The Genius of Mozart

An enlightening and enveloping reconstruction of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s (1756–1791) life. Masterfully written and directed, every aspect of the film has been given thorough thought in order to ensure an accurate historical reconstruction. Inspirational performances from the main actors and actresses foster captivation, while regular narrative interjections from the popular composer and conductor Charles Hazlewood brings an insightful, educational dimension.

The story begins with the composer’s father Leopold with whom Mozart conducted a passionate and tortured correspondence. It is Leopold who knows Mozart’s secrets. And there is another voice: that of the music itself. Music is the key to unlocking the emotions of Mozart, starting in this film with the great piano works. Without this key, how can we ever understand the emotions that gave birth to some of the most beautiful sounds the world has ever heard? The first great phase of Mozart’s brief life was that of the travelling child prodigy – gifted as a performer and writer of music – who grew into the genius who, working within the restrictions of his time, began to rewrite the musical rules.

But there was another facet to Mozart – the adult thinker aware of the bigger picture, passionately attached to the progressive values of the Enlightenment – impressively well-read, a speaker of most European languages (even a little English), an Austrian Catholic, a Freemason and above all a composer at the height of his formidable powers, determined to succeed in the most difficult and lucrative area of all – Opera.

Watch here or the playlist below.

Jivin’ in Be-Bop

Jivin’ in Be-Bop is a 1947 musical film. It was produced by William D. Alexander and stars Dizzy Gillespie and His Orchestra, which included notable musicians such as bassist Ray Brown, vibraphonist Milt Jackson, and pianist John Lewis. The film also features singers Helen Humes and Kenny “Pancho” Hagood, Master of Ceremonies Freddie Carter, and a group of dancers.

The film consists of a plotless revue presented in a theatrical setting, offering a total of 19 musical and dance numbers. Gillespie and his band are shown performing eight songs, including “Salt Peanuts”, “One Bass Hit”, “Oop Bop Sh’Bam”, and “He Beeped When He Should Have Bopped”. The band plays off-camera while dancers perform during the remaining songs, which include “Shaw ‘Nuff”, “A Night in Tunisia”, “Grosvenor Square”, and “Ornithology”.

It is not known whether the performances in Jivin’ in Be-Bop were recorded live or if the film’s soundtrack was pre-recorded. The liner notes that accompany the DVD release suggest the latter, as does one of Gillespie’s biographers. At least one critic believes the musicians were playing live.The dancing in the film has been described as “dull and frequently silly” by writer Phil Hall, who wrote that Jivin’ in Be-Bop includes “one of the worst ballets ever put on film”.

Gillespie‘s dancing, on the other hand, is generally praised. One writer said “his unique technique is shown to great effect” in the film. One biographer described Gillespie “skipping about the stage”, and another wrote that Gillespie was “quite happy to dance to the band’s sounds, … spinning around and mugging in front of the band”.Between the songs, Carter tells jokes and banters with Gillespie. Film historian Donald Bogle described the comic routines as “dull-witted”. Bogle went on: “There are only two redeeming factors here: namely Dizzy Gillespie and vocalist Helen Humes. Otherwise the proceedings are pretty dreary.”

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Ladies and Gentlemen… Mr. Leonard Cohen

Paints an informal portrait of the legendary Montreal poet, novelist and songwriter both onstage and off.

Ladies and Gentlemen… Mr. Leonard Cohen is a 1965 documentary about Leonard Cohen, co-directed by Don Owen and Donald Brittain, and written by Brittain.

Produced by John Kemeny for the National Film Board of Canada, the film received the Genie Award in the TV-Information category.

 The original idea for the film had involved documenting a tour of Canadians poets, including Irving Layton and Earle Birney; however, that idea was abandoned when the filmmakers decided the other poets would not serve as charismatic film subjects. Watch courtesy of the NFB from their site, below, or via their YouTube channel.