Virtuoso - John Ogdon (Film)

[@DonaldCrockett-z4p]

I was a medical student in San Antonio TX when Ogden was scheduled to perform with the local symphony orchestra. This was in 1974 or 1975. As I remember, the concert was canceled unexpectedly. The next day I went to the psychiatric unit where I was rotating at the time and there, in a hospital gown and robe was a big man wandering in the day room. Later that morning he sat down in front of the piano there and spontaneously played …. I can’t remember if it was Grieg or Brahms but it was so unexpected. He filled the whole room with an awesome and incredible sound from an out of tune, beat up old upright. Remarkable. A day or two later he was gone. I never knew if he transferred to another facility or recovered enough to resume the tour. But I’ll always remember it.

[@prof.sirjeffreydarling-mil3463]

Saw this when I was 12 and I can safely say that it changed my life

[@orioninthepolder]

I saw it when it first came out and was blown away by it so my very grateful thanks for uploading it. He was a remarkable man and Brenda a remarkable woman, having met them in the 70's, their amazing bond was so apparent. In one way they remind me of the same bond between Gillian and David Helfgott the one sacrificing themselves for the other which in this case was the rare genius and virtuoso of John Ogdon. Without her I shudder to think what would have become of him.

[@ciararespect4296]

Sounds like she was a user only interested in making money out of him.

[@barneyronnie]

correct

[@johnstaf]

I missed this when it was shown in 1989. I think I found out about it later that evening. I've been looking for it for years. Thank you!

[@ChristophersMusic]

You're welcome.

[@barneyronnie]

I miss John so much, the dear man and virtuoso.

[@rosemarysearle7093]

A sometimes 'toxic' but totally interdependent relationship. My late husband heard John give a recital at the Burford Bridge Hotel near Dorking, Surrey in June 1968. He played Beethoven's Sonata in E maj. Op. 109; Liszt's Sonata in B min., Rawsthorne's Ballade and Chopin's 12 Etudes Op. 25.

[@KC-lc8dx]

Thanks for upload, awesome

[@ChristophersMusic]

You're welcome.

[@trraviss1977]

I have been looking for this movie for years…Thank you SO much!

[@ChristophersMusic]

You're welcome!

[@RedShedNick]

​@@ChristophersMusicwow wow wow just found this now, cant believe it i also have been looking for this forva long time, thanks so much, im going to really enjoy this again thank you thank you! Nick.

[@ChristophersMusic]

@@RedShedNick I'm glad you finally found it! It's amazing to think this film was only ever shown once on British Television and never repeated. It's lucky I was standing by with my VCR!

[@RedShedNick]

​@@ChristophersMusicAbsolutely! A work of art.

[@ArtenixBlack]

Alfred Molina was so good. Moving.

[@ChristophersMusic]

Yes, he captured Ogdon's mannerisms down to a tee.

[@LPCLASSICAL]

Better watch this before they pull it

[@Eztoez]

What's the piece of music Ogden plays in the opening couple of minutes? Sounds like a cross between Mozart and Beethoven

[@leomiller2291]

Second movement of Beethoven appassionata sonata

[@evennorthug2585]

I don't quite recognize Ogden here. He never was hip or cool. When he spoke, it was with intense concentration, always somewhat unusual, but with an air around him.

[@ciararespect4296]

Whether true or not this is really scathing for his wife. Sounds like she used him. For money

[@orioninthepolder]

so you keep on saying without a shred of evidence. If you had met them and talked to them you would withdraw your ridiculous slander. Brenda has never cashed in on his achievements and recordings and compositions, she had no interest there at all.

[@ChristophersMusic]

I think the film rather sensationalised this aspect and treated Brenda rather unfairly (which is probably why the film was never shown again) This aspect aside, the film does adhere more faithfully to the book it is based on - Virtuoso- which was co-written by Brenda herself.

[@voraciousreader3341]

@@orioninthepolder So you don’t know anything about the 5 story house in one of London’s most exclusive neighborhoods Ogdon’s wife insisted on having, or the three grand pianos or the constant parties of various kinds that she gave?? Which Ogdon rarely saw because he was playing more than 200 concerts and recitals a year all over the world in addition to making records? And that his out of control schedule only stopped when he mentally broke down, which meant that his wife had to get rid of everything and move into a flat because there wasn’t any money coming in? All of Ogden’s boyhood friends believe she loved the celebrity and money so much that she did nothing to look after him when she knew he was constitutionally unable to say “no” to people. His manager also took advantage of him, and she basically looked the other way, never questioning Ogdon’s backbreaking schedule. I’ve seen several interviews she gave and I have to say I’ve seen very few women in the public eye more bitter and uncompromising than she was. I’ve also watched documentaries about Vladimir Ashkenazy when he was a young man and he said how necessary it was for him to get away from the exhaustion of playing demanding programs and touring as often as he could, and that he got no rest in London because people kept calling him asking him to give interviews, etc etc, and he could not ever relax. it was so bad there that he and his wife took their kids to Iceland to live just so he could rest and have uninterrupted downtime with them. Since he and Ogdon shared the Tchaikovsky Prize, his attitude gave me a very good look at the pressures of that ridiculously difficult life, and it offered an excellent contrast to a couple in a nearly identical situation who kept an eye on money, and who took care of each other. Ashkenazy’s wife was also a concert pianist and child prodigy and made her London debut at the age of 10 or something, so she knew what was going on.

[@politico9575]

She does come over disastrously badly.