In Search of Mozart

Anybody who is an outright fan of the music of Wolfgang Amadeaus Mozart should see this film. This, despite a few minor flaws, is a lovingly shot,edited & directed video movie on the life of W.A. Mozart. It includes a treasure trove of Mozart's lovely music,as points of reference. It also incorporates shots of modern day Europe, as a further contrast point to the Europe of the 18th century. I guess my only fly in the ointment is the fact that it tends to gloss over certain periods of Mozart's life/career (I won't spoil it by revealing those minor flaws). This is a documentary that would work very nicely as a special on PBS during their sweeps week, or when they beg for money,as they do from time to time.

For someone who would like to explore Mozart's music and/or learn more about his life, this documentary will be an excellent source of both. Except for Great G minor (K.550--on the selection screen on DVD) and Clarinet Concerto in A (K.622), which we hear at the very beginning, the viewers can listen to Mozart's compositions in a chronological order mostly and hear the progression of his composition skills. And how fast he progresses! As one of the interviewees in the film says, Mozart's life and the development of his musical talent were as if they had been on the fast-forward. The documentary showcases a wide range of musical genres--sonatas, concerti, symphonies, operas, motets, string quartets, and more. World-class musicians and conductors explain the technical aspects of certain pieces and talk about the emotions they evoke. We also journey through Mozart's life following some excerpts of his and his parents' letters and video clips of the cities he visited during his lifetime.

If you are a Mozart aficionado and have been gathering any scrap of information on Mozart over the years, you won't find anything earth-shattering in the film. After all, Mozart's life has been well chronicled through his correspondence and other forms of documents. The information the documentary provides is on the conservative side. I could not help smiling when I read the producer's note at the end; that Mozart probably died of rheumatic fever and kidney failure, and that he was not poisoned. I get this feeling that Phil Grabsky doesn't approve of the portrayal of Mozart in Amadeus. Attributing Mozart's death to rheumatic fever and renal failure has been one of the main theories for decades, but what about other possibilities? Only a year or two ago, I read a newspaper article, which claimed Mozart might have died of trichinosis. The article was fascinating, but Mozart's death is one of many mysteries we will never be able to solve. For music connoisseurs, this film has a great appeal with Renée Fleming, Lang Lang, Sir Roger Norrington and others affectionately and passionately speaking of Mozart's music. And let's fact it, you don't get to hear Mozart's first compositions on keyboard or early operas often even if you listen to an all-classical format radio station. In addition, you get to hear the samples of well-known, and not so well-known pieces by Mozart.

There's a Japanese proverb on prodigies that goes like this: A prodigy (literal translation: divine child) at age ten, a whiz at fifteen, just a man at twenty and over. I suppose Mozart himself, and In Search of Mozart to a certain extent, proved that even ancient oriental wisdom can be wrong every once in a century or two.

This stunningly shot film documents film-maker Phil Grabsky's search to find out who the real Amadeus Mozart really was. It follows his incredible journey around the world, recording almost 100 different opera and orchestral performances chronologically throughout his lifetime.

The views of Europe are beautiful, especially when complimented by the fine sounds of one of history's greatest composers. I found this film to be not only a joy to watch, but also a highly informative expose of an incredible man. The musical performances were wonderful too.

This is ideal for fans of Mozart and his work, or even just for those who would like some insight into the man behind the music.

A fine and enthralling film that gives a clear account of the nature of and explanation for Mozart's genius. His social and political contexts are not ignored, but above all, it is the music that is shown to be important. Clear points made by world-famous scholars and musicians. The narration and the off-screen actors playing the Mozarts father and son are all very good. The film is entertaining and enlightening; it is good for a general audience and for a secondary school music course. would be a well judged combination of learning and meant. It is attractive to listen to and to watch; the camera work is especially sensitive.

In Search of Mozart is a really poorly directed documentary that gives a straightforward if somewhat defensive biography of Mozart. Director Phil Grabsky engages in some off-putting extreme close-ups of interviewees/performers (I don't really need to get nose-hair close to them) and the 129-minute movie is unevenly paced. It spends a lot of time on the birth and sudden (if common at the time) death of Mozart's first baby, then barely mentions his father's death in passing. It does a couple of things well. The musicians and their performances are choice (except for Don Giovanni). There are certainly interpretations of Mozart's music that are far worse out there. Best of all are the musicians explaining how certain pieces work while they play select portions. The movie could have used more of this in even greater depth. A deep analysis of Piano Concerto No. 20 could have been sublime.