The Music Lovers

"Music Lovers" has long been labored over as another of Ken Russell extravagant excess baggages. Seeing it again has made me realize that the film is rather brilliant--not in cinema style but in conception. From the very start it seems to capture the schizoid world of Tsaichovsky and the social milleau he was forced to grip with. The point of view shots and the subsequent dream sequences in the early portion of the film capture this in brilliant colors and sharp editing. As the musician falls into his double life the scnes build to the scarring climax. Performances are excellent. The film may not be totally accurate, but who cares?

I've always enjoyed watching this movie, so much because the music alone stands out for its exhilarating beauty. ( Possible Spoilers! ) Though not historically accurate, it captures the psychological emotions and passions, especially during the seven minute portion when the composer is playing the piano and imagining what the complete second movement of his Piano Concerto No. 1 in B flat minor, Op. 23 "visually" represents to himself, and what Antonina's amorous delusions would of wished it meant! In totality, the performance of this concerto and the visual interactions between Tchaikovsky, Sasha, Antonina, Madame von Meck, and the others in the concert hall are extremely intense concerning one of Russia's most famous composers. The director Ken Russell does an excellent job at directing his actors and actresses to portray the required emotional intensity, though somewhat comical over exaggerated script of the story based on the book, "Beloved Friend" The Story of Tchaikovsky and Nadejda von Meck. But, even so the excellent acting by the leading and supporting actors and actresses move this film into its "pathetique" or tragic climax. The acting by the wonderful actress Glenda Jackson is superb in her interpretation of the unbalanced Antonina Milyukova. Her performance is an effective counterbalance to Richard Chamberlain's extraordinarily complicated portrayal of Peter Tchaikovsky with all of his emotional energies concentrated on his musical compositions and his private personal torments controlling his "fate" of never having what society would deem a "normal" life! So much said that this excellent movie is a tribute to a composer genius, especially on the anniversary ( 6th November 1893 ) of the one-hundred-eleventh year of his unfortunate mysterious death by his own hands. My rating for this movie is a 3 out of 4.

Weird , bizarre story of Tchaikovsky's life . Based partially on facts , as Tchaikovsky lived as a bachelor for most of his life . As piano teacher Peter Ilych Tchaikovsky (Richard Chamberlain) is an emotionally insecure man who struggles against his homosexuality . In 1868 he met Belgian soprano Désirée Artôt . They became infatuated with each other and were engaged to be married but due to Artôt's refusal to give up the stage or settle in Russia , the relationship ended . Tchaikovsky later claimed she was the only woman he ever loved . In 1877, at the age of 37 , he wed a former but depressed student , Antonina Miliukova (Glenda Jackson) . The marriage was a disaster . Mismatched psychologically and sexually , the couple lived together for only two and a half months before Tchaikovsky left , overwrought emotionally and suffering from an acute writer's block . Tchaikovsky's marital debacle may have forced him to face the full truth about his sexuality and he never blamed Antonina for the failure of their marriage . Tchaikovsky's family remained supportive of him during this crisis and throughout his life . He was also aided by Nadezhda Von Meck (Izabella Telezynska) , the widow of a railway magnate who had begun contact with him not long before the marriage . As The support of a wealthy widow as a patron gives him the artistic support he needs . As well as an important friend and emotional support , she also became his patroness for the next 13 years , which allowed him to focus exclusively on composition . Tchaikovsky remained abroad for a year after the disintegration of his marriage. During this time, he completed Eugene Onegin , orchestrated his Fourth Symphony and composed the Violin Concerto . The formal Western-oriented teaching he received there set him apart from composers of the contemporary nationalist movement embodied by the Russian composers of The Five (it refers to a circle of composers who met in Saint Petersburg, in the years 1856–1870 : Mily Balakirev , César Cui, Modest Mussorgsky, Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov and Alexander Borodin), with whom his professional relationship was mixed . He was the first Russian composer whose music made a lasting impression internationally, bolstered by his appearances as a guest conductor in Europe and the United States . Tchaikovsky was honored in 1884 by Emperor Alexander III, and awarded a lifetime pension .

This is an intense and thoughtful tale about a thunderous relationship proceeded in a Russel's style . As the film displays his trademarks , extreme angle cameras , excessive facial close-ups, utilization of numerous camera shots with primary colors and overblown visuals . Dealing with the tortuous struggles to have his music accepted as well as Pyotr attempts to suppress his homosexuality , experiencing serious psychological damage . In Ken Russell's own words: ¨It's the story of the marriage between a homosexual and a nymphomaniac that proved to be disastrous¨ . It's a convincing picture though relies heavily on the stormy relationship between Tchaikovsky/Richard Chamberlain and Nina/Glenda Jackson . Magnificent acting with exaggerated but convincing performances . Russell offered Alan Bates the lead role of Tchaikovsky during the filming of Women in love (1969) ; although Bates admired the script he turned the role down . Excellent main cast and secondary actors , such as Kenneth Colley , Bruce Robinson and Max Adrian as Nicholas Rubinstein , among others .

Glamorous cinematography with exceptional attention to detail and captivating images by Douglas Slocombe . Spectacular musical score by Andre Previn conducting famous parts as Romeo and Juliet , overture 1812 , miniature march , dance of the clowns , Scherzo burlesque , Manfred Symphony , 6th Symphony , String Quartet No. 3 , Polovtsian Dances from "Prince Igor" by Borodin . The motion picture was well directed with flamboyance style by Ken Rusell . He's an expert director , whose greatest success was in the 70s with an offbeat musical biographies , such as 'Mahler , Lizstomania , Music lovers' , besides he directed another hits , as ¨Women in love¨ , ¨Valentino¨ and ¨The Devils¨. This outlandish biographic chronicle will appeal to Ken Russell fans.

This film is one of Ken Russell's best dramatic romps. He dashes through late 19th Century Russian history without a care to whether it is all in the correct place or not. But that doesn't matter. It's your typical Russell film: Overstated dramatic acting, madness, mental institutions, frilly frocks and women with low-cut dresses and big boobs. As this film recounts the life of 19th Century Russian composer Pyotr Tchaikovsky, Russell manages to capture a feeling this is essentially Russian. You could almost swear that the story was straight out of a Checkov play, it has that Russian warmth to it. Far more interesting than a long, drawn-out serious biography, The Music Lovers is fun and entertaining in a dramatic way, worth watching. However, keep to the encyclopaedia if you want a proper history of Tchaikovsky's life.

Although this film is difficult to follow at times (and, reportedly, historically inaccurate, too; I wouldn't know), there are still several reasons to see it:

1) Glenda Jackson's outstanding performance (you won't believe that the actress we see at the final stages of the film is the same one who played Tchaikovsky's wife early on, but it is - her transformation is amazing).

2) Some truly impressive sequences; be sure to watch this movie on tape, so you can rewind it and watch them again.

3) Tchaikovsky's music, of course.

4) Lush sets and costumes.

Ken Russell is a very unpredictable director; just when you think the film is about to start boring you, he'll give you a wonderful moment out of nowhere.