally a soldier in ancient Greece who discovered that he did not age and was immune to death. He lived countless lifetimes, aging himself with makeup and disappearing or faking his death whenever his longevity began to arouse suspicion. In the space age, he moved to another planet to build a perfect female companion, a robot who would be ageless like himself, so he would never watch someone he loves grow old and die. At the end of the episode, Dr. McCoy discovers that by leaving Earth, Flint has lost his special immunity, and he is now aging like any ordinary mortal. Character actor James Daly is excellent as Flint (Brahms)

291

292

Appendix B

in this episode, one of the most popular of the original Star Trek series. Of the miniseries which depict composers, three stand out for special mention. The first is The Strauss Family, a superb, eight-part presentation that manages to delineate the complexities of the various relationships of both Strauss father and son with only a few errors of consequence, unlike the feature films which alter history considerably for either simplicity or dramatic necessity. The cast is superb, including Eric Woolfe as Johann Sr., Anne Stallybrass as his wife Anna, Barbara Ferris as Emilie, his mistress, for whom he deserts his family, and his three sons, who also become composers— Johann Jr. played by Stuart Wilson, Josef by Nikolas Simmonds and Eduard by Tony Anholt. Derek Jacobi appears as composer Josef Lanner, who was originally the partner and later the rival of Johann Strauss, Sr. The music, played by the London Symphony Orchestra, is first rate, with the selections well chosen. All members of the Strauss family are fairly well represented in the script, which manages to juggle the di›erent storylines cleanly if not equally or impartially. In overall terms, The Strauss Family is an exemplary production. The second miniseries is Notorious Woman (¡974), featuring Rosemary Harris as George Sand. Notorious Woman manages to be literate, dramatic and fairly accurate, a rare combination. In addition, the exceptional performances by Jeremy Irons as Liszt and George Chakiris as Chopin are compelling. Interestingly, this series was made in black and white instead of color, an unusual choice for a mid– ¡970s production. The third production, Verdi (¡982), has been critically acclaimed as one of the finest composer miniseries. A British/ German/Italian coproduction, Verdi was filmed in Italy using many authentic locations associated with the composer and in-

cludes a mostly Italian cast, headlined by the brilliant and talented, British stage actor Ronald Pickup in one of the most significant roles of his career. He is absolutely convincing as Verdi, a very human yet vibrant interpretation that is e›ective at each point of the story. The process of the political unification of Italy also plays a major role in the screenplay, although the focus is primarily on the composer himself from the cradle to the grave. Several actors play Verdi in his childhood and youth, with Ste›ano Carratti being particularly good. The production has numerous highlights, especially the many vivid operatic sequences. The scenes in Russia for the La Forza del Destino are memorable but surpassed by the complicated and colorful story of the premiere of Aida in Egypt. The scenes contrasting Wagner and Verdi, seen as rivals by the musical public, but far closer in their overall approach than is usually suspected, are fresh and illuminating. (The performers, however, who portray other composers in cameos, such as Donizetti and Wagner, are not billed.) Another special moment is the composing of the “Dies Irae” from his Requiem at the piano. When the full fury of the chorus and orchestra are suddenly unleashed, the music blends and matches Verdi’s intensity as he pounds away at the keyboard. Pickup’s keyboard technique is excellent, though his conducting seems a bit artificial at times. Perhaps the single most memorable highlight is the rehearsal scene for Otello, in which Verdi himself demonstrates how he wants his music sung by Otello over the body of his dead wife, Desdemona. Singing with passion but without exaggeration, Verdi stuns the other performers and crew until he collapses on the floor as Otello commits suicide. Everyone rushes to him, assuming he is hurt, but the composer rises with dignity, satisfied with the e›ect his performance has on the wit-

Appendix B

293

nesses. Pickup is truly amazing in this sequence, with his vocals dubbed by Gianni Marzocchi. The singing pyrotechnics in the operatic sequences were provided by such great voices as Maria Callas, Mario Del Monaco, Renata Tebaldi, Luciano Pavarotti and others. The only significant criticism is that the production is overly narrated, with much of the commentary clearly redundant. It guides viewers step by step through each scene, the opposite of Tony Palmer’s approach in Wagner, which

at times requires viewers to find their own way. The following is a listing of appropriate miniseries, arranged alphabetically by composer. Whenever possible, the total number of episodes is included, as well as the language of the production when not in English. Since the Schubert miniseries, Notturno, and Tony Palmer’s Wagner both have feature film versions, they are covered in the main section of the book and do not appear on this list.

Johann Sebastian Bach

Jacques O›enbach

Portrayed by Ulrich Thien in Johann Sebastian Bach (¡985); 4 episodes; German language

Portrayed by Michel Serrault in Les Folies Offenbach (¡977); 3 episodes; French language

Hector Berlioz

Niccolò Paganini

Portrayed by Mahthieu Kassovitz (as a child) and Daniel Mesguich (adult) in La Vie de Berlioz (¡983); 6 episodes; French language

Portrayed by Izet Hajdarhodzic in Kuda Idu Divlje Avinje (¡97¡); ¡0 episodes; Serbian language Portrayed by Julien Rachlin in Napoleon (2002); 4 episodes

Frederic Chopin Portrayed by George Chakiris in Notorious Woman (¡974); 7 episodes Portrayed by Claudio Marzo in Preludio, A Vida de Chopin (¡962); 5 episodes; Portuguese language

Giacomo Puccini Portrayed by Alberto Lionelli in Puccini (¡973); 4 episodes; Italian language

Sergei Rachmanino›

Franz Joseph Haydn

Portrayed by Vernon Dobtche› in Ellis Island (¡984); 3 episodes

Portrayed by Peter Pasetti in Mozart (¡982); 6 episodes; German language

Gioacchino Rossini

Franz Liszt

Portrayed by Giuseppe Pambieri in La Vita di Rossini (¡978); Italian language

Portrayed by Jeremy Irons in Notorious Woman (¡974); 7 episodes Portrayed by Peter Trokan in La Vie de Berlioz (¡983); 6 episodes; French language Portrayed by Tamas Bobba in Liszt Ferenc (¡986?); 7 episodes; Hungarian language

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Portrayed by Karol Zuber (age 8), Jean-François Dichamp (age ¡2) and Christopher Bantzer (adult) in Mozart (¡982); 6 episodes; German language

Antonio Salieri Portrayed by Carlo Rivolta in Mozart (¡982); 6 episodes; German language

Jean Sibelius Portrayed by Max Bremer in Venny (2002); 8 episodes; Finnish language

Johann Strauss, Jr. Portrayed by Stuart Wilson in The Strauss Family (¡972); 8 episodes

294

Appendix B

Portrayed by Stephen McGann in The Strauss Dynasty (¡99¡); 4 episodes; German/English versions

Portrayed by Anthony Higgins in The Strauss Dynasty (¡99¡); 4 episodes; German/English versions

Johann Strauss, Sr.

Giuseppe Verdi

Portrayed by Eric Woolfe in The Strauss Family (¡972); 8 episodes Portrayed by Jovan Kolundzija in Vuk Karadzic (¡987); ¡6 episodes; Serbian language

Portrayed by Ronald Pickup in Verdi (¡982); 7 episodes; Italian language with Englishdubbed version

Bibliography Geiringer, Karl, and Irene Geiringer. Johann Sebastian Bach. London: Oxford University Press, ¡966. Greenfeld, Howard. Puccini. New York: Putnam, ¡974. Gutman, Robert W. Mozart: A Cultural Biography. San Diego: Harvest, ¡999. Harris, Robert H., and Michael S. Lasky. The Films of Alfred Hitchcock. Secaucus, New Jersey: Citadel, ¡977. Holden, Anthony. Tchaikovsky: A Biography. New York: Random House, ¡995. Howitt, Basil. Grand Passions and Broken Hearts: Lives and Lusts of the Great Composers. London: Robson Books, ¡998. _____. Love Lives of the Great Composers. Toronto: Sound and Vision, ¡995. Kane, Joe. Phantom of the Movies’ Videoscope. New York: Three Rivers Press, 2000. Katz, Ephram. The Film Encyclopedia, 2nd edition. New York: Harper, ¡994. Kendall, Alan. Paganini: A Biography. London: Chappell, ¡982. Kennedy, Michael. Mahler, revised edition. New York: Schirmer Books, ¡99¡. Kinderman, William. Beethoven. Berkeley: University of California, ¡995. Lavrin, Janko. Pushkin and Russian Literature. New York: Macmillan, ¡948. Leonard, Richard Anthony. A History of Russian Music. New York: Macmillan, ¡956. MacDonald, Ian. The New Shostakovich. Boston: Northeastern University, ¡990. Machlis, Joseph. The Enjoyment of Music, 3rd edition. Boston: Norton, ¡970. Maltin, Leonard (ed.). Leonard Maltin’s Movie and Video Guide, 200¡ edition. New York: Signet, 2000.

Bernstein, Leonard. The Infinite Variety of Music. New York: S & S, ¡966. _____. The Joy of Music. New York: S & S, ¡959. _____. The Unanswered Question: Six Talks at Harvard. The Charles Eliot Norton Lectures. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, ¡976. Birkos, Alexander S. Soviet Cinema. Hampton, Connecticut: Archon Books, ¡976. Blom, Eric (ed.). Grove’s Dictionary of Music and Musicians, 6th edition. New York: St. Martin, ¡973. Braunbehrens, Volkmar. Maligned Master: The Real Story of Antonio Salieri. New York : Fromm International, ¡992. Brooks, Tim, and Earle Marsh. Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows, 6th edition. New York: Ballantine, ¡995. Brown, David. Tchaikovsky Remembered. London: Faber and Faber, ¡993. Burt, Daniel S. The Biography Book: A Reader’s Guide to Nonfiction, Fictional, and Film Biographies of More Than 500 of the Most Fascinating Individuals of All Time. Westport, Connecticut: Orynx Press, 200¡. Chancellor, John. Wagner. Boston: Little, Brown, ¡978. Chissell, Joan. Schumann. New York: Macmillan, ¡962. Daniel, Oliver. Stokowski: A Counterpoint of View. New York: Dodd, Mead, ¡982. Dorian, Frederick. The History of Music in Performance. New York: Norton, ¡966. Ewen, David. Ewen’s Musical Masterpieces: The Encyclopedia of Musical Masterpieces, revised edition. New York: Bonanza/Arco, ¡954.

295

296

Bibliography

Marill, Alvin H. The Complete Films of Edward G. Robinson. Secaucus, New Jersey: Citadel, ¡990. _____. Movies Made for Television: The Telefeature and the Mini Series, ¡964 –¡986. New York: Zoetrope, ¡987. Medved, Harry, and Michael Medved. The Golden Turkey Awards. New York: Perigee Books, ¡980. Millington, Barry. Wagner. New York: Vintage, ¡987. Mitchell, Charles P. “Tchaikovsky’s Nine (or Eight and a Half ) Symphonies.” The Music Box 2(3) (July, ¡992): ¡8–22. _____. “The Two Sides of Dmitri Shostakovich.” The Music Box ¡(4) (September, ¡99¡): 22–27. Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus, and Hans Mersmann (ed.). Letters of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (corrected Dover reprint of ¡928 edition). New York: Dover, ¡972. Peary, Danny. Cult Movies. New York : Dell, ¡98¡. Poznansky, Alexander. Tchaikovsky’s Last Days. London: Oxford University, ¡996. Riley, Philip J. (ed). The Making of the Phantom of the Opera (Including the Original ¡925 Shooting Script). Absecon, New Jersey: MagicImage Filmbooks, ¡994. Robbins Landon, H. C. ¡79¡: Mozart’s Last Year. New York: Schirmer Books, ¡988. Roseberry, Eric. Shostakovich: His Life and Times. New York: Hippocrene, ¡982. Russell, Ken. Altered States: The Autobiography of Ken Russell. New York: Bantam, ¡99¡. Sadie, Stanley (ed.). New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, 2nd edition. New York: Grove, 200¡. Schickele, Peter. The Definitive Biography of P. D. Q. Bach. New York: Random House, ¡976. Schonberg, Harold C. Lives of the Great Composers. New York: Norton, ¡970. Searle, Humphrey. The Music of Liszt, revised 2nd edition. New York: Dover, ¡966. Shipman, David. The Story of Cinema. New York: St. Martin’s Press, ¡984. Sitwell, Sacheverell. Liszt (corrected Dover reprint of ¡955 edition). New York : Dover, ¡967. Smith, Steven C. A Heart at Fire’s Center: The Life and Music of Bernard Herrmann. Berkeley: University of California, ¡99¡.

Soister, John T. Conrad Veidt on Screen. Je›erson, North Carolina: McFarland, 2002. Sta›ord, William. The Mozart Myths: A Critical Reassessment. Stanford: Stanford University Press, ¡99¡. Stokowski, Leopold. Music for All of Us. New York: S & S, ¡943. Stro›, Stephen M. Opera: An Informal Guide. Chicago: A Capella, ¡992. _____. The Zen of Music. Cincinnati: Mystic Cat, ¡995. Thompson, Oscar (editor-in-chief, deceased), and Bruce Bohle (ed.). The International Cyclopedia of Music and Musicians, ¡¡th edition. New York: Dodd, Mead, ¡985. _____, Nicholas Slonimsky and Robert Sabin (ed.). The International Cyclopedia of Music and Musicians, 9th edition. New York: Dodd, Mead, ¡964. Thompson, Wendy. The Great Composers. London: Anness, 200¡. Tru›aut, François. Hitchcock. New York: S & S, ¡967. Volkov, Solomon (ed.) Testimony: The Memoirs of Dmitri Shostakovich. New York: Harper, ¡979. Walker, Alan. Frederic Chopin: Profiles of the Man and the Musician. New York: Taplinger, ¡967. Walker, John (ed.). Halliwell’s Who’s Who in the Movies, ¡3th edition, New York: Harper, ¡997. Wilson, Elizabeth. Shostakovich: A Life Remembered. Princeton: Princeton University Press, ¡994.

A Note on Internet Sources This book involved considerable research on the Internet, primarily databases such as the Internet Movie database (IMDb) and web sites dedicated to the lives and careers of the great composers, many specifically operated by music societies devoted to composers such as Frederick Delius, Philip Heseltine (Peter Warlock), Charles Ives, Scott Joplin, Franz Schubert, Arthur Sullivan and others. The British site representing the Franz Schubert Society, for example, has a thorough discussion of plays, operettas and films based around the figure of Schubert. There are also many sites based on

Bibliography the work of directors such as Ken Russell and Tony Palmer that include considerable detail about their many composer films and documentaries. Because the URLs on the Internet change frequently or are removed without no-

297

tice, readers are advised to locate these sites through a search engine such as www.google. com, using key words such as the name of the composer, director or film title.

Index Aaron, Peter ¡49 Aavadnon, Jukka 2¡6 Abbado, Claudio ¡29, ¡90, 24¡ Abbott, John 287 Abdelmoumen, Melika 58 The Abduction from the Seraglio (Mozart) ¡36 Abdulov, Aleksandr 32 Abel, Alfred 227 Abel, Walter 70 The Abominable Dr. Phibes (¡97¡ film) ¡43 Abraham, F. Murray 3, ¡43, ¡49 Abraham, Paul 30, ¡99 Abramova, Anna ¡53, ¡83 Abrham, Josef 237 Abschiedswalzer (¡934 film) 5¡, 56, ¡07, ¡08, ¡¡6 Absturz (¡9¡9 film) 270 Academic Festival Overture (Brahms) 43 Accardo, Salvatore ¡69, ¡7¡ Acero, Ricardo 7 Achard, Marcel ¡57 Acis and Galatea (Handel) 82, 86 Ackland, Joss ¡4 Ad Nos, ad Salutarem Undam (Liszt) ¡08 Adam, Peter 24¡ Adam, Ronald 8¡, ¡¡9 Adamoczyk, Piotr 5¡, 58, ¡2¡ Adams, Casey 2¡8, 22¡ Addinsell, Richard 289 Adjani, Isabelle 6¡ Adler, Larry 226 Adlon, Percy 92 Adrian, Max 62–64, 77, 262 Adventures of Picasso (¡978 film) 3, ¡92–¡94 Aeneid (epic poem) 39 Agay, Iren ¡¡7 Age of Bel Canto (documentary) 37, 38

The Age of Gold (Shostakovich) 208 Agnew, Paul ¡79 Agraneko, Zakhar 2¡4 Agraz, José Luis Garcia 59 Agus, Gianni 265 Ah se en Ciel, Benigne Stella (Mozart) ¡4¡ “Ah, Sweet Mystery of Life” (Herbert) 94 Aherne, Brian ¡57, 228, 234, 237 Ahlgrimm, Isolde ¡49 Aida (Verdi) 264, 265, 292 Aiken, Valerie 244 Ajtay, Andor ¡¡8 Aked, Muriel 25¡ Akers, George 89 Akhurst, Lucy 32, 92 Akst, Albert 96 Aladdin (Nielsen) ¡53 Albéniz (¡947 film) 7 Albéniz, Isaac 7 Albertelli, Mauro 30, ¡70, ¡89 Alberto, Eliseo 59 Albracht-Retty, Rosa 30, 92 Alcina (Handel) 82 Alcyone (Marais) ¡30 Alda, Robert 68–70 Aleandro, Pedro 7 Alessandro Servo (Handel) 87 Alexander I (Tsar of Russia) 54 Alexander II (Tsar of Russia) 256 Alexandre, Roland 37, 67, ¡76, ¡85, ¡86, ¡89, 266 Alexandrov, Grigori 72, 73, ¡¡8, 2¡0 Alfredo il Grande (Donizetti) 64 Alfredson, Hans ¡94 Algar, James 7¡, 226, 227 Algmüller, Andreas ¡50 Alkine, Feodore 58 All in the Family (television series) 44

299

All the Mornings in the World see Tous les Matins du Monde All You Need Is Love (book) 5 Allan, Ellizabeth 84, 88 Allan, Marguerite ¡99 Allan, Richard van 200 Allen, Gracie 222, 226 Allen, Irving 250 Allen, Marty ¡58, 237 Allen, Sean ¡20, 207 Allen, Steve ¡7¡, ¡72 Allen, Woody ¡24 Allister, Claude 245, 246, 250 Allister, Ray 250 Allyson, June 96 Almirante, Giacomo ¡72 Alpine Symphony (R. Strauss) 238, 240 Also Sprach Zarathustra (R. Strauss) 238 Altered States (¡980 film) 5 Altered States: The Autobiography of Ken Russell (book) ¡ Alto Rhapsody (Brahms) 43, 44, 47 Alton, Robert 96 Altschuler, Modeste ¡52, ¡83, 262 Alvares, Eduardo ¡76 Alwyn, William 250 Am Grabe R W (Liszt) ¡08 Amadeus (¡984 film) ¡36, ¡4¡–¡44, ¡49 Amadeus (play) ¡38, ¡42, ¡49 Amadori, Luis César 7 Amati, Piero 32, ¡90 Amato, Giuseppe ¡48 Amazonas (Villa-Lobos) 267 Ambesser, Axel von ¡48 Ambler, Eric 250 Ambler, Joss ¡07 Ambrose, Anna 89 Ameche, Don 246, 250 American Centennial Festival March (Wagner) 269

300

Index

The American Experience (television series) 22¡ An American in Paris (Gershwin) 68, 69 Ames, Leon ¡¡¡, ¡¡7 L’Amico Fritz (Mascagni) ¡35 Amour et Gloire (parody opera) ¡¡2 Anatra, Alexandra ¡4 And the Glory of the Lord Shall Be Revealed (Handel) 82 Ander, Alois 275 Andergast, Maria ¡99, 236 Anders, Gunther 30, 3¡, 92, ¡58, 236, 237 Anders, Rudolf 236 Andersen, Hans Christian 79 Andersen Songs (Grieg) 79 Anderson, Birgitta ¡94 Anderson, June ¡49 Anderson, Liz 88 André, Carole ¡28 André, Gaby 67, ¡89, 266 André, Marcel 56, ¡¡7 Andre, Nicki ¡¡7 Andreani, Oscar ¡76 Andreas, Fred ¡¡7 Andreas Schlütter (¡942 film) ¡0 Andrésen, Björn ¡28 Andrews, Dana 287 Andriesen, Luis ¡50 Anekdoty (¡990 film) ¡6, 32 Angeli Senza Paradiso (¡970 film) ¡95, ¡96, 200 Angelo, Yves ¡33 Angels in the Outfield (¡95¡ film) 246 Angst, Richard ¡48 Anholt, Tony 292 Anna Bolena (Donizetti) 64 Anna Karenina (¡948 film) ¡06 Anna Pavlova (¡983 film) ¡9¡ Anne (Queen of England) 85 ANSCR Classification System (book) 5 Anselm, Karin 92 Antar Symphony (Rimsky-Korsakov) ¡79, ¡80 Antczak, Jerzy 58, ¡2¡ Antel, Franz ¡58, 237 Antigone (¡970 film) 79 Anton Ivanovich Gets Mad (¡94¡ film) 8, ¡2, ¡4 Antonius, Brigitte ¡29, 24¡ Antonutti, Omero 89 Anu, Christine ¡94 Anvil Chorus (Verdi) 265 Appalachian Spring (Copland) 59 Apparitions (Lambert) ¡05, ¡06 Appassionata Sonata (Beethoven) ¡8

Arabella (actress) ¡¡7 Arabella (R. Strauss) 238 Araiza, Francisco ¡90 Aranovuch, Semyon 2¡5 Arata, Ubaldo ¡72 Archard, Bernard 8¡, ¡¡9 Archduke Trio (Beethiven) ¡7 Archer, Simon 32, 92, ¡50 Arden, Eve ¡80, ¡83 Ardrey, Robert 47, ¡¡8, 207 Arendt, Ekkehard 235 Arens, Peter 3¡, 92 Argenta, Nancy ¡79 Argento, Asia 75 Argento, Claudio 75 Argento, Dario 75 Ariadne auf Naxos (R. Strauss) 238 Ariettes Oubliées (Debussy) 6¡ Aris, Ben 262 Aristophenes ¡ Arkhipova, Irina 263 L’Arlésienne (Bizet) 4¡, 42 Arliss, Leslie ¡57 Armida (Rossini) ¡87 Armontel, Roland 40, ¡70 Armstrong, Craig ¡94 Armstrong, Samuel 226 Arne, Susanna see Cibber, Susanna Arngrim, Stefan ¡20, 207 Arnim, Betina ¡7 Arno, Sig 30, ¡99, 200 Arnold, Edward 250 Arnold, Elliott ¡85 Arnold, Thomas Charles 235 Arnoux, Robert 30, ¡99 Arnshtam, Lev 72, 73 Arrau, Claudio ¡07, ¡¡¡ Art in the Third Reich (documentary) 24¡ The Art of Conducting (documentary) 5 The Art of the Conductor (documentary) 227 The Art of the Fugue (Bach) 8, ¡¡ Art of the Violin: The Devil’s Instrument (documentary) ¡7¡ Arthur, Alan ¡6 Artôt, Désiree 260 Aschenbach, Gustave von ¡22, ¡23 Ashkenazy, Vladimir 20¡ Aspects of Stravinsky: Once at a Border (documentary) 244 Asperen, Robert von ¡4 Asquith, Anthony ¡99 Asquith, Magdalen 2¡4 Asquith, Mark 2¡4 The Assassination of Mozart (novel) ¡38

Asselin, Paul 56,¡¡7 Assis, Joaquin 267 Astakhov, Sergei ¡20, 207 Asther, Nils ¡95, ¡99 Asti, Adriana 37, 67, ¡77, ¡90, 278 Astley, Edwin 288, 289 Astruc, Alexandre ¡57 Atkinson, Dorothy 25¡ Atlantov, Vladimir 263 Attenborough, Richard 250 Atwill, Lionel 236 Atwood, William 58 Auber, Daniel ¡98 Audran, Edmond ¡57 Auer, Mischa 226 August, Joseph H. ¡99 Auldner, Sara 58, ¡2¡ Aumont, Jean-Pierre 3¡, ¡79– ¡83 Auric, Georges ¡¡9 Aus Italien (R. Strauss) 238 Avati, Antonio ¡49 Avati, Pupi ¡49 Ave Maria (Gounod) 74 Ave Maria (Schubert) ¡97, ¡98, 224 Avedon, Doe ¡85 Avery, Margaret ¡05, 22¡ Ax, Emanuel 32, 58, ¡20 Ayldon, Alan 25¡ Aylmer, Felix 37, ¡70, ¡89 Azcuy, Annette ¡4 Azema, Sabine 32, ¡90 B., Ferenc Deák 75 Babe, Fabienne 278 Baberske, Robert 47, ¡¡8, 207 Babes in Toyland (Herbert) 93 Babette (Herbert) 95 Babi Yar Symphony (Shostakovich) 2¡2 Babiak, Walter ¡4, 32, 42, 89, ¡20, ¡90, 237 Bach, Anna Magdalena ¡2, ¡4 Bach, Carl Philipp Emanuel (C. P. E.) 8, ¡0, ¡¡, ¡2, ¡4 Bach, Johann Christian (J. C.) 8, ¡2 Bach, Johann Christoph Friedrich 8 Bach, Johann Sebastian 8–¡5, 49, 55, 74, 82, ¡28, ¡49, 222, 223, 224, 226, 267, 293 Bach, Maria Barbara ¡2, ¡4 Bach, P. D. Q. (character) 8, ¡38 Bach, Wilhelm Friedemann 8– ¡4 Bach Cello Suite No.6–Six Gestures (documentary) ¡5 Bach: Famous Composers Series (documentary) ¡5

Index Bach: Serving God Through Music (documentary) ¡5 Bachianas Brasileiras (VillaLobos) 267 Das Bächlein (R. Strauss) 239 Bach’s Fight for Freedom (¡995 film) 8, ¡3, ¡4 Backus, Jim ¡85 Baclanova, Olga ¡48 Badalucco, Nicola 32, ¡28, ¡90 Badel, Alan 4, ¡¡9, 243, 244, 269–273, 277 Baer, Olaf 48, 207 Bagatelles Without Tonality (Liszt) ¡08 La Baggare (Martinu) ¡34 Bagni, Margherita ¡48 Bagolini, Silvio 200 Bahn Frei (E. Strauss) 228 Bailey, Leslie 25¡ Baines, Sherry 2¡4 Baird, Roy ¡29, 263 Baird, Stuart 40, 47, 57, ¡¡9, ¡90, 278 Baker, Benny 236 Baker, Janet ¡30 Baker, Kenny ¡43, ¡49 Baker, Richard ¡50, ¡5¡ Balakirev, Mily ¡5¡, ¡52, ¡8¡, ¡82, ¡83, 262 Balashov, Vladimir ¡52, ¡53, ¡83 Baldi, Gian Vittorio ¡4 Bale, Ernest 262 Balenci, Noëlle 268 Balfe, William ¡98 Ball, Michael ¡78 Balqué, Erica 277 Balser, Ewald ¡6, ¡9, 23, 3¡, 200 Balteano, Beba ¡7¡ Balton, Michael 230 Balzer, Jan 237 Banionis, Donatas ¡6, 23, 3¡ Bank Ban (Erkel) ¡¡¡ Banks, Leslie 9¡ Banky, Viktor ¡¡7 Bano, Al ¡95, 200 Bantzer, Christopher 293 Barabas, Zoltan 75 Baral, Michael 48, 8¡, ¡2¡, 263 Baran, Roma ¡00 Baranska, Jadwiga 58, ¡2¡ Barbara, Paola 30, ¡70, ¡89 Barbareschi, Luca 37, 67, ¡77, ¡90, 266 Barbato, Silvio 267 The Barber of Seville see Il Barbieri di Siviglia The Barber of Seville: The Making of an Opera (documentary) ¡90 Barberina see Die Tänzerin von Sans Souci

Il Barbieri di Siviglia (Paisello) ¡87 Il Barbieri di Siviglia (Rossini) 20, ¡86–¡89 The Bard (Sibelius) 2¡6 Bardac, Emma 6¡ Bari, Lynn 250 Barko, Martin 92, ¡50 Barnes, Binnie 30, ¡98, 200 Barnes, Peter 283 Baron, Emma 200 Baron, Fred ¡94 Barr, Tony 3¡, 92 Barrault, Jean-Louis 30, 38–40 Barreto-Ramos, Jonathan ¡58 Barrett, Judith 96 Barrie, Chris 2¡4 Barrie, Christopher 88 Barrie, John 8¡, ¡¡9 Barrier, Edgar ¡¡7 Barrington, Rutland 249 Barroll, Catharine 42 Barron, Marcus 235 Barron, Robert 3¡, ¡52, ¡83, 262 Barrymore, Ethel 287 Barshai, Rudolf 2¡¡, 2¡4 Barsony, Rosi 235 Bartak, Zdenek ¡50 The Bartered Bride (Smetana) 2¡7 Barth, Gabriele 3¡, 92 Bartok, Bela 3, 5 Bartoska, Jiri ¡50 Bartsch, Rudolf Hans ¡70, ¡96, ¡99 Barylli, Gabriel 200 Bascht, Fritz, ¡99 Basler, Marianne 89 Basserman, Albert ¡6, ¡9, 30, 68, 70, 200 Bassi, Parsifal 30, ¡70, ¡89 Bates, Alan 243, 244 Bates, Bert ¡57 Bath, Hubert 235, 286 Bathory, Gizell ¡¡7 Batman Returns (¡992 film) 74 Battaglia, Luigi ¡28 Battle, Kathleen 7¡, 227 Battle for Music (¡943 film) 3, ¡05–¡07 “Battle Hymn of the Republic” (Sousa arrangement) 220 Battleship Potemkin (¡925 film) 72 Bauer, Joachim 49, 50, 278 Bauer, Siegfried 236 Bauer-Lechmer, Natalie ¡25 Baumann, Herbert 57 Baumgart, Reinhard 278 Baur, Harry ¡6, 2¡–23, 30 Bax, Arnold 3, 5, ¡5, ¡6 Baxevanos, Chariklia 200

301

Baxter, Beryl ¡57 Baxter, Jane ¡99 Baxter, Meredith ¡00 Bay, Frances ¡90 Baye, Nathalie 3¡ Baynes, Henrietta 244 Baynes, Hetty ¡6 Bayol, Alberte 57, ¡¡7 Bazire, Jacques ¡¡8, 277 Bazzini, Sergio 37, 67, ¡77, ¡90, 266 BBC Great Composers: Bach (documentary) ¡5 BBC Great Composers: Beethoven (documentary) 32 BBC Great Composers: Mahler (documentary) ¡29 BBC Great Composers: Mozart (documentary) ¡5¡ BBC Great Composers: Puccini (documentary) ¡77 BBC Great Composers: Tchaikovsky (documentary) 263 BBC Great Composers: Wagner (documentary) 279 Beale, Simon Russell ¡95, ¡98, 200 The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms (¡953 film) ¡¡5 The Beatles ¡¡6, ¡6¡ Beatrice et Benedict (Berlioz) 38 Beatty, Robert 250 Beaugié, Marguerite 30 Beaulieu, Marcel 89 The Beautiful Galatea (Suppé) ¡55 The Beautiful Maid of the Mill see Die Schöne Müllerin Beauty and the Beast (fairy tale) 74 Becce, Giuseppe 269, 270, 277 Becchi, Gino 200 Becht, Hermann 279 Becker, Rolf ¡7¡ Bedrich Smetana: Founder of Czech Romantic Music (documentary) 2¡7 Beebe, Ford 226 Beecham, Thomas ¡39, ¡48, 280, 28¡, 282 Beethoven (¡927 film?) 2¡ Beethoven, Caspar van 27, 29 Beethoven, Johanna van 24, 27, 29 Beethoven, Karl van ¡7, 2¡–29, 39 Beethoven, Ludwig van ¡, 2, ¡6– 33, 58, 63, 68, 7¡, 90, 9¡, ¡00, ¡06, ¡07, ¡28, ¡38, ¡47, ¡59, ¡60, ¡68, ¡70, ¡90, ¡98, 200, 223, 226, 227, 233, 262, 29¡

302

Index

Beethoven: Famous Composers Series (documentary) 32 Beethoven Lives Upstairs (¡989 film) 3, ¡6, 25, 26, 32, 4¡ Beethoven: The Man Who Freed Music (book) 27 Beethoven: A Portrait (documentary) 32, 33 Beethoven — Tage aus einem Leben (¡976 film) ¡6, 23, 3¡ Beethoven’s Great Love see Un Grand Amour de Beethoven Beethoven’s Nephew (¡985 film) ¡6, 25, 29, 3¡ Beethoven’s Secret (unfinished film) 30 Beggar’s Opera (Gay) 92 Beghi, Luisetta ¡48 Begley, Ed 209 Behn-Grund, Friedl ¡4, ¡57, 236 Behrendt, Hans ¡4 Bekassy, Stephen 53, 57, ¡07, ¡09, ¡¡8, ¡70 Béke›y, Istvan ¡¡8 Beklaris, Pavlos ¡36 Belafonte, Harry 43 Bell, Christopher 89 Bell Song (Delibes) 75 La Belle Hélène (O›enbach) ¡54–¡56 La Belle Meunière (¡948 film) ¡95, ¡96, 200 Bellezza, Vincenzo 67 Belli, Agnostina 200 Belling, Maria ¡70 Bellini, Vincenzo 33–38, 58, 66, 67, ¡64, ¡65, ¡7¡, ¡76, ¡77, ¡86, ¡89, ¡90, 266 Belmont, Vera 89 Belov, Grigori ¡79, ¡82, ¡83 Belyayeva, Galina ¡9¡ Ben-Hur (¡958 film) 209 Benassi, Memo ¡6, 20, 30, ¡70, ¡89 Bencic, Alfred 92, ¡50 Benedetti, Rolando ¡76 Benedicte Omnia Opera Domini (Stokowski) 222 Benetti, Carlo 30, ¡70, ¡89 Benitz, Albert ¡99 Benjamin, Arthur 97, 99 Benjamin, Christopher 88 Benkoczy, Zoltan ¡58 Bennett, Charles ¡00 Bennett, Russell ¡¡7 Benny, Jack 222, 226 Bentley, Mark 200 Benvenuti, Leonardo 37, 67, ¡76, ¡89, 266 Benvenuto Cellini (Berlioz) 38 Berardinelli, Danilo 37, 67, ¡6¡, ¡64, ¡65, ¡7¡

