DA-DA-DA DUM! Da-da-da dum. I doubt there is a person, sane or not, who doesn’t get goose bumps listening to Beethoven’s Fifth — or any Beethoven, for that matter
But what made Ludwig such a great musician? The documentary “In Search of Beethoven,” directed by Phil Grabsky, answers that question reasonably well.
Grabsky, who also made “In Search of Mozart,” wastes no time. The film begins with the pronouncement that Beethoven is the greatest composer ever to have strode the planet.
The film employs glowing tributes by experts such as conductors Kurt Mazur, Herbert von Karajan and Simon Rattle. Grabsky throws in a few re-creations and lots of Beethoven’s music (naturally).
Some viewers may say that, at close to 2½ hours, “In Search of Beethoven” is too long. But then everything about the Bonn-born genius is on a grand scale.
Running time: 139 minutes. Not rated (nothing objectionable). At the Cinema Village, 12th Street, east of Fifth Avenue.