Rock on, Shostakovich, Handel, Ravel lives of great composers hit the screens
about 1 year in The guardian
Torment, rebellion and tragedy are major themes as a rash of new biopics highlight the achievements and challenges of the musically gifted After the recent success of biopics about pop and rock legends including Elvis, Freddie Mercury and Bob Marley, film-makers are now finding inspiration in the troubled and tragic lives of classical music’s greatest composers.Almost 40 years after Miloš Forman’s Amadeus won eight Oscars, a remake of the fictionalised Mozart drama about genius and jealousy is planned as a major television series starring Paul Bettany. Meanwhile feature films are being made about Dmitri Shostakovich, George Frideric Handel, Richard Wagner and Joseph Bologne. Boléro, a film about French composer Maurice Ravel, had its premiere at the International Film Festival Rotterdam earlier this year. Continue reading...