Copying Beethoven

Mar 8 2007 PG-13 1h 44m
Biography, Drama, Music

A fictionalised exploration of Beethoven's life in his final days working on his Ninth Symphony. It is 1824. Beethoven is racing to finish his new symphony. However, it has been years since his last success and he is plagued by deafness, loneliness and personal trauma. A copyist is urgently needed to help the composer. A fictional character is introduced in the form of a young conservatory student and aspiring composer named Anna Holtz. The mercurial Beethoven is skeptical that a woman might become involved in his masterpiece but slowly comes to trust in Anna's assistance and in the end becomes quite fond of her. By the time the piece is performed, her presence in his life is an absolute necessity. Her deep understanding of his work is such that she even corrects mistakes he has made, while her passionate personality opens a door into his private world.

Plot

Vienna, 1824. In the days before the first performance of the Ninth Symphony, Beethoven needs help with copying out the charts, so a promising student of composition, Anna Holtz, 23, is sent to assist him. She not only aids the transcription of the notes, she provides guidance from the orchestra pit as Beethoven conducts the work's debut. During the next two years, the final ones of Beethoven's life, Anna provides assistance to the deaf, temperamental, ailing man. In return, he tutors her in composition and explains to her the ideas and principles of Romanticism. He tries to speak for God.

Written by

Stephen J. Rivele, Christopher Wilkinson

Directed by

Agnieszka Holland

Cast

Ed Harris, Diane Kruger, Matthew Goode

Crew

View crew

Production Countries

United States of America, Germany

Production Companies

Anomaly Entertainment, Sidney Kimmel Entertainment

Languages

Deutsch, English

Awards

2 wins & 5 nominations

Trailers
Copying Beethoven (2006) - A film by Agnieszka Holland - Trailer (HD 1080p)
Scores
# of Votes
14,379
Average Rating
6.7 out of 10
Metascore
59
Popularity
NA