Berber, Anita ¡70, ¡99 Berenson, Marisa ¡28 Beresford, Bruce ¡28, ¡29, 240, 24¡ Berger, Helmut 278 Berger, Ludwig 235 Berger, Senta ¡57, 237 Bergin, Tushka 282 Bergstrom, Kare 8¡ Berlioz, Hector 5, 38–40, 72, ¡¡6, ¡62, 223, 226, 269, 293 Berlioz Takes a Trip (documentary) 40 Berman, Marc 62, ¡94 Bernard, Alain 62, ¡20, ¡94, 297 Bernard, Ivor 9¡ Bernard Herrmann (documentary) ¡00 Bernardi, Nerio ¡35 Berneis, Peter ¡¡8, 277 Bernier, Georges ¡¡8, ¡¡9, 277 Bernstein, Elmer ¡00 Bernstein, Leonard 32, 33, 40, 60, 62, 7¡, ¡0¡, ¡02, ¡2¡, ¡29, ¡30, 209, 2¡5, 2¡6, 222, 255, 269 Bernstein on Beethoven — A Celebration in Vienna (documentary) 32 Bero›, Michel 6¡ Berr, Ulrich 3¡ Berridge, Elizabeth ¡49 Berry, Eric 25¡ Berry, Jules 40, ¡¡8, ¡70 Berry, Walter ¡5¡ Berryman, Dorothée 58 Berte, Heinrich 3¡, ¡96, 200 Bertheay, Julien 40, ¡70 Berti, Marina 37, 67, ¡7¡ Bertic, André 30 Berton, Jeanne 57, ¡¡7 Bese, Sandor 75 Besozzi, Nino 30, ¡70, ¡85, ¡88, ¡89 Besserer, Eugenie ¡99 Best, Richard 250 Das Bett der Pompadour (Becce) 270 Bettau, Ulrich ¡57, 237 Beville, Dean 32 Beydits, Louis 57, ¡¡7, ¡57 Beyer, Paul 40, ¡¡6, ¡70 Beyer, T. W. ¡49 Beyle, Henri see Stendahl Bianca e Fernando (Bellini) 33 Bianchi, Antonia ¡66–¡68 Bichir, Demian 59 Biczycki, Jan 92, ¡49 Bierbrach, Rudolf ¡¡7 Bierry, Stephane 268 Big Broadcast of ¡937 (¡936 film) 222, 226

Bilcock, Jill ¡94 Bildt, Paul ¡4, 30, 269, 270, 277 Biliotti, Enzo 67, ¡35, ¡89, 266 Bill and Ted’s Bogus Journey (¡99¡ film) 8, ¡3, ¡4 Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure (¡989 film) 3, ¡6, ¡8, 3¡ Bille, Karl ¡54 Billi, Mimo ¡76 Billinger, Richard 30, 3¡, 92 Billion Dollar Brain (¡967 film) 4, 209 Billy the Kid ¡8 Billy the Kid (Copland) 59 Binder, Sybilla ¡57, ¡69, ¡99 Bing, Herman ¡99, 236 Biography — Beethoven (documentary) 32 Biography — Mozart (documentary) ¡5¡ Bird, John 58, 77 Birken, Jane 3¡ Birkin, David 58, ¡20 Birkinshaw, Alan 25¡ A Birthday Tribute to Shostakovich (documentary) 2¡5 Bishop, Ed 2¡4 Bishop, Julie 70 Bisset, Jacqueline 32, ¡90 Bixby, Jerome 29¡ Bizet, Georges 4¡–43, 75, ¡54, 226, 262 Bizet’s Dream (¡993 film) 4¡, 42 Blackadder, David ¡79 Blackford, Mary ¡99 Blackmer, Sidney ¡¡7 Blaha,Tore 48, 8¡, ¡2¡, 263 Blake, Eubie ¡05, 22¡ Blake, Julia 77 Blake, William ¡7¡, ¡72 Blakely, Colin 244 Blakely, David 220 Blanchar, Pierre 57, ¡¡7 Blanchard, Roger ¡49 Blangsted, Folmar 70, 7¡ Blanke, Henry 7¡ Blauko›, Herta ¡29 Blessed, Brian ¡5 Blier, Bernard 40, ¡70, ¡7¡ Blin, Roger 30 Blitschacher, Richard ¡50 Blood Song see Haunted Symphony Blossom Time (¡934 film) ¡66, ¡95, ¡97, ¡99 Blossom Time (Romberg/Schubert) ¡84, ¡96, ¡99 The Blue Danube (cartoon) 23¡ Blue Danube Waltz (Strauss) 220, 228, 230, 23¡ Bluett, Mike ¡79

Index Blythe, Domini 282 Bobba, Tamas 293 Boccaccio (Suppé) ¡55 Bock, Larry 32 Bodle, Douglas 32 Bogarde, Dirk 57, ¡08, ¡¡3, ¡¡4, ¡¡9, ¡2¡, ¡22, ¡28, 274, 277 Bogdanov, Vladimir 62, ¡94 Böheim, Franz ¡95, 200, 236 La Bohème (Puccini) ¡73, ¡74, ¡93 The Bohemian Girl (Balfe) ¡98 Bohemian Rapture (¡948 film) 5¡, 54, 57, ¡6¡, ¡64, ¡70 Bohen, Michael 235 Bohm, Carl (actor) ¡6, 23, 24, 3¡, 92, ¡57, ¡95, 200, 237 Bohm, Karl (conductor) 23, 50, ¡29 Bohnen, Roman 47, ¡¡8, 207 Bohnet, Folker 278 Bois, Curt 236 Boito, Arrigo 37, 67, ¡74, ¡76, ¡89, 266 Bokanowski, Gilbert 3¡ Bolero (Ravel) 209 Bolet, Jorge 57, ¡¡4, ¡¡9, 278 Bolgur, Anda ¡20 Bolognini, Manolo 37, 67, ¡77, ¡90, 266 Bolognini, Mauro 37, 67, ¡77, ¡90, 266 Bolt, Jeremy 50 Bolton, Guy 96, 229, 235 Bolvary, Geza von 56, ¡¡6 Bon Jovi, Jon ¡8 Bonanza (television series) 29¡ Bonaparte, Princess Anna Elisa ¡65, ¡66, ¡68 Bond, Jessie 249 Bone, George Harvey (character) 285, 286 Bonin, Darren 5¡, 58 Bonnard, Mario 30, ¡70, ¡89 Boorman, Katrine 6¡ Borboni, Paola 37, 67, ¡7¡ Bordogni, Giuseppe 67 Bordoni, Faustina 85 Boris Godunov (Mussorgsky) ¡52, ¡79, 2¡3 Boris Godunov: The Making of an Opera ¡53 Borisov, Aleksandr ¡5¡–¡53, ¡83 Bornazzini, Cesare ¡49 Borne, Hal 226, 262 Bornträger, Eduard 47, ¡¡8, 207 Borodin, Alexander 79, ¡0¡, ¡5¡, ¡52, ¡79, ¡82, ¡83, 244, 26¡, 262 Borseth, Henrik 8¡ Borsody, Eduard von 30, 3¡, 92, ¡57 Borsody, Julius von 30

Bosco, Philip ¡00 Bosé, Lucia 200 Boskovic, Anja ¡29 Boskovsky, Willi ¡66 Bosley, Tom ¡00 Bottoms, John ¡00–¡03 Bouchet, Claudine 3¡ Bouchier, Chili 9¡ Boudet, Jacques 89 Boulanger, Nadia 60 Boulez, Pierre ¡29, 222, 24¡, 275, 278, 279 Boult, Adrian ¡06, ¡07 Boulting, John 250 Boulton, Davis 8¡, ¡¡9,¡58, 237 Bouquet, Michel ¡33 Bouquin, Jacques 2¡5 Boutelje, Phil 236 Bouvet, Jean-Christophe 48, 207 Bovério, Auguste ¡6, ¡9, 30, ¡99 Bowen, Catherine Drinker 263 Bowie, David ¡93 Bowman, James 88, 89, ¡49, ¡79 Bowman, Lee 96 Boyer, Charles ¡54, ¡57 Boyer, Jean 30, 200 Boyer, Myriam ¡33 Boyett, William 68–70 Boynage, Richard 37 Brach, Jerard 75 Bradley, F. G. ¡07 Bradsell, Michael ¡29, ¡50, 263 Brady, Alice 226 Bragg, Melvyn 6¡, 263 Braham, Leonora 249 Brahms (documentary) 48 Brahms, Johannes 5, 43–48, 68, ¡¡0, ¡62, 202, 203, 205, 206, 207, 255, 29¡ Brahms and the Little Singing Girls (¡997 film) 43, 44, 48, 20¡, 206, 207 Brahms: Keeper of the Classical Flame (documentary) 48 Braithwaite, Warwick ¡07 Brambell, Wilfred ¡94 Bramwell, Christopher 2¡4 Branagh, Kenneth ¡5, 32, ¡5¡, ¡29, ¡77, 263, 279, 289 Brandenburg Concertos (Bach) 8 Brandes, Werner 56, ¡¡6 Brandis, Helmut ¡4 Brandram, Rosina 249 Brandt, Julius 200, 236 Branmer, Philip 48, 78, 8¡, ¡20, 263 Brasseur, Pierre 3¡, 265 Braun, Harald 47, ¡¡8, 207 Braun, Russell 32 Braun, Viktor 236, 237 Brazzi, Rossano ¡58, 234, 237 Brecher, Egon ¡¡7

303

Bregnone, Guido ¡72 Breiner, Peter 92, ¡50 Breler, Margot ¡49 Bremer, Lucille 96 Bremer, Max 293 Bremmer, Rory 43 Brennan, Eileen ¡00 Brenner, Jules ¡00 Brentano, Antonie ¡7 Breon, Edmund 37, ¡85, ¡86, ¡89 Breughel, Peter 55 Brewer, Alex 252, 259, 262 Brewer, Bruce ¡49 Brick, Al ¡99 Bride of the Wind (200¡ film) ¡2¡, ¡26–¡29, 238, 240 Briese, Gerd 30 Brigg Fair (Delius) 62 Bright Road (¡940 film) 72 Brinchmann, Helen 8¡ Brine, Adrian ¡50 Bring Me the Head of Amadeus see Not Mozart Brionne, Trude 235 Brittain, Andrew 2¡4 Britten, Benjamin 5 Brizzi, Anchise ¡48 Brizzi, Gaetan 7¡, 227 Brizzi, Paul 7¡, 227 Broadbent, Jim ¡93, ¡94, 249, 25¡ Brochet, Anne ¡33 Brocklehurst, Reverend (character) ¡¡0 Brody, Jonathan 7¡ Brokaw, Cary 283 Bromberg, J. Edward ¡¡7 Bronfman, Yefim 7¡, 227 Brontë, Emily ¡7 Brook, Clive 273 Brook, Lyndon 57, ¡¡9, 269, 273, 274, 277 Brooke, Hillary 99 Brooke, Paul ¡90 Broschi, Carlo see Farinelli Broschi, Ricardo 86, 87, 88 Broser, Gert ¡50 Brown, Anne 70 Brown, Billie 77 Brown, Clarence 47, ¡¡8, 207 Brown, Joanne 262 Brown, June 244 Brown, Martin ¡94 Brown, Ralph 58, ¡20 Brown, Royal S. ¡00 Brown, Stephen 59 Browne, Graham ¡60 Browne, Leslie 243, 244 Brozek, Jiri 237 Brstina, Branimir ¡29 Bru, Miriam 37, 67, ¡76, ¡89, 266 Bruce, Nigel ¡¡7, 246, 250

304

Index

Bruch, Max ¡92 Bruckner, Anton 5, 49, 50 Bruckner’s Decision see Bruckners Entscheidung Bruckners Entscheidung (¡995 film) 49, 50, 269, 275, 278 Brunsch, Henry ¡49, 236 Brunswick, Therese ¡7, 2¡, 22 Bruntjen, Eckart ¡4 Bryant, Joshua ¡00 Bryant, Sally 240 Bubik, Istvan 75, ¡58 Buchman, Sidney 57, ¡¡8, ¡70 Bucholz, Horst ¡58, 228, 234, 237 Buder, E. E. ¡¡7 Buhre, Traugott 200 Buldakova, Lina ¡9¡ Bulldog Drummond (¡929 film) 246 Bulo›, Joseph 226, 262 Bülow, Cosima von see Wagner, Cosima Bülow, Hans von ¡¡9, ¡20, 272, 277, 278 Bunet, Dana ¡99 Bunn, Graham ¡20, 278 Burden, Hugh 50 Burford, Roger ¡99 Burghauser, Jarmil 2¡7 Burgho›, Gary ¡96 Burgmer, Elly 47, ¡¡8, 207 Burke, Simon 77 Burks, Robert 7¡, ¡99 Burns, David ¡85 Burns, George 222, 226 Burns, Jennifer 288 Burns, Mark ¡28, 278 Burns, Robert 282 Burton, Bernard W. 226 Burton, Humphrey ¡29 Burton, Richard 5, ¡20, 275–278 Busch, Richard ¡92 Bush, Dick 6¡, 64, 77, ¡29, 240 Bush, George H. W. ¡60 Bush, Maurice ¡6 Busoni, Ferruccio 76, 2¡6 Busoni, Manlio 37, 67, ¡7¡, ¡76, ¡89, 266 Buswell, James ¡5 But for Women: Dr. Brahms, Johannes Brahms (documentary) 48 Butin, Jacques 30, ¡99 Butler, Frank 236 Butler, Peter ¡29 Butoy, Hendel 7¡, 227 Buttenstedt, Fritz ¡7¡ Buy, Margherita ¡90 Byrd, William 280, 28¡ Byrne, Barbara ¡49 Byrne, Gabriel ¡20, 278

Cabellé, Montserrat ¡90 The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (¡9¡9 film) 8 Cadell, Jean ¡48 Cagli, Bruno 32, ¡90 Cahill, Sally 42 Cahuet, Albéric 53, 57, ¡¡7 Caine, Michael 5, 209 The Cairo Goose (Mozart) ¡48 Calabria, Melba Ru›o di 37, 67, ¡77, ¡90, 266 Calder, Alegra 88, 89 Callas, Maria 5, 293 Callow, Simon 82, 86, 88, ¡43, ¡49, ¡57, ¡77, ¡78 Calloway, Cab 7¡ La Callunnia (Rossini) ¡87 Calthrop, Donald 37, ¡89 Calvert, Phyllis ¡70 Camare, Milan von 236 Camarena, Gerardo 59 Cambridge, Godfrey ¡05, 22¡ Cameron, Basil ¡70 Camille (¡937 film) ¡09, ¡93 Camille Claudel (¡998 film) 60, 6¡ Camilleri, Terry 3¡ Camilli, Favio 37, 67, ¡77, ¡90, 266 Caminito, Augusto ¡7¡ Cammarano, Salvatore 36 Campbell, Lissa (character) 286 Campbell, Nell 40, 47, 57, ¡¡9, ¡89, 278 La Campenella (Liszt) ¡¡4 Canale, Maria 3¡ Canferelli, Giovanni ¡4 Cannan, Phyllis ¡76 Cantelo, April 263 Cantini, Guido ¡48 The Cantor of St. Thomas’s (¡984 film) 8, ¡2, ¡4 El Capitan (Sousa) 2¡8, 220 Capolicchio, Lino ¡49 Capponi, Pier Paolo 89 Capriccio (R. Strauss) 238 Capriccio Espagnol (RimskyKorsakov) ¡79, ¡8¡, ¡82 Capriccio Italien (Tchaikovsky) 252, 254 Caprices (24) for solo violin (Paganini) ¡6¡, ¡62, ¡64, ¡65, ¡68, ¡69, 203 Capriol Suite (Warlock) 279, 282 Capriotto, Mario 200 Capucine 57, ¡¡3, ¡¡9, 277 Cara Sposa (Handel) 87, 88 Caraco, Albert ¡¡9 Caranfil, Nae ¡90 Cardi›, Jack 88, 250 Carestini 87

Carfora, Fabio ¡7¡ Carillo, Leo ¡¡7, 250 Carl, Reneé ¡69 Carle, Richard 30, 200 Carlin, George ¡4, 3¡ Carlin, Patricia 7¡, 227 Carlini, Paolo ¡4 Carlisle, Kitty 7¡ Carlo Gesualdo: Musician and Murderer (book) 279 Carlsen, Fanny ¡4 Carmen (Bizet) 4¡–43, 75, ¡54, ¡92 Carmen (documentary) 42 Carmen Jones (¡954 film) 43 Carmichael, Hoagy 287 Carnagie Hall (¡947 film) 222, 225, 226, 252, 255, 257, 262, 295 Carnaval (Schumann) 20¡, 205 Carnevali, Ida ¡20 Carney, Art ¡03, 22¡ Carnival (Levant) 69 Carnival of the Animals (SaintSaëns) ¡9¡ Carnovsky, Morris 70 Carol, Maetine, ¡¡9 Carolsfeld, Malvina von 275 Carolsfeld, Schnorr von 275 Carolyne, Princess see SaynWittgenstein Carosio, Margherita ¡92 Carratti, Ste›ano 292 Carré, Isabelle ¡20, 20¡, 207 Carrier, Mary 96 Carrier, Suzy 57, ¡¡7 Carriére, Mathieu 3¡, ¡58, 237 Carroll, Leo G. 47, ¡¡8, 204, 206, 207 Carroll, Matt 78 Carroll, Richard ¡99 Carson, Charles ¡99 Carson, Frank 2¡4 Carter, Ann 47, ¡¡8, 207 Carter, Winifred 9¡ Carteri, Rosanna ¡76, 200 Caruso, Enrico ¡6¡, ¡92 Carvalho, Walter 267 Casa Ricordi (¡954 film) 33, 36, 37, 64, 67, ¡73, ¡76, ¡77, ¡85, ¡86, ¡89, 264–266 Casa Ricordi (¡987 film) 33, 37, 64, 67, ¡73, ¡77, ¡85, ¡86, ¡90, 264, 266 Casanova, Giovanni ¡50, ¡68 Cases, Guillermo 7 Casey, Bernie 3¡ Cassel, Seymour ¡05, 22¡ Casta Diva (lost ¡935 film) 33 Casta Diva (¡954 film) 33–37, 64, 67, ¡6¡, ¡64, ¡7¡ Castel, Edmond 30, ¡99

Index Castelli, Ernst ¡4 Castellitto, Sergio 32, ¡90 Castelot, Jacques 37, 67, ¡7¡ Catalonia (Albéniz) Causes Intérieures de la Faiblesse Extérieure de l’Eglise (book) ¡¡6 Cauwenbergh, Ben van 244 Il Cavaliere del Sogno see Donizetti (¡947 film) Cavalleria Rusticana (Mascagni) ¡35 Cavani, Martin ¡49 Cavina, Gianni ¡49 Cawthorne, Joseph 250 Cazes, Clive 263 Cebotari, Maria 265 Celebrating Haydn (documentary) 93 The Celestial Country (Ives) ¡0¡ Cellie, Caroline 89 Cellier, Frank ¡70 Cellier, Peter 25¡ La Cenerentola (Rossini) ¡86 Cepek, Petr 237 Cervi, Gino ¡35, ¡48 Chabrol, Claude ¡00 Chaduc, Jean 5¡, 57, ¡¡7 Chadwick, George W. ¡0¡, ¡02 Chakiris, George 47, ¡¡8, 207, 292, 293 Chaliapin, Feodor ¡7¡, ¡83 Challis, Christopher 25¡ Chamberlain, Richard 252, 258, 260, 262 Chambers, Quentin ¡90 Chambers, Wheaton 47, ¡¡7, ¡¡8, 207 Champagne Waltz (¡937 film) 227, 230, 235 Champion, Gower 96 Chan, Charlie (character) 96 Chance, Michael ¡79 Chandler, David T, ¡¡9, 277 Chandler, Helen ¡99 Chandler, Lane ¡¡7, ¡52, ¡83, 262 Chandler, Michael ¡49 Chandos Anthems (Handel) 85, 86 Chaney, Lon ¡¡¡, ¡97, 288 Channing-Williams, Simon ¡77, 25¡ La Chanson de l’Adieu (¡934 film) 5¡, 56, ¡07, ¡08, ¡¡6 Chaplin, Charlie ¡69, 257 Chapman, Consuela 262 Chapman, Edward 37, ¡89, ¡99 Chariot, Philip ¡60 Charisse, Cyd 96, ¡85 Charles II (King of England) ¡78 Charles, Leon ¡05, 22¡

Charles Ives, American Pioneer (documentary) ¡02 Charles Ives: The Fourth Symphony (documentary) ¡02 Charlie Chan at the Opera (¡936 film) 69 Charon, Jacques ¡57 Chase, Stephan 244 Chatelier, Bernard ¡36, ¡4¡, ¡49 Chauvin, Louis ¡04 Checchi, Andrea 37, 67, ¡76, ¡89, 266 Chekhov, Anton 2¡3, 237 Chen, Yu-Lan 73 Chereau, Patrice 275, 279 Cherednik, Aleksandr ¡08, ¡20, 207 Cherkasov, Nikolai ¡53, ¡83 Cherone, Gary 3¡ Cheylov, Milan 89 Chiari, Mario 37, 67, ¡7¡ Chibarova, Akla 62, ¡94 Un Chien Andalou (¡929 film) ¡34 Chilcott, Susan 48, 207 Children’s Corner (Debussy) 60, 6¡ Chirkov, Boris 7¡–73 Chitty, Erik 8¡, ¡¡9 Chokas, Christina 42 Chopin (documentary) 58 Chopin, Frederic 3, 5, 38, 40, 5¡–58, 75, 99, ¡03, ¡08, ¡09, ¡¡2, ¡¡7, ¡59, ¡60, ¡62, ¡64, ¡85, 226, 262, 292, 293 Chopin: Autumn Dream (documentary) 58 Chopin — Bilder einer Trennung (¡993 film) 5¡, 55, 58 Chopin: The Piano Man (documentary) 58 Chopin Pregnienie Milosci (2002 film) 5¡, 56, 58, ¡08, ¡2¡ Chopsticks 273 Choral Symphony (Beethoven) ¡8, 23, 24, 25, 26, 29, 33 Christ on the Mount of Olives (Beethoven) ¡7 Christian, Cornel ¡20 Christian, Paul see Hubschmidt, Paul Christian-Jaque 40, ¡70 Christians, Mady ¡57 Christides, Robert 57, ¡¡7 Christie, Gordon ¡77 Christmas Chorale (¡953 film) 85 Christmas Oratorio (Bach) 8 Christopher, T. M. ¡49 Christus (Liszt) ¡08 Chromatic Fantasy and Fugue (Bach) 8

305

Chronik der Anna Magdalena Bach (¡968 film) 8, ¡2, ¡4 Chrysanthemum, An AfroAmerican Intermezzo (Joplin) ¡04 Chudik, Ladislav 90, 92, ¡49 Churchill, Marguerite ¡99 Churchill, Winston ¡92 Cibber, Susanna 83–86, 88 Cicognini, Allesandro 67 Cigoli, Emilio 64, 66, 67, ¡89, 266 CinemaScope Parade (¡954 film) 90, 92 Citizen Kane (¡94¡ film) 26, 27, 29, 97, 99 Clair de Lune (Debussy) 60, 227 Claire, Imogen 40, 47, 57, ¡¡9, ¡89, 262, 278 Claire, Mavis ¡07 “The Clara Schumann Story” (television show) 29¡ Clare, Mary 9¡ Clare, Sidney ¡99 Clarence, O.B. ¡70 Clark, Gordon ¡52, ¡83, 262 Clark, Graham ¡58 Clark, Ian D. ¡4 Clark, James B. 22¡ Clarke, Charles G. 22¡ Clarke, Malcolm 283 Claudan, Erique ¡¡¡, ¡¡2 Claudel, Camille 6¡ Clausen, Erik ¡54 Clayton, Bernie ¡4, 42, 89, ¡20, 237 Clements, John 37, ¡89 La Clemenza di Tito (Mozart) ¡36, ¡37, ¡40 ¡38 Clermont, Rene ¡76 Clermont-Tonnere, Antoine de ¡90 Cleve, Hans von 235 Clévenot, Philippe 6¡ Climent, Vincente 7 The Cloak see Il Tabarro Clooney, Rosemary ¡85 The Clouds (play) ¡ Clowes, Leigh ¡07 Clutsam, George ¡96, ¡99 Cluytens, André 75 Cluzet, François ¡90 Coburn, Charles 70 Cockaigne Overture (Elgar) ¡06 Coco, James 253 Cohen, Harriet 286 Coin, Christophe ¡33 Colbert, Claudette 96 Colbran, Isabella ¡87, ¡88 Colceag, Jelu ¡20 Cole, Vinson 32 Colley, Kenneth ¡6, 40, 47, 5¡,

306

Index

55, 57, ¡¡9, ¡29, ¡89, 240, 260, 262, 278 Collings, David 64, 76, 77, ¡29 Colman, Ronald 66 Colouris, George ¡25, ¡29 Columbo, Giuseppe 75 Come, Sweet Death (Bach) ¡¡ Comeaga, Cristian ¡90 Comeau, Phi 58 La Comedie de Terracina (book) ¡90 Companéez, Jacques 30, ¡99, 236 Composer and Court: Haydn and the Esterhazys (documentary) 92 Composer Glinka (¡952 film) 7¡–73, ¡07, ¡08, ¡¡¡, ¡¡8 Comstock, Frank ¡00 Conan Doyle, Arthur 270 Concert Fantasy (Tchaikovsky) 252 Concerto Macabre (Herrmann) 286 Concord Sontata (Ives) ¡0¡, ¡02 Confucius ¡4 Conkie, Heather 32, 43, ¡¡5, ¡20, ¡90 Conn, C. G. 2¡8 Connell, Richard ¡99 Connock, Jim ¡9¡ Connolly, Myles 96 Connolly, Walter 93–96 Conrad, Con 236 Conrada, Heinz 200 Conselman, William M. ¡99 Constantine, Frixos ¡9¡ Constantine, Michael ¡00 Conti, Albert ¡¡7, ¡99 Cook, Roderick ¡49 Cook, Ron 25¡ Cooper, Gary 44 Cooper, Imogen ¡49 Cooper, Jackie 96 Cooper, Melville 246, 250 Copland, Aaron 59 Copland’s America (documentary) 59 The Copyist see Puhtaaksikirjoittaja Corbiau, Andree 89 Corbiau, Gerard 89 Cordeau, Lally ¡90 Corduner, Alan 245, 249, 25¡, 282 Corman, Roger 288 Corneau, Alain ¡3¡–¡33 Cornelius, Peter ¡20, 275, 278 Cornish Rhapsody (Bath) 286 Coronation March (Tchaikovsky) 255

Corradi, Nelly 37, 67, ¡76, ¡89, 266 Corraface, Georges 58, ¡20 Cortal, Jacques ¡20, 207 Cortese, Valentina ¡¡9, 270, 277, 290 Così fan Tutti (Mozart) ¡36, ¡38 Coslow, Sam 226, 262 Costa, Gwendal 58 Costa, Mary ¡58, 237 Costa, Romolo ¡72 Coughlin, Bruce 7¡, 227 Coulouris, George 57, ¡¡8, ¡70 Country Gardens (Grainger) 76 Couperin, Françios ¡33 Courage, Alexander ¡85 Court, Joanne 3¡, 92 Coustet, Marita 3¡ Covert, Earl 236 Cowan, Jerome 96 Cox, Brian 8, ¡2, ¡3, ¡4 Cox, Chris ¡50 Cox, Jack E. ¡57, ¡70 Cox and Box (Sullivan) 245, 248 Cozarinsky, Edgardo 2¡3, 2¡5 Craft, Ben ¡50 Craft, Robert 24¡ Craven, Gemma ¡20, 275, 278 The Creation (Haydn) 90 The Creatures of Prometheus (Beethoven) ¡7 Cregar, Laird 285, 286 Les Crépuscule des Dieux see Lugwig (¡972 film) Crespi, Alberto ¡29 Cressoy, Pierre ¡34, ¡35, ¡89, 264, 266 Cretulescu, Tamara ¡20 Cribbens, Bernard ¡93, ¡94 Crispin, Janine 56, ¡¡7 Cristofoletti, Ciro ¡28 Crittenden, Roger 64, 77, 240 Cronin, Hume ¡¡7 Cronkite, Walter 238, 29¡ Cropper, Linda 77 Crosby, Bing 222 Crosby, Mary ¡58, 237 Cross, Ben 288 Crossetti, Domenico 67 Crothers, Scatman 246, 250 Crouse, Russell 96 Crovetti, Diego ¡36 Cruickshank, Andrew ¡20, ¡57, ¡76, 275 Crutchley, Rosalie ¡29 Csillag, Stephan 226 Cube, Irmgard von 47, ¡¡8, 207 Cui, Cesar ¡5¡, ¡52, ¡82, ¡83, 262 Cukor, George 57, ¡¡2, ¡¡9, 278 Culkin, Michael 32 Cummings, Irving 250 Cuny, Alain 6¡

Cuo, Gabriela ¡20 Cupara, Miroslav ¡29 Curci, Elvira ¡¡7, ¡52, ¡83, 262 Curlew: Song Cycle After Yeats (Warlock) Currie, Findlay 22¡ Curtis, Alan 30, ¡95, ¡97, 200 Curzon, George ¡48 Cusacj, Cyril ¡20, 278 Cusanelli, Peter 57, ¡¡8, ¡70 Cushing, Peter ¡¡9, 270, 277 Cuvelier, Marcel 48, 20¡, 207 Cuzzoni, Francesca 84, 85 Cyprian, Adam 57, ¡7¡ Czejke, Peter 228, 236 Czepa, Friedl 236 Czernicka, Paulina 56 Czi›ra, Georges 58, ¡20 Czi›ra, Geza von 262 Dadieu, Daniela ¡29, 24¡ d’Agoult, Countess Marie 55, ¡09, ¡¡3, ¡¡5 Dagover, Lil 8, ¡4 Dahlke, Paul 262 Dalban, Max ¡57 Dale, Laurence ¡58 Dali, Salvador ¡34, ¡92 Dallansky, Bruno 3¡, 92 Dallas, Julian 9¡ Dallo, Marcel 57, ¡¡9, 277 Dalma, Rubi 67 Daltrey, Roger 40, 47, 57, ¡08, ¡¡6, ¡¡9, ¡89, 278 Daly, James 29¡ Dam-Jensen, Inger ¡58 D’Ambra, Lucia 266 d’Amico, Suso Cecchi 32, ¡90, 278 La Damnation de Faust (Berlioz) 38 Damone, Vic ¡85 Damrosch, Walter 69, 70, 226, 255, 262 Dance, Charles 288 Dance of Mère Gigone and the Clowns (Tchaikovsky) 259 Dance of the Hours (Ponchielli) 223 Dance of the Seven Veils (¡970 film) 238–240 Dandridge, Dorothy 43 Danevic, Nena ¡49 Dangerous Moonlight (¡94¡ film) 289 Daniell, Henry 46, 47, ¡07,¡09, ¡¡0, ¡¡8, 204, 205, 207 Danielsson, Tage ¡94 Danny, Yvonne 48, ¡20, 207, 278 “Danny Boy” 76 Danse Macabre (Saint-Saëns) ¡9¡

Index Dante Symphony (Liszt) ¡08, ¡2¡ Danton (¡93¡ film) ¡0, 2¡ Danton (¡982 film) 44, 268 Dantzer, Mark 57, ¡07, ¡¡7 Daphnis and Chloë (Ravel) 242 Da Ponte, Lorenzo ¡38 Dapporto, Massimo 268 D’Aquino, Tosca ¡7¡ Darcant, Jean 40, ¡70 Dark Shadows (television series) ¡¡5 Darnell, Linda 285 D’Artega, Alfonso 226, 252, 255, 262 Darvas, Ivan ¡07, ¡¡0, ¡¡8 Darvas, Janos 48, 244 Daub, Ewald 30, ¡70 Davenport, Jack 32, 92 Davey, Allen M. 57, ¡¡8, ¡70 Davey, Bruce 32 David, Cli›ord ¡6, ¡8, 3¡ David, Eleanor 25¡ Davidson, Christopher ¡36, ¡4¡, ¡49 Davies, Tudor ¡48 Davion, Alexander 5¡, 57, ¡¡9, 277 Davis, Bette 287 Davis, Carl 249, 25¡ Davis, Clifton ¡05, 22¡ Davis, Colin 2¡6 Davis, Judy 55, 57, ¡20 Dawson, Hal K. 96 Dawson, Lynne ¡79 Day, Doris 97–99, ¡56 Dead Again (¡99¡ film) 289 Dean, Basil ¡48 Dean, Isabel 25¡ Dean, Letitia ¡78 Death and the Maiden (Schubert) ¡95 Death and Transfiguration (R. Strauss) 238 Death in Venice (¡97¡ film) ¡2¡– ¡23, ¡28 Debary, Jacques ¡9¡ Debucort, Jean 30 Debussy, Claude 60–63, ¡92– ¡94, 222, 227, 242, 243, 244 Debussy, Claude-Emma “Chouchou” 6¡ The Debussy Film (¡965 film) 60, 6¡ DeCamp, Rosemary 70 DeCarlo, Yvonne ¡¡9, ¡80, ¡82, ¡83, 272, 277 Deception (¡946 film) 287 Deckers, Eugene 9¡ Decomble, Guy ¡¡8 Dedication see Widmung Dee, Ruby 7¡

Deep in My Heart (¡954 film) ¡84, ¡85 DeFabritiis, Oliviero 37, 67, ¡7¡ DeFalla, Manuel 226, 262 Defeat of Hannibal see Scipio Africanus Dégas, Edgar 75 Degavio, Bruno ¡90 Degischer, Vilma ¡57, 237 Degler, Christa ¡4 Deidamia (Handel) 87 Delaborde, Elie 4¡, 42 Delacroix, Eugene 53, 55, 58, ¡20 Delafield, E. M. ¡60 Delaitre, Marcel 57, ¡¡7 Delamare, Lisa 40, ¡70 Delannoy, Jean 57, ¡¡7 DeLeon, Walter 226 Delerue, Georges 5 Delevanti, Cyril ¡¡7 Delibes, Leo 226, 262 Delius, Frederick 5, 62–64, 76, 77, ¡06, ¡07, 239, 279, 280 Delius As I Knew Him (book) 64, 77 Delmar, Elaine ¡29 Delmare, Fred 3¡ Del Monaco, Mario 36, 37, 67, ¡35, ¡76, ¡89, 265, 266, 293 Delorme, Daniele 37, 67, ¡76, ¡89, 266 Del Poggio, Carla ¡35 Deltgen, René ¡6, ¡9, 20, 30, 92 DeLuca, Dina 283 Demidova, Alla 263 Denburg, Arthur ¡20, 278 Dench, Bertram 235 Denison, Michael 290 Depardieu, Gerard 6¡, ¡30, ¡32, ¡33 Depardieu, Guillaume ¡30, ¡32, ¡33 Deppe, Hans ¡57 Derecskei, Zsolt 75 Dermota, Anton ¡49 Desagneaux, Jacques 40, ¡70 Desert Song (Romberg) ¡84, ¡85 Desney, Ivan 3¡, 57, 92, ¡¡9, 277 DeSousa, Edward 288 Desprès, Suzanne 200 Deutsch, Adolph ¡85 Deutsch, Ernst ¡99 Deutschland über Alles ¡69 The Devil and Daniel Webster (¡94¡ film) 97 The Devils (¡97¡ film) 5 Devil’s Symphony (Komarov) 288 Devil’s Trill Sonata (Tartini) ¡68 Devine, David 2, ¡4, 26, 32, 4¡,

