Mozart's Sister
Mozart's Sister. 2012. (DVD 791.4372 Mozarts)
Mozart’s sister was unfortunately born the wrong gender and
in the wrong century. Taught by her father Leopold to play the harpsichord when
she was seven, Maria Anna Mozart (nicknamed “Nannerl”) and Wolfgang toured the
royal courts throughout Europe. But as soon as
Nannerl was of “marriageable age” she was no longer allowed to play the violin
or compose (a man’s province only). Director Rene Feret vividly portrays her
early life in 18th-century France, showcasing her musical
accomplishments as well as her imagined friendship with King Louis XV’s
youngest daughter Louise and widowed son, the Dauphin. We will never know how great
a musician she could have become since none of her compositions survived – we
do know that she acquiesced to the roles of wife, mother, and dutiful daughter.
And although several books have been written about her, she has been relegated
to walking in her brother’s shadow. The director’s daughter Marie Feret brings
intelligence, simplicity and thoughtfulness to the title role – and a resigned
sadness for the limitations imposed upon her. She may only be a footnote in
history, but in this film she shines. In French with English subtitles. (Laura, Reader's Services)
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