criterionforum.org

Guided throughout by the swells and dips of Tchaikovsky’s music, Ken Russell’s The Music Lovers examines the tragedies of Tchaikovsky’s life through opulent and fantastic musical sequences running alongside a narrative of the composer’s life between 1875 and 1881. Touching on his disastrous marriage with Antonia Miliukova, his relationship with his patroness Nadezhda von Neck, and his repressed homosexuality, The Music Lovers is anchored by magnetic central performances from Glenda Jackson following her Academy Award for Women in Love, coupled with Richard Chamberlain as a neurotic Tchaikovsky.

Forming part of Ken Russell’s collection of experimental composer biopics, The Music Lovers features plenty of his signature provocation and excess, but ultimately takes a sympathetic lens to Tchaikovsky’s life in a repressive Russian society.

• Presented in High Definition
• Newly recorded audio commentary by film historian Matthew Melia
• Interview with Alexander Verney-Elliott (2024): Ken Russell's son looks back upon his father's work, and remembers his own appearance in The Music Lovers
• Emily Bronte Enters the Big Brother House (2007, 16 mins): Ken Russell staged, directed and filmed this 'Radical Bronte' ballet for young people, illustrating Jane Eyre
• The Guardian Interview: Melvyn Bragg (1988, c76mins): Ten years after the inception of The Southbank Show, Melvyn Bragg discusses his career in television and film writer Ronald Harwood, at the National Film Theatre in London.
• Galina Ulanova in "Swan Lake" (1940, 6 mins): one of the greatest ballerinas of all time is seen performing a dance from Swan Lake. As this rare footage is silent, for best results, watch it as you listen to your favourite recording of the Adagio from Act 2
• USSR Today: Edited highlights from three editions of the Soviet newsreel, gathering items about Tchaikovsky and Russian musical arts.
• Original trailer
• **FIRST PRESSING ONLY** Illustrated booklet with new writing on the film by Matthew Melia, a new essay by Caroline Langhorst and contributions from Alexander Verney-Elliott and Lisi Russell

ethel wrote: Sun Apr 14, 2024 5:52 am Seven Veils is still up on YouTube if you can’t be bothered waiting another 34 years to see it…

Comparison Between the Two Versions

The YouTube version:

The Newer Restoration:

MichaelB wrote: Sun Apr 14, 2024 8:30 pm I can confirm first-hand that the BFI is sitting on superior materials - but I suspect the Strauss rights issue is only one of many. As with all BBC productions of the era, it was only ever intended for one-off broadcast, which means that all the contracts will have to be renegotiated, including the music performance/recording rights.

Re: The Ken Russell Collection

#43 Post by MichaelB » Sat Nov 12, 2016 12:36 pm

M Sanderson wrote:
So the Strauss film could find its way to Blu ray in a few years? Russell is our most suppressed filmmaker so this would be a crucial release.

There's no good reason why not - there's almost certainly a market for it, the BFI has a pretty decent print (with far better colour than the barely watchable timecoded copy on YouTube), and the only thing preventing a release right now is the Richard Strauss Estate, whose control over the music expires at midnight on January 1st 2020 (i.e. the first day of the year after the 70th anniversary of the composer's death, in accordance with current European copyright law).

THE MUSIC LOVERS
A film by Ken Russell
Starring Richard Chamberlain and Glenda Jackson

Released on BFI Blu-ray on 24 June 2024

As part of Ken Russell’s series of imaginative, experimental biopics of great composers, THE MUSIC LOVERS is filled with his signature provocation and excess, but ultimately brings a sympathetic lens to bear on Tchaikovsky’s life in the repressed society of 19th-century Russia. The BFI’s Blu-ray release presents the film in High Definition, with extras including a new audio commentary by film historian Matthew Melia and a new interview with Ken Russell’s son.

Guided throughout by the swells and dips of Tchaikovsky’s music, the film, with screenplay by Melvyn Bragg, unfolds in opulent and fantastical musical sequences that portray scenes from the composer’s life between 1875 and 1881. Touching on his disastrous marriage with Antonina Miliukova, his relationship with patroness Nadezhda von Meck and his repressed homosexuality, THE MUSIC LOVERS is anchored by magnetic central performances from Glenda Jackson as Antonina, following her award-winning role in WOMEN IN LOVE, and Richard Chamberlain as a memorably neurotic Tchaikovsky.

Special features
• Presented in High Definition
• Newly recorded audio commentary by film historian Matthew Melia
• It Runs in the Family (2024, 20 mins): Ken Russell’s son, Alexander Verney-Elliott, looks back upon his father's work, and remembers his own appearance in The Music Lovers
• Charlotte Brontë Enters the Big Brother House (2007, 16 mins): Ken Russell staged, directed and filmed this 'radical Brontë' ballet for young people, illustrating Jane Eyre
• The Guardian Interview: Melvyn Bragg (1988, 76mins): ten years after the inception of The South Bank Show, Melvyn Bragg discusses his career in television and film with writer Ronald Harwood, at the National Film Theatre in London
• Galina Ulanova in "Swan Lake" (1940, 4 mins): one of the greatest ballerinas of all time performs a dance from Tchaikovsky’s masterpiece
• Musical Highlights from USSR Today (1953-56, 10 mins): edited highlights from three editions of the Soviet newsreel, gathering items about Tchaikovsky and Russian musical arts
• Costume designs: original sketches by Shirley Russell
• Original trailer
• ***First pressing only*** Illustrated booklet with new writing on the film by Matthew Melia, a new essay by Caroline Langhorst and contributions from Alexander Verney-Elliott and Lisi Russell; notes on the special features and credits.

Product details
RRP: £19.99 / Cat. no. BFIB1518 / 15
UK / 1971 / colour / 124 minutes / English language with optional descriptive subtitles / original aspect ratio 2.35:1 BD50: // 1080p, 23.98fps, LPCM 2.0 stereo audio (48kHz/24-bit) and DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 audio