307

42, 88, 89, ¡¡5, ¡20, ¡90, 234, 237 Devlin, Alan 85, 88 Deym, Count Joseph ¡45 DeYoung, Cli› ¡00 Diabelli Variations (Beethoven) ¡7 Diadkova, Larissa 2¡5 Diaghilev, Sergei ¡93, 24¡–243 Diamant, Otto 40, 47, 57, ¡¡9, ¡29, ¡89, 240, 278 Diamante, Saverio ¡4 Diamond, Neil 69 Diary of Vaslav Nijinsky (book) 244 Diaz, Mercedes 7 Di Benedetto, Ida ¡49 Diberti, Luigi 32 Dichamp, Gene-François 293 Dichterliebe (Schumann) 202 Dick, Douglas 70 Dickens, Sta›ord ¡57 Dickman, Karl-Heinz 89 Dido and Aeneas (Purcell) ¡78 Didriksen, Ragnar 8¡ Diegelmann, Wilhelm ¡69, ¡99 Diehl, Karl Ludwig 237 Dieterlie, William ¡¡9, 277 Dietrich, Frank ¡29 Dietrich, Marlene 44 Di›ring, Anton 57, ¡08, ¡¡0, 278 DiGesu, Peter ¡49 DiGiacomo, Franco 32, ¡90 Dik, Nikolai ¡20, 207 Di Lazzaro, Dalila ¡7¡ Dimambro, Joe ¡85, ¡88, ¡90 Dimionato, Giulietta 37, 67, ¡76, ¡89, 266 Dimitriou, Georgio ¡9¡ Dionisi, Stefano 89 Dirmoser, Herbert 56, ¡¡6 Dirstein, Robert 32 Discovering Delius (documentary) 64 Disney, Roy Edward 7¡, 225, 227 Disney, Walt 3¡, 9¡, 92, ¡57, ¡58, 223–226, 23¡, 233, 237 Disraeli, Benjamin ¡¡7 DiStefano, Andrea 75 Dithyramb (Stokowski) 222 The Divine Anna see Anna Pavlova The Divine Spark (¡935 film) 33, 37, ¡85, ¡86, ¡89 Divinne, François ¡37 Divoka Srdce (¡985 film) ¡36, ¡50 “Dixie” (Sousa arrangement) 220 La Dixième Symphonie (¡9¡8 film) 2¡ Djordjevic, Dragomir ¡29

308

Index

Dmitriyev, Igor ¡¡9 Doazan, Aurelle 6¡ Dobtche›, Vernon ¡20, ¡79, 2¡4, 244, 275, 278, 293 Doc (¡97¡ film) ¡02 Docker, Melissa ¡6, ¡34 Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (¡94¡ film) 280 Dr. Mabuse the Gambler (¡922 film) 8 Dodd, Jimmie ¡52, ¡83, 262 Dods, Marcus 25¡ Doe, Charles 88 Doelle, Franz 236 Doga, Yevgeni ¡9¡ Dolan, Stanley ¡85 Dolce far Niente (¡999 film) ¡85, ¡86, ¡90 Dolenz, George ¡83 Dolin, Anton 244 Domestic Symphony (R. Strauss) 238, 240 Domin, Friedrich 277 Don Carlo (Verdi) 264 Don Giovanni (Mozart) ¡36, ¡39, ¡44 Don Juan (character) ¡97 Don Juan Triumphant 74, 288 Don Pasquale (Donizetti) 64, 66 Don Quixote (R. Strauss) 238 Donadio, Guilio 67 Donat, Robert 247, 250 Donizetti (¡947 film) 64–67 Donizetti, Gaetano 34, 36, 37, 38, 64–67, ¡7¡, ¡76, ¡77, ¡89, ¡90, 265, 266, 292 Donizetti, Virginia 66 Donlevy, Brian ¡80, ¡83 La Donna e Mobile (Verdi) 264, 265 Donna Non Vidi Mai (Puccini) ¡74 Donnell, Je› 70 Donnelly, Dorothy ¡85, ¡96 Donnor, Otto 2¡6 Dor, Christiane 56, ¡¡7 Dor, Karin ¡58, 237 Dora, Josefin ¡¡7 Doran, Ann 70 Doré, Gustave ¡24 Dornford-May, Mark 43 Dostal, Karel 57, ¡6¡, ¡70, 2¡7 Dotrice, Roy ¡49 Double Jeopardy (book) 283 The Double Life of Franz Schubert see The Temptation of Franz Schubert Dougan, Eamon ¡36, ¡50 Douglas, Gordon 7¡ Doutey, Alain 268 Down, Angela ¡29 Downes, Olin 226, 262

Doyle, Patrick 289, 290 D’Oyly Carte, Richard 245, 246, 248, 25¡ Dracula, Count (character) 273 Drahokoupilova, Marie 237 Drake, Milton 236 Drapella, Hubert 57, ¡7¡ Dreaming Girl see La Rêveuse Drei Mäderl um Schubert (¡936 film) ¡95, ¡96, ¡99 Das Dreimäderlhaus (¡9¡8 film) ¡6¡, ¡62, ¡69, ¡95, ¡96, ¡99 Das Dreimäderlhaus (¡958 film) ¡6, ¡9, 23, 3¡, ¡95, ¡97, 200 Das Dreimäderlhaus (Berté) 3¡, ¡70, ¡95, ¡96, ¡99, 200 Dressed to Kill (¡946 film) ¡86 Drewanz, Katja ¡4 Drewicz, S. 57, ¡7¡ Drews, Carl 235 Drexler, Rudolf 47, ¡¡8, 207 Dreyer, Carl ¡24 Dreyfus (¡930 film) 2¡ Dreyfus, Jean-Claude ¡33 Drinking Song (Verdi) 265 Drinkwater, John ¡99 Drinkwater, Ros 8¡, ¡¡9 Drucker, David 75 Drumroll Symphony (Haydn) 90 Dryden, John ¡78 Dübber, Martha ¡70 Dubini, Elsa ¡35 Dubosc, Gaston 30 Dubost, Paulette ¡¡9 Ducaux, Annie 30, 57, ¡¡7, ¡¡8 Duclos, Philippe ¡33 Dugalic, Nebojsa ¡29 Dukas, Paul 7¡, 223, 224, 226, 227 Dulac, Arthur 90, 9¡ Dumas, Alexandre 57, ¡¡7 Dumcke, Ernst 236 Duncan, Peter 78 Duncan, Sam ¡¡7 Dunn, Liam ¡00 Dunne, Philip ¡¡7 Dunsmore, Rosemary ¡4 Dupin, Aurore see Sand, George Dupont, Ewald André ¡¡9, 277 Duprez, Gilbert-Louis 66 Durasov, Lev 72, 73, ¡¡8 Durbin, Deanna 222, 223, 226 Düringer, Annemarie ¡57, 236 Duse, Carlo ¡76 Duszynski, Jerzy 57, ¡70 Dutoit, Charles ¡7¡ Duvivier, Julian 236 Dux, Pierre ¡57 Dvorak, Antonin ¡65, 237 Dvorak in Love (¡988 film) 5 Dvorska, Milena 237 Dwan, Allan ¡¡7

d’Yd, Jean ¡¡8 Dykstra, Ted 8, ¡3 , ¡4 Dyrenforth, Harold 226, 262 Dyrr, Emanuel 48, 82, ¡08, ¡2¡, 263 Dzhigarkhanyan, Armen 32 Earp, Virgil ¡02 Earp, Wyatt ¡02 Ebenbauer, Erwin ¡29, 24¡ Ebersole, Christine ¡49 Eckhardt, Fritz ¡57, ¡58, 237 Eckhaus, Gwen ¡50 Ecstasy (¡933 film) 270 Eddy, Nelson ¡¡2, ¡¡7 Edelman, Louis F. 57, ¡¡8, ¡70 Edens, Roger ¡85 Edgar (Puccini) ¡74 Edgar, Hindle 235 Edison, Thomas A. ¡3 Edmiston, Walker ¡00 Edthofer, Anton 236 Edvard Grieg, The Man and His Music (documentary) 82 Edvard Grieg — What Price Immortality? see What Price Immortality? Edward VII (King of England) ¡93 Edwards, Henry ¡70 Eespäev, Epp 2¡5 Eggebrecht, Axel 236 Eggerth, Martha 37, ¡89, ¡99 Egmont (Beethoven) ¡7, ¡9, 23 Der Ehre Gottes in der Natur (Beethoven) 24 Ehrin, John ¡4 Ehrlich, Karl 30, 3¡, 200, 236, 237 Eiben, Istvan ¡¡7, ¡¡8 Eichgrün, Bruno ¡70, ¡99 Eight Songs of Li Po (Lambert) ¡06 ¡8¡2 Overture (Tchaikovsky) 252, 257, 26¡ Eighteenth Year (¡958 film) ¡52 Eileen (Herbert) 95 Eine Feste Burg (Bach/ Stokowski) 222 Eine Kleine Nachtmusik (Mozart) ¡36 Eine Kleine Nachtmusik (¡939 film) ¡35, ¡39, ¡48 Eisenbrenner, Werner 47, ¡¡8, 207 Eisenstein, Sergei 72 Eisenstrecken, Edoth 50, 278 Ekblad, Stina ¡54 Eklund, Anna ¡54 Ekmond, Gosta ¡94 Elegiac Melodies (Grieg) 78 Elektra (R. Strauss) 238

Index Elgar, Edward 4, 5, 63, 7¡, ¡06, ¡07, 227 L’Elisir d’Amore (Donizetti) 64, 65, 66 Elizabetta (Rossini) ¡87 Elliott, Gerald 88 Elliott, Scott ¡52, ¡83, 262 Ellis, Antonia ¡29 Ellis, Lillian 235 Ellis, Michael 58, ¡20 Ellis Island (miniseries) 293 Elmay, Edith 3¡, 200 Elsner, Joseph Xaver 5¡, 53 Embryons Desseches (Satie) ¡92 Emery, Gilbert 30, 200 Emilfork, Daniel ¡49 Emlekül Katicnak (book) ¡¡¡ Emmer, Luciano 266 Emo, E. W. ¡70, ¡99, 236 Emperor Concerto (Beethoven) ¡9, 24, 29, 259 Emperor Quartet (Haydn) ¡69 Emperor Waltz (Strauss) 228 Empress and Me see Ich und die Kaiserin Ende, Walther Van den 89 Endelman, Stephen ¡28, ¡29, 24¡ L’Enfance du Christ (Berlioz) 38 L’Enfant Prodigue (Debussy) 60 Engels, Wera 30 Engl, Olga 277 England, Paul ¡99 England, My England (¡995 film) ¡78 Englisch, Lucie ¡99 English, David 40, 47, 57, ¡¡9, ¡89, 278 Englund, Robert 288 Engulfed Cathedral (Debussy) 60 Enigma Variations (Elgar) 5 The Entertainer (Joplin) ¡03 Entremont, Philippe 58, ¡20 Epp, Elisabeth 237 Ercy, Elizabeth 64, 77 Erdody, Marie ¡7, 25, 26 Erdos, Ilona ¡¡7 Erhardt, Gero 57 Erkel (¡952 film) ¡07, ¡08, ¡¡¡, ¡¡8 Erkel, Franz ¡08, ¡¡¡, ¡¡8 Erlandsen, Erland 57, ¡¡9, 277 Der Erlkönig (Schubert) ¡95 Ermler, Friedrich ¡4 Ernst, Don 7¡, 227 Eroica (¡949 film) ¡6, ¡9, 23, 3¡ Eroica (2002 film) 2, ¡6, 29, 32, 90–92 Eroica Symphony (Beethoven) ¡8, 29, ¡53 Ertmann, Dorothea von ¡7 Es War eine Rauschende Ballnacht (¡939 film) 252–255, 262

Esche, Eberhard 3¡ Escorel, Eduardo 267 Escorel, Lauro 283 Esmond, Carl ¡¡9, ¡99 Espansiva Symphony (Nielsen) ¡53 Estabrook, Howard 30, 200 Esterhazy, Caroline ¡96 Esterhazy, Nicholas 92 Esther (Handel) 86 Estrella, Alberto 59 Il Etait un Musicien see Monsieur Schumann Eternal Waltz see Ewiger Walzer Etlinger, Karl 236 Eugene Onegin (Tchaikovsky) 252, 258, 262 Evans, Daniel (character) 287 Evans, Maurice ¡54, ¡57, 245, 247, 248, 25¡ Evans, Wynford 88 Everest, Barbara ¡¡7 Evstigneyez, Yvgeny 263 Eweler, Helmut ¡70 Ewiger Walzer (¡954 film) ¡54, ¡55, ¡57, 228, 232, 233, 236, 237 The Execution of Stenka Razin (Shostakovich) 208 Exultate, Jubilate (Mozart) 223 Eybner, Richard 30, 3¡, 92, 236 Eyre, Peter ¡29 Fabianova, Vlasta 57, ¡70 Fabrizi, Franco ¡28 Face of Russia (documentary) 73, ¡83, ¡84 Fagundes, Antonio 267 Fahrenheit 45¡ (¡966 film) 97 Fahrmann, Anja ¡4 The Fair at Sorochinsk (Mussorgsky) ¡52 Fairbanks, Douglas 44 The Fairy Queen (Purcell) ¡78 Fairy Tales see Phantasiestücke Falconi, Armando 30, ¡70, ¡89 Falkenberg, Paul ¡99 Falkenstein, Julius ¡54, ¡57 The Fall of the House of Usher (Debussy) 60 Falsta› (Verdi) 264, 265 Famery, Jacques ¡76 Il Faminio (Pergolese) ¡72 La Fanciulla del West see Girl of the Golden West Fanfare for America: Aaron Copland the Composer 59, 60 Fanfare for the Common Man (Copland) 59 Fantasia (¡940 film) 22, 222– 226, 23¡

309

Fantasia on Polish Themes (Paserewski) ¡58 Fantasia 2000 (2000 film) 68– 7¡, 222, 225, 226 Fantasy and Fugue after Meyerbeer (Liszt) ¡08 Farewell Symphony (Haydn) 90, 93 A Farewell to Arms (¡957 film) ¡¡2 Farewell Waltz see Abschiedswalzer Farinelli 86, 87 Farinelli, il Castrato (¡994 film) 82, 86, 87, 89 Farkis, Ferenc ¡¡9 Farrar, Jane ¡¡7 Farrell, Charles ¡60 Farthingale, Hermione ¡58, 237 Fassbinder, Max ¡70, ¡99 Fatum (Tchaikovsky) 252 Fauchois, René ¡¡8 Faulds, Andrew 40, 47, 57, ¡¡9, ¡29, ¡89, 262, 278 Faulkner, James ¡58, 237 Faulkner, Leo ¡6, 29 Faulkner, Peter 2¡4 Fauré, Gabriel 6¡ Faust (Gounod) 74, 75, ¡¡2, ¡82 Faust Symphony (Liszt) ¡08, ¡¡4, ¡2¡ Favino, Pierfrancesco ¡85, ¡86, ¡90 Favre, Waldo 47, ¡¡8, 207 Fay, Bela ¡¡7 Fay, Jean 56, ¡¡7 Faye, Alice 245, 250 Fazan, Adrienne ¡85 Fechner, Christian 6¡ Die Feen (Wagner) 268 Feist, Maja ¡70 Feitshans, Fred R., Jr. 226, 262 Feld, Fritz ¡¡7 Fellini, Federico 290 Fellini, Riccardo 200 Fenby, Eric 62–64, 77, 240 Fenin, Lev ¡53, ¡83 Fennell, Tod 89 Ferdinand (King of Naples) ¡87 Ferguson, Frank 22¡ Ferguson, Norm 226 Ferjac, Anouk 48, 20¡, 207 Fernandez, Dominique ¡49 Ferraguti, Aldo 37, 67, ¡76, ¡89, 266 Ferrani, Cesira ¡74 Ferrari, Isabella ¡90 Ferrari, Mario 67 Ferraro, Anna-Maria 67, ¡89, 266 Ferrens, Maria ¡50 Ferrer, Jose ¡84, ¡85

310

Index

Ferri, Liana 67, ¡35, ¡89, 200, 266 Ferriol, Andrea 268 Ferris, Barbara 292 Ferzetti, Gabriele 36, 67, ¡73, ¡75, ¡76, ¡89, 266 Fethke, Jan 236 Feuillade, Louis ¡39, ¡48, ¡6¡, ¡69 Feydeau, Jean-Pierre 40, ¡70 Fialova, Vlasta 2¡7 Fichtner, Paula Sutter ¡5 Fidelio (Beethoven) ¡9, 24, 33 Field, John 7¡ Field, Margaret 70 Fields, Lew 250 57th Street Rhapsody 226, 285 Filatov, Yevgeni 32 Filippo, Fab ¡20 Filippo, Luigi 37, 67, ¡76, ¡89, 266 La Fille du Régiment (Donizetti) 64 La Fin du Paganini (¡9¡0 film) ¡6¡, ¡69 Finch, Peter 25¡ Finct, Werner ¡¡9 Findlay, Frank 32, 90–92 Finfer, David ¡4 Finlandia (Sibelius) 2¡6 Finlayson, James 30, 96, ¡98, 200 Finn, Terry ¡4 Finston, Nathaniel ¡52, ¡53, ¡83, 262 Finti, Andrei ¡20 Firebird (Stravinsky) 24¡ Fischer, Hans Conrad 50, ¡50, ¡5¡ Fischer, Ivan ¡20, 278 Fischer, Johann ¡37 Fischer, Kai ¡57, 237 Fischer, O. W. 3¡, 288 Fischer, Wolf 200 Fischer-Dieskau, Dietrich ¡7¡, 207 Fisher, Gillian 88 Fitz, Irmhard 58 Fitzherbert, Maria 90 Fitzpatrick, Pat ¡35, ¡48 Fizzarotti, Ettore Maria 200 Flamino, Corcos 6¡ Die Fledermaus (Strauss) ¡55, 228, 23¡, 234 Fledrick, André-Guy ¡49 Fleischmann, Veniamin (Benjamin) 2¡3, 2¡5 Fleming, Renée 5, 32, ¡28, ¡29, 24¡ Flemyng, Jason 200 Fletcher, Lucille ¡00 Flight of the Bumblebee (Rimsky-Korsakov) ¡8¡

Flink, Hugo ¡¡7, 235 Flint, Katja 92, ¡49 The Flood (Stravinsky) 24¡ Florida Suite (Delius) 64 Flösser, Daniel ¡54 Flotow, Friedrich von ¡¡2, ¡¡7 Flying Dutchman (Wagner) 268 Foch, Nina 53, 57, ¡¡8, ¡70 Foeda, Hilde 236 Fogeras, Montserrat ¡33 Fokine, Mikhail 242, 243 Földessy, Geza ¡¡7 Les Folies O›enbach (miniseries) 293 Following Mozart see Trillertrine Folsey, George 96, ¡85 Folten, Senta ¡48 Fomenko, Nikolai ¡6, 32 Fonda, Henry 250 Fonteney, Catherine 40, ¡70 Forbstein, Leo F. 70 Forchhammer, Anders ¡53, ¡54 Ford, Aleksander 57, ¡7¡ Ford, Harrison 87 Ford, Olga 57, ¡7¡ Forest, Frank 236 Forever and Ever (documentary) 89 Forgács, Erzsébet ¡58 Forget Mozart (¡985 film) ¡36, 90–92, ¡44–¡46, ¡49 Forging Song (Wagner) 275 Forman, Carol 3¡, 92 Forman, Milos ¡43, ¡44, ¡49 Formichi, Enrico 37, 67, ¡7¡, ¡76, ¡89, 266 Forney, Dan ¡4 Forrest, George 79, 8¡, ¡¡9, ¡58, 237 Forsberg, Tony ¡94 Forst, Willi ¡99, 230, 236 Forster, Elizabeth 32, ¡90 Forsyth, Bruce ¡9¡ Forsythe, John ¡29 Fortune, John ¡78 La Forza del Destino (Verdi) 292 Foss, Wenche 8¡, ¡¡9 Foster, Conrad 227 Foster, Jody 30 Foster, Stephen 2 Foster, Suzanna 95, 96, ¡¡¡, ¡¡2, ¡¡7 Foulger, Byron 47, ¡¡8, 207 Four Seasons (Vivaldi) 267, 268 The Fourth of July (Ives) ¡0¡ Fowley, Douglas ¡85 Fox, Colin 282 Fox, Emilia 200 Fox, James ¡9¡ Fox, William ¡99

Fox-Talbot, William 247 Foy, Eddie, Jr. 250 Fra Diavolo (Auber) ¡98 Fracci, Carla 244 Francaix, Jean 3¡ Francesca da Rimini (Tchaikovsky) 252 Francis, Je›rey ¡58 Francis Ferdinand (Archduke of Austria) ¡28 François, Jacques ¡07, ¡¡8 Frank, Pamela 32 Frank, Richard ¡49 Frankenstein (¡93¡ film) 22 Frankenstein (¡970 film) 59 Frankenstein Monster (character) 273 Franklin, Vincent 25¡ Franz Joseph (Emperor of Austria) 23¡ Franz Peter Schubert: Grand Amour (documentary) 20¡ Franz Schubert (Suppé) ¡55, ¡96 Franz Schubert — Eine Leben in Zwei Sätzen (¡953 film) ¡95, ¡96, 200 Franz Schubert: The Lieder of the Pack (documentary) 20¡ Frappier, Jill 237 Fraser, Bill ¡20, ¡76, 278 Die Frau ohne Schatten (R. Strauss) 238 Frederic et George (200¡ film) 5¡, 55, 58 Frederick (Prince of Wales) 83 Frederick the Great (King of Prussia) 8, ¡0, ¡¡, ¡4 Fredette, Giselle 32 Freed, Arthur 96 Freed, Rakoh 236 Freeman, Howard 57, ¡¡8, ¡70 Freeman-Fox, Lois 7¡, 227 Fregoli, Leopoldo 2, 265 Freindlikh, Bruno 263 Freisler, Fritz 236 Frej, Ladislav 237 Frejndlikh, Bruno ¡52, ¡53, ¡83 French, Leslie ¡28 The French Lieutenant’s Woman (¡98¡ film) 60 Fresnay, Pierre ¡54, ¡56, ¡57 Fresno, Maruchi 7 Freud, Sigmund ¡8 Frey, Erik 3¡, 92, ¡57, 236, 237, 277 Freystädtler, F. J. ¡37 Frick, Gottlob ¡49 Fricken, Ernestine von 202 Friedemann Bach (¡94¡ film) 8– ¡2, ¡4, 270 Friederich Schiller (¡940 film) ¡0 Friedhofer, Hugo ¡85, ¡99

Index Friedrich August II (King of Saxony) 275 A Friend of Napoleon ( short story) ¡99 Friends (television series) 55 Friese-Greene, Claude 88 Friese-Greene, William 247 Friese-Greene: Close-Up of an Inventor (book) 250 Friis, Sandra ¡54 Fritsch, Willy ¡¡8, 235, 277 Fröbe, Gert ¡57, 237, 278 Froelich, Hugo 262 Frölich, Carl 262, 277 Frölich, Gustav 40, ¡07, ¡¡6, ¡70, 237 From My Life see Z Meho Zivota Front, Rebecca ¡78 Frøohlich, Lili ¡48 Frossard, Marc 30 Fry, Nicholas 2¡4 Frye, Gil ¡52, ¡83, 262 Fucher, Hugh ¡58, 237 Fuehr, Michael 208 Fuggiss, Carmen 278 The Fugitive (¡993 film) 87 Fugue on B-A-C-H (Liszt) ¡08 Fulford, Christopher 32 Fuller, Samuel ¡05, 22¡ Funeral Music for Queen Mary (Purcell) ¡78 Für Elise (Beethoven) ¡8, 26 Furlong, Yinker 47, ¡¡8, 207 Furtwängler, Wilhelm 222, 24¡, 255 Gaber, Daniel 267 Gaber, Giorgio 32, ¡90 Gabin, Jean 3¡ Gable, Christopher 62, 64, 77, ¡20, 238–240, 262, 275, 278 Gabor, Miklos ¡¡8 Gabor, Zsa Zsa ¡58, 237 Gabrielen Waltz (Strauss, Sr.) 232 Gabrio, Gabriel 265 Gade, Niels 80, 8¡ Gagarin, Yuri 208 Gahr, Michael 57 Gajos, Janusz 58, ¡2¡ Gal, Erno ¡¡7 Galc, Janusz 57, ¡7¡ Gale, Deidre ¡48 Gál‡, László ¡20, 278 Galitzine 30 Galkina, Yelena ¡9¡ Gallard, Jean ¡¡9 Gallea, Arturo 67 Galli, Rosina ¡¡7 Gallone, Carmine 33, 36, 37, 67, ¡¡7, ¡39, ¡48, ¡7¡, ¡76, ¡86, 264, 266

Galway, James ¡53 Gam, Rita ¡¡9, 272, 273, 277 Gamlin, Yngve ¡94 Gamrich, Richard 22¡ Gance, Abel 2¡–23, 29, 30, 39, ¡6¡, ¡69 Ganyemede (mytholgical character) ¡22 Garate, Jorge 7 Garay, Herda 200 Garbo, Greta 253 Garcia, Andy 289 Garden, Mary 6¡ The Garden of Fand (Bax) ¡5 Gardin, Vladimir 8, ¡2, ¡4 Gardiner, John Eliot 89, ¡79 Gardonyi, Lajos ¡¡7 Garfagnoli, Sergio ¡28 Garland, Beverly 288 Garland, Judy 96 Garner, Anthony ¡50 Garnett, Alf (character) 44 Garnier, Charles 288 Garone, Georges 268 Garrick, John 96 Gasc, Yves ¡33 Gasser, Mark ¡5¡ Gassman, Alessandro 37, 64, 67, ¡77, ¡90, 266 Gassman, Vittorio ¡6, 32, 67, ¡90 Gatti, Gabriella 30, ¡70, ¡89, 265 Gatti, Marcello 268 Gatti-Casazza, Giulio ¡9¡ Gaudio, Tony 57, ¡¡8, ¡70 Gauguin, Paul 64 Gavin, Barrie 78, ¡50 Gawthorne, Peter 37, ¡89 Gay, Jacqueline ¡¡8 Gay, John 82 Gay Love (Bone) 285 Gazzoio, Lauro ¡48 Gebühr, Otto ¡4 Gedda, Nicolai ¡66 Geer, Will ¡00 Geirot, Alexander ¡35, ¡39 Geisser, Dieter 278 Geissler, Margit ¡7¡, 207 “Gelbert Is Mozart” (television show) ¡50, ¡5¡ Gelin, Daniel 3¡, 99 Gendelshtein, Alexander 2¡5 Genn, Leo 250 Genna, Irene 67, ¡89, 266 Genoveva (Schumann) 202 Gensler, Lewis E. 226 Gentilomo, Giacomo ¡35 Gentz, Helga ¡50 George I (King of England) 85, 86 George II (King of England) 83, 84, 85 George III (King of England) 90

311

George, Muriel ¡48 George, Rob 77 George Gershwin Remembered (documentary) 7¡ George Gershwin ‘Swonderful (documentary) 7¡ Geray, Stephen ¡¡7 Gerhardt, Paul ¡48 Gerl, Barbara ¡40 A German Requiem (Brahms) 43, 44 Germania! (Beethoven) ¡7 Germi, Luigi ¡67, ¡68 Gern Hab’ Ich die Frau’n Geküsst see Paganini (¡934) Gershwin, George 68–7¡, ¡84, 337 Gershwin, Ira 68 Gertier, Viktor ¡99 Gesley, Erwin 226 Gessl, Dieter ¡29 Gheorghe, Tudor ¡20 Gherardi, Gherando 30, ¡70, ¡89 Ghini, Massimo 37, 67, ¡73, ¡77, ¡90, 266 The Ghost and Mrs. Muir (¡947 film) 97 Giachetti, Fosco 37, 67, ¡76, ¡89, 264–266 La Giaconda (Ponchielli) 223 Gianni Schicchi (Puccini) ¡73 Giannini, Giancarlo ¡90 Gibson, Alexander ¡77 Gibson, Donal 32 Gielgud, John ¡20, 275, 278 Gigi (¡958 film) 42 Gigli, Beniamino ¡74, ¡76, 264, 265 Gigue Diabolique (Warlock) 280, 282 Gil, Gilbert 3¡, 40, ¡70 Gilbert, Billy 30, ¡98, 200, 226 Gilbert, Henry 80, 8¡, ¡08, ¡¡9 Gilbert, William S. 245–25¡ The Gilbert and Sullivan Book (book) 25¡ Gilbert and Sullivan Present Their Greatest Hits (documentary) 246, 25¡ Gilda (¡946 film) ¡¡2 Gill, Malone ¡83, ¡84 Gillard, Stuart ¡4 Gillespie, Dana ¡25, ¡29 Gilliam, Burton ¡00 Gilliat, Sidney 25¡ Ginsbury, Norman ¡70 Giordani, Aldo ¡35 Un Giorno di Regno (Verdi) 265 Giovampietro, Renzo 37, 67, ¡76, ¡89, 266 Girardi see Der Komödiant von Wien

312

Index

Girl Crazy (Gershwin) 68 Girl of the Golden West (Puccini) 5, ¡73, ¡76 Giro, Anna 268, 269 Giulio Cesare (Handel) 82 Giuseppe Verdi (¡938 film) 264, 265 Gizzi, Loris 67, ¡85, ¡86, ¡89, 266 Le Gladiateur (Debussy) 60 Gladkowska, Constanze 53 The Glass Mountain (¡949 film) 290 Glatzer, Wilfried 92, ¡50 Glazer, Benjamin ¡52, ¡53, ¡83, 262 Glazunov, Alexander ¡83, 2¡2, 2¡4 Gleason, Russell ¡99 Glebas, Francis 7¡, 227 Glebov, Pyotr ¡49 Glebova, E. 73, ¡¡8 Glebova, Tayana ¡4 Glinka (¡946 film) 7¡–73 Glinka, Ludmilla 72 Glinka, Mikhail 7¡–73, ¡08, ¡¡¡ Gloomy Morning (¡959 film) ¡52 Glori, Enrico 30, 67, ¡89, 266 Gloria (Vivaldi) 268 The Glorious Moment (Beethoven) ¡7 Glover, Julian 32, 90–92, ¡50 Gluck, Christoph Willibald 38, 9¡, ¡38 Gobbi, Tito 36, 37, 67, ¡76, ¡89, 265, 266, 290 God Rot Tunbridge Wells! (¡985 film) 82, 86, 89 Goddard, Liza ¡20, 2¡4, 278 Godemann, Werner ¡50 Godic, Branislav ¡29 Godiewska, Ewa 89 Godin, Maurice 4¡, 42 Goebbels, Joseph 39, ¡66, 239, 240 Goethe, Johann Wolfgang ¡7, ¡8, 223, 238 Goetz, William 57, ¡¡9, 278 Goetzke, Bernhard ¡4 Gogol, Nikolai 72 Gold, Louise 25¡ Goldberg, Eric 7¡, 227 Goldberg, Heinz 40, ¡¡6, ¡70 Goldberg Variations (Bach) 8 Goldberger, Willy 7, ¡99 Golden, Richard ¡48 The Golden Legend (Sullivan) 245, 248, 249 Golden Mountain (¡93¡ film) 72 Golden Turkey Awards (book) 79, 273 Goldenthal, Eliott 60, 282 Goldin, Marilyn 6¡

Goldoni, Carlo 268 Goldsworthy, Peter 77 Golino, Valeria 32 Golitsyn, Prince Alexei 259, 260 The Golliwog’s Cakewalk (Debussy) 6¡ Gombell, Minna 236 Gonda, Greta 30, ¡70, ¡89 The Gondoliers (Sullivan) 248 Gonzales, Edith 59 A Good Dissonance Like a Man (¡976 film) 3, ¡00–¡03 Goodman, Benny 226 Gora, Claudio ¡48 Gorbachev, Mikhail 2¡5 Gorcynska, Maria 57, ¡7¡ Gordon, Roy 22¡ Gore, Laura 67, ¡89, 266 Górecki, Henryk 5 Gorey, Edward 64 Gorikker, Vladimir ¡49 Göring, Hermann 240 Gosset, Georges 40, ¡70 Gothic (¡987 film) 5 Götterdämmerung (Wagner) 269 Gottlieb, Anna ¡40 Gottschüch, Hugo ¡49 Gouge-Rénal, Christine 48, 207 Gough, Michael ¡4, 288 Gould, Clio 268 Gould, Glenn 227 Gounod, Charles 74, 75, ¡¡2, ¡82, 288 Gourvil, Yves ¡33 Gower, Kate ¡50 Goyescas (Albéniz) 7 Graetz, Paul ¡99 Gra›, Wilton 3¡, 90, 92, ¡39, ¡48 Graham, David (character) 250 Graham, Susan ¡79 Grainger, Percy 62–64, 76–78 Grainger, Stewart 286 Granach, Alexander 39, ¡¡6, ¡70 Granados, Enrique 7 Un Grand Amour de Beethoven (¡936 film) ¡6, 2¡–23, 30, 39, ¡6¡ The Grand Duke (Sullivan) 248, 250 Grandits, Ernst ¡50 Granforte, Apollo 265 Granger, Stewart ¡6¡, ¡66–¡68, ¡70 Grant, Hugh 5¡, 55, 56, 57, 85, 88, ¡20 Grant, Joe 226 Grant, Moray ¡07 Granval, Charles 57, ¡¡7 Grasso, Giovanni ¡35 Graves, Joe 250 Graves, Peter 90, 9¡ Graves, Rupert ¡76

