MUSC 242: Music History I: Films and Websites

When Mozart arrives at the court of Emperor Joseph II, court composer Antonio Salieri is horrified to discover that the godlike musical gifts he desires himself have been bestowed on a bawdy joker. Mad with envy, he plots to destroy Mozart by any means.

In the 18th century, no man was more famous, more beloved, or more celebrated than the man called Farinelli. The amazing true story of the world famous castrato comes brilliantly to life in a sumptuous and sexy drama of high notes and even higher passions. Includes his relationship with Handel.

Based on the life of Ludwig van Beethoven, the passionate and volatile musical genius who inspired love and hate in equal measure. A thrilling search for the identity Beethoven's one true love-- the unnamed 'Immortal Beloved' mentioned in an enigmatic letter discovered upon his death.

In 1830s France, pianist/composer Frederic Chopin is pursued romantically by the determined, individualistic woman novelist who uses the name George Sand.

Outrageously hedonistic 'rockopera' casts contemporary rock god Roger Daltrey as the world's first music superstar, Franz Liszt. Loosely based on the life of the composer, the film takes a fantastical voyage through rock'n'roll excess and adventure, peppered with cameos from such pop icons as Ringo Starr (as the Pope) and Rick Wakeman (as Thor).

A re-imagined account of the early life of Maria Anna 'Nannerl' Mozart, five years older than Wolfgang and a musical prodigy in her own right. Originally the featured performer, Nannerl has given way to Wolfgang as the main attraction, as their strict but loving father Leopold tours his talented offspring in front of the royal courts of pre-French revolution Europe. (In French with English subtitles)

Not exactly a fact-based story of the Tchaikovsky's marriage, this is a lavishly produced picture with music played by the London Symphony Orchestra.

19th century pianist Clara Wieck has an unsurmountable passion for music and her father until she falls in love with his student, Robert Schumann. Clara must decide whether her passion for Robert is greater than her love for music and her father. (In German with English subtitles)

The lives of a reclusive 17th century French composer (Marin Marais) and his two beautiful daughters are forever changed by a flamboyant young student.

Covering the years from 1801-1825, this is the story of how Beethoven falls in love with one of his students, Juliette, but she loves another, so he throws himself into his work... (In French with English subtitles)

Un ballo in maschera / La virgine degli angeli / Armide / Jean-Luc Godard, Jean-Baptiste Lully -- Rigoletto / Die Tote Stadt / Les Boreades / Liebestod / Nessun Dorma / Depuis le jour / I Pagliacci /
Ten of the world's best-known film makers were given a free hand to make real any vision based on famous opera arias.

"Werner Herzog's chilling and atmospheric chronicle of sixteenth century composer Don Carlo Gesualdo, Prince of Venosa, whose life embraced sexual excess, ghastly murder and obsession. Filmed on location in Italy, the program explores both Gesualdo's musical legacy and the extraordinary influence his tormented life has continued to exert on those whose lives crossed his path."

A two-disc set containing a performance of Hildegard's musical Ordo Virtutum and a fully dramatised BBC biographical documentary on Hildegard.
The 12th century medieval music-drama, Ordo virtutum (The ritual of the virtues) is arguably the oldest surviving 'opera'. Sung throughout to music which combines the meditational qualities of Gregorian chant with lyrical emotional expression.

Opera by Rameau written in 1763. The mythical tale of a young queen, Alphise, determined to abdicate rather than contemplate an enforced marriage to a descendant of Boreas.

An opera by Mozart, in which a handsome young man is enlisted to rescue the Queen of Night's daughter from an evil sorcerer.

In these lectures Leonard Bernstein examines music from every age and place in the search for a worldwide, innate musical grammar. Includes performances with the Boston Symphony Orchestra and the Vienna Philharmonic.

The making of a performance : Tchaikovsky's 4th symphony. features interviews with musicians as it takes the viewer behind the scenes to experience the preparation that goes into a performance of the piece. Also includes a live performance of the complete Tchaikovsky 4th by the San Francisco Symphony, with Thomas conducting.

Michael Tilson Thomas, retraces Beethoven's steps through Vienna's aristocratic ballrooms and Austria's rustic villages, exploring how Beethoven channeled his fears of deafness, his admiration for Napoleon, and his obsession to prove himself the greatest composer of his time and to write the Eroica.

homas then retraces Stravinsky's journey to the cultural crossroads of pre-war Paris, where the composer collaborates with the great impresario Diaghilev and his star dancer Nijinsky to develop the shocking, erotic, and violent evocation of pagan Russia that became The Rite of Spring.

Michael Tilson Thomas and the San Francisco Symphony explore the music of Copland and the cityscapes, landscapes, and social and political developments that shaped it"

Herbert von Karajan's recordings of Beethoven's nine symphonies, filmed 1967-1972, show an array of innovative film techniques which set a new standard for music filming and for the interpretations of these symphonies.

Tensions abound and the music swells in the story about the famous musical team of Gilbert and Sullivan. The two men who were extremely different in size and stature were even more different in temperament and style. Yet, they still managed to create memorable theater. This is the story of the making of one of their most famous collaborations, The Mikado.

Ken Russell's "Mahler" is a dazzling depiction of the Austrian composer Gustav Mahler's turbulent marriage, passionate affairs, and rejection of Judaism.

An operatic portrait of Ludwig II, the 19th century mad king of Bavaria. Tormented by his unrequited love for his cousin, Empress Elisabeth of Austria, coupled with his obsession for the music of Wagner, Ludwig retreats into a fantasy world. He builds fairytale castles and ultimately loses his already-fragile grip on his sanity. (In Italian with English subtitles)

By the 1920s, Coco Chanel has established herself in the world of fashion. After a disastrous reaction to an early production of his Rite of Spring ballet, Igor Stravinsky has become a penniless refugee living in exile. When the two are introduced, the attraction is immediate and together they embark on a passionate affair, which results in a period of great artistic achievement for both artists.

Based loosely on the memoirs of Shostakovich, a classical composer living in Russia during the reign of Stalin, this film traces the relationship between Shostakovich and Stalin and the effect that Stalin had on Shostakovich's life and work.