In Search of Beethoven

In Search of Beethoven (2009)

  • 92% of critics liked it
    (39 reviews)

  • 73% of users liked it
    (225 ratings)

Juliet Stevenson (Truly, Madly, Deeply) narrates this straightforward documentary account of the life of composer Ludwig van Beethoven, covering all the major highlights from his birth in 1770 through his death in 1827. Writer-director Phil Grabsky skirts around the option of dramatic period… More

Unrated,
Directed By
Written By
Phil Grabsky
Genres
Musical & Performing Arts, Documentary
In Theaters
Apr 17, 2009 Wide
On DVD
Apr 27, 2010
Seventh Art Productions

Critic Reviews

  • Jeremy Eichler, Boston Globe

    Tells the story of its subject in a clear, accessible, and gimmick-free manner while still preserving, or perhaps even cultivating, a core sense of wonder at the creative monuments he bequeathed to us all.

  • Joshua Kosman, San Francisco Chronicle

    In Search of Beethoven trudges through the composer's life and works, pausing along the way for the usual smorgasbord of talking heads and performance clips. The results are shapeless, drab and mostly predictable.

  • Kevin Thomas, Los Angeles Times

    With In Search of Beethoven, documentarian Phil Grabsky has created a splendid work that will be a revelation to the uninitiated and a joy to music lovers.

  • Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune

    Grabsky's appreciation of Ludwig van Beethoven follows the familiar contours, but it pays attention to the humanizing specifics that bring us closer to the subject.

  • J. R. Jones, Chicago Reader

    Grabsky does manage to convey how shockingly dramatic Beethoven's music seemed to the first people who heard it, and the musicians' sensitivity and articulation--both verbal and musical -- fire this chronicle of one man's extraordinary artistic journey.

Read all 20 critic reviews

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