Herschel und die Musik der Sterne (Herschel and the Music of the Stars) is a 1986 television film written, produced, and directed by Percy Adlon. Anneliese Goldman briefly reviewed the film in 1986, concluding that "The superb nuances and timing of all the performances, together with Haydn's music (in both orchestral and electronic forms) and Adlon's inventive use of video, make this "chamber piece" a treat for the eye, ear and mind."[1][2]
| Herschel und die Musik der Sterne | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Directed by | Percy Adlon |
| Screenplay by | Percy Adlon |
| Starring |
|
| Cinematography | Raimund Maxsein |
| Music by | Joseph Haydn |
Production company | Pelemele Film & Stage Gmbh |
Release date |
|
Running time | 95 minutes |
| Country | West Germany |
| Language | German |
In 1792, the Austrian composer Joseph Haydn was living in England. In July 1792, he visited the Slough observatory of William Herschel, the astronomer and musician who was famed for his discovery of the planet Uranus and its moons. The film is a fictional account of Haydn's visit including extended conversation with Herschel, viewing of the stars with the telescope, and a romantic interlude with William Herschel's sister and collaborator Caroline Lucretia Herschel. Caroline Herschel was a well-known astronomer in her own right. The film suggests that Haydn's famed oratorio The Creation (1797) was inspired by this visit.
In addition to the narrative of this film, several published works in the last century have speculated about a meeting between Herschel and Haydn in Slough and its possible connection to Haydn's composition of The Creation. However, a summary of recent published work indicates that William Herschel was not present when Haydn visited the observatory, and that there is little if any evidence for a direct influence of Herschel's work with the oratorio.[3]
The elaborate set designs in the film are the work of the sculptor Eduardo Paolozzi.[4]
As of 2022, the film with English subtitles is available from several streaming services.[5] A VHS tape of the film was released in 1986.[6]
References
edit- ^ a b Klünder, Achim, ed. (2011). "Herschel und die Musik der Sterne". Lexikon der Fernsehspiele / Encyclopedia of television plays in German speaking Europe. 1978/87. Band I. Walter de Gruyter. p. 263. ISBN 9783111411941.
Broadcast 12/25/86 ARD (broadcaster), 4/13/88 ORF2 ORF (broadcaster), 1/6/88 BR3
- ^ Goldman, Anneliese (1986). "Herschel and the Music of the Stars". Berkeley Art Museum & Pacific Film Archive. Quote from the program of the 1986 San Francisco International Film Festival.
- ^ Petzold, Charles (March 25, 2019). "Haydn and Herschel in the Clair de Lune". Archived from the original on 2021-05-06.
- ^ Goldman, Lawrence, ed. (2013). "Eduardo Luigi Paolozzi". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography 2005-2008. Oxford University Press. p. 877. ISBN 9780199671540.
- ^ "Herschel and the Music of the Stars". Amazon. Retrieved 2022-08-09."Herschel and the Music of the Stars". tubi. Retrieved 2022-08-09.
- ^ Herschel und die Musik der Sterne [Herschel and the Music of the Stars] (VHS videotape) (in German). Bayerischer Rundfunk. 1986. OCLC 313216932.
External links
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