I cursed (yes, I really did!) when I discovered that the famous Ken Russell Elgar film of 1962 had been shown on BBC4 on Saturday and I'd missed picking this up.  I've wanted to see this film again for decades.

Does anyone know if there are any plans for another showing or whether you can get it on video/DVD?

Ian.

I rented it from lovefilm.com

I had never seen the Russell Elgar film and was very pleased to catch it the other day. It seemed to me to a an essentially poetic view of Elgar, essentially 'Russells's take' rather than an attempt at 'objective' biography. At one very crude level, would such a programme made today have bothered with an actor to show the young Elgar in a particular landscape? Surely we'd just have had an-on camera presenter, or at best a 'voice over' to tell us the plain fact that Elgar lived here from year X to year Y.

I don't imply any detrimental judgment in the above antithesis between someone's 'take' as against objective biography - it just struck me that the programme was a marker of how BBC styles had changed. Et nos mutamur in illis.

The real 1960s theme I detected was a desire to recruit Elgar firmly into the ranks of anti-imperialists and pacificists by a surely exaggerated stress on his antipathy to 'Land of Hope and Glory'. I'm not saying E was fully pro-empire or war, but Russell seemed to me to go a mite too far.

But such doubts were as nothing to the culture-clash at the close of the programme when, with no pause to allow the poetic evocation to fade, we were hurled into an utterly crass BBC self-advertisement! Can we never restore poetic subtlety to public broadcasting?

# 6        I do agree, FMJ.

The intrusive promotional waffle over closing credits, or fist-in-your-face contrast is invariably insensitive or crass.  I've seen a catalogue of complaint in the media but not the slightest attempt to redress this issue.

#  3      Hello, pim.     As it happens, I've been in the throes of transferring selected videos to DVD for the past few months.    Every week brings cries of "Eureka" as I stumble upon yet another elusive item.   Most of my transfers are from off-air recordings in the 80's on equipment which barely passes muster but the process of transfer sharply improves picture and sound.

Indeed, you may be interested to know that I've just transferred Elgar's Tenth Muse, in the C4 Without Walls series.     I assume that this is the programme you queried?   A drama about the aging composer's brief relationship with a young violinist, Jelly d'Aranyi, between 1919/22.  The soundtrack features Natalie Clein (Young Musician of the Year in '96) playing extracts from the Cello Concerto and Violin Sonata; BBCSO/Andrew Davis. 

James Fox in the role of Elgar.    The film, directed by Paul Yule (quite unknown to me);  a distinct elegiac feel which reminded me so much of Ken Russell's work.    Indeed, I did stop to wonder.........

Anyhow, if this is the film you recall, pim, I'd be happy to do a DVD transfer for you with my compliments as you may not be able to find it find it in the commercial market.    Additionally, I could add "A Song to Remember" which we discussed a few weeks ago.   I can be reached via the R3 personal messages to...

I've now lined-up Russell's "The Devils" and "The Music Lovers" for transfer to DVD as, again, there is no sign of a commercial release, although KR did a bonus commentary for the former,  two years ago.   Remastering would deliver spanking new prints to complement his visual talent and indulgences.

Bws,          Stanley

 Delighted, pim.        No rush - I look forward to hearing fom you.