Rent In Search of Mozart (2006)

Mozart's Achievement Confirmed - In Search of Mozart review by CV

This excellent documentary is the product of the unstinting and dedicated efforts of Phil Grabsky which celebrates the life of Mozart. Ten hours of material were cut down to two but it is astonishing how much music is discussed and heard as well as much biographical information is given. Highpoints for me were the demonstration of a short keyboard piece, composed when Mozart was five(?), where the last phrase of the piece had an insertion of two extra bars which fitted perfectly. Many a minor composer has written pleasing tunes and interesting harmony but it this preoccupation with and development of form that becomes the manifestation of Mozart's genius. Mozart's disclosing of the jealously-guarded music to Allegri's Miserere at the Sistine Chapel by writing it out from memory is mentioned but is explained by Mozart having a photocopy facility of memory as though he remembered all the notes in a sequence. It was his appreciation and perception of overall form (for the piece is quite repetitive) that enabled him to put the details of individual notes in later that enabled him to memorize the whole.

Another highpoint was the opening of the early symphony in A major where the first few bars explode with youthful genius of thematic invention and sonorous brilliance. His friendships and family relationships are well discussed but spare a thought for his sister Nannerl whose own genius was sacrificed for the advancement of the male sibling of the family! Jane Glover's book "Mozart's Women" is a very moving read about the lives of his sister, wife and other singers he wrote music for.

The interview as a Special Feature is also worth an extra star where the unpretentious director gives a very detailed and extremely interesting description of the process of making the film and what he learnt. He revises one or two given opinions as a result of his research such as his view that Leopold Mozart, the father, is not the slave-driver many biographers make him out to be.

Some of the greatest pleasures of watching films is the added bonus of the Special Features which are so often a great revelation in themselves. This is why I choose cinemaparadiso's DVD service as opposed to others that merely stream films where you don't get any added extras.