Michael Tilson Thomas and the San Francisco Symphony explore the life and music of Beethoven in this film, which is part of the monumental DVD series, Keeping Score. This series, originally shown on PBS, features beautiful documentaries, shot on location, with Thomas's insightful biographical and musical commentary, and full concert performances. The best and most ambitious film series since Leonard Bernstein's Young People's Concerts, the Keeping Score project was designed to bring classical music to people of all ages and musical backgrounds, and includes an interactive website with classroom resources, and an education program for teachers to help them incorporate music in all K-12 subjects.
Revolutions in Music/Beethoven's Eroica Symphony
The composer's 3rd Symphony was heroic and revolutionary, not merely in its Napoleonic inspiration, but in its bold transformation of symphonic form and in its new Romantic musical style which broke free from the decorous bonds of Classical restraint. Beethoven spent 3 years writing the Eroica, which was in many ways an unflinching journal of his own personal crises.
Retracing Beethoven's steps through Vienna's aristocratic ballrooms and Austria's rustic villages, Thomas explores how Beethoven channeled hs fears of deafness, his admiration for Napoleon, and his obsession to prove himself the greatest composer of his time and to write a piece that forever changed what a symphony would be.
The DVD includes both the documentary and a full performance of the Eroica in high definition and surround sound. Subtitles in English, German, French, Spanish, Chinese. 110 min.