Gravet, Fernand 228, 23¡, 236 Gray, Billy 250 Gray, Cecil 282 Gray, Dulcie 290 Gray, Dylan ¡20 Gray, Léa ¡57 Gray, Linda Esther ¡76 Gray, Nadia 36, 37, 67, ¡7¡, ¡76, ¡89, 266 Gray, Sally 289 Grayson, Kathryn 70, 96 The Great Gilbert and Sullivan see The Story of Gilbert and Sullivan The Great Glinka see Glinka The Great Mr. Handel (¡94¡ film) 82–85, 88 Great Pianists of the Twentieth Century (documentary) 78 Great Russian Composers: Mussorgsky (documentary) ¡53 Great Russian Composers: Nikolay Rimsky-Korsakov (documentary) ¡83 Great Russian Composers: Peter Tchaikovsky (documentary) 263 The Great Victor Herbert (¡939 film) 93–96 The Great Waltz (¡938 film) 3, 228, 230, 23¡, 236 The Great Waltz (¡972 film) ¡54, ¡55, ¡58, 228, 234, 237 Green, Martyn 248, 25¡ Green, Phil ¡68, ¡70 Greenaway, Peter ¡50 Greene, Barbara ¡60 Greene, Lorne 29¡ Greene, W. Howard ¡¡7 Greenwood, Joan ¡20, 278 Greer, John ¡90 Greese, Wolfgang ¡7¡, 207 Grevill, Laurent 6¡ Gribitz, Franz 236 Gridoux, Lucas 30 Grieg, Edvard 44, 48, 64, 76, 78–82, ¡08, 245, 255 Griem, Helmut 278 Grier, Pam ¡4 Grierson, Ralph 69, 7¡, 227 Gri‡n, Merv 70 Grimaldi, Eva ¡7¡ Grimaldi, Niccolò see Niccolini Grimm, Oliver 3¡, 92 Griselda (Vivaldi) 268 Gritsenko, Lidiya ¡83 Grobois, Alice ¡48 Grofé, Ferde 69, 70 Groll, Florentin 200 Grönmeyer, Herbert ¡7¡, 20¡, 202, 203, 207 Gropius, Walter ¡27, ¡28

Index Grossmith, George 248, 249 Grothe, Franz 235 Grove, Sybil 235 Groves, Charles 88 Gruber, H. K. ¡50 Gruber, Monica 57 Gruber, Peter ¡29, ¡50, 24¡ Gründgens, Gustav 9, ¡0, ¡4 Grundy, Joyce 2¡4 Guardasoni, Domenico ¡38 Guden, Hilde ¡49 Guerra, Blanca 59 A Guest of Honor (Joplin) ¡04 Gug, Madeleine ¡¡9 Gui, Vittorio 30, ¡70, ¡89 Guiccardi, Giulietta ¡7, 2¡–24 Guindal, Antonio Mas 7 Guiness, Alec ¡6 Guitry, Sacha ¡8, 3¡ Gulsoi, Henri ¡¡9 Gülsto›, Max ¡70, ¡99 Gundel, Morten ¡53, ¡54 Gunther, Felix ¡99 Gunzburg, Baron Dimitri de 242, 243 Gusev, Pyotr ¡9¡ Guslinska, Yevgeni ¡9¡ Gustav Mahler and His Age (documentary) ¡29 Gustav Mahler from World to Symphony (documentary) ¡29 Gustettenbaur, Gustl ¡99 Gutiérrez, José Maria 7 Guttmann, Arthur 30, 200, 236 La Guzla de l’Emir (Bizet) 4¡ Gwenn, Edmund 228, 229, 235 Gwynne, Nell ¡78 Gymnopédie No. 3 (Satie) ¡92 Gynt, Walter 200 Gypsy Baron see Der Zigeunerbaron H.M.S. Pinafore (Sullivan) 245, 248 Haas, Benno A. 200 Haase, Günter ¡7¡ Hab’ Ich Nur Deine Liebe (¡953 film) ¡54, ¡55, ¡57 Habereder, Agnes 40 Hache, Joëlle 6¡, 89 Hächier, Horst 277 Haerlin, Friedl 236 Hafenrichter, Oswald 266 Hagen, Hertha von ¡48 Hagerup, Nina 79, 80 Haggard, Stephen ¡35, ¡48 Haguet, André ¡¡8, ¡¡9, 277 Hahn, Don 7¡, 227 Hail, California (Saint-Saëns) ¡9¡ “Hail, Friends Who Plow the Sea” (Sullivan) 247

“Hail, Hail, the Gang’s All Here” (Sullivan) 247 Haimson, Abrasha 3¡, 92 Hainisch, Leopold ¡48, 236 Haitink, Bernard ¡25, ¡29 Hajdarhodzic, Izet 293 Hajdu, Imre 235 Hakon Jarl (Smetana) 2¡7 Halasz, Gyula ¡¡7 Halasz, Kristof ¡¡7 Hald, Liane ¡48 Hale, Georgina ¡23, ¡29 Hale, Robert 235 Halek, Jiri 237 Halévy, Jacques ¡57 Hall, Grayson ¡¡5 Hall, Jennifer ¡50 Hall, Michael 48 Hallelujah Chorus (Handel) 84, 86, 88 Haller, Ernest ¡¡9, 277 Haller, Hermann 56, ¡¡6 Halmajärvi, Niklas 2¡6 Halmay, Tibor ¡¡7 Halner, Markus Ertelt 49, 50, 278 Hambitzer, Charles 68 Hamilton, John 70, ¡52, ¡83, 256, 262 Hamilton, Joshua ¡00–¡03 Hamlet (¡964 film) 208 Hamlet (play) 39 Hamlet (Tchaikovsky) 252 Hammerstein, Oscar 43, 23¡, 236 Hampson, Thomas 64 Hamsun, Knut 78 Handel, George Frideric 5, ¡¡, ¡8, 76, 82–90, 222 Handel in the Strand (Grainger) 76 Handel’s Last Chance (¡996 film) 82, 88, 89 Handley, Jim 226 Hangover Square (¡945 film) 97, 285, 286 Hanin, Roger 48, 207 Hanisch, Otto 3¡ Hannes, Art ¡00 Hanray, Lawrence ¡48, ¡60 Hans Christian Andersen (¡952 film) ¡¡2 Hansen, René ¡54 Hanslick, Eduard 49 Hantai, Jerome ¡33 Hanus, Emerich 200 Harapes, Vlastimil 42 Harari, Clement 58 Harben, Hubert ¡48 Harding, Albert Austin 22¡ Harding, Bertita ¡¡9, 277 Hardt, Harry 40, ¡¡6, ¡¡7, ¡70

313

Hardt, Karin ¡¡7 Hardt, Karl 30, 3¡, 92 Hardwicke, Cedric ¡52, ¡83, 257, 262 Harell, Marte 232, 236 Harenstram, Magnus ¡94 “Hark Hark the Lark” (Schubert) ¡95 Harlan, Veit ¡70 Harmon, Hugh 23¡ Harmonic Gustav Mahler (documentary) ¡29 Harnoncourt, Nikolaus ¡2 Harold in Italy (Berlioz) 38, ¡62 Harprecht, Bruno 47, ¡¡8, 207 Harris, Alfred 88 Harris, Jackie 42 Harris, Rosemary 292 Harrison, Benjamin 2¡9 Hart, Ian ¡6, 32, 92 Hartl, Karl ¡49, 236 Hartman, Don 236 Hartwig, Knut 47, ¡¡8, 207 Hartzell, Raimo 2¡6 Harvey, Lillian 30, ¡57, ¡99 Harvey, Morris 88 Harvey, Peter ¡79 Haslinger, Tobias 233 Hasse, Charles 9¡ Hasse, Johann Adolf 89 Haubenreisser, Karl 262 Hau›, Angelika ¡49, 237 Haunted Symphony (¡995 film) 287, 288 Haupt, Ullrich 43, 44, 47, ¡¡7, 207 Hauser, Reinhard ¡2¡, ¡26, ¡29 Hautecoeur, Louisette 30, ¡99 Havenstein, Klaud ¡7¡ Haworth, Peter James 237 Hayden, Harry 96, 200, 250 Haydn, Franz Joseph ¡9, 20, 2¡, 3¡, 32, 63, 90, 93, ¡38, ¡39, ¡47, ¡48, ¡69, 293 Haydn, Michael 90 Haydn: The Composers’ Composer (documentary) 92 Haydn: Famous Composers Series (documentary) 92 Haydn Variations (Brahms) 43 Hayer, Nicolas ¡¡8, 277 Hayes, John Michael ¡00 Hayton, Lennie 96 Hayworth, Rita ¡¡2, 270 Hazelwood, Charles 43, 268, 269 He Was Despised (Handel) 84, 85 He Who Gives Way to Stillness: Robert Schumann, A Biography, Part Two (documentary) 208 Healey, David ¡05, 22¡

314

Index

Heathcli› (character) ¡7 Hebey, Jean ¡57 Hedqvist, Sta›an ¡94 Hee, T. 226 Heermance, Richard ¡53, ¡83, 262 Heesters, Johannes ¡57, ¡7¡ He›ner, Hugh 5 Heflin, Van 96 Heidegger, John 83 Heifetz, Jascha 70, 226, 262 Heikinheimo, Hannu 2¡6 Heiknert, Carl-Axel 2¡6 Heiligenstadt Testament (document) ¡, ¡7, 22 Heindorf, Ray 70 Heinz, Patrick ¡49 Heinz, Wolfgang 237 Heiskanen, Kari 2¡6 Heisler, Stuart 226 Held, Tom 236 Ein Heldenleben (R. Strauss) 238 Heliotrope Bouquet (Joplin/Chauvin) ¡04 Hell, Ludmilla 3¡ Heller, André ¡7¡, 203, 207 Heller, Else 30 Helm, Fay 57, ¡¡8, ¡70 Helmer, Karl 262 Helmuth, Frits ¡54 Helpap, Axel 3¡ Heming, Percy ¡48 Hemingway, Ernest ¡¡2, ¡93 Hemingway, Polly ¡4 Henckeis, Paul 56, ¡¡6 Henderson, Florence 79, 8¡, ¡¡9 Henderson, Shirley 25¡ Hendrichs, Josef ¡57, 237 Hendricks, Barbara 6¡ Hendriks, Jan ¡¡9, 277 Henny, Tim ¡36, ¡50 Henreid, Paul 44, 47, ¡¡8, ¡85, 20¡, 204, 205, 207, 287 Henry, Guy ¡78 Henry, Joan 42 Hepburn, Katharine 45, 46, 47, ¡¡8, 20¡, 204, 205, 206, 207 Hepton, Bernard 88 Herald, Peter V. 3¡, 92, ¡58, 237 Herbert, Hans ¡¡7 Herbert, Hugh 236 Herbert, Victor 93–96 Herbertz, Hans-Günther ¡50 Herder, Ron ¡02 Herek, Stephen 32 Here’s a How-de-do (documentary) 25¡ Herlie, Eileen 25¡ Hermann, Roland 40 Hero and Leander (Herbert) 93 Heroic Polonaise (Chopin ) 53, ¡59

Herozeg, Ferenc ¡¡7 Herrmann, Bernard 97–¡00, ¡0¡, 285, 286 Hersehel und die Musik der Sterne (¡975 film) 90–92 Hershel, William 9¡ Hershey, Barbara 76, 77 Herter, Gerard 200 Herz, Henri ¡55 Herz, Juraj ¡50 Herz-Kestranek, Miguel ¡20, ¡50, 278 Herzberg, Martin 39, ¡¡6, ¡70 Herzl, Robert ¡29, 24¡ Heseltine, Philip 279–283 Heslop, Charles 235 Hess, Emil 47, ¡¡8, 207 Hetherington, Hugh ¡77 Heut’ Spielt der Strauss (¡928 film) 227, 228, 229, 235 Heut’ Spielt der Strauss (¡932 film) 227, 228, 229, 235 Heverle, Gustav 2¡7 Hewitt, Peter ¡4 Heygate, John ¡57 Hickman, Darryl 70 Hierholzer, Babette ¡7¡, 207 Hiethaler, Bernd ¡57, ¡58 Higgins, Anthony 294 Higgins, Henry ¡¡5 Hildebrand, Istvan ¡¡9 Hille, Heinz ¡¡7 Hindemith — A Pilgrim’s Progress (documentary) 5 Hinojosa, Manuel 59 Hirschfeld, Al 69, 70 Hitchcock, Alfred 97–¡00, ¡86, 229, 230, 235, 247 Hitler, Adolf ¡0, ¡06, ¡92, 209, 240, 253, 270, 273, 276 Hitler and the Power of Aesthetics (book) 239 Hochwald, Nelly 30 Hochwarter, Corinne ¡29 Hofdemel, Franz ¡45 Hofdemel, Magalene ¡45 Ho›enstein, Samuel ¡¡7, 236 Ho›mann, Carl 235 Ho›mann, Pascal 50, 278 Ho›mann, Paul 57 Ho›meister, Franz ¡37 Hofmann, Peter ¡20, 275, 278 Hofschneider, Marco 32 Hogan, Pat 250 Hoger, Hannelore 58 Höger, Karel 2¡7 Hoger, Nina 58 Holberg Suite (Grieg) 78 Holden, Anthony 252 Holden, June ¡57 Holder, Ray ¡58, 237 Holidays Symphony (Ives) ¡0¡

Hollander, Friedrich (Frederick) ¡57, 226, 236 Hollenius, Alexander (character) 287 Holloway, Jean 96 Holloway, Stanley 250 Holloway, Sterling 30, 200 Hollreiser, Heinrich 3¡, 200 Holmes, Andy ¡50, ¡5¡ Holmes, Maynard 30, 200 Holmes, Phillips 33, 37, ¡89 Holmes, Sherlock (character) ¡¡0, ¡86, 246, 270, 273 Holmes, Stuart 33 Holst, Marla 236 Holt, Hans 30, 92, ¡35, ¡36, ¡39, 236 Holt, Jany 30 Holten, Karen 76, 77 Holzmeister, Judith 3¡, 236 Holzschuh, Lizzi 236 Homage to Rossini (documentary) ¡90 Homans, Robert 250 Homolka, Oscar 209 Honegger, Arthur ¡92 Honor, Profit and Pleasure (¡985 film) 82, 85, 86, 88 Hood, Kit 237 Hopkins, Anthony 29 Hoppe, Rolf 3¡, ¡58, ¡7¡, 202, 207, 237 Hopper, Victoria ¡48 Hörbiger, Paul ¡¡7, ¡95, ¡99, 227, 228, 230, 235, 236, 237 Horigome, Yuzuko 2¡4 Horino, Tad ¡4 Horn, Camilla ¡4 Horn, David 59 Horne, David ¡70 Horne, Lena 96 Horne, Marilyn ¡90 Hornicek, Miroslav 2¡7 Horoscope (Lambert) ¡05 Hörrman, Albert 56, ¡¡6 Horvath, Jenö ¡¡8 Horváth, László ¡20, 278 Horwitz, Miriam 277 Hossick, Malcolm ¡5, 32, 92, ¡5¡, 20¡, 24¡, 244, 266 Hough, Stanley ¡05, 22¡ Housatonic at Stockbridge (Ives) ¡02 House of Three Girls see Das Dreimäderlhaus Houska, Karel 237 Hoven, Adrian 237 How a Great Symphony Was Written (documentary) 32 How the West Was Won (¡962 film) 246 Howard, Joyce 90, 9¡

Index Howard, Lewis ¡52, ¡83, 262 Howard, Rikki 40, 47, 57, ¡¡9, ¡89, 278 Howard, Trevor 82, 86, 89, 269, 273, 278 Howarth, Judith ¡75, ¡76 Howe, George ¡58, 237 Howe, James Wong 57, ¡¡9, 278 Hradilak, Zdenek 92, ¡49 Hrubant, Juraj 92, ¡49 Hubert, Axel 3¡, 92 Hübner, Dietlind ¡49 Hübner, Frank 92, ¡50, ¡29, ¡33, 24¡ Hübner, Herbert 277 Hübsch, Wolfgang ¡29, 24¡ Hubschmid, Paul ¡07, ¡¡5, ¡¡8, 277 Hudson, Rock ¡56 Huemer, Dick 226 Hughes, John B. 70 Hugo, Victor ¡¡7, ¡86 Huillet, Danièle ¡4 Hulce, Tom ¡36, ¡42–¡44, ¡49 Hull, Henry 236 Hume, Benita 37, ¡89 Hummel, Johann Nepomuk ¡38 Humming Chorus (Puccini) ¡74 Humphreys, Gerry ¡29 Humphries, Barry 32 Humphries, Cecil ¡99 Hungarian Danses (Brahms) 46, 205 Hungarian Fantasia (Liszt) ¡08 Hungarian Rhapsodies (Liszt) ¡08, ¡¡4, ¡¡5, ¡59, 223 Hunt, Jimmie 47, ¡¡8, 207 Hunt, Marsha 226, 262 Hunt, Martita 57, ¡¡9, 277 Hunt, Pixote 7¡, 227 Hunyadi (Erkel) ¡¡¡ Hurdalek, George 277 Hurst, Brandon ¡07, ¡¡¡ Hurst, Colin 2¡4 Hussey, Ruth 22¡ Huston, George 236 Hutter, Michou 278 Hyde, Jonathan 88 Hyde-White, Wilfred 25¡ Hylton, Jack ¡07 Hyman, Bernard H. 236 Hyman, Dick ¡05, 22¡ Hyre, Andy 92, ¡49 “I Am the Very Model of a Freudian Psychiatrist” (parody song) 246 I, Berlioz (¡992 film) 38–40 I Came as a Stranger (¡978 film) ¡98 I, Claudius (miniseries) ¡75 I Hear Your Voice (Astley) 289

Iberia (Albéniz) 7 Iberia (Debussy) 60 Ibsen, Henrik 80 Icaza, Luis de 59 Ich und die Kaiserin (¡933 film) ¡54, ¡57 Icsey, Rudolf ¡¡7 Idol of Paris (¡948 film) ¡54, ¡57 Idomeneo (Mozart) ¡36 If It Weren’t for Music see Wenn die Musik Nicht Wär If You Knew Sousa (documentary) 22¡ Igor Stravinsky (documentary) 244 Igoshima, Valentina 56, 58 Illiard, Eliza ¡66, ¡70, 236 Illig, Rolf 92 Illmann, Margaret ¡90 Ilyin, Vladimir 32 Images (Debussy) 60 Imeneo (Handel) 87 Imhof, Roger ¡99 Imho›, Fritz 30, 92, 236 Immortal Beloved (¡994 film) ¡6, 26–29, 32 Immortal Friend (book) 263 Immortal Waltz see Unsterblicher Walzer Impressionism in Art and Music (documentary) 62 Impromptu (¡99¡ film) 5¡, 55, 57, ¡08, ¡09, ¡20 In a Summer Garden (Delius) 62 In Good King Charles’ Golden Days (play) ¡78 In Memoriam Overture (Sullivan) 250 In the Fairy Hills (Bax) ¡5 In the Hall of the Mountain King (Grieg) 80 In the Lovely Month of May: Robert Schumann, A Biography, Part One (documentary) 208 Increased Taxes (Astley) 289 Incrocci, Age 37, 67, ¡76, ¡89, 200, 266 Indigo (Strauss) 232, 233 Inextinguishable Symphony (Nielsen) ¡53 Inspired by Bach (documentary series) ¡5 Intermezzo (R. Strauss) 238 Invitation to the Dance (Weber) 244 Iolanthe (Sullivan) 245, 248, 25¡ Ireland, John ¡6 Iris (Mascagni) ¡35 Irish Rhapsody (Herbert) 93 Irish Symphony (Sullivan) 245, 250

315

Irish Tune from County Derry (Grainger) 76 Irmelin (Delius) 62 Iron, Daniel ¡94 The Iron Mask (¡929 film) 44 Irons, Jeremy 243, 244, 292, 293 Irving, Ernest 88 Isaacs, Bud ¡00 Isadora Duncan (documentary) 5 Isssyev, Dimitri 62, ¡94 It Happened One Night (¡934 film) 96 It Was a Gay Ballnight see Es War eine Rauschende Ballnacht L’Italiana in Algieri (Rossini) ¡86 It’s Only Love see Seine einzige Liebe Iturbi, José 5¡, 57, ¡¡8, ¡70, ¡52, ¡83, 256, 257, 262 Iures, Marcel ¡08, ¡20 Ivan Pavlov (¡949 film) ¡52 Ivan the Terrible (Bizet) 4¡ Ivan the Terrible, Part Two (¡946 film) 72 Ivanhoe (Sullivan) 245, 249 Ivano, Paul 3¡, 92 Ivanovsky, Alexander ¡4 “I’ve Got a Little List” (Sullivan) 249 Ives, Brewster ¡0¡ Ives, Charles ¡00–¡03 Ives, George ¡0¡ Ja, Vi Elsker (Nordraak) 78 Jackson, Glenda ¡6, 30, 258, 260, 262 Jackson, Louis H. 92 Jackson, Thomas E. 22¡ Jackson, Wilfred 226 Jacobi, Derek 48, 78, 8¡, ¡20, 263, 289 Jacobi, Lou 57, ¡¡9, 277 Jacobini, Maria ¡48, 265 Jacoby, John ¡¡7 Jaeger, Frederick 80, 8¡, ¡¡9, 244 Jaenicke, Anjas 278 Jahrow, Franz 3¡ Jakubinska, Wanda 57, ¡7¡ James, Enid ¡48 James, Harry 226, 262 James, Norman 64, 77 James, Peter ¡29, 24¡ Jameson, Pauline 88 Jamry, Francisek 57, ¡6¡, ¡64, ¡7¡ Jan Hus (¡954 film) 2¡7 Jane Eyre (¡944 film) 97, ¡¡0 Janisch, Michael ¡57, 237 Janiszewski, Ignacy 57, ¡7¡

316

Index

Janssen, Eilene 47, ¡¡8, 207 Janssen, Elise 47, ¡¡8, 207 Janssen, Walter 30, 92 Jara Cimrman Lezici, Spici (¡983 film) 228, 234, 237 Jaray, Hans ¡95, ¡99 Jaroszewicz, Andrej 58 Jason and the Argonauts (¡963 film) 97 Javori, Ferenc 2¡5 Jazz Fantasy on Mozart Themes see Not Mozart Jazzbo (parody operetta) ¡84 Jean Sibelius — Giant from the North (documentary) 2¡6 Jelinek, Karel 57, ¡70 Jenbach, Bela ¡65, ¡70, ¡7¡ Jenkin, Nicola 88 Jenks, Frank 226 Jennens, Charles 83, 86 Jeptha (Handel) 86 Jergenson, Albert 3¡ Jerrold, Mary ¡70 Jessie, DeWayne ¡05, 22¡ Jesus (miniseries) 87 Jesus Christ 87, 209 La Jeunesse d’Hercule (SaintSaëns) ¡9¡ Jeux d’Enfants (Bizet) 4¡ Jew Süss (¡940 film) ¡0 JFK (¡99¡ film) ¡45 Joan, Paco 58 Jobert, Stephane 43, 44, 48, 207 Johann Sebastian Bach (miniseries) 293 Johann Strauss — King Without a Crown see Der König ohne Krone Johann Strauss — Der König ohne Krone (¡986 film) ¡54, ¡55, ¡58, 228, 234, 237 Johannes, Albert 277 John, Alan 77 John the Baptist 270 Johns, Glynis 250 Johns, Mervyn 250 Johnson, Geordie ¡08, ¡¡5, ¡20 Johnson, Harold ¡05, 22¡ Johnson, Henry ¡99 Johnson, Karl 200 Johnson, Margaret 250 Johnson, Stanley E. ¡¡9, 277 Johnson, Van 96 Jöken, Carl ¡95, ¡99 Jolson, Al 68, 70, ¡84 Jonak, Julius ¡49 Jonas, Jennifer ¡94 Jones, Allan 93, 96 Jones, Carolyn 99 Jones, Cody 89 Jones, Freddie 200

Jones, Gwyneth ¡20, 275, 278, 279 Jones, James Cellan 62, ¡94 Jones, James Earl 7¡, 227 Jones, Je›rey ¡42, ¡43, ¡49 Jones, Quincy 7¡, 227 Jones, Simon Cella 32, 92 Joplin, Scott 2, ¡03–¡05, 22¡ Jordan, Egon von ¡54, ¡57 Jordan, Tamas ¡54, ¡58 Joseph II (Emperor of Austria) 9¡, ¡42, ¡46 Josephson, Julien ¡¡7 Jota Aragonesa (Glinka) 72 Jota Aragonesa (Sarasate) ¡92 Joukowsky, Paul von 277 Jouvet, Louis 30, ¡99 Jovanovic, Slobodan ¡29 Joy, Nicholas 30, 200 Joy of Bach (documentary) ¡5 Joyce, Eileen ¡07 Jubinville, Kevin ¡4 Judas Maccabeus (Handel) 82 Jung, Manfred ¡20, 275, 278, 279 Jungk, Max 30 Junkerrmann, Hans ¡4, ¡99, 228 Jupiter in Argos (Handel) 87 Jurecka, Drew ¡20 Jurgens, Curt 30, 92, 230, 236 Justin, John 40, 47, 57, ¡¡9, ¡89, 278 Justiz, Emil 30 Juvancic, Josef 200 Juvenet, Pierre ¡57 Kaas, Nikolaj Lie ¡53, ¡54 Kabelevsky, Dmitri ¡2, ¡4, ¡53, ¡83 Kabos, Gylua ¡¡7 Kacirek, Pavel ¡29 Kacirkova, Ivana ¡50 Kadochnikov, Pavel ¡4 Kafsky, Nelly 62, ¡20, ¡94, 207 Kagan, Jeremy Paul ¡05, 22¡ Kah, Ariane 32, ¡90 Kaiser, Joachim 50, 269, 278 Kaleti, Marton ¡¡7 Kalkbrenner, Fredrich 56, ¡¡6 Kalwoda, Karl 3¡ Kamaras, Gyula ¡¡8 Kamarinskaya (Glinka) 72 Kamb, Karl 226, 262 Kanakis, Anna 37, 67, ¡77, ¡90, 266 Kane, Charles Foster (character) 26 Kann, Lily 9¡ Kaper, Bronislau 47, ¡¡8, 207, 250 Kaplanova, Valerie 237 Kapulainen, Henri 2¡5, 2¡6

Karajan, Herbert von 237 Karalexis, Serafim ¡9¡ Kark, Tonu 2¡5 Karlin, Miriam ¡29 Karma, Josef 30 Karsarova, Vesselina 40 Karvan, Claudia 77 Kasem, Casey ¡00 Kassowitz, Mahthieu 293 Katch, Kurt 47, ¡¡8, 207 Katisha (character) 249 Katz, David ¡02 Kaufman, Boris 30, ¡99 Käutner, Helmut 277 Kay, Charles ¡49, 244 Kay, Edward J. ¡52, ¡83, 262 Kaye, Arthur 96 Kaye, Danny ¡¡2, ¡56, ¡79, ¡8¡, ¡82, ¡84 Kaye, Nora 244 Kaylin, Samuel ¡99 Kayssler, Friedrich 47, ¡¡8, 207 Kazansky, Gennadi ¡53, ¡83 Kazlauskas, Danius 2¡5 Keel, Howard ¡85 Keen, Malcolm 88 Kef, Jeanne 6¡ Keiser, Dora ¡48 Keleghan, Peter ¡20 Keleti, Marton ¡¡8, ¡¡9 Keller, Marthe ¡20, 278 Kelly, Fred ¡85 Kelly, Gene ¡85 Kelly, Sam 25¡ Kempf, Wilhelm ¡7¡, 202, 207 Kenessey, Jenö ¡¡8 Kennedy, Christopher 57, ¡¡9, ¡29, 24¡, 278 Kennedy, Margaret ¡48 Kennedy, Patrick ¡05, 22¡ Kent, Jean ¡70 Kent, Kenneth ¡57 Kent, Nicholas 200, 20¡ Kenwright, Bill ¡78 Kenyon, Charles 226 Kepessy, Jozsef ¡¡8 Kepros, Nicholas ¡49 Kern, Jerome 96 Kern, Robert J. 47, ¡¡8, 207 Kernmeyer, Hans G. 236 Kernochan, Sarah 58, ¡20 Kessel, Sophie von 50, 278 Kestelman, Sara 40, 47, 57, ¡¡9, ¡89, 278 Ketterer, Sepp 236 Keyes, John 42 Keyzer, Bruno de 58, ¡20 Khachaturian, Aram 2¡0, 2¡2, 2¡4 Khokhryakov, Viktor ¡83 Khovantchina (Mussorgsky) ¡52 Kid, Mary 30

Index Kidman, Nicole ¡93, ¡84 Kiehr, Maria-Cristina ¡33 Kiisk, Kaljo 2¡5 Kilburn, Terry ¡83 Kilian, Isot 47, ¡¡8, 207 Kinderscenen (Schumann) 20¡ Kindertotenlieder (Mahler) ¡22, ¡25 King, Hannah ¡34 King, Mable ¡05, 22¡ King Arthur (Purcell) ¡78 King Cotton March (Sousa) 220 King Gord the Grim (Parker) ¡02 King Lear (¡970 film) 208 The King of Three-Quarter Time (¡995 film) 228, 234, 235, 237 King Stephen (Erkel) ¡¡¡ Kingsbury, Sandrea ¡02 Kingsley, Ben 2, 208, 2¡¡, 2¡4 Kinskey, Leonid 236 Kinski, Debora ¡7¡ Kinski, Klaus ¡6¡, ¡68, ¡69, ¡7¡, 202, 277 Kinski, Nastassja ¡7¡, 20¡, 202, 203, 207 Kinski, Nicolai ¡69, ¡7¡ Kirby, Max 88 Kirchho›er, Hugo 70 Kirchner, Rainer ¡4 Kirk, James T. (character) 29¡ Kirkby, Emma 89 Kirkpatrick, John ¡02 Kirschner, Klaus 58, ¡49 Kismet (musical) 79, ¡82 Kiss, Ferenc ¡¡7 Das Klagende Lied (Mahler) ¡22 Klatt, Barbara 57 Klein-Rogge, Rudolf ¡39, ¡70 Klemperer, Otto 222 Klien, Karl-Heinz ¡4 Klimt, Gustav ¡28 Klopfer, Eugen 8, ¡0,¡4 Klosinski, Edward 58, ¡2¡ Knepler, Paul ¡65, ¡70, ¡7¡ Knight, Esmond 227, 229, 235 Knoblock, Edward ¡60 Knop, Joachim ¡54 Knopf, Christopher ¡05, 22¡ Knowland, Nic 40, 58, 89, ¡20, ¡77, ¡79, 2¡4, 278 Knowles, Bernard ¡70 Knuth, Gustav ¡4, 3¡, 200 Ko-Ko (character) 249 Koch, Franz ¡57, 237 Koch, Howard 70, ¡00 Koch, Lotte ¡4 Koch, Marianne 277 Koch, Pitt ¡49 Koenig, Jirina 92, ¡50 Koenig, Wolf 244 Kohout, Eduard 57, ¡70

Kokoschka, Oskar ¡28 Kokovkin, Boris ¡83 Kolar, Evzen ¡33, ¡29, 24¡ Kolberg, Emil 30 Kolker, Henry ¡99 Koller, Dagmar ¡7¡ Köllner, H. F. ¡57 Kolm-Veltée, Walter 3¡, 200 Kolotikova, Irina ¡9¡ Kolsrud, Lasse 48, 8¡, ¡20, 263 Koltal, Lajos ¡58 Koltsov, Viktor 73 Kolundzija, Jovan 294 Koman, Jacek ¡94 Komar, Dora 236 Komarov, Vladimir 288 Der Komödiant von Wien (¡954 film) 228, 233, 237 Komorowska, Maja 200 Komorzynski, Egon ¡49 Komro›, Manuel ¡66, ¡70 Konarski, Michal 58, ¡08, ¡2¡ Kondrakova, Tatyana ¡4 Kondrashin, Kiril 73 Konovalov, Nikolai ¡4 Konttori, Jukka 2¡6 Korda, Vincent 25¡ Korjus, Miliza 23¡, 236 Korngold, Erich Wolfgang 4, ¡¡9, 277, 287 Korono›, Dea ¡76 Koroz, Anna 58, ¡2¡ Korshunov, N. 73, ¡¡8 Kortner, Fritz ¡6, 2¡, 30 Koster, Henry 22¡, 226 Köstlin, Karl 236 Kostra, Jiri 237 Kotowski, Konrad 48, 82, ¡2¡, 263 Koussevitzky, Serge ¡33, ¡34, 209 Kövary, Georg ¡58, 237 Kozlovsky, Nikolai ¡48 Kraa, Gunter ¡7¡, 207 Krabbé, Jeroen 27, 32, 82, 87, 89 Kradunin, Michael ¡9¡ Kraemer, Nicholas 89 Kraft, H.S. 236 Der Kraft-Mayr (book) ¡¡¡, ¡¡7 Kraft Music Hall (radio series) 222 Krahl, Hilde 47, ¡¡7, ¡57, 20¡, 207, 236 Krajewsky, Andrzej ¡60 Kranturek, Otto ¡99 Kraus, Peter ¡57, ¡66, ¡7¡, 237 Kreisler, Otto ¡48 Kreisleriana (Schumann) 20¡ Kreitner, Rudolf 200 Krelsova, Jirinka 57, ¡70 Kremer, Gidon 32, ¡6¡, ¡65 ¡7¡, 203, 207

317

Kreutzer, Lisa ¡20, 278 Kriter, John ¡90 Krizman, Serge ¡52, ¡83, 262 Krohn, Heidi 2¡6 Kroiter, Roman 244 Krook, Margaretha ¡94 Kroopf, Scott ¡4, 32 Krska, Vaclav 57, ¡70, 2¡7 Kruger, Alma 226 Krüger, Answald 57 Krumgold, Sigmund 226, 262 Krupa, Gene 226 Kryuchkov, Nikolai 2¡4 Kubat, Eduard 56, ¡¡6, ¡¡7 Kubelik, Rafael ¡29 Kucklemann, Gertrud ¡49 Kuda Idu Divlje Avinje (miniseries) 293 Kühl, Kate ¡57 Kuhnert, Leopold ¡49 Kukla, Piortr ¡50 Kulka, Janos ¡58 Kuller, Sid 250 Kullman, Charles ¡80, ¡82, ¡63 Kuner, Erich ¡49 Kunert, Günter 3¡ Kunz, Erich 3¡, ¡49, 200 Kuolema (Sibelius) 2¡6 Kurilov, Sergei 2¡4 Kurnakowicz, Jan 57, ¡7¡ Kurran, Homer 8¡, ¡¡9 Kurzimski, Zbigniew 57, ¡7¡ Kurzmeyer, Karoly ¡¡7 Kuznetsov, Aleksandr 32, ¡83 Labine, Kyle ¡4 LaBonte, Rich ¡36, ¡49 Labray, Pierre 200 Lacey, Ron 244 Lacroix, Violaine ¡33 Ladies in Retirement (¡940 film) ¡¡2 Lady Be Good (Gershwin) 68 Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk District (Shostakovich) 208, 2¡¡ A Lady Surrenders see Love Story La›on, Yolande 30 Lagar, Pedro López 7 Lair of the White Worm (¡988 film) 5 Lakmé (Delibes) 75 LaLande, Emmanuelle ¡33 Lalo, Edouard ¡92 Lalou, Serge 2¡5 Lambert, Constant ¡05–¡07, 279 Lamberti, Georgio 40 Lambrecht, Yves ¡33 Lamy, Raymond 3¡ Lanchbery, John 244 Lancret, Bernard 30, ¡95, ¡99 Landers, Audrey ¡58, 237 Landon, Hal, Jr. ¡4

