A Classical Music DVD Feast – Beethoven and Mozart
Documentary filmmaker Phil Grabsky made two films that became “global cinematic sensations,” In Search of Beethoven (2010) and In Search of Mozart (2008). Both films are now available in a special collector’s edition double-feature box set, In Search of Beethoven & In Search of Mozart. These films present not only the music these geniuses created, but insight (and “gossip”) into the men themselves.
Narrated by Juliet Stephenson and David Dawson, In Search of Beethoven includes 55 performances, for which Grabsky travelled across Europe and North America. This comprehensive look at Beethoven’s life “documents each piece of music chronologically marrying it to Beethoven’s biography and letters.” Leading performers and experts contribute to In Search of Beethoven, providing a fresh view of the “tortured genius.” Was Beethoven “a heroic, tormented figure battling to overcome his tragic fate, struck down by deafness, who searched for his ‘immortal beloved’ but remained unmarried”? Or is there something beyond that popular image? Perhaps something different and intriguing. Viewers will gain a fuller appreciation of both the man and his work as they enjoy the fabulous performances. The DVD also includes 100 minutes of bonus Beethoven features.
Also narrated by Juliet Stevenson, In Search of Mozart draws viewers into the world of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and the heart of genius. Grabsky traveled 25,000 miles “along every route Mozart followed,” and interviewed Mozart experts, musicians, and performers in his quest to solve the mystery of Mozart. In the process, he puts myths to rest (although some of them are almost as much fun as the truth). Performances by a veritable who’s who in classical music complete this portrait of another “tortured” (or not) genius. In Search of Mozart is the “first ever major feature-length documentary on Mozart’s life.”
Whether watching for the astounding performances, the travel footage, or the history of these unparalleled talents, one simply cannot go wrong spending time with In Search of Beethoven & In Search of Mozart. They are magical.
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