Thursday 15th March - Australia done, on to New Zealand

Thursday 15th March

Well, that’s Australia done. Here’s a whistle-stop of where I’ve been…Hobart, Melbourne, Sydney, Melbourne again, Avoca, Brisbane, Byron, Sydney again…And conclusions? Well, first of all this is a beautiful country or at least these cities are jewels. Each and every one of them I love. The hours have been long but travel Qantas, take cabs, stay in decent hotels and the schedule becomes very do-able. Mind you, I don’t actually get out much – there are long hours in my hotel room dealing with emails and the press. Ah yes, the press… you have to take the rough with the smooth. Over the years I’ve had my share of 5-star reviews and my share of duds. That’s what happens in any sphere and making docs about long-dead classical composers is not everyone’s cup of tea. Broadly speaking, the younger reviewers are less likely to rave about a film about Haydn. Reviews in Oz have certainly been mixed – certainly not a wildly in favour as they were for Mozart & Beethoven. I’m used to people making fun of my love of nature shots when listening to the music but people have also found it hard to get beyond the fact that, yes, Haydn is not as gripping as biography as Mozart & Beethoven. Mind you, how many life stories are?

On the plus side, the radio coverage – and I’ve done a good dozen radio shows over past few days – have been very positive. Probably the one-hour Margaret Throsby ABC Classic FM Desert Island discs style show was the most useful but there have been many other national and local too. Audience attendances have not been great – or at least in comparison to Beethoven in 2009. Perth was full, Adelaide half, Hobart half, Melbourne not bad, Avoca half, Brisbane poor, Sydney great. I think I got the sense that the radio shows were kicking in by Sydney, especially the wonderful 2MBS and the lovely Julie Simmonds. So you can sense on my part a degree of disappointment especially when you think it’s been two weeks away from home, the family, the office, friends, the South Downs, the golf course…

On the other hand….(and I’m very good at finding a positive ‘other hand’) those who have seen the film (apart from three pesky reviewers) have loved it. Just last night, after the show I had a lady in tears, young music students enraptured and keen to tell me, 15 or 20 folk who wanted to shake my hand and thank me, and so on. And buy the DVDs, without which none of this makes any commercial sense. That reaction just about tips the balance and certainly, unquestionably, unforgettably makes me conclude that Australia Spring Tour 2012 has been a success. But here are two short reviews of Haydn – same film, completely different reactions:


Completing the trilogy he began with In Search of Mozart and In Search of Beethoven, Phil Grabsky brings a riveting study of Haydn. It is a simple film that doesn’t rely on reconstructions or dramatization to explore the composer’s life. Instead, Grabsky uses prints and contemporary footage of the places he lived and worked in order to give a lucid chronological account of his life. Juliette Stevenson’s narration is understated and never obtrusive, and while Haydn’s life was not as dramatic or exciting as either Mozart’s or Beethoven’s, it was longer. Both Mozart and Beethoven felt themselves in debt to Haydn and here we are given the opportunity to hear how his music had an openness that appealed to audiences as much then as it does today. It is sensitive music, but does not evoke huge suffering or overwhelming passion, which is perhaps why it appeals to so many. The interview subjects are engaging, intelligent and clearly knowledgeable in their field. Grabsky lets them speak without interruption or leading questions. Even if you’ve never heard Haydn’s music, this is a smart, relatable and wholly enjoyable film.


If ever a film was made for radio, this collection of talking heads and still photos is it. Juliet Stevenson is writer-director Phil Grabsky’s chief mouth-piece, voicing an uninspired but reasonably informative script which walks us through the life of the late 18th century’s “other” great composer, “the man Mozart and Beethoven looked up to”. The rich sampling of the music is the main attraction, and the film certainly opens a door worth walking through. But would Haydn – puckish, lively, brilliant Haydn – like it? Glad as he’d be that we still listen to him, I think he’d be horrified to find his life could look this boring

See what I mean…you never know. My composer films are deliberately straightforward and unflashy. Some don’t get it or don’t like it. Some do. You’ll notice how I can still find a line or two (above in bold), even in a bad review, that I can use on a press release…