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Kezdőlap » Film » Great Composers: In Search of Beethoven

Great Composers: In Search of Beethoven

Concert-documentary, 120 min, 2014
in English with Hungarian subtitles

Show times:

Narrator: Julie Stevenson

Interviewees and cooperative musicians: Leif Ove Andsnes, Emanuel Ax, Kristian Bezuidenhout, Giovanni Bietti, Jonathan Biss, Ronald Brautigam, Riccardo Chailly, Barry Cooper, Jonathan Del Mar, Albert Dohmen, Cliff Eisen, Alban Gerhardt,Hélène Grimaud, Janine Jansen, Hebe Jeffrey, Christine Köndgen, Chris Kraus, Louis Langrée, Paul Lewis, Fabio Luisi, Nicholas Marston, Sir Roger Norrington, Bayan Northcott, Gianandrea Nosed, Vadim Repin, Ilona Schmiel, Lars Vogt, David Waterman, Claudio Abbado, Frans Brüggen, Endellion String Quartet, Orchestra of the 18th Century, Salzburg Camerata, Wiener Symphoniker, Norrköpping Symphony Orchestra

In Search of Beethoven

Compelling, original and comprehensive, the connoisseurs guide to the real Beethoven behind the myth. Narrated by Juliet Stevenson. With 100 interviews / experts views / exclusive performances.

One of the finest movies about a great musician I’ve ever seen - The Observer
A Dynamic Mix of Interviews and Performances

“10/10… The best film I’ve seen about a composer” – The Sun Herald

In Search of Beethoven offers a comprehensive and dynamic account of the life and works of the great composer. The film features 65 performances by the world’s finest musicians. In addition 100 interviews were conducted in the making of this beautifully crafted film.
Leading Performers

“The music is sublime” – Sight and Sound

In Search of Beethoven has brought together the world’s leading performers and experts to reveal new insights into both Beethoven the man and his music. The line-up of performers and interviewees includes Gianandrea Noseda, Sir Roger Norrington, Riccardo Chailly, Claudio Abbado, Fabio Luisi, Frans Brüggen, Ronald Brautigam, Hélène Grimaud, Vadim Repin, Janine Jansen, Paul Lewis, Lars Vogt, and Emanuel Ax among others. The film is narrated by Juliet Stevenson and young RSC actor David Dawson.
Moving away from the romantic stereotype – a complex man

“Expertise and passion combined…high-class” – New York Times

The film delves beneath the mythical image of the tortured, cantankerous genius to search for the real Ludwig van Beethoven. In Search of Beethoven addresses the romantic myth that Beethoven was a heroic, tormented figure battling to overcome his tragic fate, struck down by deafness, who searched for his ‘immortal beloved’ but remained unmarried. The results reveal someone quite different and far more interesting.
Part of the composers series, an established approach

“An endearing human biography…every bit as wonderful a In Search of Mozart” – Chicago Tribune

In Search of Beethoven takes a comprehensive look at the composer’s life through his musical output. Having created a successful and critically acclaimed blueprint with In Search of Mozart, Phil Grabsky documents each piece of music chronologically marrying it to Beethoven’s biography and letters.
Exclusive footage and in-depth research

“The beating heart of the film is Beethoven’s music , and Grabsky brings on a dizzying parade of performers to rhapsodize about their hero and offer lovely live renditions” – Boston Phoenix
Phil Grabsky travelled across Europe and North America to interview historians and musicians between rehearsals and performances. He managed to film a remarkable 65 performances for the film – and has once again captured the raw energy of these world-class artists. It includes exclusive footage of Claudio Abbado’s critically-acclaimed performance of Beethoven’s opera Fidelio. There are further performances from Frans Brüggen’s Orchestra of the 18th Century, the Salzburg Camerata with Sir Roger Norrington, Leipzig Gewandhaus with Riccardo Chailly, Vienna Symphony with Fabio Luisi, violinists Vadim Repin, Janine Jansen or pianists Leif Ove Andsnes, Ronald Brautigam, Jonathan Biss, Emanuel Ax, Lars Vogt and cellist Alban Gerhardt reveal their unique approach and share their passions. The Endellion String Quartet gave exclusive access to film a number of complete Beethoven quartets.

