Inaconfusedwelterofartisticlicence,thisistheclassicalmusicbiopicwhichmakes'SongtoRemember'looklikeamasterpiece.BogardesucceedsindiminishingthereputationofthemusicalcolossuswhospannedEuropeanmusicformostofthe19thCentury.Theabsurditiesoftheplot,thesequoia-likequalityoftheactingandtheprevalenceofhistorical,musicalandlinguisticanachronismscombinetoelevatethisofferingtothestatusofanA1turkey.HowapianistofthestatureofBoletcametobemixedupinthisfiascocanonlybeguessedat.ThecharacterisationofLisztfailstoconveyevenaminuteimpressionofhismagneticpersonalityandtheoverwhelmingeffectthathehadonnotonlyhisaudiences,butalsohispianisticrivals.ClaraSchumannherselfsaidthat'wetoiloverthatwhichLisztreadsatsight!'Whilsttheemphasisseemstofocusonhisromanticprowess,ratherthanhisstatusasthegreatestpianistofthecenturyor,arguably,ofalltime,onefeels,nevertheless,thatthiswasanopportunitylost.
2024-04-09
