StudentShare
Contact Us
Sign In / Sign Up for FREE
Search
Go to advanced search...

Beethoven Lives Upstairs - Movie Review Example

Cite this document
Summary
In the paper “Beethoven Lives Upstairs” the author analyses the movie, which presents itself as a multifaceted study of the life of musical genius Ludwig Van Beethoven. While primarily targeting children as its main audience, it also appeals to the more seasoned viewer…
Download full paper File format: .doc, available for editing
GRAB THE BEST PAPER93.7% of users find it useful
Beethoven Lives Upstairs
Read Text Preview

Extract of sample "Beethoven Lives Upstairs"

Download file to see previous pages

It is not as simple as the introduction to infers. In order for the musical score of a film to add a sense of immersion and dynamism to the viewer's experience, it has to merge flawlessly with other, crucial elements of cinematography. Unfortunately, for "Beethoven Lives Upstairs" the music of the master is sometimes used to mask other, less well-constructed areas of filming. For example, the score often hides inconsistencies in the verbal story: in the introduction, the narrator tells the viewer that: Presented without the distraction of the music which intersperses the scene with flawless elegance, the two statements regarding the weather seem ludicrous.

Yet the "hook" of this particular scene is the powerful and evocative musical form, and for many viewers at least, they are too enthralled by the music to notice the inaccuracy. That being said, it is all too easy to simply focus on the negative aspects of the film. Unsurprisingly, in a film about Beethoven, one would expect the music to powerfully develop and contribute to the strength of the plot. By and large, it manages to achieve this. For example, the fictional Beethoven is sent out into the wet, stormy Vienna night, apparently just to make room for the storm passage from the Sixth Symphony.

He does so without much build-up in terms of plot, but thanks to the music it attains a certain status as being an overwhelming moment in the film; for Beethoven, it marks the moment where he realizes the power of his own capabilities-the powerful, evocative key supplements this moment perfectly: in technical terms, the functional harmony, leading to the cadences' serve as a mini build up as the score plays out. This happens all while Beethoven is in the Vienna storm, metaphorically trying to discover the depth of his musical ability.

It is unquestionably one of the film's strongest moments with regard to how the music supplements the plotIn terms of musical quality, the sound engineers generally manage to accurately replicate the beauty of Beethoven's work. Identifying the timbre, or tone color is a task easily accomplished thanks to the sharp, crisp sound of the orchestra, conducted by Walter Babiak. The orchestra manages to produce a full symphonic sound. Four vocalists are also used-most frequently in the Ninth Symphony.

The use of a synthesizer was also noted as well as violin and flute solos. The pianist, who appears in the credits as simply "D Bodle" performs exquisitely as he alters the musical form in performances of diminutive pieces, sonata, and concerto movements. Sometimes, he is let down as it is hard to identify the exact pitch and rhythm he was trying to achieve, due to what appears to be dubious microphone placement which creates a dull, muffled sound; when it should resonate clearly and assertively.

Sound effects abound, adding wonderful sparkle and drama to the story, making listeners feel as if they are right in the streets of nineteenth-century Vienna.In Conclusion, the film "Beethoven Lives Upstairs" manages to portray a relatively accurate portrait of, albeit a relatively small excerpt, the composer's life. The strength of the music is undeniably the film's greatest asset. 

...Download file to see next pages Read More
Cite this document
  • APA
  • MLA
  • CHICAGO
(Beethoven Lives Upstairs Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words, n.d.)
Beethoven Lives Upstairs Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words. Retrieved from https://studentshare.org/visual-arts-film-studies/1529710-film-beethoven-lives-upstairs
(Beethoven Lives Upstairs Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 Words)
Beethoven Lives Upstairs Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 Words. https://studentshare.org/visual-arts-film-studies/1529710-film-beethoven-lives-upstairs.
“Beethoven Lives Upstairs Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 Words”. https://studentshare.org/visual-arts-film-studies/1529710-film-beethoven-lives-upstairs.
  • Cited: 0 times

