La symphonie pathétique

His films are weird, unique, cool, regal, purposeful, wild, modern, obnoxious, empathetic, uncomfortable, hilarious...there's never a dull moment. The heart this film has for closeted gay people is so far ahead of it time, showing the danger of pretending to be who you think people want you to be. It furthers the argument many storytellers make about composers, that they could be nightmares to those closest to them. Just wish there was more music composing / performing.

As startling and entertaining a piece of cinema The Music Lovers is, on the whole it will disappoint those who (not unreasonably) may be expecting an accurate (if typically melodramatic) biopic.

Rife with inaccuracies, The Music Lovers however occasionally elicits tantalising moments of truth which will be familiar to those who might have studied the great man and his music. The moment of madness during the composition of the violin concerto, Tchaikovsk'y mixing fact and fiction during the composition of Eugene Onegin; (resulting in his disastrous marriage), the brief glimpse of his benefactress during a stay at her apartments, the failed suicide attempt etc etc. However, these fascinating glimpses into well documented occurrences are undeveloped, and in their place we are left with a pastiche either of overly romanticised or histrionic scenes of theatrical fantasy.

The real strength here lies in the actor's performances, even Richard Chaimberlain's stuffy and occasionally irritating performance has its moments and Glenda Jackson is wonderful as the vulnerable, unloved wife. The cinematography too is wonderful, evocative and colourful - perfectly in tune with the music of Tchaikovsk'y which also is used to great effect.

If you can take Ken Russel's notorious penchant for the ridiculous (and at times, distasteful) and are not expecting the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, then The Music Lovers is worth watching if only for its being so gloriously over the top!

Watching a Ken Russell film is, if anything, an experience, and this was certainly was an emotional rollercoaster. Although it has less of the absurdist/surrealist touches that would come to characterize his later films, it still had a rhapsodic quality that deftly blended the music and visuals. While I can't claim to be overly familiar with Tchaikovsky's life, by now I'm used to Russell's approach in this area: taking the raw, biographical material and concocting something purely fantastical out of it. It's an approach that I quite like, something which moves beyond the mundane and quotidian details that characterize ordinary life and creates something magical and mythological, that lays bare the inner life of its characters. I also liked how the film played with blurring lines, revealing underlying connections between music and sexuality, ecstasy and insanity. This was certainly less insane of a movie than LISZTOMANIA, but just as dramatically thrilling. It is cinematic art.

"Music Lovers" has long been labored over as another of Ken Russell extravagant excess baggages. Seeing it again has made me realize that the film is rather brilliant--not in cinema style but in conception. From the very start it seems to capture the schizoid world of Tsaichovsky and the social milleau he was forced to grip with. The point of view shots and the subsequent dream sequences in the early portion of the film capture this in brilliant colors and sharp editing. As the musician falls into his double life the scnes build to the scarring climax. Performances are excellent. The film may not be totally accurate, but who cares?

Weird , bizarre story of Tchaikovsky's life . Based partially on facts , as Tchaikovsky lived as a bachelor for most of his life . As piano teacher Peter Ilych Tchaikovsky (Richard Chamberlain) is an emotionally insecure man who struggles against his homosexuality . In 1868 he met Belgian soprano Désirée Artôt . They became infatuated with each other and were engaged to be married but due to Artôt's refusal to give up the stage or settle in Russia , the relationship ended . Tchaikovsky later claimed she was the only woman he ever loved . In 1877, at the age of 37 , he wed a former but depressed student , Antonina Miliukova (Glenda Jackson) . The marriage was a disaster . Mismatched psychologically and sexually , the couple lived together for only two and a half months before Tchaikovsky left , overwrought emotionally and suffering from an acute writer's block . Tchaikovsky's marital debacle may have forced him to face the full truth about his sexuality and he never blamed Antonina for the failure of their marriage . Tchaikovsky's family remained supportive of him during this crisis and throughout his life . He was also aided by Nadezhda Von Meck (Izabella Telezynska) , the widow of a railway magnate who had begun contact with him not long before the marriage . As The support of a wealthy widow as a patron gives him the artistic support he needs . As well as an important friend and emotional support , she also became his patroness for the next 13 years , which allowed him to focus exclusively on composition . Tchaikovsky remained abroad for a year after the disintegration of his marriage. During this time, he completed Eugene Onegin , orchestrated his Fourth Symphony and composed the Violin Concerto . The formal Western-oriented teaching he received there set him apart from composers of the contemporary nationalist movement embodied by the Russian composers of The Five (it refers to a circle of composers who met in Saint Petersburg, in the years 1856–1870 : Mily Balakirev , César Cui, Modest Mussorgsky, Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov and Alexander Borodin), with whom his professional relationship was mixed . He was the first Russian composer whose music made a lasting impression internationally, bolstered by his appearances as a guest conductor in Europe and the United States . Tchaikovsky was honored in 1884 by Emperor Alexander III, and awarded a lifetime pension .

This is an intense and thoughtful tale about a thunderous relationship proceeded in a Russel's style . As the film displays his trademarks , extreme angle cameras , excessive facial close-ups, utilization of numerous camera shots with primary colors and overblown visuals . Dealing with the tortuous struggles to have his music accepted as well as Pyotr attempts to suppress his homosexuality , experiencing serious psychological damage . In Ken Russell's own words: ¨It's the story of the marriage between a homosexual and a nymphomaniac that proved to be disastrous¨ . It's a convincing picture though relies heavily on the stormy relationship between Tchaikovsky/Richard Chamberlain and Nina/Glenda Jackson . Magnificent acting with exaggerated but convincing performances . Russell offered Alan Bates the lead role of Tchaikovsky during the filming of Women in love (1969) ; although Bates admired the script he turned the role down . Excellent main cast and secondary actors , such as Kenneth Colley , Bruce Robinson and Max Adrian as Nicholas Rubinstein , among others .

Glamorous cinematography with exceptional attention to detail and captivating images by Douglas Slocombe . Spectacular musical score by Andre Previn conducting famous parts as Romeo and Juliet , overture 1812 , miniature march , dance of the clowns , Scherzo burlesque , Manfred Symphony , 6th Symphony , String Quartet No. 3 , Polovtsian Dances from "Prince Igor" by Borodin . The motion picture was well directed with flamboyance style by Ken Rusell . He's an expert director , whose greatest success was in the 70s with an offbeat musical biographies , such as 'Mahler , Lizstomania , Music lovers' , besides he directed another hits , as ¨Women in love¨ , ¨Valentino¨ and ¨The Devils¨. This outlandish biographic chronicle will appeal to Ken Russell fans.