Interviewees & Performers:
Leif Ove Andsnes
Emanuel Ax
Kristian Bezuidenhout
Giovanni Bietti
Jonathan Biss
Ronald Brautigam
Riccardo Chailly
Barry Cooper
Jonathan Del Mar
Albert Dohmen
Cliff Eisen
Alban Gerhardt
Hélène Grimaud
Janine Jansen
Hebe Jeffrey
Christine Köndgen
Chris Kraus
Louis Langrée
Paul Lewis
Fabio Luisi
Nicholas Marston
Sir Roger Norrington
Bayan Northcott
Gianandrea Noseda
Vadim Repin
Ilona Schmiel
Lars Vogt
David Waterman
Claudio Abbado
Frans Brüggen
Endellion String Quartet
Orchestra of the 18th Century
Salzburg Camerata
Wiener Symphoniker
Norrköpping Symphony Orchestra

In order of appearance in the feature film:

Opus 58, Piano Concerto no.4 in G major
Piano – Ronald Brautigam
Norrköpping Symphony Orchestra
Conductor – Andrew Parrott

Opus 133, String Quartet, Grosse Fuge in B flat major
The Endellion String Quartet
Violin – Andrew Watkinson
Violin – Ralph de Souza
Viola – Garfield Jackson
Cello – David Waterman
Supported by Stradivari Trust
Courtesy of Warner Music UK

Christian Gottlob Neefe
Twelve Piano Sonatas
Fortepiano – Ronald Brautigam

WoO4, Piano Concerto in E flat major
Fortepiano – Ronald Brautigam

Haydn
Symphony Hob. I-84 in E flat
Orchestra of the Eighteenth Century
Conductor – Frans Brüggen

Mozart
K415 Concerto in C for Keyboard, no 13
Fortepiano – Ronald Brautigam
Orchestra of the Eighteenth Century
Conductor – Frans Brüggen

Mozart
K550, Symphony no. 40 in G minor
Orchestra of the Eighteenth Century
Conductor – Frans Brüggen

Haydn
Cello Concerto in C major
Cello – Roel Dieltiens
Orchestra of the Eighteenth Century
Conductor – Frans Brüggen

WoO87, Cantata on the death of Emperor Joseph II
Corydon Singers & Orchestra
Conductor – Matthew Best
Courtesy of Hyperion CDA66880

Opus 19, Piano Concerto no. 2 in B flat major
Piano – Jonathan Biss
The Salzburg Camerata
Conductor – Sir Roger Norrington
Jonathan Biss Courtesy of EMI Records limited

Opus 15, Piano Concerto no.1 in C major
Piano – Lars Vogt
The City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra
Conductor: Sir Simon Rattle
Courtesy of EMI Classics

Opus 1, no 1 Piano Trio in E flat major
Piano – Julia Fedoseeva
Violin – Alexander Sitkovetsky
Cello – Richard Harwood

Opus 2 no 1, Piano Sonata no 1 in F minor
Fortepiano – Ronald Brautigam

Opus 5 no 2, Cello Sonata in G minor
Piano – Cecile Licad
Cello – Alban Gerhardt

Opus 10 no. 2, Piano Sonata no. 6 in F major
Fortepiano – Ronald Brautigam

Opus 18 no 6, String Quartet in B flat major
The Endellion String Quartet
Violin – Andrew Watkinson
Violin – Ralph de Souza
Viola – Garfield Jackson
Cello – David Waterman
Supported by Stradivari Trust
Courtesy of Warner Music UK

Opus 21, Symphony no. 1 in C major
Orchestra of the Eighteenth Century
Conductor – Frans Brüggen

Opus 24, Violin Sonata no.5 in F major “Spring”
Piano – Julia Fedoseeva
Violin – Alexander Sitkovetsky

Opus 27 no 2, Piano Sonata no.14 in C sharp minor “Moonlight”
Piano – Lars Vogt

Opus 47, Violin Sonata in A major “Kreutzer”
Piano – Itamar Golan
Violin – Janine Jansen

Opus 37, Piano Concerto no.3 in C minor
Fortepiano – Kristian Bezuidenhout
Orchestra of the Eighteenth Century
Conductor – Frans Brüggen

Opus 55, Symphony no.3 in E flat major “Eroica”
Filarmonica della Scala
Conductor – Gianandrea Noseda
Courtesy of Musicom.it S.r.l.

Opus 53, Piano Sonata no.21 in C major “Waldstein”
Piano – Emanuel Ax

Opus 57, Piano Sonata no.23 “Appassionata” in F minor
Piano – Emanuel Ax

Opus 56, Triple Concerto for Piano, Violin & Cello in C
Piano – Boris Berezovsky
Violin – Urban Svensson
Cello – Mats Rondin
Swedish Chamber Orchestra
Conductor – Thomas Dausgaard
Courtesy of the Swedish Chamber Orchestra, örebro and Thomas Dausgaard

Opus 72, Opera, Leonore (Later re-named Fidelio)
Florestan – Clifton Forbis
Leonore – Anja Kampe
Rocco – Giorgio Surjan
Marzelline – Julia Kleiter
Jaquino – Jörg Schneider
Don Pizarro – Albert Dohmen
Don Fernando – Diogenes Randes
Mahler Chamber Orchestra Arnold Schoenberg Chor
Conductor – Claudio Abbado
Director – Chris Kraus
Coro de la Comunidad de Madrid
Courtesy of I Teatri Reggio Emilia

Opus 60, Symphony no.4 in B flat major
Norrköping Symphony Orchestra
Conductor – Andrew Parrott

