Allegro non Troppo (1976), Khachaturian (2003), From Mao To Mozart: Isaac Stern in China (1980), Small Wonders (1995), Rhythm Is It! (2004), Unfaithfully Yours (1948), Immortal Beloved (1994), Thirty-Two Short Films About Glenn Gould (1993) ... Let's take a look at the ranked list of the best Classical Music movies.
Storyline: Italy's response to the Disney classical music/animation hybrid "Fantasia," this film features a series of cartoon shorts set to the likes of Claude Debussy, Joseph-Maurice Ravel and Antonio Vivaldi. The animated segments feature both the humorous and fantastical: an aged satyr attempts to regain its lost youth, a bee is interrupted mid-meal by two lovers, the myth of Adam and Eve is retold and more. In between cartoons, a filmmaker (Maurizio Nichetti) struggles to complete the film.
Plot Keywords: animator, filmmaker, orchestra conductor, cleaning lady, cat, satyr, amusing ...
Movie Details Click Here!Storyline: A documentary about the life of Soviet Armenian composer Aram Khachaturyan. Among other events, the film covers Khachaturyan's difficulties working as a creative artist during the Stalin era.
Plot Keywords: composer, joseph stalin, russian, musician, communist, calm, fascinating ...
Movie Details Click Here!Storyline: In 1979, Ukrainian-American violinist Isaac Stern made an unprecedented tour of China, the first such tour by a Western musician in a country still reeling from the effects of the Cultural Revolution. On hand to document the historic event was filmmaker Murray Lerner, who gathered footage of Stern's encounters with both traditional Chinese musicians and conservatory students versed in Brahms and Mozart -- encounters that, only a few years prior, would have been politically controversial.
Plot Keywords: violinist, conductor, music teacher, student, cellist, pianist, charming ...
Movie Details Click Here!Storyline: When single mother Roberta Guaspari had funding for her public school violin teacher position eliminated, she set up a nonprofit foundation to continue her work. This documentary follows Guaspari as she teaches at three different East Harlem schools, where her students range from the youngest beginners to teenage veterans. The acclaimed teacher uses her reputation to help motivate her students with high-profile rewards, climaxing with a concert at Carnegie Hall.
Plot Keywords: teacher, student, violinist, inspiring, charming, harlem, n.y., school ...
Movie Details Click Here!Storyline: RHYTHM IS IT! records the first big educational project of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra under Sir Simon Rattle. The orchestra ventured out of the ivory tower of high culture into boroughs of low life for the sake of 250 youngsters. They had been strangers to classical music, but after arduous but thrilling preparation they danced to Stravinsky's 'Le Sacre du Printemps' ('The Rite of Spring'). Recorded with a breathtaking fidelity of sound, this film from Thomas Grube and Enrique Sánchez Lansch documents the stages of the Sacre project and offers deep insights into the rehearsals of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra.—BOOMTOWN MEDIA BERLIN
Plot Keywords: dancer, choreographer, major, inspiring, fascinating, ballet, berlin ...
Movie Details Click Here!Storyline: While conducting a symphony orchestra, Sir Alfred De Carter imagines three different ways of dealing with his wife's suspected infidelity, then tries acting out his fantasies, but things do not go as well in reality as they did in his imagination.—John Oswalt <jao@jao.com>
Plot Keywords: orchestra conductor, brother-in-law, wife, detective, secretary, amusing, charming ...
Movie Details Click Here!Storyline: The life and death of the legendary Ludwig van Beethoven. Besides all the work he is known for, the composer once wrote a famous love letter to a nameless beloved, and the movie tries to find out who this beloved was--not easy, as Beethoven has had many women in his life.
Plot Keywords: composer, friend, mysterious woman, brother, son, assistant, passionate ...
Movie Details Click Here!Storyline: As the title suggests, this dramatised documentary about the eccentric Canadian pianist Glenn Gould is broken up into thirty-two short films (mirroring the thirty-two part structure of Bach's 'Goldberg Variations', the recording that Gould made famous), each giving us an insight into some aspect of Gould's life and career. Out of respect for the music lead actor Colm Feore is never seen playing the piano, merely reacting to Gould's own recordings, which are extensively featured—Michael Brooke <michael@everyman.demon.co.uk>
Plot Keywords: pianist, father, mother, cousin, promoter, filmmaker, calm ...
