Last night I watched the Ken Russell film 'The Music Lovers' based on the life and career of composer Tchaikovsky. Following a traumatic experience at a young age, Tchaikovsky witnessed his mother die from cholera. Then in his older years he struggled with his identity as a homosexual, abiding in marriage just to secure his reputation as honorable gentleman.
There were some fantasy sections which I really enjoyed. When the visuals and music worked in sync, creating abstract dream-like sequences that were quite unlike the rest of the naturalistic film. Music provoked reminiscence and romantic fantasy and transported us into the minds of the women moved by his music. I especially liked the outing to ‘Swan Lake’ in the outdoor theatre and the street scenes in Moscow. The visuals reminded me of ‘Barry Lyndon’.
Something which troubled me was the sad fate of Tchaikovsky’s wife- Antonina Tchaikovskaya. Driven mad by Tchaikovsky’s rejection of her, Antonina ends up in a mental institute. The scenes set in the asylum were quite shocking. Women with shaven heads were herded in the courtyards, deranged and delusional. Tchaikovsky abandoned Antonina. He used her for his perfect ‘marriage’ facade, then when he couldn’t bear the sight of her, he left her to slowly go mad.
And something which I couldn’t help make a connection between was the name ‘Nina’ which Tchaikovsky’s wife was called in the film (Nina being short for Antonina). Nina is taken to the ballet to see swan lake- the ballet composed by her husband. Consumed and obsessed by Tchaikovsky, nina slowly looses her mind- very similar to the plot of ‘black swan’ (Darren Aronofsky). Could the name be a coincidence or could Natalie Portman’s character be based on the tragedy of Tchaikovsky’s wife?
I couldn’t help but be reminded of ‘Black Swan’ hearing so much of Tchaikovsky’s music. And ‘the music lovers’ seemed to make it a note of importance the way women responded to Tchaikovsky’s music- not men. A certain hold his music had over women.
