Spring Symphony
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Movie Reviews of Spring Symphony
Movie Review: A Historical Romance In Music
Summary: 5 Stars
Peter Schamoni's 1983 German film "Spring Symphony" is an intimate, accurate portrayal of the relationship between two composers- Robert Schumann and Clara. It is a wonderful film, with fine acting by the leads Herbert Gronemeyer and Natassia Kinksi, who had been a model and would enjoy further success after this movie. The time is early 19th century (1830-1850)during the Romantic Era craze in classical music. Beethoven opened the gates to the new wave of music, which would be followed by Chopin and Franz Liszt, all mentioned in this film. Robert Schumann is portrayed here as a struggling artist, an idealist who lives from hand to mouth, more along the lines of Mozart. He gets romantically involved with the more wealthier and polished Clara Wieck whose father opposes their love. Even like this, Robert and Clara, who had become lovers through working together as composers, continue to defiantly engage in their relationship. Clara's father is brought to trial but in the end Clara and Robert are married. The film is accurate, and not highly dramatized or romanticized far from the truth. Filmed in Germany, Austria and France, the film follows the career of Schumann quite truthfully - i.e: the fact he was injured and his fingers were paralized and even as such played the piano quite well, his publication of a music magazine under the pen names of Eusebius and Florestan. Eusebius is his practical, balanced side while Florestan is passionate and free-spirited. A beautiful film. Natassia Kinksi plays a fine Clara, strong, independent, refined, romantic, soulful. The costumes and attention to detail are precise, captivating us and hooking us into a new world of historical romance.
My favorite scenes are those romantic moments between Clara and Robert, the opening scene with Paganini playing a violin concerto with lightning speed, all the chamber music scenes and recitals Clara has and the finale in which finally, Clara and Robert have married and decide to open their own concert hall..Robert says "I hope this institution is big enough for two instruments" and I think he was referring to their marriage. The music is heaven. Conductor Wolgfang Sawallisch leads his orchestra in brilliant music by both Robert Schumann and Clara.
Movie Review: Well done movie about Robert & Clara's young years
Summary: 5 Stars
I teach a piano literature course, and in my research I learned of this movie. I watched it and found that the writers did a good job of following the facts. It made the lives of Robert Schumann and Clara Wieck truly come to life, and easier to understand. I liked that they used period instruments, and the sound track is largely Schumann's own music. The story of the movie stops at the marriage of Robert & Clara, so their lives as a married couple, and later Schumann's insanity and attempted suicide are not part of this. It is a FOREIGN LANGUAGE film, and it doesn't say that anywhere on the cover, so be sure to know this in advance. If you don't speak German, you will need to turn on the subtitle function using your DVD player menu (there's no menu provided on the DVD itself to activate this function). It's also not rated. I think if it were an American film, it would probably be PG-13, or even R because of nude or nearly nude excerpts.Movie Review: Excellent
Summary: 5 Stars
The writer and director of this film is Peter Schamoni, not Alfred Hirschmeier as reported in another customer review, and he took most of the dialogue from the correspondence and other documentation of Robert,Clara and Friedrich Wieck. Anyone with knowledge of Schumann's correspondence, his love of poetry and dramatic narrative and the world of 19th century German romanticism will recognize the accuracy and faithfulness of the dialogue used throughout this wonderful film. The look and sound of the pianofortes used is another example of the care lavished on presenting Robert and Clara's world as accurately as possible.
Good performances, excellent photography and glorious music. No complaints from this Schumann fanatic. Highly recommended.
Movie Review: Remember, it's just a movie...
Summary: 4 Stars
What happens when Westerners get to shoot a film behind the Iron Curtain? A very nice romantic bio pic of one the greatest classical composers. However, don't watch it around the kids, and take the "history" with a spoonful of salt. The film indulges in all sorts of liberties that will leave the history buff steaming mad. Clara's the saint, and Robert's something else. In addition, watching it brought back memories of Amadeus - Director's Cut (Two-Disc Special Edition). Friedrich Wieck must be the new Antonio Salieri.Movie Review: musical talents as soap opera stars
Summary: 3 Stars
This is a pretty good biopic about Clara and Robert Schumann, who met when he was studying with her father and becoming a composer. Clara was a piano prodigy, whom Schumann wished to use to promote his music, at least in the eyes of her business manager father. They fall in love, or as much in love as the narcissitic Schumann could be, and blunder into a terrible conflict with Clara's father, who brings a law suit to prevent the marriage. The story is OK and the actors, in particular the wonderfully beautiful Kinski in her prime, are good, but the whole film is presented as a rather idiotic melodrama. By the end, we were practically laughing at it, it had so completely lost us. Still, the music is good, the evocation of the times is fun, and the facts are interesting to know.
I would recommend renting this if you really want to see it, as you won't watch it much if you own it.
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