Louis van Beethoven | |
---|---|
Directed by | Niki Stein |
Written by | Niki Stein |
Produced by | Ernst Ludwig Ganzert |
Starring | |
Cinematography | Arthur W. Ahrweiler |
Edited by | Jan Henrik Pusch |
Distributed by | Degeto, WDR, ORF |
Release date |
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Running time | 120 minutes |
Countries | Germany, Czech Republic, Austria |
Language | German |
Louis van Beethoven is a biographical film that came out in December 2020 [1] for the 250th anniversary of Beethoven's birth. The movie shows the story of the world-famous composer from different perspectives. The title shows the name that was used in his youth. [2]
The film moves back and forth between Beethoven's final year and his early life in Bonn. The Beethoven we meet as an adult (played by Tobias Moretti) has long been deaf. He has come to his brother Johann's home in Gneixendorf along with their nephew Karl (Peter Lewys Preston ) after Karl's attempted suicide. There Louis is in constant battle with everyone around him. This is the background that leads to memories of his earlier life.
As a child in Bonn, Louis (Colin Pütz ) was a musical prodigy. He is pushed by his father, who has dreams of him being a new Mozart. Through his father's connections as a singer in the court of the Elector, the young Beethoven comes under the supervision of other musicians. He also comes in contact with Tobias Pfeiffer (Sabin Tambrea), a local actor who rooms with the family.
As he becomes a young man, Louis (Anselm Bresgott ) continues to grow as a musician. He also suffers the loss of his mother, which sends his father into grief and alcoholism. He comes under the patronage of the von Breuning family and falls in love with Eleonore von Breuning (Caroline Hellwig ). But he is below the family's social station and any match between them is forbidden. To recreate the atmosphere of Beethoven's era, it was decided to use a few replicas of period instruments made by a modern piano maker Paul McNulty.
The movie was released in Germany on 27 October 2020; in Spain on 4 December; in Russia on 19 December; and in the United States on 25 December. [3] It was presented at the Sedona Film Festival in Arizona in May 2021. [4]
Neely Swanson, writing for the Los Angeles Times , stated that the movie "honors the struggles that gnawed at brilliance but is itself little more than an elegantly tailored time-filler", and feels like a "three-part miniseries crammed into one brisk viewing". [2] The blogger Roger Moore praised the movie, calling the actors and setting "first rate, across the board". [5] The blogger noted, however, that the movie was "almost entirely humorless, with precious little joy springing from the music". [5] Clara Weiss, writing for the World Socialist Web Site , states that a viewer of the film would feel "contradictory feelings and, ultimately, disappointment and dissatisfaction", but despite this, that it will help people "engage more deeply with Beethoven and his epoch". [6]
Ludwig van Beethoven was a German composer and pianist. He is one of the most revered figures in the history of Western music; his works rank among the most performed of the classical music repertoire and span the transition from the Classical period to the Romantic era in classical music. Beethoven's career has conventionally been divided into early, middle, and late periods. His early period, during which he forged his craft, is typically considered to have lasted until 1802. From 1802 to around 1812, his middle period showed an individual development from the styles of Joseph Haydn and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, and is sometimes characterized as heroic. During this time, he began to grow increasingly deaf. In his late period, from 1812 to 1827, he extended his innovations in musical form and expression.
Immortal Beloved is a 1994 biographical film written and directed by Bernard Rose and starring Gary Oldman, Jeroen Krabbé, Isabella Rossellini and Johanna ter Steege. The film narrates the life of composer Ludwig van Beethoven in flashbacks while it follows Beethoven's secretary and first biographer Anton Schindler's (Krabbé) quest to ascertain the true identity of the Unsterbliche Geliebte addressed in three letters found in the late composer's private papers. Schindler journeys throughout the Austrian Empire interviewing women who might be potential candidates, as well as through Beethoven's own tumultuous life.
Johann van Beethoven was a German musician, teacher, and singer who sang in the chapel of the Archbishop of Cologne, whose court was at Bonn. He is best known as the father of the celebrated composer Ludwig van Beethoven (1770–1827). Johann became an alcoholic later in his life and was at times an abusive father to Ludwig. At 18, Ludwig had to obtain an order to force Johann to support his family. Johann died soon after Ludwig moved to Vienna to study with Joseph Haydn.
Tobias Moretti is an Austrian actor.
Beethoven's Great Love (French: Un grand amour de Beethoven is a 1936 French historical musical drama film directed by Abel Gance and starring Harry Baur, Annie Ducaux and Jany Holt. It portrays the career of the composer Ludwig van Beethoven. In Britain and the United States it was sometimes alternatively titled The Life and Loves of Beethoven.
Franz Gerhard Wegeler was a German physician from Bonn, who, in his youth, was a close friend of composer Ludwig van Beethoven. He was the father of historian Julius Stephan Wegeler (1807-1883).
Nannette Streicher was a German piano maker, composer, music educator, writer and a close friend of Ludwig van Beethoven.
Kaspar Anton Karl van Beethoven was a brother of the composer Ludwig van Beethoven.
Eroica is a 1949 Austrian film depicting composer Ludwig van Beethoven's life and work. The film is directed by Walter Kolm-Veltée, produced by Guido Bagier with Walter Kolm-Veltée and written by Walter Kolm-Veltée with Franz Tassié. It was entered into the 1949 Cannes Film Festival.
Franz Schubert is a 1953 Austrian film depicting composer Franz Schubert's life and work.
Karl van Beethoven was the only son born to Kaspar Anton Karl van Beethoven and Johanna van Beethoven and the sole nephew of composer Ludwig van Beethoven. He is mainly remembered for being the center of a bitter custody battle between his mother and famous uncle after his father's death.
There are at least two surviving portraits created by German painter Joseph Willibrord Mähler in oils of the composer Ludwig van Beethoven.
The composer Ludwig van Beethoven has been the subject of a number of biographical films.
Ludwig or Ludovicusvan Beethoven the Elder was a Flemish professional singer and music director, best known as the grandfather of the composer Ludwig van Beethoven.
Nikolaus Johann van Beethoven was a brother of the composer Ludwig van Beethoven.
Stephan von Breuning was a German civil servant and librettist. He was Ludwig van Beethoven's lifelong friend, from his childhood in Bonn when receiving music lessons until acting as executor in Vienna.
Helene von Breuning was a member of the Bonn upper class, who engaged young Ludwig van Beethoven to teach music to her children, helped him with his education and introduced him into social circles. Due to the close ties, she was later referred to as his "second mother" because she favourably shaped his early career.
Sieghard Brandenburg was a German musicologist, who stood out especially as a Beethoven researcher.
Hans Schmidt was a German musicologist.
Moritz Gerhard von Breuning was an Austrian physician, known for his documentation of Ludwig van Beethoven's last years.