Franz Peter Schubert: The Greatest Love and the Greatest Sorrow
(81 min; 1994; English)
Director: Christopher Nolan

Recipient of the Czech Crystal Award, Prague 1994

Franz Peter Schubert: The Greatest Love and the Greatest Sorrow was described by Sir Isaiah Berlin as, “This most poignant of tributes to Schubert.” It is not a film about Schubert’s life. It is a film about his extraordinary achievements in the last 20 months of his life after the death of his god, Beethoven. Schubert himself said, “Who, after Beethoven, may dare to do anything.” The answer was Franz Peter Schubert, who took the language of music forward into new and uncharted territory once he was liberated from his own profound respect for his predecessor. However, unlike Beethoven, he does not sing of the fullness of the earth. Instead, he laments for our mortality and what he has to say, ranks among the greatest achievements in music. The musicians are Vladimir Ashkenazy, Andreas Schmidt, Antje Weithaas and Michael Sanderling.

Though he is now regarded as one of the greatest of all composers, during his short lifetime, Franz Schubert has very little success with his work. This award-winning documentary, directed by Christopher Nupen and featuring the acclaimed pianist Vladimir Ashkenazy, paints a vivid portrait of Schubert through excerpts from his music, letters and personal diaries.