Monday, June 26, 2006
Beethoven
When I was a little girl taking piano lessons, I loved the music of Beethoven. His has always been one of my favorites to play. I have a clear memory of my piano teacher (same teacher for ten years) telling me a story of Beethoven being on stage during the performance of one of his symphonies, and because he was deaf, the conductor had to turn him around to face the audience to receive the applause because he could not hear it.
So, the title of the movie "Immortal Beloved" has come to my attention several times in the past few months, so I finally rented it and have now watched it twice this weekend. On the first time watching it, I didn't like it until the end, when everything came together. So, I watched it again with the end in mind and liked it more the second time. I still say that it's not as good as Amadeus ... but I still liked it, and am glad that it was recommended to me.
And the part that really "GOT" me, both times I watched it, was at the end, during the premier performance of the Ninth Symphony ("Ode to Joy") and Beethoven wandered onto the stage while the orchestra & choir were performing the work. At the end of the final movement, he is still facing the orchestra & choir, and you can see the audience behind him clapping wildly. Finally, the conductor comes up and touches his arm to turn him around, at which point the audience stands up and he realizes that they have enjoyed this symphony.
It's interesting that so many movies about the lives of artists show them to be impossible and/or tortured personalities. Amadeus, Pollock, Immortal Beloved ... some very great artists, yet I wouldn't switch places with any of them due to their personalities!
(Oh, and a side note: the same actor plays Beethoven who played Sirius Black!!??)
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