Movie Details Click Here!Storyline: In this update of Disney's masterpiece film mixture of animation and music, new interpretations of great works of music are presented. It begins with an abstract battle of light and darkness set to the music of Beethoveen's Fifth Symphony. Then we see the adventures of a humpback whale calf and his pod set to "The Pines of Rome." Next is the humorous story of several lives in 1930's New York City, scored with "Rhapsody in Blue." Following is a musical telling of the fairy tale, "The Steadfast Tin Soldier" set to Dmitri Shostakovich's Piano Concerto No. 2. Then a goofy flamingo causes havoc in his flock with his yo-yo to the tune of the finale of "Carnival of the Animals." This is followed by the classic sequence from the original film, "The Sorcerer's Apprentice" starring Mickey Mouse and followed by "Pomp and Circumstance" starring Donald Duck as a harried assistant to Noah on his Ark. Finally, we see the awesome tale of the life, death, and renewal of a forest in a sequence ...
Plot Keywords: sorcerer, apprentice, walt disney, engaging, fantasia, chicago, classical music ...
Movie Details Click Here!Storyline: Stig, a visiting soloist to a small Swedish orchestra, marries fellow musician Martha, but the inner torment and sense of failure in Stig leads to an extra-marital affair and a tragic ending.—Edward Terence Ferrari <e.t.ferrari@sheffield.ac.uk>
Plot Keywords: husband, wife, violinist, conductor, son, daughter, disheartening ...
Movie Details Click Here!Storyline: A series of dances inspired by composer Isaac Albéniz's "Iberia" suite.
Plot Keywords: dancer, performance artist, composer, dance instructor, confident, creative, engaging ...
Movie Details Click Here!Storyline: A boy from the streets of New York finds music tickets to a Heifetz concert, which rekindles his earlier interest in the violin. He subsequently runs away from home and happens across a music school for children (played by members of the Peter Meremblum California Youth Symphony Orchestra). He is taken in by kindly Professor Lawson, the head of the school and resumes violin study while sleeping in the basement of the school. Despite the best efforts of Peter and Ann to raise money, the school is about to be foreclosed upon by Flower and associates. The kids in the school, led by Frankie, try to raise money themselves, and run across Heifetz in the process. After many more well-trodden cinematic paths have been navigated, Heifetz finally is convinced to sponsor the school.—Butch <butch@unix.mclv.net>
Plot Keywords: poor boy, classmate, teacher, violinist, schoolmaster, touching, inspiring ...
Movie Details Click Here!Storyline: Keitel plays the lead in this schizophrenic movie in which he is continually pulled by the two conflicting sides of his personality, on the one hand that of a quiet piano virtuoso and on the other a ruthless debt collector for his mobster father.—<gilesw@hotmail.com>
Plot Keywords: pianist, loan shark, debt collector, mobster, father, mob boss, dark ...
Movie Details Click Here!Storyline: The story takes place in Ukraine (Poltava) in 1941 before and during the German invasion. This story is about deep friendship between three musically talented children . Two Jewish children both virtuosic and a talented German girl who share a love of music .. Their friendship extends beyond the gaps of different religions and nationalities, The Nazis invasion to the Soviet Union destroyed their world and they and their families deal with death threats War brings with it.—bar
Plot Keywords: violinist, pianist, joseph stalin, jew, touching, spirited, emotional ...
Movie Details Click Here!Storyline: A famous conductor gives an interview to a pretty young reporter. He speaks a bit too frankly and finds he's given himself an unwanted sabbatical from conducting. He begins an affair with the young reporter during his interlude and the accumulation of differences in their ages and background begins to mount up.—John Vogel {jlvogel@comcast.net}
Plot Keywords: conductor, reporter, pretty woman, wife, emotional, melodramatic, england ...
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