Some very good music scenes in film. This one regarding Chopin

Some background: Chopin had escaped Poland just prior to very turbulent times when the Russian czar crowned himself king of Poland and imposed tyranny and oppression against them, and intended to use the Polish army (the last insult) against France.  The Poles were revolting and times got violent.

Here's the whole free movie on Youtube, but I have it marked to begin at this one scene which is memorable.  Chopin's music teacher (from his youth) had sent a letter to a music publisher in Paris when Chopin was a kid, and the publisher had responded positively to the letter.  But they now show up 11 years later and the publisher is not interested at this time, as the kid is no longer a possible prodigy.  When they had entered the publisher's business they had left their music folders on a piano in the front.  This is a setup  for a bit of humor, too.

The publisher is adamant and wants them to leave as he is busy as his secretary had told them.  But Chopin's teacher is stubborn, and does not want to leave.

Then an employee of the publisher comes in to the office where all this talk is going on and announces that Franz Liszt is there!  At this time we hear some music coming from piano playing out front.  The cool part of what comes next is how Liszt does not want to stop playing and Chopin suggests that he play the melody while Liszt plays the bass, allowing them to shake hands without stopping the music (as only Hollywood can do.  lol).  As we know now, Liszt loved Chopin and it was with Liszt's help that enabled Chopin to have a successful career, as the movie demonstrates.

From the 1945 movie, A Song To Remember.

From the 24-minute mark to 30:30:
 

Nice Heroic Polonaise! I always like the Nocturne in C sharp Minor in the film The Pianist too, even though it may sound like a cliche now when it’s played too much!

I just watched the whole movie with my Mom!  We are Polish and emigrated to the U.S. from Poland years ago.  I thought the movie was pretty good although, as you say it was pretty "Hollywoodized" and dramatized.  I don't know the historical facts about Chopin's life enough to adequately critique the depiction in the movie.  But I do have to say that it painted George Sand in a very negative light even though I thought that she helped support Chopin and made his career possible.  I for some reason thought that he died at George Sand's estate but the internet says he died at his Paris apartment.  I really love the humor in the movie and the character of his teacher who always insists on being given the title "professor".  I don't know how much of the movie depicts events literally as they happened in real life, but it was a fun movie to watch.  After the end of the movie I found out about numerous other movies such as "Chopin: Desire for Love" - a Polish movie about Chopin's life and "Song without End" - a movie about Franz Liszt.  Thanks for starting this interesting topic!

8 hours ago, PeterthePapercomPoser said:

I just watched the whole movie with my Mom!  We are Polish and emigrated to the U.S. from Poland years ago.  I thought the movie was pretty good although, as you say it was pretty "Hollywoodized" and dramatized.  I don't know the historical facts about Chopin's life enough to adequately critique the depiction in the movie.  But I do have to say that it painted George Sand in a very negative light even though I thought that she helped support Chopin and made his career possible.  I for some reason thought that he died at George Sand's estate but the internet says he died at his Paris apartment.  I really love the humor in the movie and the character of his teacher who always insists on being given the title "professor".  I don't know how much of the movie depicts events literally as they happened in real life, but it was a fun movie to watch.  After the end of the movie I found out about numerous other movies such as "Chopin: Desire for Love" - a Polish movie about Chopin's life and "Song without End" - a movie about Franz Liszt.  Thanks for starting this interesting topic!

 

By all means!