Ep. 50 - Ludwig van Beethoven's 'Immortal Beloved'
Based on a True Story
•
Biography, Drama, Music, 29-Mar-2021
The 1994 biographical film about the life of composer Ludwig van Beethoven (played by Gary Oldman) is one of our favorites. Directed by Bernard Rose, the music was performed by the London Symphony Orchestra conducted by Sir Georg Solti. This section features a masterful excerpt from Beethoven's Symphony No. 9, Op 125: Ode to Joy. We find that historical films like this play perfectly with what you see on-screen, and in this montage, the 'Ode to Joy' represents Beethoven's flashback to an abusive father, which ironically forces him to run away and find peace within himself. What we did here is also mix a short sequence of sound design from the film which represents Beethoven's deafness (02:43), where we can share his experience. When he walks on stage, he can't even hear his own work, but you instantly recognize that he is re-living the entire symphony in his head. If you haven't seen this film, do so immediately! Gary Oldman's performance is so great, and we absolutely love the soundtrack.
Where to watch: https://letterboxd.com/film/immortal-beloved/
---
Every Monday and Wednesday, SCORE CUE SNAPSHOTS brings you iconic scenes married to the corresponding score cue without dialogue and SFX, thus allowing anyone to appreciate how the score works with what you see unfold on-screen.
Up Next in Based on a True Story
-
Ep. 48 - James Horner's 'Glory'
There is little doubt that James Horner's music to the 1989 film 'Glory' is one of the best scores he ever composed. Featuring the Boys Choir of Harlem, Glory tells the tragic story of the first black regiment (the 54th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment) in America during the Civil War. The soundtr...
-
Ep. 43 - Maurice Jarre's 'Lawrence of...
There is no question that many believe this score by Jarre to be one of his finest compositions. Jarre was given just six weeks to compose over two hours of orchestral music. Performed by the London Philharmonic, many consider this to be one of the greatest scores of all time, ranking number thre...
-
Ep. 38 - George Fenton's 'Memphis Belle'
Composed by George Fenton, the score for 'Memphis Belle' was nominated for a BAFTA award for Best Original Film Score in 1991. This scene in particular comes at the end of the film, when the famous B-17 is on its way back to home base with without the ability to lower its wheels. The only way the...
