In Search Of Beethoven (2009)

Synopsis: Award-winning filmmaker Phil Grabsky and Seventh Art Productions, the makers of 2007’s arthouse hit In Search of Mozart, are back in theaters with a new feature-length biographical film about the... Award-winning filmmaker Phil Grabsky and Seventh Art Productions, the makers of 2007’s arthouse hit In Search of Mozart, are back in theaters with a new feature-length biographical film about the life of Ludwig van Beethoven, In Search of Beethoven.

In Search of Beethoven will open in New York on Wednesday, September 23, 2009 at the Cinema Village at 22 East 12th Street in New York City, following a London premiere and a record-breaking run at Chicago’s Gene Siskel Theater in July of 2009.

As with the Mozart film, In Search of Beethoven takes a comprehensive look at the composer’s life through historical research and Beethoven’s biography and letters, but with the emphasis always on the performance – and interpretation – of Beethoven’s music. From his early piano concertos through the “Moonlight Sonata,” "Für Elise,” and the immortal notes of the Fifth and Ninth Symphonies, Beethoven’s music remains as beloved, popular, and relevant as any work of art has ever been.

In Search of Beethoven brings together the world’s leading performers and experts on Beethoven to reveal new insights into this celebrated composer. The lineup of performers and interviewees includes Jonathan Biss, Louis Langrée, Gianandrea Noseda, Sir Roger Norrington, Riccardo Chailly, Claudio Abbado, Fabio Luisi, Frans Brüggen, Ronald Brautigam, Hélène Grimaud, Vadim Repin, Janine Jansen, Paul Lewis, Lars Vogt, and Emanuel Ax, among others. The film is narrated by Juliet Stevenson and the Royal Shakespeare Company’s David Dawson.

Above all, In Search of Beethoven addresses the central myth of Beethoven’s life and work – that of the heroic, tormented figure battling to overcome the tragic fate of being struck down by deafness in his prime; a man who searched for his elusive, eternal ‘immortal beloved,’ yet was never to attain lasting happiness.

A passionate portrait of a romantic soul and a magnificent voyage through some of the greatest music ever created, In Search of Beethoven is a film for music lovers and cineastes alike. --© Official Site [More]

Director: Phil Grabsky

Director: Phil Grabsky
Studio: Seventh Art Releasing