318

Index

Landon, Hal, Sr. ¡4 Landor, Tividar ¡¡7 Lane, Richard ¡83 Lang, Christiane ¡4 Lang, Fritz ¡0, ¡24,¡39 Lang, Lotte 3¡, 200, 236 Lange, Arthur 96 Lange, Raoul ¡6¡, ¡70, ¡99 Langley, Bryan ¡99 Langman, Thomas ¡20, 20¡, 207 Langrais, Benoit 282 Lanner, Josef 228, 232, 233, 235, 236, 292 Lanoux, Victor 268 Lansbury, Angela 7¡, 96, 227 Lapine, James 58, ¡20 Large, Brian 279 Largo al Factotum (Rossini) ¡87 Larionov, Vsevolod ¡9¡ Lasko, Leo ¡99 Lasky, Jesse L. 70 The Last Days of Pompeii (Sousa) 2¡8 The Last Laugh (¡924 film) 270 Laszlo›y, M. ¡¡7 Latchford, George ¡5¡ La Tour, Georges de 75 Lattanzi, Tina ¡72 Laughton, Charles 270 Launder, Frank 25¡ Läutner, Alfred ¡99 Lavagnino, Angelo Francesco 200 Lavender, Justin ¡58 Laverick, Beryl ¡99 Lavrov, Kirill 263 Law, John Philip ¡58, 237 Lawson, Kate ¡52, ¡83, 262 Lawson, Wilfrid 82–85, 87, 88 Laydu, Claude ¡95, 200 Laye, Dilys 282 Lazarus, Milton 8¡, ¡¡9 Lazzari, Niccolo 37, 67, ¡48, ¡7¡, ¡76, ¡89, 266 Lean, David ¡6 Leander, Zarah 253, 255, 262 LeBaron, William 226, 236, 262 Lebedov, Yevgeni ¡83 Lebrun, Daniele 6¡ Lecourtois, Daniel 56, ¡07, ¡¡6, ¡¡8 Lector, Hannibal ¡3 Ledebur, Leopold von 30, 262 Lederer, Francis 2¡7 Lee, Benny ¡29 Lee, Norman ¡57 Leeuw, Reinbert de ¡94 Lefebvre, Robert 30 LeGarçon, Eric ¡33 The Legend of St. Christopher (Parker) ¡02

The Legend of St. Elizabeth (Liszt) ¡08 Legend of the Glass Mountain (Rota) 290 Legends (Sibelius) 2¡6 Legrand, André ¡¡8, 277 Legrand, Lucienne ¡¡8 Leguizamo, John ¡93, ¡94 Lehar, Franz ¡6¡, ¡65, ¡66, ¡70, ¡7¡ Lehmbrock, Peter ¡¡8, 269, 270, 277 Lehner, Fritz 200 Leiber, Fritz ¡07, ¡¡2, 230, 236 Leigh, Andrew 88 Leigh, Mike 25¡ Leigh-Enderl, Adele ¡20, 278 Leigh-Hunt, Barbara ¡20, 278 Leinsdorf, Erich 278 Leisen, Mitchell 226 Leister, Frederick ¡48 Leitnner, Herman 236, 237 Lelio, or the Return to Life (Berlioz) 38 Lely, Durwood 249 Lemeshev, Serhei ¡49 Lemper, Ute 32, 92, ¡36, ¡47, ¡50 Lenard, Ondrei ¡4, 42, 89, ¡20, ¡90, 237 Lendvai, Yseult 42 Leni, Paul ¡97 Lenin in Switzerland (¡966 film) 73 Leningrad Symphony (Shostakovich) 208, 209, 2¡2 Leningradskaja Simfonija (¡957 film) 208, 209, 2¡4 Lenko, Valentina 263 Lennikova, Tatyana ¡83 Leon, Ralph 236 Leonard, David ¡52, ¡79, ¡82, ¡83, 262 Leonard, Margot ¡¡8, 277 Leonard, Patricia 25¡ Leonard, Peter 48, 207 Leonard, Queenie ¡60 Leonardo da Vinci ¡7¡, ¡72, 29¡ Leoncavallo, Ruggero ¡35 Leonhardt, Gustav 8, ¡2, ¡4 Leonhardt, Katherien ¡4 Leonov, Yvgeny 263 Leons, Al 3¡ Leopold (Prince of AnhaltCöthen) ¡3 Leopold Stokowski: A Portrait (documentary) 227 LePelletier, Marc 30, ¡99 Lepnidov, Yuri ¡52, ¡53, ¡83 Leroux, Gaston ¡¡¡, 74, 75, ¡¡7, 288 Leroux, Maxime 60, 6¡

Leslie, Joan 70 Lesowsky, Wolfgang ¡25, ¡29 Lesser, Anton 32, 92 Letters, Riddles and Writs see Not Mozart Letzgas, Rene 278 Leuwerik, Ruth 277 Levant, Oscar 68–70 Leven, Jackie 240 Levien, Sonya 70 Levin, Boris ¡¡8, 277 Levine, James 69, 7¡, 225, 226, 227 Levinsky, Ilya 2¡5 Levy, Benn W. ¡99 Levy, Lawrence ¡29, 24¡ Levy, Louis 235 Levy, Marilyn ¡29, 24¡ Lewis, Fiona 40, 47, 57, ¡¡9, ¡89, 278 Lewis, Linda 40, 47, 57, ¡¡9, ¡90, 278 Ley, Fritz ¡99 Lhomme, Pierre 6¡ Liadov, Anatoly ¡83 Liang, Ning 48, 207 Liberace 5, 53, ¡60, 273 The Liberty Bell (Sousa) 2¡8 Libovici, Roch 6¡ Lichnowsky, Carl 24, 9¡ Das Lieben Mozart (documentary) ¡50, ¡5¡ Die Liebenden (novel) 57 Liebeneiner, Wolfgang ¡4, 5¡, 56, ¡¡6 Liebesberg, Else ¡49 Liebmann, Robert ¡57, 235 Das Lied von der Erde (Mahler) ¡22, ¡30 Lieferkus, Sergei 2¡3, 2¡5 Lie›en, Karl ¡57, 237 Liese, Jenny 200 Liewehr, Fred 228, 236, 237 Life (magazine) 262 The Life and Loves of Mozart (¡955 film) ¡36, ¡40, ¡49 A Life for the Tzar (Glinka) 7¡ Life of Anton Bruckner (documentary) 50 Life of Passion see VillaLobos — Uma Vida de Paixão 267 The Life of Richard Wagner (¡9¡3 film) 2, ¡09, 269, 270, 277 Life, Times and Music of Edvard Grieg (documenteay) 82 Lifonni, Ferdinando 37, 67, ¡76, ¡89, 266 Light Cavalry Overture (Suppé) ¡55, 2¡9 The Light of the World (Sullivan) 245

Index Likhachyova, Tatyana 73 Likov, Sasha ¡20, 207 Likso, Irina 73, ¡¡8 Lilac Time (Clutsam/Schubert) ¡96 Lillian Russell (¡940 film) 245, 250 Limelight (¡954 film) ¡69 Lincoln, Abraham ¡8, 59, 2¡8 A Lincoln Portrait (Copland) 59 Lindberg, Sven ¡94 Lingen, Theo ¡66, ¡70, 235, 236 Linke, Peter 48, 82, ¡2¡, 252, 255, 263 Linkota, Jukka 2¡6 Linvel, Adolfo 7 Lionelli, Al berto 293 The Lioness and the Little One (documentary) 58 Liotard, Thérèse 6¡, ¡94 Lipinski, Eugene 237 Lisewski, Stefan 3¡ Liski, Paavo 2¡6 Lister, Frederick 9¡ Liszt, Blandine ¡09 Liszt, Cosima see Wagner, Cosima Liszt, Daniel 55, ¡09 Liszt, Franz 3, 7, 38, 44, 46, 47, 53, 55, 7¡–73, 80, 8¡, ¡07–¡2¡, ¡38, ¡47, ¡58, ¡59, ¡60, ¡6¡, ¡62, ¡66, ¡86, ¡9¡, 202–205, 2¡7, 223, 226, 270, 272–275, 288, 292, 293 Liszt and the Devil (documentary) ¡2¡ Liszt and the Horizon of Music (documentary) ¡2¡ Liszt at Weimar (documentary) ¡2¡ Liszt Ferenc (miniseries) 293 Lisztomania (¡975 film) 5, 38, 40, 43, 44, 47, 5¡, 55, 57, ¡08, ¡09, ¡¡5, ¡¡6, ¡¡9, ¡85, ¡86, ¡89, ¡90, 269, 273, 278 Liszt’s Rhapsody (¡996 film) ¡08, ¡¡5, ¡20 The Little Drummer Boy: A Documentary Essay on Gustav Mahler by Leonard Bernstein (documentary) ¡29, ¡30 Little Fugue in G Minor (Bach) 8, 222 A Little Nightmare Music (parody opera) ¡38 Littlefield, Lucien ¡99 Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom (Tchaikovsky) 252 Livanov, Boris 73 Lively, Robert 96 Livi, Jean-Pierre ¡33 Lix, Alexander ¡57, 237

Lizzie Bordena (parody opera) 64 Ljubicic, Slobodan ¡2¡, ¡29 Ljungberg, Olle ¡94 Lloyd, Frederick ¡99 Lloyd-Webber, Andrew ¡93, 288 Lloyd-Webber, Julian 64 Lobishome (Villa-Lobos) 267 Lobkowitz, Prince Joseph 29 Lobodzinski, Z. 57, ¡70 Lockwood, Margaret 286 Loder, John ¡48 Loge (character) 279 Loggenberg, Dudley von 244 Lohengrin (Wagner) 223, 269, 272, 273 Lohkamp, Emil 47, ¡07, ¡¡8, 207 Lohr, Marie ¡70 Lohtander, Oiva 2¡5, 2¡6 Lokkenberg, Georg 8¡ Lola Montez (¡955 film) ¡07, ¡09, ¡¡¡, ¡¡9 Lom, Herbert 288, 289 Lomanto, Enzo de Muro 30, ¡70, ¡89 Lombardi, Carlo ¡72 London Symphony (Haydn) 90 Lonergan, Lester ¡99 Long, Audrey ¡52, ¡83, 262 Loof, Clais ¡54 Loomis, Rod 3¡ Loor, Friedl ¡57, 236 Lopatto, Dino ¡76 Lopez-Yanez, Jorge ¡58 Loraine, Oscar 69, 70 Lorant, Stefan ¡¡6 Lord Nelson Mass (Haydn) 92 Lorelei Rheinklänge (Strauss, Sr.) 233 The Loretta Young Show (television series) 29¡ Lory, Jacques ¡¡7 Lossen, Lena ¡4 The Lost Chord (¡937 film) 250 “The Lost Chord” (Sullivan) 245, 250 Lotenau, Emil ¡9¡ Lothar, Mark ¡4 Lott, Felicity ¡49 Lotti, Mariella 67 Lotz, Karl-Heinz ¡50 Louchouarn, Bruno 288 Louis XIV (King of France) ¡30, ¡3¡ Louis XV (King of France ¡30, ¡33 Lourie, Eugene 3¡ Louÿs, Pierre 60 Love, Bessie 250 Love Has Died see Notturno Love Story (¡944 film) 286 Love Time (¡934 film) ¡95, ¡96, ¡99

319

Lovering, Otho ¡53, ¡83, 262 LoVerso, Enrico 89 The Loves of Liszt (¡970 film) ¡08, ¡09, ¡¡4, ¡¡5, ¡¡9 Lowe, Olga 244 Lowitz, Marianne ¡49 Lü, Jia ¡58 Lualdi, Antonella 36, 37, 67, ¡7¡ Lubin, Arthur ¡¡7 Lucas, Brenda 8¡, ¡¡9 Luchkam, T.P. 88 Luchko, Klara ¡¡9 Lucia di Lammermoor (Donizetti) 34, 36, 64, 65, 66 Lucidi, Renzi 30, ¡70, ¡89 Lucreza Borgia (Donizetti) 36, 64 Ludvigh, Rozso 74, 75 Ludwig (¡972 film) 269, 273, 278 Ludwig II (¡955 film) 269, 270, 277 Ludwig II (King of Bavaria) 272, 273, 275–277 Ludwig, Christa ¡30 La Lugubre Gondole (Liszt) ¡08, ¡¡0 Luguoro-Presicce, Count Giuseppe de 264, 265 Luhrman, Baz ¡94 Luisa Miller (Verdi) 264 Lukas, Jaromir ¡50 Lukas, Martha 200 Luke, Peter 89 Lukschy, Wolfgang ¡7¡ Lullaby (Brahms) 46, 68 Lully, Jean-Baptiste ¡33 Lumb, Jane 6¡ Luna, Manuel 7 Luonnotar (Sibelius) 2¡6 Lupi, Roldano 37, 67, ¡76, ¡89, 266 Lupino, Ida ¡¡2 Lupovici, Marcel 30, ¡99 Luske, Hamilton 226 Luther, Slavo 92, ¡50 Lutoslawski, Witold ¡62 Lutz, Alexander ¡36, ¡50 Lützows Wilde Verwegene Jagd (¡927 film) ¡6, ¡8, 30 Luxon, Benjamin ¡5¡ Lyer, Wolfried 277 Lynch, Frances ¡50 Lynn, Mara 250 Lyon, William A. 57, ¡¡9, 278 Lyonel, Emma 200 Lyric Pieces (Grieg) 78 Lyses, Charlotte 57, ¡¡7 Lyubirnov, Uri 73, ¡¡8 M (¡93¡ film) ¡0 M Is for Man, Music and Mozart see Not Mozart

320

Index

M*A*S*H (television series) ¡96 Ma, Yo-Yo ¡5, 32 Ma Vlast (Smetana) 2¡7 Macbeth (R. Strauss) 238 Macbeth (Verdi) 264 MacClure, Victor 88 MacDonald, Peter 89 Maciste in Hell (¡927 film) ¡72 Mack, Dietrich 278 Mackeben, Theo 255, 262 Mackerras, Charles 64, 89 Mackriel, Peter 49, 50 MacLaughlin, Gibb ¡99 MacMillan, Kenneth 243 MacMurray, Fred 230, 236 Macready, George 57, ¡¡8, ¡70 MacWilliam, Glen 235 Madame Bovary (¡937 film) 270 Madame Butterfly (Puccini) ¡73, ¡74 Mädchenjahre einer Königin (¡954 film) 228, 233, 237 Madeline (Herbert) 93 Madgett, Brittany 42 Maestri di Musica (¡898 film) 2, 265 Maeterlinck, Maurice 6¡ Magano, Silvanna ¡28 Maggio, Dante 37, 67, ¡7¡ The Magic Bow (¡946 film) ¡6¡, ¡66–¡68, ¡70 The Magic Box (¡95¡ film) 245, 247, 250 Magic Fire (¡956 film) 2, 4, ¡07, ¡09, ¡¡0, ¡¡9, 269–273, 275, 277 The Magic Flute (Mozart) ¡36, ¡38, ¡39, ¡40, ¡4¡, ¡45, ¡46, ¡92 Magid, Mikhail ¡53, ¡83 Magnani, Luigi 3¡ Magnano, Silvanna 278 Magnifia, Stefania 75 Magnificat (Gounod) 74 The Magnificent Rebel (¡96¡ film) ¡6, 23, 24, 3¡, 90, 92, 233 Maguire, Rick ¡90 Mahler (¡974 film) 5, 49, ¡2¡, ¡23–¡25, ¡29 Mahler, Alma ¡22–¡28 Mahler, Alois ¡24 Mahler, Gustav 49, ¡0¡, ¡2¡– ¡30, 240 Mahler, Maria ¡25 Mahler, Otto ¡24, ¡25 Mahler, Zdenek 92, ¡49, ¡50 Maid as Mistress see La Serva Padrona Mairesse, Valerie 268 “Major-General’s Song” (Sullivan) 246 Makeham, Eliot ¡70, ¡99

The Making of the Ring (documentary) 279 The Making of Walt Disney’s Fantasia (documentary) 227 Maklary, Zoltan ¡¡7 Makovetsky, Sergei 208, 2¡3– 2¡5 Makrai, Pal ¡58 Malachovsky, Ondrej 92, ¡49 Malazarte (Villa-Lobos) 267 Malco, O. 2¡4 Malédiction (Liszt) ¡08 Malenotti, Maleno 67, ¡35, ¡89, 266 Malfatti, Therese ¡7 Malinovskaya, Zhana 62, ¡94 Malkine, Georges ¡48 Malko, Nicolai 2¡4 Malleson, Miles ¡54, ¡55, ¡57 The Man and the Monster (¡958 film) 66 A Man for All Seasons (documentary) 268 Man of Music see Composer Glinka The Man Who Knew Too Much (¡934 film) 230 The Man Who Knew Too Much (¡955 film) 97–99 The Man Who Was Sherlock Holmes (¡937 film) 270 Mancini, Caterina 36, 37, 67, ¡7¡ Mander, Miles ¡¡2, ¡¡7 Mandl, Monika ¡29, 24¡ Manfred Symphony (Tchaikovsky) 252 Manfredi, Doria ¡73–¡76 Manhs, Dune ¡94 Manhunter (¡986 film) ¡3 Maniura, Peter 2¡5 Mann, Thomas ¡22, ¡28 Mannard, Tarmo 2¡5 Manning, Bruce 226 Manning, Phillip 8, ¡4 Mannino, Franco ¡28, 278 Manon Lescaut (Massenet) ¡74 Manon Lescaut (Puccini) ¡73, ¡74 Manru (Paderewski) ¡58 Mantel, Bronwen 282 Manville, Leslie 25¡ Manyai, Lajos ¡¡8 Maple Leaf Rag (Joplin) ¡03 Marais, Jean 3¡ Marais, Marin 3, ¡30–¡33 Marais, Roland ¡30 Maranek, Jiri 2¡7 Marceau, Marcel ¡7¡ Marceau, Sophie 58 March of the Wooden Soldiers (Herbert) 94

March On, Sousa (documentary) 22¡ Marchall, Inge ¡7¡, 207 Marchand, Colette ¡¡8, 277 Marchand, Louis ¡0, ¡¡ Marchand, Lucienne le 56, ¡¡6 Marchat, Jean 57, ¡¡7 Marche Slav (Tchaikovsky) 252 Marching Along (book) 2¡8 Marco, Raoul 200 Marcovich, Carlos 59 Marcus, Winnie 30, 92 Mardayn, Christi ¡48, 237 Marenbach, Leny ¡4 Marengo, Alexander 89 Maret, Max 30, ¡99 Margetson, Arthur 37, ¡89 Margolyes, Miriam 32 Maria Stuarda (Donizetti) 64 Marie, Madeleine 6¡ Marie-Louise (Empress of the French) ¡8 Marielle, Jean-Pierre ¡32, ¡33 Marinucci, Michael ¡90 Marion, Paul ¡¡7 Marischka, Ernst 3¡, 5¡, 56, 57, 58, ¡¡6, ¡¡8,¡20, ¡48, ¡70, 200, 237 Markay, Margit ¡¡8 Markey, Gene ¡¡7 Marlen, Trude 236 Marley, Peverell ¡¡7 Marlowe, Anthony ¡¡7 Marlowe, Faye 285 Marquart, Paul 236 Marquina, Eduardo 7 Marquina, Luis 7 The Marriage of Figaro (Mozart) ¡36, ¡40, 272 Marriner, Neville 89 “La Marseillaise” 54 Marsh, Dave 48, 207 Marshall, Liza 32, 92 Marsina, Antonio 200 Marta (Flotow) ¡¡2 Martell, Alphonse ¡¡7 Marthouret, François 60, 6¡, ¡94 Martin, Francis 226 Martin, Jim ¡4 Martin, Maria 7 Martin, Mary 93, 96, 243 Martin, Simon 77 Martin, Steve 7¡, 225, 226 Martin, Tony 96, ¡85 Martinek, Krystian 5¡, 57 Martini, Padre ¡4¡ Martinson, Sergei ¡4 Martinu, Bohuslav 3, ¡33, ¡34 Martynov, Valeri 62, ¡94 The Martyr of His Heart (¡9¡8 film) ¡6, 2¡, 30

Index The Martyrdom of Saint Sebastien (Debussy) 60, 6¡ Marx, Chico ¡24 Marx, Groucho ¡24 Marx, Harpo ¡24 Mary Stuart (Nordraak) 78 Marzo, Claudio 293 Marzocchi, Gianni 293 Mascagni, Pietro ¡34, ¡35 Le Maschere (Mascagni) ¡35 Maslov, Vladimir 73, ¡¡8 Mason, Monica 244 Mass in Time of War (Haydn) 90 Mass of Life (Delius) 62 Massenet, Jules ¡74 Massey, Anna 55, 58, ¡20 Massey, Ilona ¡9, 30, ¡97, 200 Masson, Louis 30 Master of the Orchestral Pallette (documentary) ¡83 Masterpiece Theater (television series) 280 Mastrocinque, Camillo 67 Mastroianni, Marcello 37, 64, 67, ¡76, ¡89, 266 Mastroianni, Ruggero ¡29, 278 Matarazzo, Ra›aello 67, ¡89, 266 Materia, Gino 37, 67, ¡7¡ Matheson, Chris ¡4, 32 Mathews, A.E. 88 Mathews, Kerwin ¡57, 228, 234, 237 Mathieson, Muir 245, 247 Matic, Peter 278 Matras, Christian 57, ¡¡7, ¡¡9 Matray, Maria 57 Mattern, Kitty ¡7¡, 207 Matthews, Jessie 235 Matthews, Lester ¡99 Matthews, Marlene 89, 237 Matz, Johanna ¡49 Maurstad, Toralv 78, 79, 8¡, ¡¡9 Max, Hans ¡96 Maxey, Paul 93, 96 May, Eva 40, ¡¡6, ¡70 May, Hans 9¡, 235 Maydelle, Sabina 262 Mayer, Gustav ¡99 Mayo, Alfredo ¡92 Mayring, Lothar ¡¡7 Maytime (Romberg) ¡84, ¡85 Mazeppa (Liszt) ¡08 Mazeppa Étude (Liszt) ¡09 Mazurok, Yuri 263 McAlpine, Donald ¡94 McCall, Phil ¡76 McCampus, Tom ¡5 McCarthy, Sheila 32 McCartney, Paul ¡93 McCellan, Claire ¡29 McClellan, Gordon 42, ¡90 McClellan, Sarah ¡29

McClure, John ¡02 McCoy, Leonard (character) 29¡ McDonald, Gary ¡94 McEwan, Hamish 237 McGann, Stephen 294 McGavin, Darren 57, ¡¡8, ¡70 McGinn, Walter 98 McGorian, Elizabeth 58 McGrath, Martin 77 McGreavy, John 73 McGregor, Ewan ¡93, ¡94 McGuire, William Anthony 250 McHugh, Frank 226, 262 McIlwain, Bob ¡02 McIntyre, Donald 279 McKellan, Ian 263 McKenna, John Mo›att 88 McKenna, Seana 89 McKenna, Virginia ¡75, ¡76 McKidd, Kevin 25¡ McKinley, William 220 McLean, Barbara ¡¡7 McMillan, Dean 244 McNair, Sylvia 283 McNally, Jo ¡50 McPhail, Angus ¡00 McRae, Hilton 282 Mecchi, Irene 7¡, 227 Meck, Barbara von 263 Meck, Nadezhda von 60, 257– 26¡ Meckler, Herman ¡49 Medioli, Enrico 278 Medved, Harry 79 Medved, Michael 79, 272 Meek, James ¡50 Meeting of Minds: Leonardo da Vinci, William Blake and Niccolo Paganini (documentary) ¡7¡, ¡72 Mefistofele (Boito) ¡74 Mehta, Zubin ¡77 Meihsl, Viktor 236 Meinrad, Josef 90, 92 Meisel, Kurt ¡48 Der Meistersinger (Wagner) 225, 269 Melichar, Alois 30, 3¡, 56, 92, ¡¡6, ¡¡7, ¡48, ¡99, 235 Mellor, William C. 236 Melo, Amelio de 267 Melodie Eterne (¡940 film) ¡35, ¡39, ¡48 Melodie Immortali (¡952 film) ¡34, ¡35 Melody Master (¡94¡ film) ¡6, ¡9, 30, ¡95, ¡97, ¡98, 200 Melvin, Murray 38, 40, 47, 57, ¡¡9, ¡78, ¡89, 2¡4, 240, 278 Memorial to Lidice (Martinu) ¡34

321

Mendelssohn, Felix 3, 8, 38, 40, ¡7¡, 203, 207 Mendes, Lothar ¡60 Mendl, Stefan ¡29 Mendoza, Natalie ¡94 Mengelberg, Mischa ¡50 Menjou, Adolphe 222, 226 Menotti, Gian Carlo 36 Menuhin, Yehudi 5, ¡66, ¡70 Mephisto Waltz (Liszt) ¡¡0 La Mer (Debussy) 60, 62 Merayo, Antonio 7 Merchant of Venice (play) 44 Merchant of Venice (Sullivan) 250 Mercury Theater Program (radio series) 98 Merimée, Prosper 42 Merlin (Albéniz) 7 Mescall, John J. 30, 200 Mesguich, Daniel 293 The Message (¡977 film) 209 Messiah (Handel) ¡8, 82–86, 88, 89 Messter, Oskar 277 Meszaros, Istvan ¡58 Metalnikov, Budimir 263 Metternich, Prince Clemons ¡88, 232 Metzger, Ludwig ¡4 Meyendor›, Irene von 30, 92 Meyer, Greta 236 Meyer, Nicholas ¡00, 283 Meyerbeer, Giacomo ¡08, ¡¡9, 272, 275, 277, 278 Meyerinck, Hubert von ¡¡7, ¡57 Meyn, Robert 277 Michie, Brian ¡07 Michie, Edward ¡78 Michurin (¡948 film) ¡82 Michurin, A. ¡48 Mickey Mouse (character) 98, 223–225 Middleton, George ¡99 Midler, Bette 7¡, 227 Mierendor›, Hans ¡4 Mighty Fistful (documentary) ¡53 The Mikado (Sullivan) 246– 249, 25¡ “The Mikado’s Song” (Sullivan) 249, 25¡ Miklosné, Vitez ¡¡8 Milanese, Rafaella 75 Mildenburg, Anna von ¡25 Miles, Bernard 99 Milhaud, Darius ¡92 Milian, Tomas 244 Military Symphony (Haydn) 90 Milland, Ray 222, 226 Millard, Oscar 57, ¡¡9, 278 Miller, Allan ¡77

322

Index

Miller, Ann ¡85 Miller, Arthur C. ¡99 Miller, Kim 244 Miller, Steven 89 Miller, William 226, 262 Millo, Achille ¡35 Millöcker, Karl 230, 236 Mills, Blaise 244 Mills, Bronwen 88 Mills, Matthew 25¡ Milner, Victor 96 Milosavijevic, Vladislava ¡29 Milsted, Jesper ¡54 Milyukova, Antonina Ivanova 256, 258–26¡ Mime (character) 279 Min Fynske Barndom (¡994 film) ¡53, ¡54 Minietti, Marco 37, 67, ¡77, ¡90, 266 Minnelli, Vincent 42, 96 Minney, R. J. ¡57, ¡70 Minute Waltz (Chopin) 56 Mirate, Ra›aele 264 Mireille (Gounod) 74 Mironova, V. ¡53, ¡83 Les Misérables (¡934 film) 2¡ Les Misérables (play) ¡78 Missa Solemnis (Beethoven) ¡7, 29 Mitchell, Charlotte 25¡ Mitchell, James ¡85 Mitchell, Robert 236 Mitchell, Warren 43, 44, 48, 207 Mitchell, Yvonne ¡58, 237 Mitridate (Mozart) ¡4¡ Moby Dick (Herrmann) 97 Mock, Alice 236 Mocky, Jean-Pierre ¡¡8 Mohammad 209 Mohr, Hal ¡¡7, ¡83 Moisiewitsch, Benno ¡06, ¡07 The Moldau (Smetana) 2¡7 Møldrup, Grete ¡54 Molleda, José Muñoz ¡92 Møller-Sørensen, Henrik ¡54 Molnar, Laszlo Z. ¡¡7 Molnar, Peter Kalloy ¡58 Molnar, Vera ¡35 Molo, Conrad von 277 Mondi, Bruno 3¡, ¡57, 200, 237 Monet, Claude 42, 62 Mongrain, Parise 58 Monicelli, Mario 32, 67, ¡89, ¡90, 266 Monks, John, Jr. 70 Monosson, Leo ¡4 Monroe, Vaughn 226, 262 Monsaingeon, Bruno 73, 78, ¡7¡, ¡72 Monsieur Schumann (¡976 film)

43, 44, 47, 48, 20¡, 205, 206, 207 Montagon, Anne de 58, ¡20 Montague, Lee ¡29 Montan, Chris 7¡, 227 Montand, Yves 3¡ Montazel, Pierre 3¡ Montenegro, Conchita ¡48 Monteux, Pierre 244 Montez, Lola ¡¡¡, ¡¡5 Montezuma (Vivaldi) 268 Monthieux, Maryline ¡90 Monti, Nicola 200 Montuori, Mario 200 Moog, Heinz 200, 278 Moonlight Sonata (¡936 film) 3, ¡58–¡60 Moonlight Sonata (Beethoven) ¡7, 20, 22, 23, ¡59, ¡86 Moor, Dieter ¡50 Moore, Grace 69 Moore, Jonathan ¡49 Moore, Wilton 226, 262 Mooshotzer, Josef 277 Mooy, Genevieve 77 Moran, Manolo ¡92 Morand, Kosiane 2¡5 Morant, Richard ¡29 Moravec, Ivan ¡49 Morberg, Per ¡54 Morbitzer, Gunther 48, 82, ¡2¡, 263 Morden, Rik 32 More, Mandy 40, 47, 57, ¡¡9, ¡90, 278 Moreau, Jean-Luc ¡20, 278 Morelli, Guiseppe 67, ¡89, 266 Morena, Erna 56, ¡¡6 Morgan, Michele 3¡ Morgan, Patti ¡57 Mori, Naoki 25¡ Moriarty, Professor James (character) ¡¡0 Mörike, Eduard ¡39, ¡48 Morison, Patricia 57, ¡¡9, 277 Moritz, Reiner E. 48, 82, ¡2¡, 263 Morlay, Gaby 265 Morley, R. B. ¡07 Morley, Robert 79, 8¡, ¡¡9, 247, 25¡ Morocco (¡930 film) 44 Morreau, Annette ¡50 Morricone, Ennio 75 Morris, Aubrey 40, 47, 57, ¡¡9, ¡89, 278 Morrison, Shelley ¡00 Morrissey, Paul 25, 26, 3¡ Morros, Boris 226, 236, 262 Morrow, Vic ¡00 Morse, Barry 9¡

La Mort du Mozart (¡909 film) ¡35, ¡39, ¡48 Morte a Venezia see Death in Venice Mortil, Janne ¡90 Morvin and the Grail (Parker) ¡02 Moscheles, Ignaz ¡38 Moscovitch, Maurice ¡¡7 Moscucci, Orietta 265, 266 Moser, Hans 236 Moses in Egypt (Rossini) 20, ¡87 Moszkowicz, Imo 57 Mottl, Erika ¡29 Moulder-Brown, John 278 Moulin Rouge! (200¡ film) 3, ¡92–¡94 Moun, Tony ¡50 Mowbray, Alan 99 Mozart (documentary) ¡50 Mozart (miniseries) 293 Mozart, Constanze ¡37, ¡39, ¡40, ¡4¡, ¡44 Mozart, Franz Xaver ¡38, ¡42 Mozart, Karl ¡42 Mozart, Leopold 32, 92, ¡40, ¡44, ¡49, ¡50, ¡5¡ Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus ¡, 7, ¡7, ¡8, ¡9, 20, 23, 30, 3¡, 32, 90, 9¡, ¡07, ¡¡9, ¡28, ¡35–¡5¡, ¡72, 208, 223, 226, 262, 272, 277, 293 Mozart and Salieri (¡962 film) ¡36, ¡40, ¡49 Mozart and Salieri (play) ¡38, ¡48 Mozart and Salieri (RimskyKorsakov) ¡38 Mozart: A Childhood Chronicle (¡974 film) 2, ¡36, ¡40, ¡4¡, ¡49 Mozart: Famous Composers Series (documentary) ¡5¡ Mozart in Love (¡975 film) ¡36, ¡4¡, ¡49 The Mozart Myths: A Critical Reassessment (book) ¡36 Mozart on the Road to Prague (novella) ¡39, ¡48 Mozart: The Opera Experience (documentary) ¡50, ¡5¡ The Mozart Story (¡948 film) ¡6, ¡9, 20, 30, 90, 92, ¡36, ¡39, ¡40, ¡48 Mozart’s Last Requiem see La Mort du Mozart Mozarts Leben, Lieben und Lieden (¡92¡ film) ¡35, ¡39, ¡48 Mozart’s Life, Loves and Torment see Mozarts Leben, Lieben und Lieden

