Yvon Loiselle

As an elementary music specialist, I've been teaching my Beethoven unit with this movie since 1996. Historical fiction at its best, it was filmed in Prague and features some of Canada's finest actors. All the music used for the soundtrack is Beethoven's. Appropriate for children aged 8 and up. I don't get sick of it and have been watching it for +25 years. Told through the eyes of a 10-year old boy who gets a firsthand experience of the composer, Beethoven rents the upstairs apartment that has been vacated since his own father's death. The plot provides students with a glimpse of Beethoven's last symphony composition and performance, his mannerisms, his desolation, his hope, his genius, his deep passion for his music, his disruptive behaviour, his cruel affliction of deafness and finally, his death. Aside from the fact that Neil Munro (Beethoven) does not actually play the piano or violin in the film, it does not take away from the remarkable writing and directing by Barbara Nichol. This was one of Susan Hammond's 10 outstanding productions with Classical Kids, earning a Juno and a host of awards across North America. If you're a music teacher, this one is not to be missed!