At 2:40 PM +0200 3/26/07, Daniel Wolf wrote:
However, I honestly don't know what is more alarming: the broad public misperception of the work, or the persistent complaints from musicians and musical academics about the play and film for lack of historical accuracy, a standard that the author (and, subsequently, filmmakers) had no interest in meeting.
No, my objection is the selectivity that is overwhelmingly obvious in theater in general and film in particular. A given director will absolutely insist on accuracy in those things he or she considers important and has some expertise in, but simultaneously attach no importance whatever to the accuracy of details outside their own interest or expertise. Costuming, hairdos, and personal accessories like eyeglasses, watches and jewelry will be given careful scrutiny. But musical instruments themselves, and the depiction of actors playing musical instruments, too often get short shrift. I agree with--was it Andrew?--about the incompetence of the actor playing St. Colombe in "Tous les matins du monde" and his abysmal incompetence in faking the playing of the viol, and the matching incompetence of the director in allowing it to be displayed so blatantly. (Although one of the actresses playing his daughters as young women actually COULD play the viol and got all the moves right!)
The producers and directors on the various Star Trek series, on the other hand, DID pay attention and DID care about making their musical scenes believable. Jonathan Frakes really does play trombone, although he did not play it live in his scenes. Harry Kim not only plays clarinet, but played it live in his. And while Brent Spiner obviously plays NO musical instrument at all, the director was smart enough to use body and hand doubles to make it seem as if he did, and to hire competent musicians to surround him in the various string quartets and wind ensembles. In the episode with the rollup keyboard I think the actress really knew how to play, and in the episodes with Captain Piccard playing his little whistle from his other life he did quite a commendable job of faking.
That's really my only objection to what I see on the website for the French Vivaldi film. The director obviously had no idea how anachronistic the steel strings, fine tuners, and modern bows were, and obviously didn't care, assuming that everyone else in the world is as ignorant as he appears to be. We're not! But I'll bet that every inch of lace and every powdered wig are absolutely accurate, because that's something the director DOES know about!!
This is why one hires expert consultants, like Arthur Clarke for "2001"! And if anyone can remember "The Andromeda Strain," in which a major plot point was that the lights blinking at 7 per second set off a petit mal attack in the woman scientist, you might recall that the director very carefully avoided having the light actually blinking at 7 per second, which COULD have set off attacks in members of the audience. There was an expert consultant involved in THAT decision, I would bet.
Sorry to be such a grump. And I thought "Amadeus" was about Mozart, too. Silly me!!
John -- John & Susie Howell Virginia Tech Department of Music Blacksburg, Virginia, U.S.A 24061-0240 Vox (540) 231-8411 Fax (540) 231-5034 (mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]) http://www.music.vt.edu/faculty/howell/howell.html _______________________________________________ Finale mailing list [email protected] http://lists.shsu.edu/mailman/listinfo/finale