Index Mozer, Richard ¡4, 32, 42, 89, ¡20, ¡90, 200, 237 Mravinsky, Yevgeni 73, ¡¡8 Mrkwicka, Kurt J. ¡50 Mrs. Fitzherbert (¡947 film) 90, 9¡ Much More to Handel (documentary) 89 Mudie, Carol ¡29 Mudie, Leonard ¡¡7, ¡52, ¡83, 262 Mueller-Stahl, Armin 92, ¡46, ¡49 Mulcahy, Lara ¡94 Mulhauser, James 226 Muliar, Fritz ¡29 Müller, Hans 235 Müller, Paul 200 Müller, Renate 235 Müller, Traugott ¡4 Müller, Uwe ¡7¡, 207 Müller, Walter ¡57 Müller, Wolf ¡50 Mulligan, Simon ¡4 Munblit, Georgi ¡4 Mundin, Herbert ¡99 Muni, Paul 5¡, 57, ¡¡8, ¡70, ¡95, ¡97, ¡99 Munro, Neil ¡6, 26, 32 Murphey, Michael S. 32 Murphy, Suzanne ¡49 Murray, Ann 32 Murray, John ¡9¡ Murray, Maureen ¡6, ¡34 Music at the Court of Louis XV (documentary) ¡33 The Music Lovers (¡970 film) 5, 252, 257–262 Musica — Dr. Robert Schumann, Teufelsromantiker (documentary) 208 Das Musicalisches Opfer (Bach) ¡0 Musique de l’Amour: La Chouchou (¡996 film) 60, 6¡, ¡92, ¡93, ¡94 Musique de l’Amour: Robert et Clara (¡995 film) ¡08, ¡20, 20¡, 203, 207 Musset, Alfred de 53, 55 Mussolini, Benito 20, ¡87, 264 Mussolini, Vittorio ¡87, 264 Mussorgsky (¡953 film) ¡5¡– ¡53, ¡79, ¡83 Mussorgsky, Modeste ¡5¡–¡53, ¡79, ¡82, ¡83, ¡94, 2¡3, 222– 224, 226, 262 Mutanen, Pertti 2¡6 My Dinner with Andre (¡98¡ film) 9¡ My Fair Lady (¡964 film) ¡¡5

“My God, My God, How Stupid Men Are” (O›enbach) ¡56 My Musical Childhood see Min Fynske Barndom My Redeemer Liveth (¡952 film) 85 Mycroft, Walter C. ¡99 Myers, Dennis 262 Myers, John 262 Myrick, Julian ¡02 Myrthen (Schumann) 204 Myrtil, Odette ¡¡7 Myslikova, Mila 237 The Mystery of Chopin — The Strange Case of Delphina Potocka (¡999 film) 5¡, 56, 58 The Mystery of Dr. Martinu (¡993 film) ¡33, ¡34 Nabucco (Verdi) 264, 265 Nadelmann, Noemi 58 Nader, George 29¡ Nadherny, Ernst 3¡, 90–92 Nadolovitch, Jean 38, 40, ¡¡6 Naestelberger, Robert 236 Nagibin, Yuri 263 Nakhabtsev, Fladimir ¡9¡ Nalder, Reggie 98, 99 Nanki-Poo (character) 249 Nannuzzi, Armando 278 Nanus, Sasha ¡49 Napier, Alan 285 Napoleon (¡927 film) 29, ¡6¡ Napoleon (¡955 film) ¡6, ¡8, 3¡ Napoleon (2002 miniseries) 293 Napoleon I (Emperor of the French) ¡7, ¡8, 23, 29, 3¡, 53, ¡65–¡68, ¡97, ¡99 Napoleon III (Emperor of the French) ¡¡¡, ¡¡7, ¡55, ¡57 Napoleon Sonata (Paganini) ¡65 Napoli, Anna 75 Nardi, Maurizio di ¡35 Nardi, Tony ¡90 Naso, Eckart von ¡4 Nat, Lucien 57, ¡¡7, ¡57 Natanson, Jacques 56, ¡¡7, ¡¡9 Natoma (Herbert) 93 Naughty Marietta (Herbert) 93, 94 Navarra (Albéniz) 7 Nawrocki, Dirk 3¡ Nazvanov, Mikhail 72, 73, ¡¡8 Nazzari, Amadeo 64, 66, 67 Nears, Colin ¡4 Nedovrsena Simfonija (¡998 film) ¡2¡, ¡26, ¡29 Née, Louis 3¡ Negro Rhapsody (Stokowski) 222 Neier, Joachim 43, 44, 48, 82, ¡2¡, 263

323

Neilson, Catherine 50 Nélida (book) ¡09 Nells, Sylvia ¡48 Nelson, Charles 57, ¡¡8, ¡70 Neri, Giulio 37, 67, ¡7¡, ¡76, ¡89, 266 Nero, Franco ¡20, 278 Nerone (Mascagni) ¡35 Neruda, Wilma 80 Nessun Dorma (Puccini) ¡76 Nester, Harry 30 Neubach, Ernest 235 Neugebauer, Alfred 236, 237 Neumann, Claus ¡50 Neumer, Helga 3¡, 200 Neunzig, Hans E. ¡7¡, 207 New, David ¡94 New Babylon (¡929 film) 208 New Moon (Romberg) ¡84, ¡85 New Wine see Melody Master New Year’s Concert Vienna (documentary) 238 New York Skyline (Villa-Lobos) 267 Newley, Anthony ¡6 Newman, Alfred 90–92, 22¡, 250 Newman, David ¡4, 3¡ Newson, Jeremy 32, 92, ¡50 Newton, Lauren ¡36, ¡50 Newton, Robert ¡6 Newton, Tim ¡79 Nicaud, Philippe ¡58, 237 Niccolini 85 Niccolo Paganini (documentary) ¡7¡ Nichol, Barbara 32 Nicholas I (Tzar of Russia) 72 Nicholas, Paul 40, 47, 57, ¡¡9, ¡89, 269, 273, 278 Nicholson, George J. ¡00 Nielsen, Carl ¡53, ¡54 Nielsen, Jesper ¡54 Niemczyk, Leon 3¡ Niero, José ¡92 Nietzsche, Friedrich ¡23, 243, 275, 277, 278 Nieweglowki, J. 57, ¡70 A Night in Madrid (Glinka) 72 Night of the Generals (!967 film) ¡86 Night on Bald Mountain (Mussorgsky) ¡52, 224 Night Ride and Sunrise (Sibelius) 2¡6 Night Song (¡948 film) 287 The Night That Panicked America (¡975 film) 97–¡00 A Night with Handel (documentary) 89 Nigro, Eugenio 7 Nijinsky (¡980 film) 24¡–244 Nijinsky (book) 244

324

Index

Nijinsky, Romola de Pulsky 242–244 Nijinsky, Vaslav 242–244 Nikard, Philippe ¡54, ¡58 Nikitin, Fydor ¡53, ¡83 Nikowitz, Eri ch 30, 92 ¡905 Symphony (Shostakovich) 209 Nitu, Jelu ¡20 Nixon, Cynthia ¡49 Nobarese, Vittorio Nino 37, 67, ¡76, ¡89, 266 Nobel, Martin 70 Noble, Robert 8, ¡3, ¡4 Nocturnes (cartoon) 56 Nocturnes for Orchestra (Debussy) 60 Nogueira, Ana Beatriz 267 Noiret, Philippe 32, ¡85, ¡86, ¡90 Nol Tre (¡984 film) ¡36, ¡4¡, ¡49 None But the Lonely Heart (Tchaikovsky) ¡82 Norden, Christine ¡57 Nordraak, Rikard 78–8¡ Norgaard, Carsten 50 Norkis, Alfred 3¡, 92 Norma (Bellini) 33, 34, 36 Norman, Leslie ¡99 Norman, Noëlle ¡57 Northam, Jeremy 279, 282 Northam, Zanna 78 Norton Lecture Series 33, ¡02, ¡2¡, ¡30 Norvarese, Vittorio 67 Not Mozart (¡99¡ film) ¡6, 20, 32, 90, 92, ¡36, ¡46–¡48, ¡50 La Note Bleue (¡99¡ film) 5¡, 55, 58 Notorious Woman (miniseries) 292, 293 Nottingham, Wendy 25¡ Notturno (¡988 film) ¡95, ¡98, 200, 293 Novarese, Vittorio 30, ¡70, ¡89 Novecento, Nik ¡49 November Dusk (Herrmann) 97 November Woods (Bax) ¡5 Novoa, Amadeo 7 Nowack, Hans ¡57 Nox, André 30 Les Nuits d’Été (Berlioz) 38 Nupen, Christopher ¡7¡, ¡72, 20¡ The Nutcracker (Tchaikovsky) 223, 252, 253, 259 Nuytten, Bruno 6¡ Nyman, Lena ¡94 Nyman, Lennart ¡94 Nyman, Michael 32, 92, ¡47, ¡50 O Isis und Osiris (Mozart) ¡46 Oakie, Jack 236

Oberhorner, Sabine 48, 8¡, ¡2¡, 263 Oberkofler, Evi 50, 278 Obermeyer, Janet 32 Oberon, Merle 52, 53, 57, ¡¡8, ¡70, ¡85, 287 Obligado, Pedro Miguel 7 Oceanides (Sibelius) 2¡6 Ochsenknecht, Uwe 92, ¡49 O’Connor, Caroline ¡94 O’Connor, Una ¡64, 250 Octavie, Jean (character) 287, 288 Ode on St. Cecilia’s Day (Purcell) ¡78 Ode to Joy see Choral Symphony Ode to St. Cecelia (Handel) 82 Odemar, Fritz 56, ¡¡6, 277 O’Driscoll, Martha 226, 262 Oecq, Benoit le 58 Oedipus Rex (Stravinsky) 24¡ Of Mice and Men (¡939 film) 59 O’Farrell, Bernadette 25¡ O›enbach, Jacques ¡54–¡58, ¡94, 2¡8,233, 278, 293 O›enbachs Geheimnis (¡996 film) ¡54, ¡56 ¡58 Ogden, John 8¡, ¡¡9 Ognivtsev, Aleksandr ¡83 Ogui, Oleg 62, ¡94 O’Hanlon, George 30, 200 Ohe, Adele aus der 255 Ohischmidt, Rudolf ¡49 L’Oiseau de Feu see Firebird Ojeda, Manuel 59 Oke, Alan ¡77 Oken, Stuart 58, ¡20 Olbrychski, Daniel 200 Oldman, Gary ¡6, 27, 28, 32 Oleinchinko, Galina 263 Olejniczak, Janusz 5¡, 58 Olin, Lena ¡94 Oliver, Stephen ¡20, 278 Oliver Twist (¡948 film) ¡6 Olivier, Laurence ¡20, 250, 275, 278 Olmos, Sabina 7 Olofsson, Johanna 48, 82, ¡2¡, 263 Olofsson, Thomas 48, 82, ¡2¡, 263 Olsen, Christopher 99 Olsen, Moroni 70 Olvis, William ¡85 Olympic Hymn (R. Strauss) 24¡ Ombra mai fu (Handel) 83, 84 Omnibus (television series) 33, 60 On Dangerous Ground (¡95¡ film) 97

On Hearing the First Cuckoo in Spring (Delius) 62 On Shore and Sea (Sullivan) 247 Once Upon a Honeymoon (¡942 fillm) 253 Ondricek, Miroslav ¡49 One Hundred and One Dalmations (¡96¡ film) 246 One Hundred Men and a Girl (¡937 film) 222, 223, 226 The Only Girl (¡933 film) ¡54, ¡57 Onofrei, Dumitru ¡20 “Onward, Christian Soldiers” (Sullivan) 245 Operette (¡940 film) 228, 230, 236 Ophelia 39 Ophuls, Max ¡¡¡, ¡¡9 Opritescu, Nicolae ¡20 Ording, Jorn 78, 79, 8¡ Orduña, Juan de 7 Organ Symphony (Saint-Saëns) ¡9¡ Orgelbüchlein (Bach) 8 Orlov, Alexander ¡4 Orlov, Georgi ¡53, ¡83 Orlov, Sergei ¡20, 207 Orlov, Yuri ¡20, 207 Orlova, Lyubov 73, ¡¡8, ¡53, ¡83 Ormandy, Eugene 287 Orosco, Raphael 260, 263 Orpheus (Broschi) 87 Orpheus in the Underworld (O›enbach) ¡54, ¡55 Orsini, Umberto 278 Ortegosa, Berta 7 Ortolani, Riz ¡49 Osborn, Andrew ¡57 Osborne, John 86, 89, ¡78, ¡79 Osborne, Vivienne 236 Oscar, Henry 9¡, ¡57 Oscarson, Per ¡94 Ostrer, Harry ¡57 Oswald, Kathe ¡69, ¡99 Oswald, Richard ¡8, 30, 40, ¡¡6, ¡69, ¡70, ¡99 Otello (Rossini) 20, ¡86, ¡87, ¡88 Otello (Verdi) 264, 265, 292 Otero, Eduardo 7 Othello (¡955 film) ¡82 O’Toole, Peter ¡86 O’Toole, Stanley 244 Ottone (Handel) 84 Ouelllette, Michel 58 Our Town (¡940 film) 59 Ovari, Lajos ¡¡9 Over the Hills and Far Away (Delius) 62 Ovseplan, Gurgen 42 Owen, Tudor 245, 246, 250 “Owl Song” (Herbert) 95

Index Oylong, Grazyna 58 Ozawa, Seiji 2¡0 Pacek, Michael ¡4, 89, ¡20, 237 Paderewski, Ignace Jan ¡58–¡60 Paderewski’s Return (documentary) ¡60 Paderewski’s 20th American Tour (documentary) ¡60 Paganini (¡9¡0 film?) ¡6¡ Paganini (¡923 film) 38, 39, ¡07, ¡08, ¡¡6, ¡6¡, ¡70 Paganini (¡934 film) ¡6¡, ¡70 Paganini (¡972 film) ¡6¡, ¡66, ¡7¡ Paganini (¡989 film) ¡6¡, ¡7¡ Paganini (Lehar) ¡65, ¡66, ¡70, ¡7¡ Paganini, Achille ¡62, ¡68, ¡69 Paganini, Nicolò 34, 37, 38, 40, 54, 55, 57, 67, ¡08, ¡¡8, ¡6¡– ¡72, ¡70, ¡99, 203, 293 Page, Genevieve 57, ¡¡9, 277 Paget, Debra 2¡8, 2¡9, 22¡ I Pagliacci (Leoncavallo) ¡35 Pagnol, Jaqueline 200 Pagnol, Marcel 200 Paimblanc, Philippe 6¡ Paisello, Giovanni ¡87 Pakkasvirta, Jaakko 2¡6 Pakulsky, Vladislav 260, 26¡ Palenko, Pavel 73, ¡¡8 Palette, Eugene 226 Palmeira, Marcos 267 Palmer, Bela ¡58 Palmer, Felicity 2¡4 Palmer, Harry (character) 5, 209 Palmer, Tony 4, 5, 39, 40, 43, 44, 48, 56, 58, 86, 89, ¡20, ¡57, ¡75, ¡76, ¡77, ¡78, ¡79, 206, 207, 2¡0, 2¡¡, 244, 275, 276, 278, 293 Palmers, Nina ¡49 Palo, Pertti 2¡6 Palva, Queen of Love (novel) ¡54 Pambieri, Giuseppe 293 Pan and Syrinx (Nielsen) ¡53 Panak, Erik ¡90 Pangris, Andreas ¡4 Panner, Fritz 37, ¡89 Paola, Dria ¡72 Paolieri, Germana 265 Pape, Andy ¡54 Papillons (Schumann) 203 Par Ordre du Tsar (¡954 film) ¡07, ¡09, ¡¡5, ¡¡8 Parade (Satie) ¡92, ¡93 Parély, Mila ¡¡8 Parikian, Manoug 8¡, ¡¡9 Paris, Reine-Marie 6¡ Parker, Barnett 30, 200 Parker, Cecil ¡70, 250 Parker, Horatio ¡0¡, ¡02

Parker, Jon Kimura ¡5, 48, 58, 89, 92, 20¡, 263, 268 Parker, Willard ¡58, 237 Parkes, Gerard 89 Parrott, Andrew ¡50 Parry, Ken 40, 47, 57, ¡¡9, ¡85, ¡86, ¡89, 278 Parry, Lee 235 Parsifal (Wagner) ¡¡0, 24¡, 269, 277 Paryla, Karl 237 Paryla, Katja 3¡ Paryla, Stephan ¡20, 278 Pasco, Richard ¡20, 278 Pasero, Tancredi 30, ¡70, ¡89 Pasetti, Peter 293 Passeur, Steve 30 Passion (¡999 film) 76, 77 Passion According to St. Matthew (Bach) 8 Passion of Bel Canto (documentary) 37, 38 Pasta, Giudetta 34, 36 Pastoral Symphony (Beethoven) ¡8, 22, 33, 55, 223 Pater Noster (Gounod) 74 Paterson, Pat ¡99 Paterson Free Public Library 5, ¡7¡ Pathétique Sonata (Beethoven) ¡7, 2¡, 29 Pathétique Symphony (Tchaikovsky) ¡, 254, 257, 260, 26¡, 263 Patience (Sullivan) 248 Patinkin, Mandy 55, 57, ¡20 Patrick, Nigel ¡58, 228, 234, 237 Patzak, Peter 278 Paul, Elliot 70 Paul, John Graham 89 Pauli, Paul 30, ¡70, ¡89 Paulini, A. I. ¡49 Pausperti, Karl 200, 236 Pavarotti, Luciano 293 Pavese, Luigi ¡48 Pavlenko, Pyotr 73, ¡¡8 Pavlova, Anna ¡9¡ Peach, L. duGarde 88 Peacherine Rag (Joplin) ¡03 Pearce, Craig ¡94 Pearce, Eve 25¡ The Pearl Fishers (Bizet) 4¡ Pecenka, Ferdinand 2¡7 Pecqueux, Maurice 30, ¡99 Pecsi, Sandor ¡¡¡, ¡¡8, ¡¡9 Pedersen, Steven ¡54 Pederzinni, Dianna 30, ¡70, ¡89 Peer Gynt (Grieg) 78, 80 Peerce, Jan 225, 226, 262 Pelléas et Méllisande (Debussy) 60, 6¡ Pellegrin, Raymond 3¡

325

Pellegrini, Glauco 200 Peloso, Glen 237 Pena, George de la 243, 244 Peña, Julio 7 Penitent Magdalen (painting) 75 Penn and Teller (comedy team) 7¡, 227 Pennell, Nicholas ¡92–¡94 Penno, Gino ¡76 Peoples’ Choice (television series) 96 Pepita Jiménez (Albéniz) 7 Pepper, J. W. 2¡8 Pepys, Samuel ¡78 Perahia, Murray 32 Percy, Esme ¡99 Percy and Rose (play) 77 Percy Grainger (book) 77 Percy Grainger — The Noble Savage (documentary) 78 Perez, Vincent ¡29, 240 Pergen, Count Johann von ¡45, ¡46 Pergolesi (¡932 film) ¡72 Pergolesi, Giovanni Battista 89, ¡72 Perilli, Ivo ¡35 Perlman, Itzhak 7¡, 227 Perrault, David ¡4, 32, 89, ¡20 Perreau, Gigi 47, ¡¡8, 207 Perreau, Janine 47, ¡¡8, 207 Pérrier, Etienne 268 Perrson, Jan ¡94 Pertsovsky, Mark 2¡4 Pertwee, Roland ¡70 Pesce, Franco ¡35 Peschke, Anton 278 Peter Pan (character) 243 Peter Ustinov’s Russia (documentary) 73 Peter Warlock (documentary) 283 Peter Warlock: A Memoir of Philip Heseltine (book) 282 Peters, Bernadette 55, 58, ¡09, ¡20 Peters, Sabine ¡4 Peters, Walter ¡4 Petersburger Nacht (¡935 film) 227, 230, 235 Peterson, Dorothy 250 Peterson, Eric ¡4 Pethes, Sandor ¡¡7 Petit Messe Solenelle (Rossini) ¡85 Petrie, Hay 84, 88, ¡07 Petrie, L. (character) 288 Petrov, Yevgeni ¡4 Petrovich, Ivan ¡6¡, ¡66, ¡70, ¡99 Petrovna, Sonia 278 Petrushka (Stravinsky) 24¡, 244 Petty, Ross ¡4

326

Index

Phaëton (Saint-Saëns) ¡9¡ Phantasiestücke (Schumann) 20¡ Phantom of the Opera (¡925 film) 288 Phantom of the Opera (¡943 film) 3, ¡07, ¡09, ¡¡¡, ¡¡2, ¡¡7 Phantom of the Opera (¡962 film) 288 Phantom of the Opera (¡998 film) 74, 75 Phantom of the Opera (musical) ¡93 Phantom of the Paradise (¡974 film) 288 Philip V (King of Spain) 87 Phillips, Marita 2¡4 Phillips, Sian ¡75, 244 Pianissimo Amen (Stokowski) 222, 227 Piatgorsky, Gregor 225, 226, 262 Picasso, Lamberto 30, ¡70, ¡89, 265 Picasso, Pablo ¡34, ¡92–¡94 Piccone, Ugo ¡4 Pickup, Ronald ¡20, ¡29, ¡76, 2¡¡, 2¡4, 24¡, 242, 243, 244, 265, 275, 278, 292, 293, 294 Pictures at an Exhibition (Mussorgsky) ¡52 Pidgeon, Walter ¡85 The Pie Rats of Penn Yam (parody opera) 245 Pieces en Forme de Poire (Satie) ¡92 Pieces in the Shape of a Pear see Pieces en Forme de Poire Pierotti, Piero 67, ¡35, ¡89, 266 Pietraszkiewicz, Leon 57, ¡7¡ Pigg, Alexandra 32 Pigott-Smith, Tim 32, 92 Piitz, Lori 48, 20¡, 206, 207 Pilikhina, Margarita 263 Pilotto, Camillo 30, 37, 67, ¡70, ¡7¡, ¡89, 265, 266 Piltz, Maria 242 Pindter, Walter ¡4 Pinkard, Fred ¡05, 22¡ Pinza, Ezio 225, 226, 262 Piovani, Nicola, ¡90 Il Pirata (Bellini) 33, 34 Pirates of Penzance (Sullivan) 245, 246, 248 Pirogov, Aleksander ¡49 Pirrera, Melissa ¡90 Pirro, Ugo 37, 67, ¡77, ¡90, 266 Piseskaya, Maria 263 Pisier, Marie-France 58 Pitagna, Antonio 267 Pitti-Sing (character) 249 Pixa, Kamit ¡50 Pizer, Larry ¡07 Pizzarani, Giulio ¡49

Plachon, Roger 6¡ Plamondon, Anne 58 Plane, Carlo Delle ¡49 Planer, Franz ¡99, 235 Les Pleures (Sainte-Colombe) Pleyel, Camille 53, ¡¡2 Plowright, Joan ¡20, 278 Pluch, Thomas ¡50 Pludermacher, Georges 58, ¡20 Pluzhnikov, Konstantin 2¡3, 2¡5 Podguszer, Franck ¡29 Poe, Edgar Allan 60 Poet and Muse see Runoilija ja Muusa Poet and Peasant Overture (Suppé) ¡55 A Poet’s Love see Dichterliebe Poggi, Gianni 37, 67, ¡7¡ Pogorelich, Ivo ¡7¡, 202, 207 Pohjola’s Daughter (Sibelius) 2¡6 Pohl, Arthur ¡99 Pointner, Anton 235 Poirier, Jean-Marie ¡33 “A Policeman’s Lot is not a Happy One” (Sullivan) 248 Polik, Hanus 3¡ Polito, Saul 70 Pollack, Matthew 268 Polli, Piero 30 Polonaise (Clara Schumann) 203 Polonia Symphony (Paderewski) ¡58 Polovetsian Dances (Borodin) ¡52, ¡82, 26¡ Pommer, Erich ¡57 Pomona (Lambert) ¡05 Ponchielli, Amilcare 223, 226 Pönitz, Klaus ¡50 Pons, Lily 225, 226, 262 Pontcarral, Colonel d’Empire (¡942 film) 5¡, 53, 57,¡07, ¡¡¡, ¡¡7 Ponti, Michael 50, 278 Pooh-Bah (character) 249 Pope, Alexander 85 Pope, Dick 25¡ Popov, Andrei ¡52, ¡53, ¡79, ¡82, ¡83 Popovic, Jovana ¡29 Popp, Lucia ¡30 Porel, Marc 278 Poretta, Frank 79, 80, 8¡, ¡¡9 Porgy and Bess (Gershwin) 68, 69, 7¡ Porgy and Bess: An American Voice (documentary) 7¡ Porpora, Niccolò 82, 86, 88, ¡4¡, ¡49 Porporino (¡980 film) ¡36, ¡4¡, ¡49 Portman, Eric ¡60, 250 Portno›, M. 226, 262

Portrait of a Composer on a Bicycle (2002 film) 5 Portrait of a Soviet Composer (documentary) 4 A Portrait of Robert Schumann (documentary) 208 A Portrait of Stravinsky (documentary) 244 Posival, Tanya ¡3, ¡4 Potocka, Delphina 56 Potsik, Karin ¡50 Poulenc, Francis ¡92 Powell, Jane ¡85 Powell, Michael ¡9¡ Powell, Robert ¡2¡ Power, Romina 200 Power, Tyrone ¡¡7 Powley, Bryan ¡60 Pownall, Leon 82, 88, 89 Poznansky, Alexander 252 Pradelli, Francesco Molinari ¡76 Prasser, Luise 278 Pratt, Peter 25¡ Prazsky, Premysl ¡50 Prcygoda, Peter 92, ¡50 Preger, Kurt 237 Preiss, Wolfgang 92, ¡46, ¡49 Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun (Debussy) 60, 242, 244 Les Preludes (Liszt) ¡08, ¡¡4 Preludio, A Vida de Chopin (miniseries) 293 Preminger, Otto 43 Presle, Micheline 37, 67, ¡76, ¡89, 266 Presley, Elvis ¡6¡ Press, Fiona 77 Pressburger, Arnold 37, ¡89 Pressburger, Fritz 37, ¡89 The Pretty Miller Girl see La Belle Meunière Preussler, Anja Christine ¡7¡, 20¡, 203, 207 Previn, André 40, 48, 2¡5, 222, 260, 26¡, 263 Previn, Charles 226, 262 Previn, Steve ¡58, 237 Previtali, Fernando 30, ¡70, ¡76, ¡89 Prévost, Abbé ¡74 Price, Dennis ¡70, 250 Price, Stanley 227, 230, 235 Price, Vincent ¡43, 286 Priestley, J. B. ¡06, ¡07 Prince, William 226, 262, 285 Prince Igor (Borodin) ¡52, ¡79, ¡82, ¡83, ¡84 Prince Igor: The Making of an Opera (documentary) ¡83 Le Prince Masqué de Caucasie (parody opera) ¡¡2

Index Princess Ida (Sullivan) 245, 246, 248, 249 Princess Pat (Herbert) 95 Printemps, Yvonne ¡56, ¡57 Prinz, Dietmar 25, 3¡ Prinz, Werner ¡29, 24¡ Le Prise de Troie see Les Troyens Prochazka, Antonin ¡36, ¡50 The Prodigal Son (Sullivan) 245, 247, 248, 249 Profes, Anton 3¡, 200, 237 De Profundis (Gounod) 74 Prokofiev, Serge 4, 2¡2 Prouty, Jed 226 Provence, Denise ¡57 Pryce, Jonathan ¡2¡, ¡26–¡29 Prygunov, Lev 287 Pryor, Maureen 64, 77, 262 Psycho (¡960 film) 97 Pszoniak, Wojciech 200, 267, 268 Puccini (¡973 miniseries) 293 Puccini (¡984 film) ¡73, ¡75, ¡76 Puccini, Elvira ¡73–¡75 Puccini, Giacomo 5, 36, 37, 67, ¡34, ¡65, ¡73–¡77, ¡89, ¡90,¡93, ¡94, 293 Puccini: A Documentary (documentary) ¡77 Puccini: Vissi d’Arte, Vissi d’Amore see Two Loves Have I Puccini’s Funeral (documentary) ¡77 Puglia, Frank ¡¡7 Puhtaaksikirjoittaja (200¡ film) 2¡5, 2¡6 Pulcinella (Stravinsky) ¡72 Pulgar, Tibor ¡¡7 Purcell, Henry 5, ¡78, ¡79 Purdom, Edmund ¡¡0 I Puritani (Bellini) 33, 38 Purves, Barry 25¡ Pushkin, Alexander 72, ¡38– ¡40, ¡42, ¡48, ¡49 Putnam, David 40, 47, 57, ¡¡9, ¡90, 278 Putz, Hans ¡57, 237 Quadflieg, Will ¡07, ¡¡¡, ¡¡9 Qualen, John 30, ¡83, 200 Qualtinger, Helmut ¡57 Quayle, Anthony 33, ¡5¡ The Queen of Hearts (Sousa) 2¡8 The Queen of Spades (Tchaikovsky) 252 Queenan, Elizabeth 32, 92, ¡50 Quest, Hans ¡¡9, 277 Queysanne, Bernard 48, 207 Quignard, Pascal ¡30, ¡3¡, ¡33 Quilligan, Veronica 40, 47, 57, ¡¡9, ¡89, 278

Quinn, Patricia ¡79 Quiroga, Manuel L. 7 Raacke, Catarina 92, ¡49 Raasch, Peter ¡50 Rachini, Pasquale ¡49 Rachlin, Julien 293 Rachmanino›, Sergei 3, 5, 69, 70, ¡06, ¡07, ¡62, 289, 293 Radecki, Tony ¡00 Radetzky, Stefan (character) 289 Radetzky March (Strauss, Sr.) 228, 232, 233, 234 Radovic, Slobodan ¡29 Rae, Dan 32 Rae, Dorata 2¡4 Ragin, Derek Lee Raimey, Samuel ¡90 Raimondi, Ruggero ¡90 Raindrops Prelude (Chopin) 56 Rainer, Luis ¡07, ¡¡7 Rainer, Luise 23¡, 236 Rainey, Samuel ¡49 Rains, Claude ¡¡¡, ¡¡2, ¡¡7, 287 The Rake’s Progress (Stravinsky) 24¡ Rakowski, Pawel 58, ¡2¡ Raksin, David ¡00 Ramage, Cecil ¡99 Rameau, Hans ¡60 Ramerstorfer, Josefine 236 Ramos, Richard ¡02 Rampling, Charlotte 30 Rand, Patrick 32 Rangström, True 48, 82, ¡2¡, 263 Rapley, John 25¡ Rappaport, Mark ¡4¡, ¡49 Rapper, Irving 70 Rapsodia Cubana (Albéniz) 7 Rapsodia Satanica (Mascagni) ¡35 Rasmusser, Haakon Rasmos 48, 8¡, ¡2¡, 263 Rasp, Fritz ¡¡9, 262, 277 Rasputin (¡938 film) 2¡ Rasumny, Mikhail ¡52, ¡83, 262 Rathbone, Basil ¡86, 246 Ravel, Maurice 3, 69, 70, ¡26, ¡29, ¡52, 209, 242 Raye, Martha 222, 226 Raynr, David ¡03, ¡05, 22¡ Reagan, Ronald 2¡8 Rebane, Wally 62, ¡94 Rebeschini, Barbara ¡49 Rebner, Arthur ¡99 Recio, Marie 39 Recoing, Aurelien 58 Recollections of Mahler (book) ¡25 The Red Pony (¡948 film) 59 La Redemption (Gounod) 74

327

Redgrave, Corin 38–40, 58, ¡20, ¡78, 278 Redgrave, Michael 39, 250 Redgrave, Vanessa 39, ¡20, 275, 278 Reed, J. Theodore ¡53, ¡83, 262 Reed, Oliver 60, 6¡ Reed, Philip ¡83 Reeves, Keanu ¡4, 3¡ Refn, Anders ¡54 Regeher, Julia 50, 278 Regnier, Charles ¡¡9, 272, 277 Regules, Marisa 7 Reicher, Ernst 277 Reichert, Heinz 3¡, ¡70, ¡96, ¡99, 200 Reichmann, Wolfgang ¡6, 25, 3¡ Reid, Fiona 32 Reilly, Andrew 40, 47, 57, ¡¡9, ¡89, 278 Reina, Juanita 7 Reinecke, Carl 46, ¡¡0 Reiner, Erwin ¡07 Reiner, Fritz 226, 262 Reinert, Emil 236 Reinhardt, Gottfried 236 Reinhardt, Wolfgang 277 Reisch, Walter 37, ¡57, ¡83, ¡89, ¡99, 236 Renger, Manfred 3¡ Rennie, Michael ¡55, ¡57 Renoir, Auguste 42 Renoir, Claude 30, ¡76, ¡99 Renoir, Jean 39 Requiem (Berlioz) 38 Requiem (Delius) 62, 64 Requiem (Mozart) ¡8, ¡36, ¡37, ¡39, ¡40, ¡44–¡46 Requiem (Salieri) ¡44 Requiem (Verdi) 264, 292 Requiem Canticles (Stravinsky) 24¡ “Requiem for Methuselah” (television show) 29¡ Respighi, Ottorino 3, 7¡, 227 Rest, Wolfgang ¡50 Rest, Sweet Nymphs (Warlock) 28¡, 282 Resurrection Symphony (Mahler) ¡2¡, ¡24, ¡26, 240 Rettore, Sonatello ¡7¡ The Return of Gilbert and Sullivan (¡950 film) 245, 246, 259 Rêves d’Amour (¡946 film) ¡07, ¡¡5, ¡¡8 La Rêveuse (Marais) ¡32, ¡33 Reville, Alma 229, 235 Revolutionary Étude (Chopin) 53, 54, 55 Rex, Eugen ¡57 Reyerson, Frank 226, 262 Reynolds, David 7¡, 227

