Copying Beethoven
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| Copying Beethoven | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical Poster |
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| Directed by | Agnieszka Holland |
| Produced by | Christopher Wilkinson |
| Written by | Stephen J. Rivele |
| Starring | Ed Harris Diane Kruger |
| Distributed by | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer |
| Release date(s) | November 10, 2006 |
| Language | English |
| Budget | ~ US$11,000,000 |
| IMDb profile | |
Copying Beethoven is a dramatic film which depicts a fictional take on the triumphs and heartaches of Ludwig van Beethoven's last year of life. Directed by Agnieszka Holland.
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[edit] Cast
- Diane Kruger – Anna Holtz
- Ed Harris – Ludwig van Beethoven
- Matthew Goode – Martin Bauer
- Phyllida Law – Mother Canisius
- Ralph Riach – Wenzel Schlemmer
[edit] Synopsis
A fictionalised exploration of Beethoven's life in his final days working on his Ninth Symphony.
It is 1824. The composer, played by Ed Harris, is racing to finish his new symphony. However, it has been years since his last success and he is plagued by deafness, loneliness and personal trauma. A copyist is urgently needed to help the composer finish in time for the scheduled first performance - otherwise the orchestra will have no music to play. A fictional character is introduced in the form of a young conservatory student and aspiring composer called Anna Holtz (Diane Kruger). The mercurial Beethoven is skeptical that a woman might become involved in his masterpiece but slowly comes to trust in Anna's assistance and in the end becomes quite fond of her.
By the time the piece is performed, her presence in his life is an absolute necessity. Her deep understanding of his work is such that she even corrects mistakes he has made, while her passionate personality opens a door into his private world.
[edit] Facts Contrary to the film
The working manuscript of the score is attributed to two copyists[1], both of whom were male not female as depicted in the film.
The copyists neither contributed to nor altered the score. In fact, they were berated by Beethoven for any deviation that occured from the original score.
In the film, Beethoven makes an allusion to the Moonlight Sonata. This is an anachronism as the Sonata No. 14 wasn't named "Moonlight" until several years after his death.
