Highlights:

Saturday, August 14, 2010

8/14 Eroica: The Movie / Norrington Session

Today and tomorrow: an Eroica mini film fest. 

One of the best Beethoven bio-dramas ever made is Simon Cellan Jones's BBC production "Eroica". Basically it dramatizes the first rehearsal of Beethoven's 3rd Symphony, the Eroica Symphony.  That's it.  It starts the morning of the rehearsal, then goes around Vienna to visit the participants, then goes to Prince Lobkowitz' palace for the rehearsal (featuring Ian Hart as B conducting John Eliot Gardiner and a reduced version of his period instrument orchestra).  While taking breaks during the run through, B's girlfriends visit as well as Papa Haydn.  He has a great line at the end, I won't spoil it.  The DVD has an option where you can see the Eroica performed in its entirety without the drama parts.  But you can see the movie part on Youtube below.  Highly recommended. (IMDB says it's 2 hrs but I think that's both the movie and the Eroica by itself, the movie is about an hour and a half , I think)...:
Eroica The Movie (with Spanish subtitles):

Youtube Playlist (without Spanish subtitles but in several parts)

Our second feature of today (in keeping with the historical performance focus of the first film) is a short documentary of Sir Roger Norrington rehearsing and explaining his attempts to play Beethoven's Eroica like they did in Beethoven's time.  Sir Roger has some pretty spry dance moves.(30 min).


Some parts are not in English (about 2 minute's worth), but there are French subtitles throughout.

Oops Looks like the above was deleted - here's a new performance instead:
--Stuttgart Radio Symphony Orchestra Japan Tour 2008, Sir Roger Norrington
--Date:Jan 30 2008, --Place:Sunroy Hall (Tokoy)

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