328

Index

Reynolds, Robert 2¡4 Reynolds, William 244 Reyre, Marie-Laure 58 Rhapsody in Blue (¡945 film) 68–70 Rhapsody in Blue (Gershwin) 68, 69 Das Rheingold (Wagner) 269, 276 Rhys, Paul 5¡, 56, 58 Ricard, Florence ¡33 Ricardo, André 267 Ricci, Nola ¡28, 278 Ricci, Renzo 37, 67, ¡7¡ Riccioli, Guido ¡35 Rich, Gary ¡2¡, ¡24 Richard, Frida ¡99 Richard, Jean 37, 67, ¡7¡ Richard and Cosima see Wahnfried Richard III (Smetana) 2¡7 Richard Strauss: A Concise Biography (documentary) 24¡ Richards, Susan 8¡, ¡¡9 Richardson, Ralph ¡20, 275, 278 Richert, Carole ¡33 Richings, Julian 237 Richter, Renate 3¡ Richter, Sviatoslav 72, 73, ¡07, ¡¡¡, ¡¡8, ¡¡9 Richter the Enigma (documentary) 73 La Ricordanza (Liszt) 72 Ricordanza Étude (Liszt) ¡¡¡ Ricordi, Giovanni 36 Ricordi, Guilio 36, ¡74 Ricordi, Tito 36 Ride of the Valkyries (Wagner) ¡24 Riedmann, Gerhard ¡¡9, 272, 277 Rieger, August ¡57 Riemann, Elke 48, 82, ¡2¡, 263 Riemann, Johannes ¡4 Rienzi (Wagner) 268, 273 Rifkin, Ron 97–¡00 Riganti, Franco 37, 67, ¡7¡, ¡76, ¡89, 266 Rigby, Jean 88, 89 Rigby, Terence 58, ¡78, 2¡4 Rigg, Carl 8¡, ¡¡9 Rigillo, Mariano 37, 67, ¡77, ¡90, 264–266 Rigoletto (Verdi) ¡86, 264 Rikard Nordraak (¡945 film) 78, 8¡ Riley, Michael 228, 235, 237 Rilla, Walter 57, ¡¡9, 277 Rimsky-Korsakov (¡952 film) ¡79, ¡82, ¡83 Rimsky-Korsakov, Nikolai ¡38, ¡5¡, ¡52, ¡79–¡84, 2¡3, 244, 26¡

Rinaldi, Nadia 75 Rinaldo (Handel) 82, 86, 88 Der Ring des Nibelungen (opera cycle) 269, 275, 277, 279 Rio Grande (Lambert) ¡06 Rip Van Winkle Overture (Chadwick) ¡02 Ripper, Michael 25¡ Rite of Spring see Le Sacre du Printemps Ritter, John ¡00 Ritter, Karl ¡¡0 Rivolta, Carlo 293 Rizzieri, Elena 290 Roach, Bert 236 Robert Koch (¡939 film) ¡0 Robert-Lauliac, Michele 3¡ Roberto Devereaux (Donizetti) 64 Roberts, Bill 226 Robertson, Annette 6¡ Robertson, John ¡77 Robeson, Paul 2¡4 Robespierre, Maximilien ¡0, 268 Robin, Dany 3¡ Robins, Edwin ¡99 Robinson, Bruce 262 Robinson, Edward G. 79, 8¡, ¡¡9 Robinson, Madeleine 6¡ Robinson, Susan ¡58, 237 Robinson Caruso (O›enbach) ¡54 Rocard, Pascale 6¡, ¡94 Rocket, Jennifer 89 Rococo Variations (Tchaikovsky) 252 Rodeo (Copland) 59 Rodgers, Anton 58, ¡20 Rodgers, Richard ¡93, ¡94 Rodin, Auguste 6¡ Rodina Skyshit (Shostakovich) 208 Rodzinski, Artur 209, 226, 262 Roerch, Nicholas 242 Rogde, Ingolf 8¡ Rogers, Charles 226 Rogers, Walter ¡99 Rohr, Tony ¡6, 32, 92, ¡50 Rojas, Jessica Ambinder 7¡, 227 Rojo, Maria 59 Rökk, Marika 262 Roland, Marc ¡4 Roll, Gernot 200 Rollin, Patrick ¡20, 278 Rom, Siri 8¡ Romani, Felice 34, 36 Romanowska-Rozewicz, Ewa 58, ¡2¡ Romanowsky, Richard 3¡, 56, ¡¡6, 200 Romans, Pierre ¡49

Romantic Symphony (Bruckner) 49 Romanticism in Music and Art (documentary) 40 Romberg, Sigmund 2, ¡84, ¡85, ¡96, ¡99 Romea, Alberto ¡92 Romeo and Juliet (Lambert) ¡05 Romeo and Juliet (Tchaikovsky) ¡06, 252 Romeo and Juliet Symphony (Berlioz) 38 Romeo et Juliette (Gounod) 74, 75 Ronalds, Fanny 249, 250 La Ronde des Lutins (Bazzini) ¡67 Ronet, Maurice 33, 34, 36, 37, 67, ¡7¡, ¡76, ¡89, 266 Roome, Alfred ¡70 Roosevelt, Theodore ¡04 Rosamunde (Schubert) ¡98, 245 Rosato, Genesa 244 Rose, Bernard 32 Rose of Algeria (Herbert) 93 “Rose of the World” (Herbert) 93, 95 Rosen, Jelka 62, 63 Rosenberg, Manfred ¡7¡, 207 Der Rosenkavalier (R. Strauss) 238, 240 Roses from the South (Strauss) 234 Roshal, Grigori ¡52, ¡82, ¡83 Rosmino, Paolo ¡35, 264, 265 Rosner, Boris ¡50 Rösner, Willy 277 Ross, Adrian ¡96 Ross, Chelcie ¡4 Ross, Herbert 244 Rosselini, Isabella 32 Rossellini, Renzo 37, 67, ¡7¡, ¡76, ¡89, 266 Rossi, Pirette 200 Rossi, Tino ¡95, 200 Rossini (¡943 film) ¡6, 20, 30, ¡6¡, ¡62, ¡70, ¡85, ¡87–¡89 Rossini (documentary) ¡90 Rossini, Gioacchino ¡7, 20, 30, 32, 36, 37, 67, ¡70, ¡76, ¡77, ¡85–¡90, 220, 265, 266, 293 Rossini! Rossini! (¡99¡ film) ¡6, 20, 32, ¡85, ¡86, ¡90 Rossini’s Ghost (¡999 film) ¡85, ¡88, ¡90 Rostropovich, Elena 3¡ Rostropovich, Mstislav 48, 207, 2¡0, 2¡5 Rota, Nino 290 Roth, Mickey 68, 70 Roth, Roxy 57, ¡¡8, ¡6¡, ¡62, ¡64, ¡70

Index Rotha, Wanda 9¡ Rothschild’s Violin (¡996 film) 2, 208, 2¡0, 2¡3–2¡5 Rothschild’s Violin (Fleischmann/Shostakovich) 2¡3, 2¡4 Rothenberger, Anneliese ¡66 Rothmayer, Joseph ¡47 Rottenhofer, Marian ¡29, 24¡ Le Rouet d’Omphale (SaintSaëns) ¡9¡ Rouge Venise ¡989 film) 267, 268 Rousseau, Henri ¡92 Roussel, Albert ¡33 Rousset, Christophe 89 Rovere, Luigi ¡76, 200 Roxburgh, Richard 76, 77, ¡94 Royal Fireworks Music (Handel) 82 Rozema, Patricia ¡5 Rozhdestvensky, Gennady 2¡3, 2¡5 Rozsa, Miklos 30, 5¡, 57, ¡¡8, ¡70, ¡79, ¡83, 200 Rozsahedyi, Kalman ¡¡7 Rub, Christian 236 Rubin, Peter ¡49 Rubini, Giulia 3¡, 92 Rubinstein, Anton 259 Rubinstein, Artur 47, ¡¡8, 207, 225, 226, 262, 267, 287 Rubinstein, Nicholas 259, 260 Rückert, Ernst 30 Rückert, Friedrich ¡25 Rud, Valeriya 62, ¡94 Ruddigore (Sullivan) 248 Rudie, Robert ¡7¡, ¡72 Rudkin, David 2¡0, 2¡4 Rudley, Herbert 70 Rudolf, Leopold 236 Ruegg, Mathias ¡50 Rueprechet, Albert 57, ¡¡9, 277 Ru‡ni, Sandro 67, ¡48, ¡89, 266 Ruggi, Steve 279 Ruhl, William ¡52, ¡83, 262 The Ruins of Athens (Beethoven) 24 Ruismaius, Chris ¡29 Rujsz, Edit ¡20, 278 Ruman, Sig ¡¡7, 236 Rümann, Heinz ¡57 Runoilija ja Muusa (¡978 film) 2¡5, 2¡6 Runze, Ottokar ¡58 Ruslan and Ludmilla (Glinka) 72 Russell, Alexander 263 Russell, James 263 Russell, Ken ¡, 4, 5, ¡5, ¡6, 30, 40, 44, 47, 49, 50, 57, 60, 6¡, 62–64, 69, 77, ¡¡4, ¡¡5, ¡¡9, ¡23, ¡25, ¡26, ¡28, ¡29, ¡34, ¡86, ¡90, 209, 238–240, 257– 263, 273, 278

Russell, Lillian 245, 246 Russell, Thomas ¡07 Russell, Victoria 263 Russell, Xavier ¡6, ¡34, 263 “Russian Composer Song” (novelty song) ¡82 Russian Easter Overture (Rimsky-Korsakov) ¡70 Russian Souvenir (¡960 film) 73 Russinova, Isabel 268 Rustichelli, Carlo ¡76 Rutherford, Margaret 250 Ruttenberg, Joseph 236 Ruttner, Petr 279 Rybensikov, Maxim 263 Ryce, Fred 2¡ Ryecart, Patrick ¡33, ¡34 S’ Hannerl von der Dreimäderlhaus (¡923 film) ¡95, ¡96, ¡99 Sablon, Jacques 3¡ Le Sacre du Printemps (Stravinsky) 223, 24¡–244 Sada, Ignacio 59 Sadler, William ¡4 Safrabkiva, Libuse 237 En Saga (Sibelius) 2¡6 St. Cecilia Mass (Gounod) 74 St. Claire, Arthur 3¡, 92 Saint-Cyr, Renée 40, ¡70 Saint Joan (Astley) 288 Saint-Laurent, Cecil ¡¡9 Saint-Saëns, Camille 7¡, ¡9¡, 226, 227, 262 Sainte-Colombe, Jean de ¡30– ¡33 Sainval, Claude ¡57 Salerno, Tony, Jr. (character) 225, 226, 285 Sales, Robin 25¡ Salfa, Amedeo ¡49 Salieri, Antonio 3, ¡9, 3¡, 90–92, ¡38–¡45, ¡47–¡50, ¡95, ¡99, 293 Salina, Michel ¡57 Salinger, Conrad 96 Salinis, Jone ¡48 Salminen, Esko 2¡6 Salminen, Katja 2¡6 Salo, Elina 2¡6 Salome (¡953 film) 270 Salome (R. Strauss) 238, 240 Salome’s Last Dance (¡988 film) 240 Salon Mexico (¡996 film) 59 El Salon Mexico (Copland) 59 Salonen, Esa Pekka 2¡6 Salten, Felix ¡57 Saltzman, Harry 244 Samel, Udo ¡95, 200 Samson, Ivan ¡99 Samson et Dalila (Saint-Saëns) ¡9¡

329

Sand, George 5¡–53, 55, 58, ¡09, ¡¡3, ¡¡8, ¡85, 292 Sander, Otto 269, 275, 278 Sanders, George 285 Sanders, Rowena ¡48 Sandlin, Sally ¡99 Sandø, Waage ¡54 Sandrock, Adele ¡70, 236 Sands, Julian 55, 57, 75, ¡08, ¡09, ¡20, 288 Sandtner, Herma ¡57 Santalucia, Ugo 278 Santi, Pier Luigi ¡7¡ Santis, Pasquale de ¡29 Santoni, Tino 67, ¡89, 266 Saponangelo, Teresa ¡90 The Sapphire Necklace (Sullivan) 245 Sarasate (¡94¡) film ¡92 Sarasate, Pablo D. ¡92 Sarchielli, Massimo 75 Sargent, Joseph ¡00 Sargent, Malcolm ¡06, ¡07 Sarossy, Paul ¡94 Sassoli, Dina 67 Satie, Erik 6¡, ¡92–¡94 Satie and Suzanne (¡994 film) ¡92–¡94 Satiman, Juanita 37, 67, ¡7¡ Satterfield, Paul 226 Saul and David (Nielsen) ¡53 Savage, Martin 25¡ Savage Messiah (¡972 film) 5 Savall, Jordi ¡32, ¡33 Sawallisch, Wolfgang 48, 207 Sayn-Wittgenstein, Carolyne ¡08, ¡09, ¡¡3, ¡¡5, ¡¡6 Scales, Prunella ¡20, 278 Scanda, Tiaré 59 Scandura, Franco ¡35 The Scarlet Pimpernel (¡934 film) ¡86 Scarpelli, Furio 37, 67, ¡76, ¡89, 266 Scarpelli, Marco 37, 67, ¡7¡, ¡76, ¡89, 266 Scenes from Goethe’s Faust (Schumann) 46, 202, 205 Schaef, Bruce ¡90 Schae›ers, Willi ¡¡7 Schall, Ekkhardt ¡08, ¡¡0, 275, 278 Scharf, Werner ¡4 Scharmoni, Peter ¡7¡, 207 Schau›er, Robert 27 Schaufuss, Hans Hermann ¡57 Scheherazade (Rimsky-Korsakov) ¡79, ¡8¡, 244, 26¡ Scheja, Sta›an 48, 78, 8¡, ¡20, 263 Schelkopf, Anton ¡¡8, ¡¡9, 277 Schell, Maria 3¡, 247, 250

330

Index

Schell, Maximilian 288 Schellhammer, Edmund 228, 230, 236 Schemshuk, Ludmilla 40 Schiavelli, Vincent ¡43, ¡49 Schickel, Richard 262 Schickele, Peter 8, 7¡, ¡38, ¡39, 227 Schikaneder, Emanuel ¡43, ¡45 Schildkraut, Joseph ¡¡7 Schill, Rolf ¡50 Schiller, Frederick 88 Schindler, Anton 26, 27, 29 Schindler, Katie ¡48 Schipa, Tito 66, 67 Schippel, Rudi ¡29 Schipper, Max 235 Schirokauer, Alfred ¡55 Schlenck, Hans 56, ¡07, ¡¡6 Schley, Karl Maria ¡49 Schmidt, Aglaja 200 Schmidt, Vera 236 Schmidt-Garre, Jan 50, 278 Schmidt-Gentner, Willy 236 Schmitt, Eric-Emmanuel 62, ¡94 Schmitz, Sybille 56, ¡¡6, ¡¡7 Schmole, Otto 30 Schmölzer, August ¡29, 240 Schneeberger, Hans 236 Schneider, Bernadett ¡20, 278e Schneider, Eva Maria ¡29 Schneider, Hermann 48, 82, ¡2¡, 263 Schneider, Magda 3¡, 200, 237 Schneider, Romy 278, 237 Schnirch, Oskar ¡49 Schnönauer, Marianne 3¡ Schober, Franz von ¡6¡, ¡96, ¡98 Schock, Rudolf 3¡, 200 Schoenharth, Russell F. ¡¡7 Schollin, Christina 8¡, ¡¡9 Schon, Margarete 56, ¡¡6 Schönauer, Marianne 237 Schönberg, Arnold ¡2¡, ¡28, ¡29, 24¡ Schönberg-Hartenstein, Johannes ¡58, 237 Die Schöne Müllerin (Schubert) ¡95, ¡96 Schönnenbeck, Annellese ¡¡8, 277 Schörg, Gretl ¡57 Schorpion, Frank 282 Schreiter, Hans 3¡, 92 Schreyvogel, Friedrich 236 Schröder, Arnulf ¡54, ¡55, ¡57 Schröder, David 57 Schröder, Ingeborg ¡49 Schrödter, Greta 39, ¡¡6, ¡70 Schubert, Bernard 47, ¡¡8, ¡53, ¡83, 207, 262 Schubert, Franz ¡, ¡7, ¡9, 2¡, 23,

3¡, 68, 74, ¡38, ¡6¡, ¡70, ¡84, ¡95–20¡, 224, 226, 245, 293 Schubert: Famous Composers Series (documentary) 20¡ Schuberts Frühlingstraum (¡93¡) ¡95, ¡96, ¡99 Schubert’s Serenade see Serenade Schubert’s Spring Dream see Schuberts Frühlingstraum Schulbaur, Heinz 237 Schultz, Albert 32 Schultzendorf, Wedigo von 50, 278 Schulz, Franz ¡99 Schumann, Clara 3, 43–48, 6¡, ¡¡0, ¡47, ¡50, ¡65, ¡7¡, ¡93, 20¡–207, 29¡ Schumann, Erik ¡¡9, 277 Schumann, Felix 43 Schumann, Julie 47 Schumann, Robert 3, 43–48, 6¡, 99, ¡08, ¡¡0, ¡65, ¡7¡, ¡93, 20¡–208, 226, 262, 278, 29¡ Schünzel, Reinhold 30, 200 Schutt, Arthur ¡¡7 Schutz, Maurice 40, ¡6¡, ¡62, ¡70 Schwammerl (novel) ¡70, ¡96, ¡99 Schwanengesang (Schubert) ¡95 Schwarz, Dagmar ¡29, 240 Schwarz, Hanna 279 Schweiger, Heinrich ¡95, 200 Schweighofer, Sophie ¡29, 24¡ Schwindt, Wolfgang von ¡99, 262 Scipio Africanus (¡937 film) 264 Scipio’s Dream see Not Mozart Scorsese, Martin ¡00, ¡9¡ Scott, Hazel 70 Scott, Margaretta 9¡, ¡57 Scott Joplin (¡977 film) ¡03–¡05, 2¡8, 22¡ Scott-Hansen, Alf 78, 8¡ Scotti, Claudio 67 Scotto, Vincent 200 Scriabin, Alexander 3 Scribani, Federico 37, 67, ¡77, ¡90, 266 SCTV (television series) 273 Sears, Heather 288 The Seasons (Haydn) 90 The Seasons (Tchaikovsky) 252, 255, 256 Sebald, Amlie ¡7 Seberg, Gregor ¡29, 240 Secombe, Harry 8¡, ¡¡9 The Secret Life of Sir Arnold Bax (¡992 film) ¡5, ¡6 Seeböhm, Andrea ¡50

Seeking Haydn (documentary) 92 Seemann, Horst 3¡ Seibt, Tatia 278 Seige, Edgar 92 Seigner, Louis ¡¡8 Seine einzige Liebe (¡947 film) ¡95, 200 Seinfeld (television series) 55 Seippel, Edda ¡7¡, 207 Sekely, William 30, 200 Sekera, Miroslav ¡36, ¡43, ¡49 Sella, Seela 2¡6 Sellers, Peter 5 Semiramide (Rossini) ¡86 Semper Fidelis (Sousa) 2¡8, 2¡9 Senac, Renée ¡57 Senft, Derek 237 Seoane, José Maria ¡92 Serafin, Tullio 266 Serandrei, Mario 67 Serda, Julia 56, ¡¡6 Serebrier, Jose ¡02 Seregni, Rosanna ¡90 Serein, Maurice ¡¡9 Serenade (¡940 film) ¡6, ¡9, 30, ¡95, ¡98, ¡99 Serenade for Strings (Tchaikovsky) 252, 280 Serenade for Strings (Warlock) 279 Serenade for Wind Instruments (Mozart) ¡44 Serenade Melancholique (Tchaikovsky) 252 Serenata Española (¡947 film) 7 Sergeol, Pierre 56, ¡¡7 Serkis, Andy 25¡ Serna, Assumpta 32, ¡90 Serndrei, Mario 67, ¡89, 266 Serocki, Kazimierz 57, ¡7¡ Serova, Klavdiya 73 Serova, Valentina 73 Serrault, Michel 293 Serta, Julia ¡99 La Serva Padrona (Pergolese) ¡72 Servaes, Dagny 3¡, 236 Servais, Jean 5¡, 56, ¡¡6 Seurat, Georges 42 Seven Faces (¡929 film) ¡95, ¡97, ¡99 Severin, Gaston ¡6¡, ¡69 Severo, Marieta 267 Sey›eritz, Gustav von ¡99 Seyler, Athene ¡99 Sha›er, Peter ¡38, ¡42, ¡49 Shaguch, Maria 2¡5 Shakurov, Sergei ¡9¡ Shalet, Victoria 32, 92 Shallow Brown (Grainger) 77 Shamrot, Leon 250 Shapiro, Yevgeni ¡4

Index Sharif, Omar ¡86 Sharpe, David 2¡4 Sharpe, Lester ¡52, ¡83, 262 Sharpsteen, Ben 226 Shatov, Aleksandr 73 Shaw, Fiona 279 Shaw, George Bernard ¡78 Shaw, Jonathan 283 Shaw, Montague ¡¡7 Shaw, Roland 8¡, ¡¡9 Shayne, Konstantin 47, ¡¡8, 207 Shchedrin, Rodian 263 Shcherbachyov, Vladimir 73, ¡¡8 Sheba and the Gladiators (¡958 film) ¡72 Shebalin, Vissarion 73, ¡¡8 She›er, Jonathan 283 Shelenkov, Aleksandr 73 Shelley, Howard 2¡4 Shenar, Paul 98, ¡00 Shengelaya, Ariadna ¡¡9 Shepherd, Jean 228 Shepley, Michael 88 Sheridan, Dinah 25¡ Sheridan’s Ride (Sousa) 2¡8 Sherkow, Daniel A. 58, ¡20 Sherlock, Maureen 77 Sherman, Geraldine 64, 77 Sherwood, Gale ¡52, ¡83, 262 Sheybal, Vladek 60 Shigaev, Kirill 2¡5 Shine, Billy 235 Shirley-Quirk, John 2¡4 Shor, Dan 3¡ Shore, Dinah 96 Shostakovich, Dmitri ¡, 2, 5, 7¡, 72, ¡52, ¡79, 208–2¡5, 227, 262, 287 Shostakovich, Irina 2¡5 Shostakovich, Maxim 2¡5 Shostakovich: A Career (documentary) 2¡5 Shovelton, Geo›rey 25¡ Shrapnel, John 58, ¡20, ¡78, 2¡4, 278 Shriveled Embryos see Embryons Desseches Shtraukh, Maksim 2¡4 Shtyjan, Lydia ¡53, ¡83 Shuranova, Antonina 263 Shvedo›, Ivan ¡20, 207 Shylock (character) 44 Sibelius (proposed film) 2¡6 Sibelius, Jean 2¡5, 2¡6, 293 Siebert, Hans 30, 92 Siege of Corinth (Rossini) ¡86 Siegfried (¡924 film) ¡24 Siegfried (Wagner) 269, 275 Siegfried Idyll (Wagner) 269, 273 Sigurd Slembe (Nordraak) 78 Sihol, Caroline ¡33

Silbermann, Ruth Charlotte ¡57, 237 Silberschneider, Johannes ¡29, 24¡ Silenti, Vera 37, 67, ¡76, ¡89, 266 Silva, Mario 47, ¡¡8, 207 Silvers, Louis ¡¡7 Sima, Oskar ¡99 Simfoniya Lyubvi i Amerti (¡9¡4 film) ¡35, ¡39, ¡48 Simmonds, Nikolas 292 Simmonds, Sam 88 Simmonnet, Olivier ¡29 Simon, Charles 25¡ Simon, Michel ¡¡5, ¡¡8, 277 Simon Boccanegra (Verdi) 264 Simoncic, Dodo 92, ¡50 Simoncsics, Jozsef ¡50 Simplicius (Strauss) 238 Sinatra, Frank 96, ¡6¡ Sinclair, James ¡02 Sinelniko›, Michael 282 Sinfonia d’Amore (¡954 film) ¡95, ¡96, 200 Sinimberghi, Gino ¡76 Sinkovits, Imre ¡08, ¡¡9 Sins of My Old Age (Rossini) ¡85 Sipos, Aron 75 Siravo, Eduardo 37, 67, ¡77, ¡90, 266 The Sisters (¡957 film) ¡52 Sjelstad, O. 8¡, ¡¡9 Skaia, Klara Maria 200 Skinner, Ann 89 Skinner, Claire 32, 92 Skota, Albin ¡49 Skoumal, Petr 237 Sky Dragon (¡949 film) 96 Slaby, Pavel 58 Slaska, Aleksandra 57, ¡7¡ Sleep (Warlock) 280, 282 Sleeping Beauty Waltz (Tchaikovsky) 253 Slettermark, Berit 48, 8¡, ¡2¡, 263 Slezak, Leo 230, 236, 253, 262 Slezak, Walter 253 Sloan, J. B. 85 Slobodskaya, Oda ¡48 Slocombe, Douglas 244, 263, 277 Slorach, Marie ¡77 Smart, Jack 226 Smetana, Bedrich 2¡7 Smilow, Margaret ¡00 Smirnov, Boris 7¡–73, ¡¡8 Smirnova, Svetlana ¡20, 207 Smith, Alexis 70 Smith, Cyril 235 Smith, James 30, 96, 200 Smith, Jennifer ¡79 Smith, Kent 66

331

Smith, Reginald ¡57 Smith, Sissy ¡49 Smith, Stephen C. 98 Smith, Sukie 25¡ Smithson, Harriet 39 Smoktunovsky, Innokenti ¡36, ¡40, ¡49, 252, 259–26¡, 263 Smoljak, Ladislav 237 Smutny, Vladimir ¡50 Snego›, Leonid ¡5¡, ¡52, ¡83, 262 Snezhnitsky, Lev 73 Snyder, Ari 282 So This Is Love (¡953 film) 68– 70 Soames, Ben ¡79 Sobel, Raoul ¡50 Sobolev, Aleksandr 73 Socrates ¡, ¡8 Soderström, Elisabeth ¡93, ¡94 Sofronov, Alexei 255 Il Sogno di Scipione (Mozart) ¡47, ¡50 Sohm, Willi 200 Sokolov, Boris 32, ¡94 Sokolsky, Lev ¡53, ¡83 Sokurov, Aleksandr 2¡5 Soldan, Louis 200 Soler, Pastora 7 Soles, Paul 32 Solodovnikova, Tabara 2¡5 Solomon (Handel) 82 Solomon, Ed (writer) ¡4, 32 Solomon, Edward (composer) 245, 246, 250 Solomon, Yonti 58, ¡20 Solovyov, Vladimir 2¡4 Solsson, Joel 32 Soltez, Anni ¡¡7 Solti, Georg 5, 32, ¡20, 276, 278 Some Southpaw Pitching (Ives) ¡0¡ Something Wild (¡96¡ film) 59 The Song of Bernadette (book) ¡28 Song of India (Rimsky-Korsakov) ¡80 Song of Lamentation see Das Klagende Lied Song of Love (¡947 film) 43–47, ¡¡0, ¡¡8, ¡07, ¡08, 20¡, 203– 205, 207 Song of My Heart (¡948 film) ¡5¡, ¡52, ¡79, ¡82, ¡83, 252, 255–257, 262 Song of Norway (¡970 film) 78, 8¡, ¡08, ¡¡9 Song of Scheherazade (¡947 film) 3, ¡79–¡83 Song of Spring see Anton Ivanovich Gets Mad

332

Index

Song of Summer (¡968 film) 5, 62–64, 76, 77, 238, 240 Song of the Earth see Das Lied von der Erde Song of the High Hills (Delius) 63, 76 A Song to Remember (¡945 film) 5¡–53, 57, ¡07, ¡08, ¡09, ¡¡2, ¡¡3, ¡¡8, ¡6¡, ¡62, ¡70, ¡85 Song Without End (¡960 film) 3, 5¡, 55, 57, ¡08, ¡09, ¡¡2–¡¡4, ¡¡9, 269, 273, 274, 277 Songs and Dances of Death (Mussorgsky) ¡52 Songs of a Wayfarer (Mahler) ¡26 Songs of Farewell (Delius) 63 Songs on the Death of Children see Kindertotenlieder Songs Without Words (Mendelssohn) 203 La Sonnambula (Bellini) 33, 34, 36, 38 The Sorcerer (Sullivan) 248, 249 The Sorcerer’s Apprentice (Dukas) 223–225 Sorenson, Linda 237 Soria, Giovanna 67, ¡35, ¡89, 266 Sorkin, Marc 30, ¡99 Soto, Luchy ¡92 Soukup, Jaroslav ¡50 Soule, Olan 22¡ The Sound of Music (¡965 film) 79 Sounds Magnifcent: Berlioz (documentary) 40 Sounds Magnificent: Brahms (documentary) 48 Sounds Magnificent: Shostakovich (documentary) 2¡5 Sounds Magnificent: Tchaikovsky (documentary) 263 Sousa, John Philip 2¡8–22¡, 236 Southam, Tim ¡94 Southgate, Michael ¡29 Souvenir de Florence (Tchaikovsky) 252 Sowie, Theophile 58 Spain, Linda 22¡ Spain, Thomas 22¡ Spall, Timothy ¡36, ¡47, 25¡ Spano, Vincent 268 Sparkuhl, Theodor 226 Spata, Jan ¡29 Speaight, Robert ¡70 Speed, Lucy ¡78 Speight, Roseland 8¡, ¡¡9 Spence, Tracy 2¡4 Sperling, Janine 48, 207 Spielman, Fred ¡52, ¡83, 262 Spielmann, Julius ¡70, ¡95, ¡99 Spigelgass, Leonard ¡85 Spiller, Leticia 267

Spira, Fritz 235 Spira, Lotte ¡48 Spleen (Debussy) 6¡ Spo-De-Odee ¡05, 22¡ Spock (character) 29¡ Spol, Jaromir 57, ¡70 Spoliansky, Mischa ¡57 Spotts, Frederic 239 Sprengler, Wolf Dietrich 200 Spring Symphony (¡983 film) ¡6¡, ¡65, ¡7¡, 20¡, 202, 203, 207 Spring Symphony (Schumann) 202, 203 Squire, Catherine 57, ¡¡9, 277 Squire, Ronald ¡99 Squire, William ¡76, 2¡2, 2¡4 Srp, Alfred 3¡, 92, ¡58, 200, 237 Stabat Mater (Gounod) 74 Stabat Mater (Pergolesi) ¡72 Stabat Mater (Rossini) ¡85 Stabile, Mariani 30, ¡70, ¡87, ¡89 Stader, Maria ¡5¡ Sta›ord, William ¡36 Stahl, Walter ¡¡7 Stalin, Josef 54, 72, ¡52, 209– 2¡2, 2¡4, 253 Stallich, Jan ¡48, ¡60, 236 Stallybrass, Anne 292 Stanic, Tihomia ¡29 Stanley, Julian 2¡4 Stanzl, Karl 237 Star Trek (television series) 29¡, 292 Stark, Frederick 3¡, 92 Stark, John ¡03–¡05 Starling, Lynn ¡99 Starr, Ringo 40, 47, 57, ¡¡6, ¡¡9, ¡89, 278 Stars and Stripes Forever (¡952 film) 2¡8, 22¡ Stars and Stripes Forever (Sousa) 2¡8, 220, 22¡ Starykh, Marina ¡20, 207 The Stations of Bach (documentary) ¡5 Staudinger, Hannes 3¡, 236 Stead, Francis ¡07 Steadman, Alison 25¡ Steckel, Leonard ¡57, 237 Steedman, Ted 3¡ Steeg, Johanna Ter 32 Stefanil, I. ¡¡7 Steimore, Jiri 57, ¡70 Stein, Gertrude ¡93 Stein, Paul ¡99 Stein, Peter ¡02 Steinberg, William 47, ¡¡8, 207 Steiner, Elio ¡72 Steiner, Max 70 Steiner, Sigfrit ¡20, 275, 278 Steinrück, Albert ¡6, 30 Steinsieck, Annemarie ¡4

Stella, Antonietta ¡76 Stelzer, Hannes ¡35, ¡48 Stendahl ¡86, ¡90 Stenermann, Salka ¡99 Stengel, Christian 30, 57, ¡¡7, ¡¡8, 200 Stenka, Danuta 58, ¡2¡ Stepanek, Karel 235 Stephens, Robert ¡73, ¡75, ¡76, ¡77, ¡79, 2¡4 Sterben Werd Ics um zu Leben (¡987 film) ¡2¡, ¡25, ¡26, ¡29j Sterler, Hermine 39, ¡¡6, ¡70, ¡99, 235 Stern, Daniel see D’Agoult, Countess Marie Sterner, Roland ¡94 Stettner, Willy ¡99 Steunzer, Hans ¡29, 238, 24¡ Stevens, Leith 287 Stevens, Risë 225, 226, 262 Stevenson, Henry 47, ¡¡7, ¡¡8, 207 Stevenson, Robert ¡57 Stewart, Jimmy 97–99 Stewart, Paul 98, ¡85 Stilwell, Richard ¡49 Stival, Guilio 67 Stock-Poynton, Amy ¡4, 3¡ Stojanovic, Fedja ¡29 Stokowski, Leopold 7¡, ¡02, ¡28, ¡52, 209, 222–227, 257, 262, 285 Stokowski at Ninety (documentary) 227 Stolo›, Morris 57, ¡¡4, ¡¡8, ¡¡9, ¡70, 277 Stone, Andrew L. 8¡, 96, ¡¡9 Stone, Barry 42 Stone, Gregory 226, 262 Stone, John ¡99 Stone, Oliver ¡45 Stone, Virginia 8¡, ¡¡9 The Stoned Guest (P.D.Q. Bach) 8 Stoppa, Paola 30, 3¡, 37, 67, ¡48, ¡70, ¡76, ¡89, 200, 266 Storaro, Vittorio ¡20, 276, 278 Storchan, Johann ¡37 Storey, Raymond ¡4 Stork, Hansl 236 The Storm (Tchaikovsky) 252, 254 Storm Cantata (Benjamin) 97 The Story of George Gershwin see Rhapsody in Blue The Story of Gilbert and Sullivan (¡953 film) 3, 245, 247–249, 25¡ The Story of Vickie see Mädchenjahre einer Königin Stossel, Ludwig 47, ¡¡8, 207

Index “Stout-Hearted Men” (Romberg) ¡85 Stradling, Harry 47, 96, ¡¡8, 207 Strahl, Erwin 200 The Strange A·iction of Anton Bruckner (¡990 film) 49, 50 The Strange Death of Adolf Hitler (¡943 film) 2¡ Stratas, Teresa ¡66, ¡7¡ Straub, Jean-Marie ¡4 Straub, Lynne 2¡ Strauss, Adele Deutsch 229, 233 Strauss, Angelika Dittrich 229, 233 Strauss, Anna Streim 229, 23¡, 232, 235, 292 Strauss, Eduard (actor) 228, 237 Strauss, Eduard (composer) ¡57, 228, 233, 235, 237, 292 Strauss, Eduard, Jr. (actor) ¡57, 237 Strauss, Jetta Tre›z ¡55, 229, 232, 233, 234, 235 Strauss, Johann, Jr. 3, ¡55, ¡58, 220, 227–238, 240, 292, 293 Strauss, Johann, Sr. 3, ¡58, 227– 238, 292, 294 Strauss, John 58, ¡20, ¡49 Strauss, Josef ¡57, ¡58, 228, 234, 235, 237, 292 Strauss, Richard ¡28, ¡29, 238, 24¡ Strauss, Roman (character) 289 The Strauss Dynasty (miniseries) 294 The Strauss Family (miniseries) 229, 292, 293, 294 Strauss’ Great Waltz see Waltzes from Vienna Strauss: The Magic of Vienna (documentary) 238 Stravinsky, Igor 7¡, ¡72, 223, 226, 227, 24¡–244, 287 Stravinsky: Famous Composers Series (documentary) 244 Streithorst, Erika 236 Strepponi, Giuseppina 265 Stride, April ¡57 Strike Up the Band (Gershwin) 68 Strindberg, Göran 3¡, 92 Stroheim, Erich von ¡6, ¡8, 3¡ Stroyeva, Y. 2¡4 Strzelchik, Vladislav 263 Strzygowski, E. 30 Stuart, Binkie ¡60 Stuart, John 9¡ Stuart, Kim Rossi 33, 37, 67, ¡77, ¡90, 266 Stuart, Mark A. 283 The Student Prince (Romberg) ¡84, ¡85

