Films about Classical Music, Composer Biopics et al. (Strictly Classical)

[Jo498]

I wouldn't mind an exploration of the Pushkin/Shaffer idea of the incomprehensible genius and the jealousy of the "mediocre" (although it's a romantic cliché and little evidence that the adult Mozart was perceived like that by his environment, and Salieri clearly was not perceived as mediocre).

But why has it to be exaggerated by making Mozart a silly idiot in everything but music? I think this was very unsubtle.

[Roasted Swan]

I wouldn't mind an exploration of the Pushkin/Shaffer idea of the incomprehensible genius and the jealousy of the "mediocre" (although it's a romantic cliché and little evidence that the adult Mozart was perceived like that by his environment, and Salieri clearly was not perceived as mediocre).

But why has it to be exaggerated by making Mozart a silly idiot in everything but music? I think this was very unsubtle.

Treat it as fiction and a rattling good yarn and don't be worried if/when it diverges from historical fact is my approach.....

[Karl Henning]

I wouldn't mind an exploration of the Pushkin/Shaffer idea of the incomprehensible genius and the jealousy of the "mediocre" (although it's a romantic cliché and little evidence that the adult Mozart was perceived like that by his environment, and Salieri clearly was not perceived as mediocre).

But why has it to be exaggerated by making Mozart a silly idiot in everything but music? I think this was very unsubtle.

The movie is more egregious there, than the stage-play. Related: the movie misleads the audience by luring them into the thought that the movie is a documentary, where in the play, it is clear that Salieri is telling the story for his own reasons.

[Florestan]

I wouldn't mind an exploration of the Pushkin/Shaffer idea of the incomprehensible genius and the jealousy of the "mediocre" (although it's a romantic cliché and little evidence that the adult Mozart was perceived like that by his environment

Precisely. Mozart's unique level of creativeness did not isolate him from society and did not translate into any social clumsiness. On the contrary, all available evidence shows that actually Mozart was socially involved and active, had a taste for the fine things in life, including clothing, food and drink, was fond of playing billiards and in general was very far from the image of the reclusive, misanthropic and misunderstood genius --- he was no Beethoven.

[W.A. Mozart]

I'll give you a film about Mozart that is not famous but that I think is better than Amadeus, at least for people who prefer historical accuracy more than fiction.

The film "Mozart, more than a prince" is a recostruction of the life of Mozart from childhood to adulthood.

In reality, the film is not completely accurate from a historical point of view, but it's still better than Amadeus.

Take for example the scene at the minute 09:26 in the first video, where Mozart is writing his first symphony.
Well, the reconstruction is not historically accurate, because Mozart wrote the symphony in London, not in Salzburg.

In the third video, at the minute 42:46, Mozart is writing the Requiem while he is dying.
The idea of Mozart who can't stop composing music even when he is facing death, and who he is writing a Requiem for himself, is epic, but from what I read is not historically accurate.

Mozart wrote the last notes some days before his death, before he "collapsed" in his bed. If you have ever seen a person in his last 2-3 days of life, you know that in that conditions you have not the forces for doing anything.


I wonder how many others little errors like that are there in the film. However, if you focus on the big picture and not on little details, this film is the best one I've found till now. Overall, it looks like a good portrait of Mozart. What do you think?

I like the scene in the first video at the minute 24:44, where Mozart is writing the score of the Miserere of Gregorio Allegri by ear.

There is also an other film about Nannerl Mozart, set in the period where Mozart was 11 years old and Nannerl 15-16.

Some people say that it's not so historically accurate, and I still have to figure out if it's true that Leopold didn't teach composition to Nannerl and that the lessons were reserved for Mozart.

I also don't know if it's true that Nannerl had a love relationship with the Dauphin of France and composed some pieces for him, but it might be fictional.

[Karl Henning]

In reality, the film is not completely accurate from a historical point of view, but it's still better than Amadeus.

In reality, it is an error to regard Amadeus as a historical account. Amadeus is an excellent piece of theatre, taking creative license with historical elements. It is no more intended as history than is Pushkin's verse drama which was its inspiration.

[W.A. Mozart]

In reality, it is an error to regard Amadeus as a historical account. Amadeus is an excellent piece of theatre, taking creative license with historical elements. It is no more intended as history than is Pushkin's verse drama which was its inspiration.

That Amadeus doesn't want to be a historical film is an obvious fact, but there are people like me who would like to have a serious film about Mozart.

The film I shared in this discussion is also not serious.

The scene at the minute 22:10 with the little Mozart who plays a concerto alone is a serious error. Where is the orchestra?

I like however the scene at the minute 06:38, where the little boy imagines a melody in his head and then he tries to play it with the harpsichord and he is angry because it sounds like poop: he says that the music sounded much better in his mind.
A wise man said that chldren always say the truth! 

[Roy Bland]

[W.A. Mozart]

Thanks, I know this one, but the resolution in Youtube is very low and I was trying to find a better version. I'd pay for it.