Film Review: Haydn and the Esterhazys
All in all I felt that this was a very informative film depicting the life and work of Joseph Haydn. It was very extensive especially considering its short one-hour length, covering all of the major aspects of Haydn's life. I enjoyed the format; despite the fact that the age of the film rendered it a bit antiquated as far as cinematography and entertainment value are concerned, it was a good mix of historical fact and musical excerpts. Haydn's music was not simply background. In specific instances all narration would cease in lieu of a minute or two of the music. This was nice as it provided a relief from focusing attention on the historical information. I felt that the performances for each of his works were well chosen as the musicians playing them were all obviously skilled. Of all the music on the film, I especially enjoyed the Symphony No. 44 in E minor. The narration discusses Haydn's later years at Esterhauser (sp?), and his unhappiness
I especially liked the depictions of the French Revolution, and the British/French naval battle under Nelson. A wide variety of the Austrian countryside was shown which made me want very much to visit the area at some point in my life. Lastly, the narrator himself: as with most documentaries of this sort he was British, and it would have felt somewhat unnatural for him to have any other accent. In summary, I will say that for its purposes in musical education, this was a very well balanced film, containing all the necessary information and also music in Haydn's life. The palace at Eisenstadt and also at Esterhauser were magnificent. But these were not the only depictions of the area; during the part where the narrator discusses the role of servitude and serfdom at the time period, a good deal of the surrounding rural countryside is shown, doing a good job of contrasting the different hierarchical classes and their ways of life. For many of the historical figures of the time, including Prince Nicolas and Napoleon, portraits were well provided to give a glimpse into their humanity; these people are more often thought of in terms of the events surrounding their lives than as real human beings. Of course it is difficult to make any documentary informative without sacrificing some level of entertainment. The intellectuals interviewed in the film were good sources of information, and as I enjoyed listening the Malcolm Bilson (the pianist) discuss the Piano Sonatas, I found historian Laszlo Simfai to be quite dry and uninteresting. Art was well chosen to suit the narrative. Accordingly, his instrumental music at this time became very stormy and emotional, and this is clearly heard in Symphony 44. Paintings were also used to show the political and social environment Haydn lived in. This particular performance did every justice to the original piece by emphasizing the emotional state Haydn was in at the time of composition.
Common topics in this essay:
Joseph Haydn,
Eisenstadt Esterhauser,
Whereas Bilson,
Haydn's Esterhauser,
Where's Waldo,
Nicolas Napoleon,
Revolution British/French,
Music II,
Malcolm Bilson,
Laszlo Simfai,
countryside shown,
discusses haydn's,
narrator discusses,
haydn's music,
symphony 44,
haydn's life,
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Acceptance Essays