Stüwe, Hans ¡4, 252, 253, 255, 262 Suchanek, Adolf ¡70, ¡99 Suenos de Amor (¡934 film) ¡07, ¡¡¡ Suez (¡938 film) 3, ¡07, ¡09, ¡¡¡, ¡¡7 Sugar, Lajos ¡¡8 Suhrestedt, Tim 32 Suicide Squadron see Dangerous Moonlight Sukharevskaya, Lidiya ¡83 Sukhopolskaya, Z. 2¡4 Sukman, Harry 57, ¡¡4, ¡¡9, 277 Sullivan, Arthur ¡56, 245–25¡ Sulyok, Maria ¡¡7 Sundström, Frank ¡52, ¡83, 252, 255, 256, 262 Suor Angelica (Puccini) ¡73 Suosaio, Mariti 2¡6 Superman (television series) 256 Suppé, Franz von ¡55, ¡57, ¡96, 2¡9, 230, 233, 236, 237 Surprise Symphony (Haydn) 90 Suschitzky, Peter 32, 40, 47, 57, ¡¡9, ¡90, 278 Un Suspiro (Liszt) ¡¡4 Süssmayr, Franz Xaver ¡37 Sutermeister, Henrich 277 Sutherland, A. Edward 236 Sutherland, Joan 37, 38 Sutton, Gertrude 236 Suzman, Janet 244 Svare, Steen ¡54 Svenson, Gunnar ¡94 Sverak, Zdenek 237 Sviridov, Yuri ¡83 Svitacek, Vkadimir 237 Svobodin, Nikolai 73 Swallisch, Wolfgang ¡7¡, 207 Swan Lake (Tchaikovsky) ¡82, 252, 256 Swan of Tuonela (Sibelius) 2¡6 Swan Song see Schwanengesang “Swanee” (Gershwin) 68 Swarowsky, Hans ¡49 Swarthout, Gladys 230, 236 Sweet Idleness see Dolce far Niente Swieten, Baron Gottfried van ¡45, ¡46 Swift, Jonathan 85, 88 Sydes, Anthony 47, ¡¡8, 207 Sydney, Basil 250 Sylvester, Leif ¡54 Symphonie Fantastique (¡942 film) 38–40, ¡6¡, ¡62, ¡70 Symphonie Fantastique (Berlioz) 38, 39, 269 Symphony of a Thousand (Mahler) ¡22, ¡26, ¡27

333

Symphony of Love and Death see Simfoniya Lyubvi i Amerti Symphony of Psalms (Stravinsky) 24¡, 244 Symphony of Sorrowful Songs (documentary) 5 Szabó, Istvan ¡58 Szabo, Sandor ¡¡8 Szakats, Zoltan ¡07, ¡¡7 Szatmari, Jenö ¡¡7 Szekely, Istvan ¡¡7 Szekely, Miklos B. 2¡5 Szell, George ¡34 Szenzacio (¡936 film) ¡07, ¡¡¡, ¡¡7 Szerelmi Almok (¡935 film) ¡07, ¡09, ¡¡5, ¡¡7 Szerelmi Almok — Liszt see The Loves of Liszt Szlias, Jozsef ¡¡7 Szöczey, Istvan 75 Szoreghy, Gyula ¡¡7 Il Tabarro (Puccini) 5, ¡73 Tagg, Brian 50 Taina, Irma 2¡6 Taj Mahal ¡05, 22¡ Tajo, Italio 37, 67, ¡76, ¡89, 266 “Take My Heart Away” (Tchaikovsky) 255 Talankin, Igor 258, 263 Tale of the Tsar Sultan (RimskyKorsakov) ¡79 Tales from the Vienna Woods (Strauss) 228, 23¡, 232, 235 The Tales of Ho›mann (O›enbach) ¡54, ¡56 Tannhäuser (Wagner) 68, 269, 272 Die Tänzerin von Sans Souci (¡932 film) 8, ¡4 Tapalaga, Rodica ¡20 Tapiola (Sibelius) 2¡6 Tapolczay, Gyula ¡¡8 Tapper, Franz ¡70 Taray, Ferenc ¡07, ¡¡7 Tartini, Giuseppe ¡68, ¡70 Tassinari, Pia 265 Tasslé, Franz 3¡, ¡49 Tasso (Liszt) ¡¡4 Tassoni, Coralina, Cataldi 75 Tauber, Richard ¡66, ¡95, ¡97, ¡99 Taule, Kaiole 48, 8¡, ¡2¡, 263 Tauzin, Maurice 5¡, 53, 57, ¡¡8, ¡70 Taxi Driver (¡975 film) 97 Taylor, Deems 224, 226 Taylor, Donald ¡07 Taylor, Eric ¡¡7 Taylor, Ronnie 75 Tchaikovsky (¡969/7¡ film) 252, 257–26¡, 263

334

Index

Tchaikovsky (book) 252 Tchaikovsky, Antonina see Milyukova, Antonina Ivanova Tchaikovsky, Modeste 259, 260 Tchaikovsky, Peter Ilyich ¡, 44, 60, 98, ¡06, ¡07, ¡¡2, ¡¡7, ¡40, ¡52, ¡82, ¡83, 223, 226, 252–263, 280, 285 Tchaikovksy: Hopeless Romantic (documentary) 263 Tchaikovsky’s Homes (documentary) 263 Tchaikovsky’s Last Days (book) 252 Tchenomor March (Glinka) 72, 73 Te Deum (Berlioz) 38 Te Deum (Bruckner) Te Deum (Gounod) 74 Te Deum (Marais) ¡30 Te Kanawa, Kiri ¡5¡ Tears see Les Pleures Tebaldi, Renata 37, 67, ¡89, 293 Tedesco, Baron Carlo 232, 234 Telezynska, Izabella 262, 278 Telling, C. W. ¡57, 237 Tempest, Marie ¡60 The Tempest (Tchaikovsky) 252 Temple, Richard 249 The Temptation of Franz Schubert (¡997 film) ¡95, ¡98, 200 The Tender Land (Copland) 59 Tenisheva, Princess Maria 242 Tennent, Veronica ¡93 Tennyson Songs (Stokowski) 222 Terfel, Byrn 32 The Terminator (¡984 film) ¡3 Teron, Napege ¡33 Terr, Max 96 Terzano, Massimo 266 Le Testament du Docteur Cordelier (¡96¡ film) 39 The Testament of Dr. Mabuse (¡932 film) ¡39 Testimony (¡987 film) 2, 208, 2¡0–2¡2, 2¡4 Testimony: The Memoirs of Dmitri Shostakovuch as Related to and Edited by Solomon Volkov (book) 2¡0, 2¡4 Teuscher, Hans 3¡ Thalberg, Sigismund 57, ¡¡3, ¡¡9, 277 Tharp, Twyla ¡44 Theba, Antonio ¡6¡, ¡66, ¡7¡ Theimer, Gretl ¡99, 236 Themes of Heaven: Secret of Finlandia (documentary) 2¡6 Thesiger, Ernest ¡54, ¡57, 250 Thespis (Sullivan) 245, 247, 248 Thibaudel, Jean-Yves ¡29, ¡77, 24¡

Thien, Ulrich 293 Thiery, Fritz 47, ¡¡8, 207 Thiess, Frank 262 Thimig, Hans 200, 236 Thimig, Hermann ¡57, 237 Thirard, Armand 40, ¡70 Thomas, David 32, 92, ¡50, ¡79 Thomas, Gwion ¡50 Thomas, Jess ¡20, 278 Thompson, Carlos ¡¡0, ¡¡9, 272, 277 Thompson, Emma 55, 58, ¡20, 289 Thompson, Hartland 236 Thompson, Kay 96 Thompson, Walter 250 Thomson, R. H. 42 Thomson, Vergil 7¡ Thoolen, Gerard ¡50 Thorent, Andrea ¡7¡ Thormann, Hans-Ulrich 57 Three Cases of Murder (¡955 film) 270 The Three Faces of Eve (¡957 film) 280 Three Girls Around Schubert see Drei Mäderl um Schubert Threepenny Opera (Weill) ¡47 Thrippleton, Mark 2¡4 Thue, Axel 8¡ Thunderbolt P-45 (Martinu) ¡34 Thurzó, Gabor ¡¡8 Tidof, Max 92, ¡36, ¡45, ¡46, ¡49 Tiedtke, Jakob 236 Tiepolo 268 Tierney, Vivian 25¡ Ti›any, Richard ¡50 Till Death Do Us Part (television series) 44 Till Eulenspiegel’s Merry Pranks (R. Strauss) 238 Till the Clouds Roll By (¡946 film) 93, 96 Tillack, Elfie ¡7¡, 207 Tiller, Nadja ¡49 Tillmann, Fritz ¡7¡ Timar, Jozsef ¡¡7 Timreck, Theodor W. ¡02 Tinling, James ¡99 Tintagel (Bax) ¡5 Tiomkin, Dimitri 23¡, 236, 257, 262, 263 Tisse, Eduard 73, ¡¡8 Titov, Viktor 32 To Live I Must Die (¡987 film) 3, ¡29 Tobias, Oliver ¡58, 228, 237 Tobin, Niall ¡20, 278 Toccata and Fugue in D Minor (Bach) 8, 223, 225 Tofano, Sergio 37, 67, ¡76, ¡89, 266

Tolstoi, Alexei ¡52 Toma, Karl ¡48 Toma, Svetlana ¡9¡ Tomasini, George ¡00 Tomasini, Guilio 67 Tomb of Sorrows (SainteColombe) ¡3¡, ¡32 Tombragel, Maurice ¡58, 237 Tomlinson, David 250 Tomlinson, John ¡49 Tommy (¡975 film) 5 Tonelli, Bob ¡49 Topaz (¡969 film) ¡86 Topsy-Turvy (¡999 film) 245, 249, 250, 25¡ Tordesillas, Jesús 7 Toreador Song (Bizet) 42 Toren, Marta 37, 67, ¡75, ¡76, ¡89, 266 Torjussen, Alan 283 “The Torment of Beethoven” (television show) 29¡ Torn Curtain (¡966 film) ¡00 Töröcsik, Mari 2¡5 Torole, Gezo 75 Torre, Janice ¡52, ¡83, 262 Tors, Ivan 47, ¡¡8, 207 Tosca (Puccini) ¡73 Toscanini, Arturo 37, 67, ¡75, ¡77, ¡90, 208, 266 Toschi, Pino 32, ¡90 Totentanz (Liszt) ¡08, ¡¡6 Totheroh, Roland ¡53, ¡83, 257, 262 Toulouse-Lautrec, Henri ¡93 Toumanova, Tamara ¡85 Tous les Matins du Monde (¡99¡ film) ¡30–¡33 Towne, Aline 8¡, ¡¡9 Township Opera: Carmen (documentary) 42 Tozzi, Fausto 36, 37, 64, 67, ¡7¡, ¡76, ¡89, 266 Tragic Overture (Brahms) 43 Trampusch, Emilie 229, 23¡, 232, 292 Trancendental Études (Liszt) ¡08 Trank, William ¡57, 237 Traubel, Helen ¡84, ¡85 Träumerei (¡944 film) 43, 44, 47, ¡07, ¡08, ¡¡7, 20¡, 205, 206, 207 Träumerei (Schumann) 20¡, 204, 205, 206 La Traviata (Verdi) 223, 264, 265 Treemonisha (Joplin) ¡03–¡05 Tremanov, Vincent 37, 38, ¡53, ¡83, ¡90 Trembovelskaya, Larissa ¡¡9 Treneva, N. 73, ¡¡8 Trentin, Mizi ¡48 Tressler, Georg 3¡, 92

Index Trevina, David ¡29 Trial by Jury (Sullivan) 245, 247, 248 A Tribute to George Gershwin (documentary) 7¡ A Tribute to Sibelius (documentary) 2¡6 Trigger, Sarah ¡4 Trillertrine (¡99¡ film) ¡36, ¡46, ¡50 Trionfi, Claudio 200 Tristan und Isolde (Wagner) 269, 270, 272, 273, 276 Tristesse Étude (Chopin) 5¡ Tro›ey, Alex ¡99 Trokan, Peter 293 Troost, Michael ¡57, 237 Tropea, Fernando 37, ¡89 Trotter, Kate 237 Trotti, Lamar 22¡ Trout Quintet (Schubert) ¡95 Il Trovatore (Verdi) 68, 264, 265 Trowbridge, Charles ¡52, ¡83, 262 Les Troyens (Berlioz) 38, 39 Truby, Albert 228, 236 Truex, Ernest 250 Truly Flabby Preludes For a Dog see Veritables Preludes Flasque pour un Chien Truman, Ralph 99 Tselikovskaya, Lyumila ¡4 Tuccardi, Angelica 67 Tuchmann, Sonja ¡7¡, 207 Tucker, Forrest 30, 200 Tucker, Richard 96 Tucker, Robert ¡85 Tukhachevsky, Mikhail 2¡¡ Tullipil (Becce) 270 Tully, Montgomery 9¡ Tunis, Krystyna 57, ¡7¡ Turandot (Puccini) ¡73–¡77 Turandot Project (documentary) ¡77 Turenne, Louis ¡02 Turgenev, Ivan 259 Turner, Ray 70 Turney-Smith, Gerald 25¡ Turnwell, Dean 250 Turzhansky, Viktor ¡48 Tuskiya, Iona 2¡0 Tuzar, Jaroslaw 57, ¡7¡ Twain, Mark 63 2¡ Hours at Munich (¡976 film) 44 “Two Lovebirds” (Solomon) 246 Two Loves Have I (¡952 film) 36, ¡73–¡76 Tyler, George ¡02 Tyrer, Alan 6¡ Tyroler, William ¡¡7

Ubertini, Antonio ¡4¡ Udvardy, Tibor ¡¡8 Uirapuru (Villa-Lobos) 267 Ulmer, Edgar G. 226, 262 Ulrika 48, 207 The Unanswered Question (documentary) ¡02 The Unanswered Question (Ives) ¡0¡ An Unfinished Life see Franz Schubert — Eine Leben in Zwei Sätzen Unfinished Symphony (¡933 film) ¡95, ¡96, ¡99 Unfinished Symphony (Schubert) ¡9, 68, ¡95, ¡97, ¡98 Ungarische Rhapsodie (¡954 film) ¡07, ¡09, ¡¡5, ¡¡8, 269, 270, 277 “Ungeduld” (Schubert) ¡96 Unger, Georg 275 Universe Symphony (Ives) ¡0¡ Unsterblicher Walzer (¡939 film) 228, 230, 236 Unterkircher, Hans 57, ¡¡9, 277 Unto Us a Child Is Born (Handel) 82, 85, 88 Uray, Peter ¡29 Uray, Tivadar ¡¡8 Urquhart, Robert ¡76, 2¡4 Usatova, Nina 32 Uschkurat, Werner 92, ¡50 Ushakova, Valentina ¡53, ¡83 Ustinov, Peter 73, 92, 93, ¡¡9, 250 Usztics, Matyas ¡20, 278 Utopia Limited (Sullivan) 248 Vaculik, Lukas ¡50 Vadnay, Laszlo ¡¡7 Vainberg, Moishe 2¡4, 2¡5 Vajda, Ernest 22¡ Vajda, Ladislav ¡¡7 Valcu, Teofil ¡20 Valedon, Suzanne ¡93 Valenta, Richard 237 Valentin, Albert 57, ¡¡7 Valentine, Graham 89 Valentine, Joseph 226 Valentini, Sean 237 Valentino (¡977 film) 5 Valetti, Tosa ¡4 Valjean, Jean (character) 2¡ Valk, Friedrich 9¡, ¡¡9, 277 Vallé, Paul ¡57 Vallée, Marcel 30, 56, ¡¡7, ¡99 Valli, Romolo ¡28 Valmar, Lilian 7 La Valse de Paris (¡949 film) 3, ¡54, ¡56, ¡57 Valse Triste (Sibelius) 2¡6 Vampyr (¡932 film) ¡24

335

Vandenberg, Gerard ¡7¡, 207 Vandory, Gusztav ¡¡8 Van Essen, Lis ¡57, 236, 237 Van Gogh, Vincent ¡92 Van Tuyl, Helen 22¡ Varconi, Victor ¡¡7 Vardunas, Vladimir 32 Variations on Gustav Mahler (documentary) ¡29, ¡30 Varkonyi, Zoltan ¡¡8 Varsity (¡928 film) 33 Vasconcellos, Ronaldo 50 Vasilyeva, Aleksandra ¡53, ¡83 Vaughan Williams, Ralph 5, 76 Vaular, Stig 48, 82, ¡2¡, 263 Vazsonyi, Nicholas 32, 48, ¡50, ¡5¡ Vazzoni, Camillo 37, 67, ¡77, ¡90, 266 Vedder, William 3¡, 90, 92 Veidt, Conrad 29, 39, 40, ¡¡6, ¡54, ¡57,¡6¡, ¡63, ¡66, ¡69, ¡70, ¡99 Venetian Red see Rouge Venise Venny (miniseries) 293 Verdi (¡982 miniseries) 265, 292, 294 Verdi, Guiseppe 2, 36, 37, 66, 67, ¡76, ¡89, ¡90, 223, 226, 243, 264–266, 292, 294 Verdi: Famous Composers Series (documentary) 266 Verdi, The King of Melody (¡953 film) 64, 66, 67, ¡85, ¡86, ¡89, 264, 266 Verdi, nella Vita e nella Gloria (¡9¡3 film) 264, 265 Verdi Places (documentary) 266 Verdi’s Funeral (documentary) 266 Verdugo, Elena ¡83 Vergne, Benoit 6¡ Verhoeven, Paul ¡57, 237 Verhoeven, Simon ¡29, 240 Veritables Preludes Flasque pour un Chien (Satie) ¡92 Verriére, Frederico ¡49 Verriére, Virginie ¡49 Vertigo (¡958 film) 97, 247 Vespermann, Kurt 262 Viana, Zelito 267 Vico, Antonio 7 Victor, Charles ¡70 Victor, Jean 262 Victoria (Queen of England) 233, 235, 245, 25¡ Vidgeon, Robin ¡6, 50, ¡34 Vidor, Charles 57, ¡¡2, ¡¡8, ¡¡9, ¡70, 278 La Vie de Berlioz (miniseries) 293

336

Index

La Vie Extraordinaire de Lola Montez (book) ¡¡9 La Vie Parisienne (O›enbach) ¡54 Vienna Beauties see Wiener Mädeln Vienna Blood (Strauss) 228 Vienna Waltz see Wiener Walzer Vierny, Sasha ¡50 Viertel, Berthold ¡99 Viger, Frederic ¡20, 207 Vigny, Benno 236 Villa-Lobos, Heitor 267 Villa-Lobos — Uma Vida de Paixão (2000 film) 267 A Village Romeo and Juliet (Delius) 62 Le Villi (Puccini) ¡73, ¡74 Villiers, James 88 Vincent, Allen 47, ¡¡8, 207 Vincenzoni, Luciano 268 Vingelli, Nino ¡35 Viola Sonata (documentary) 2¡5 Virgil, Publius 39 Virginia and Paul (Solomon) 245 Virtanen, Hari 2¡6 Vis de Ianuarie (¡978 film) ¡08, ¡20 Visaro›, Michael 57, ¡¡8, ¡70 Visconti, Luchino ¡22, ¡23, ¡28, ¡29, ¡85, 273, 278 Vishnevskaya, Galina 2¡5 La Vita di Rossini (miniseries) 293 La Vita di Verdi see Verdi Vitoux, François ¡90 Vitsin, Georgi 72, 73, ¡¡8 Vittorelli, Zeno ¡88 Vivaldi, Antonio 267–269 Vivaldi Unmasked (documentary) 268 Vivio, Marco 37, 67, ¡77, ¡90, 266 Vlady, Marina 200 Vlasenko, Lev 263 Vlatava (Smetana) 2¡7 Vodal, Henri 3¡ Vogan, Emmett 96 Vogel, Rudolf 237 Vogl, Johann ¡97 Vogl, Michael 200 A Voice in the Wind (¡945 film) 2¡7 Voices from a Locked Room (¡995 film) 2, 279–283 Voices of Spring (Strauss) 232, 233 Vokrai, Jaroslav ¡50 Volkov, Solomon 2¡0, 2¡0, 2¡4 Vondruska, Pavel 228

Voska, Vaclav 5¡, 57, ¡70 Vosper, frank 235 Voyagis, Yorgo 268 The Voyevoda (Tchaikovsky) 252 Vuk Karadzic (miniseries) 294 Vultée, Lars-Ake von ¡92, ¡94 Vuolo, Tito 22¡ Waag, Hanna 56, ¡¡6, 235 Wachter, Eberhardt 3¡, 200 Wademant, Anette ¡¡9 Waggner, George ¡¡7 Wagner (¡983 film) ¡08, ¡09, ¡¡0, ¡20, 269, 275–278, 293 Wagner, Cosima ¡09, ¡¡0, ¡¡9, ¡24, 269, 272–275, 277, 278, 279 Wagner, Daphne ¡20, 278 Wagner, Friedelind 279 Wagner, Minna 272, 274, 275 Wagner, Paul ¡99 Wagner, Richard ¡, 3, 4, 5, 37, 43, 44, 49, 50, 57, 67, 68, ¡07, ¡08–¡¡0, ¡¡4, ¡¡7, ¡¡9, ¡2¡, ¡76, ¡86, ¡89, 222, 223, 225, 226, 262, 266, 269–278, 292 Wagner, Robert 2¡8, 2¡9, 22¡ Wagner, Siegfried 275, 276 Wagner, Winifred 270 Wagner and Venice (documentary) 279 Wagner’s Women (documentary) 279 Wahnfried (¡987 film) ¡08, ¡09, ¡¡0, 269, 274, 275, 278 Waisberg, Erik ¡9¡ Waiting for Godot (play) 49 Wakeman, Rick 40, 47, 57, ¡¡9, ¡89, 278 Walbrook, Anton, ¡¡9, 228, 232, 236, 289 Waldau, Gustav 3¡, 56, ¡¡6, ¡¡9, ¡48, ¡99 Walden, Richard (character) 290 Waletzky, Joshua ¡00 A Walk in the Paradise Garden (Delius) 64 Walker, Chris 58, ¡20 Walker, Kerry ¡94 Walker, Norman 88, ¡48 Walker, Robert 43–47, 96, ¡¡8, 205, 207 Die Walküre (Wagner) 269 Wallen, Gunilla ¡29 Wallenstein’s Camp (Smetana) 2¡7 Walsegg, Count Franz von ¡37 Walsh, David M. ¡05, 22¡ Walsh, Diane 283 Walt Disney Presents (television series) 23, 233 Walter, Bruno 225, 226, 262

Walthall, Henry B. ¡99 Walton, William 5, ¡20, 275, 278 Waltz, Christopher 278 The Waltz King (¡963 film) 228, 233, 234, 237 Waltz of Paris see La Valse de Paris The Waltz War see Walzerkrieg Waltzes from Vienna (¡933 film) 227, 229, 230, 235 Walyer, Ernest ¡58, 237 Walzerkrieg (¡933 film) 228, 230, 232, 235 WAM Limited see Not Mozart Wanderers Sturmlied (R. Strauss) 238 Wanka, Rolf 200 “War of the Worlds” (radio show) 98, 99 The War Symphonies: Shostakovich Against Stalin (documentary) 2¡5 Ward, Edward ¡¡2, ¡¡7 Warde, Anthony 99 Warkow, Stewart ¡02 Warlock, Peter 279–283 Warren, Betty ¡70 The Warriors (Grainger) 76 Warsaw Concerto (Addinsell) 289 Waschatko, Hanns 235 Wäscher, Aribert ¡70, 236, 262 Washington, Booker T. ¡04 Washington, George 220 The Washington Post March (Sousa) 2¡8, 22¡ Wassmann, Hans 40, ¡¡6, ¡70 Water Music (Handel) 82, 86, 89 Watkin, Pierre 96 Watkins, Grant 32, 92, ¡50 Wauer, William 277 Waxman, Franz ¡57 Waxworks (¡924 film) ¡97 Ways of Sorrow (film trilogy) ¡52 Weatherwax, Paul 236 Webb, Clifton 2¡8, 2¡9, 22¡ Weber, Aloysia ¡39, ¡40, ¡4¡ Weber, Carl Maria von 3, 244, 278 Weber, Dominique ¡54, ¡55, ¡58 Weber, Joe 250 Weber, Josepha ¡40, ¡4¡ Weber, Sophie ¡4¡ Weck, Peter 237 “Weeping Willow” (Sousa) 2¡9 Wegrostek, Oskar 236, 237 Wehle, Berhard ¡4 Wehle, Peter ¡54, ¡55, ¡57 Weickl, Bernd ¡4 Weigel, Barbel 3¡ Weihmayr, Franz 262 Weikert, Ralf 40

Index Weill, Kurt ¡47 Weinstein, Michael 2¡5 Weinzierl, Kurt 92, ¡49 Weisgerber, Eleanor 57 Weiss, David ¡38 Weissenberg, Alexis 48, 207 Weldon, Joan ¡85 Wellburn, Timothy ¡29, 24¡ Welles, Orson 26, 3¡, 97–¡00, 270 Wellin, Arthur 30 Wellington’s Victory (Beethoven) ¡7 Wells, H. G. 98, 2¡4 Wells, John Wellington 248 Welton, Douglas 200 Wen die Götter Lieben (¡942 film) ¡6, ¡9, 30, 90, ¡35 Wenham, David ¡94 Wenn die Musik Nicht Wär (¡935 film) ¡07, ¡¡¡, ¡¡7, ¡39 ¡48 Werfel, Franz ¡28 Werner, Oscar 23, 3¡, ¡¡9, ¡36, ¡40, ¡49 Werner, Ruth ¡70, ¡99 Wernicke, Otto ¡4 Wesely, Rudolf 278 Wesendonk, Mathilde 270 Wesendonk, Otto 270 West, Lucrezia ¡28 Westerholt, Werner ¡¡9, 277 Westley, Helen 250 What Is Impressionism? (documentary) 62 What Price Immortality? (¡999 film) 43, 44, 48, 78, 8¡, ¡08, 252, 255, 263 Wheeler, Hugh 244 Wheeler, Paul ¡50 When in Rome (¡952 film) 246 Whistler, James McNeil 69 White, George 68, 70 White, Norman ¡77 White, Perry (character) 256 White, Willard ¡77 Whiteman, Paul 68–70 Whitman, Walt 63 Whittet, Matthew ¡92, ¡94 Whittington and his Cat (O›enbach) ¡54 “Who Is Sylvia?” (Schubert) ¡95 Wholenotes (television series) 48, 89, 268 Whom the Gods Love (¡936 film) ¡35, ¡39, ¡48; see also Wen die Götter Lieben Whorf, Richard 96 Wicher, Monica 32 Wicki, Bernhard ¡55, ¡57, ¡7¡, 207, 228, 233, 236 Widhaum, Michaela 200

“Widmung” (Schumann) ¡¡0, 204 Wieck, Friedrich ¡65, 20¡–204, 206 Wieland, Guido 3¡, 92, ¡58, 237 Wieman, Mathias 47, ¡¡7, 20¡, 206, 207 Wiene, Conrad 235 Wiener Mädeln (¡949 film) 228, 230, 236 Wiener Walzer (¡95¡ film) 228, 23¡, 232, 233, 236 Wiens, Peter ¡90 Wieth, Moegin 99 Wiggins, Chris 282 Wilcox, Hester 6¡ Wild, Earl ¡58 Wilde, Cornel 5¡–53, 57, ¡¡8, ¡70 Wilde, Oscar 240, 248 Wilder, Billy 236 Wilder, Gene 54 Wilhelm Ernst (Duke of Weimar) ¡3 Wilker, José 267 William, Warren 250 William Tell (Rossini) ¡86, ¡87, ¡88, 220 Williams, Ben ¡07 Williams, Billy Dee ¡03–¡05, 22¡ Williams, Brook ¡20, 278 Williams, Emlyn 37, ¡89, 250 Williams, Margaret ¡50 Williams, Robin 289 Williams, Tudor ¡¡7 Williamson, Clive ¡50 Willm, Pierre Richard ¡07, ¡¡8 Willmann, Magdalena ¡7 “Willow Song” (Sullivan) 249 Wilner, Alfred Maria 3¡, ¡70, ¡96, ¡99, 200 Wilson, Anthony ¡00 Wilson, James 9¡ Wilson, John ¡50 Wilson, Levina 58 Wilson, Stuart 292, 293 Wilton, Penelope 58 Windsor, Marie 70 Winer, Joe 3¡ Winn, Erich 3¡, 92 Winter, Alex ¡4, 3¡ Ein Winter auf Mallorca (¡982 film) 5¡, 55, 57 Winter Dreams Symphony (Tchaikovsky) ¡82 Winterreise (Schubert) ¡95 Wisbar, Frank 3¡, 92 The Witches see Le Villi Witt, Herbert 47, ¡¡8, 207 Wittgenstein, Prince Nicholas ¡¡5 Wittuhn, Georg 262

337

Wizard of the Nile (Herbert) 93 Wögerer, Otto 237 Wolf, Hugo ¡24, ¡29 Wolfe, Ian 57, ¡¡8, ¡70 Wol›, Christian ¡5 Wol›, Hans 236 Wol›, Ingrid 92, ¡50 Wol›, Joachim ¡4 Wol›, Pierre 30, ¡99 Wol›-Schönberg, Stefan 5¡, 58 Wolfgang Mehr als ein Prinz (¡99¡ film) ¡36, ¡46, ¡50 Wollejko, Czeslaw 5¡, 54, 57, ¡64, ¡70 Woloshyn, Illya 32 Wolzogen, Hans von ¡¡7 Women in Love (¡969 film) 5, 49 Wood, Charles ¡¡0, ¡20, ¡77, ¡79, 276, 278 Wood, Oliver ¡4 Woodru›, Christine 77 Woodthorpe, Peter ¡20, ¡76, ¡78, 2¡2, 2¡3, 278 Woolf, Emily 77 Woolf, Vicki ¡58, 237 Woolfe, Eric 292, 294 Wordsworth, Richard 8¡, ¡¡9 Worell, Herta ¡¡7 Woronowicz, Adam 58, ¡2¡ Worrod, Roger 64, 77 Worship of God in Nature see Ehre Gottes in der Natur Wright, Alan ¡20, 278 Wright, Huntley ¡57 Wright, Robert 79, 8¡, ¡¡9, ¡58, 237 Wright, Will 69, 70 Wunderlich, Fritz ¡5¡ Wunderlich, Lisa 47, ¡¡8, 207 Wurtzer, M. 235 Wussow, Barbara ¡50 Wuthering Heights (Herrmann) 97 Wuthering Heights (novel) ¡7 Wyatt, Chris ¡50 Wyda, Emmy ¡¡7 Wyndham, Dennis ¡07 Wyndham-Lewis, D. B. ¡00 Wynter, Sarah ¡28, ¡29 Wysocka, Sylwia 58, ¡2¡ Xerxes (Handel) 82, 87 Yale-Princeton Football Game (Ives) ¡02 Yanshin, Mikhail 73 Yaray, Hans 226, 262 Yared, Gabriel 6¡ Yaron, Nurith 57 Yarrow, Arnold ¡29 Yeoman of the Guard (Sullivan) 248, 250

338

Index

Yevtushenko, Yevgeny 2¡5 Yimou, Zhang ¡77 York, Eugen ¡7¡ You Are There (television series) 29¡ Young, Loretta ¡¡7, 29¡ Young, Nina ¡78 Young, Victor 236 Young Chopin (¡952 film) 5¡, 54, 57, ¡6¡, ¡64, ¡70 Young Frankenstein (¡974 film) 54 Young People’s Concerts (television series) 40, 62, ¡02, ¡2¡, ¡30, 2¡5, 2¡6 Yudina, Lilia 263 Yum-Yum (character) 249 Yurev, S. ¡48 Z Meho Zivota (¡955 film) 2¡7 Zach, Janos ¡¡8 Zachrisson, Lisbeth ¡94 Zadok the Priest (Handel) 86

Zador, Eugene 30, 200 Zaentz, Saul ¡49 Zahajsky, Jiri 237 Zakonyi, Sandor ¡¡8 Zala, Karola ¡¡7 Zaloznik, Dusan ¡29 Zamoryev, Sergei 62, ¡92, ¡94 Zandonai, Ricardo 37, 67, ¡76, ¡89, 266 Zanuck, Darryl F. ¡¡7, 250 Zavodszky, Zoltan ¡¡7 Zednik, Heinz ¡20, ¡66, 275, 278, 279 Zeigbergh, Ulf von ¡94 Zelnik, Frederic ¡4 Zelnik, Jerzy 58, ¡2¡ Zemella, Angelo 268 Zemkova, Libuse 57, ¡70 Zemlinsky, Alexander ¡28 Zentout, Delphine 89 Zeska, Philippe von ¡57 Zetenius, Josef ¡35, ¡48 Zickner, Carl 30

Zielinski, Andrzej 58, ¡2¡ Ziener, Manny 277 Ziesmer, Santiago ¡36, ¡4¡, ¡49 Der Zigeunerbaron (Strauss) 228 Zigeunerweisen (Sarasate) ¡92 Zimmer, Bernard 57, ¡¡7 Zimmer, Greta 237 Zoch, Georg ¡70 Zoé (Villa-Lobos) 267 Zöhner, Claudia 48, 8¡, ¡20, 263 Zorich, Louis ¡02 Zoya (¡944 film) 72 Zsoter, Sandor 2¡5 Zuber, Karol 293 Zucco, George ¡¡7 Zukor, Adolf 236 Zulawski, Andrzej 58 Zupanic, Jelica ¡29 Zweifel, Harold ¡¡7 Zylberstein, Elsa 89 Zynda, Henry 236