Opus 61, Violin Concerto in D major
Violin – Vadim Repin
l’Orchestre National du Capitole de Toulouse
Conductor – Tugan Sokhiev
Vadim Repin appears courtesy of Deutsche Grammophon

Opus 59, no.2 String Quartet in E minor “Razumovsky”
The Endellion String Quartet
Violin – Andrew Watkinson
Violin – Ralph de Souza
Viola – Garfield Jackson
Cello – David Waterman
Supported by Stradivari Trust
Courtesy of Warner Music UK

Opus 62, Overture, Coriolan in C minor
Gewandhaus Orchestra, Leipzig
Conductor – Riccardo Chailly

Opus 69, Cello Sonata in A major
Piano – Christoph Berner
Cello – Richard Harwood

Opus 68, Symphony no. 6 “Pastoral” in F major
Orchestra of the Eighteenth Century
Conductor – Frans Brüggen

Opus 58, Piano Concerto no.4 in G major
Norrköping Symphony Orchestra, Sweden
Piano – Ronald Brautigam
Conductor – Andrew Parrot

Opus 58, Piano Concerto no.4 in G major
Fortepiano – Kristian Bezuidenhout
Orchestra of the Eighteenth Century
Conductor – Frans Brüggen

Opus 58, Piano Concerto no.4 in G major
Piano – Hélène Grimaud
l’Orchestre de Paris
Conductor – Christoph Eschenbach
Courtesy of Digital Classics Distribution

Opus 67, Symphony no. 5 in C minor
Orchestra of the Eighteenth Century
Conductor – Frans Brüggen

Opus 73, Piano Concerto no.5 in E flat major “Emperor”
Piano – Hélène Grimaud
Staatskapelle Dresden
Conductor – Vladamir Jurowski
Hélène Grimaud appears courtesy of Deutsche Grammophon

Opus 81a, Piano Sonata no. 26 in E flat major “Das Lebewohl”
Piano – Ronald Brautigam

Opus 74, String Quartet in E flat major “Harp”
The Endellion String Quartet
Violin – Andrew Watkinson
Violin – Ralph de Souza
Viola – Garfield Jackson
Cello – David Waterman
Supported by Stradivari Trust
Courtesy of Warner Music UK

WoO59, Piano Bagatelle: Für Elise in A minor
Piano – Ronald Brautigam

Opus 91, Wellington’s Sieg “Battle Symphony”
Berliner Philharmoniker
Conductor – Herbert von Karajan
Courtesy of Deutsche Grammophon GmbH
Under licence from Universal Music Operations Ltd

Opus 92, Symphony no. 7 in A major
Gewandhaus Orchester, Leipzig
Conductor – Riccardo Chailly

Opus 93, Symphony no. 8 in F major
I’Orchestre National de France
Conductor – Kurt Masur
Courtesy of Beethoven Festival, Bonn
Score courtesy of Breitkopf & Haertel, Wiesbaden, Editor: Peter Hauschild

Opus 46, Song “Adelaide”
Baritone – Christian Gerhaher
Piano – Gerold Huber

Opus 102, no 1 Cello Sonata in C major
Piano – Julia Fedoseeva
Cello – Richard Harwood

Opus 101, Piano Sonata no. 28 in A major
Piano – Hélène Grimaud
Courtesy of Deutsche Grammophon mbH

Opus 98, Song Cycle: An die ferne Geliebte
Baritone – Christian Gerhaher
Piano – Gerold Huber

H33 Minuet for String Quartet in A flat major
The Endellion String Quartet
Violin – Andrew Watkinson
Violin – Ralph de Souza
Viola – Garfield Jackson
Cello – David Waterman
Supported by Stradivari Trust
Courtesy of Warner Music UK

Opus 110, Piano Sonata no.31 in A flat major
Piano – Paul Lewis

Opus 111, Piano Sonata no.32 in C minor
Piano – Lars Vogt
Courtesy of EMI Classics

Opus 123, Mass: Missa Solemnis in D major
Singverein der Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde in Wien
Alto – Birgit Remmert
Soprano – Luba Orgonášová
Tenor – Christoph Elsner
Bass – Georg Zeppenfeld
Vienna Symphony Orchestra
Conductor – Fabio Luisi
Peter-Sylvester Lehner, Managing Director Vienna Symphony Orchestra

Opus 125, Symphony no. 9 in D minor “Choral”
Bass – Pieter Hendriks
Tenor – Marcel Beekman
Mezzosoprano – Wilke Te Brummelstroete
Soprano – Rebecca Nash
Choir – Orfeó Català
Orchestra of the Eighteenth Century
Conducted by Frans Brüggen
Recorded by Catalunya Música (Catalunya Ràdio) Musical Producer: Hugo Romano. Recording Engineer: Jordi Gelabert

Opus 131, String Quartet in C sharp minor
The Endellion String Quartet
Violin – Andrew Watkinson
Violin – Ralph de Souza
Viola – Garfield Jackson
Cello – David Waterman
Supported by Stradivari Trust
Courtesy of Warner Music UK