CHECK THESE SAMPLES OF Beethoven Lives Upstairs

Musical Career of Beethoven

This paper discuss' how beethoven's hearing loss effected his music, including sources devoted to the matter.... hellip; As a function of understanding the impacts that beethoven's deafness had, the following analysis will consider his career; focusing especially upon those years in which partial or complete deafness defined the reality that he lived in.... Whereas he remains one of the most well recognized and famous classical composers, scholars still debate what the ultimate cause of beethoven's hearing loss might have been....
6 Pages (1500 words) Research Paper

The Nature of Realism in the Film 'Psycho

The film Psycho has been created with realism and the addition of only a psychological twist of a depraved man.... Everything in the film is realistic and there is no reason for any other element of the supernatural to make the film appear extra-terrestrial. … The use of raw emotions and actions that combine to give a sensational effect to the audience has never been so strikingly executed....
8 Pages (2000 words) Movie Review

Ludwig van Beethoven

In this essay, I will argue that there are some significant events in beethoven's life which predetermined his musical career and that the most important period of his becoming as a musician was the period of childhood and early years of adolescence, as well as the beginning of his middle period.... The most significant feature of beethoven's early years is the fact that he was educated and developed by his father in great strictness: "beethoven's first music teacher was his father, a musician in the Electoral court at Bonn and an alcoholic who beat him and unsuccessfully attempted to exhibit him as a child prodigy like Mozart" (From Wikipedia)....
5 Pages (1250 words) Essay

Deciphering Yoko Ono's Artworks

The essay deciphers of Yoko Ono's artworks.... This statement of Yoko Ono Lennon captured the theme of her life's work- seemingly innocent to the naked eye but transforming into something else depending on the imagination of the viewer.... Her style, according to her, is that of conceptual art.... hellip; The paper explores the art of Yoko Ono and the meaning of it....
4 Pages (1000 words) Essay

Production Notes for a Theatre Class

As the director, I would like to choose the play Romeo and Juliet, by William Shakespeare and provide it with my own spin through my interpretation in order to give something new to the audience.... With the help of the existing play, I would like to make a few changes in the main… heme of the plot and story in order to provide it with a twist and help the audience go back home with a lot more than just the story of two star crossed lovers. Romeo and Juliet is a very challenging play for any director to conceive and cast and finally depict through his own eyes; Shakespeare being one of the greatest playwrights in history, it would be tough to play with the theme of the play however, I would like to set the entire backdrop during the colonial period and portray the kind of capitalism and conquest that the rich bourgeoisie did during the time....
10 Pages (2500 words) Essay

Ludwig van Beethovens Relationships with Family Members

beethoven was given the name Ludwig from his grandfather of the same name.... beethoven was the second-born of seven children, although all but two younger brothers died… beethoven's first piano teacher was his father, Johann, who encouraged beethoven to become a child prodigy.... beethoven was extremely close to his mother; he immediately returned home from Vienna once he learned that his mother was in ill health....
1 Pages (250 words) Essay

Beethovens Hair

Ludwig van beethoven, regarded as one of the most talented and famous music composers of all time, composed most of his recognizable symphonies, when he suffered from hearing loss.... With hearing being a key necessity for even listening to the music, and beethoven being a… Various theories are circulating regarding how beethoven changed his music composition style after deafness set it, and how that positively shaped him to come up Along with these theories of beethoven's music composition style, number of theories are being put forward and even tested by the researchers on what exactly caused deafness in him....
4 Pages (1000 words) Research Paper

Beethoven Symphony No. 3 any movement

It indicated the commencement of a more creative middle-period for Ludwig Van beethoven, who is also the composer of the film.... The third symphony composition began in the early… The first performance of this film took place in Vienna on 7th April, 1805. The third symphony, originally, was dedicated to Napoleon Buonaparte by Ludwig, in the belief that he represented the beethoven Symphony No.... 3 al affiliation: beethoven Symphony No....
2 Pages (500 words) Essay
sponsored ads
We use cookies to create the best experience for you. Keep on browsing if you are OK with that, or find out how to manage cookies.
Contact Us