The Music Teacher

This Belgian production which garnered an Oscar nomination for Best Foreign Film beautifully weds sound and image, so that even non-opera aficionados (such as myself) are caught up in the thundering arias. Set at the turn of the century, the story begins with the last performance of Joachim Dallayrac (Jose Van Dam), an opera singer who is widely renowned. The announcement is music to the ears of Prince Scotti (Patrick Bauchau), a wealthy patron of the arts, who broke his voice twenty years earlier in a singing duel with Dallayrac. Returning to his country estate, Dallayrac throws all of his energies into the training of two pupils: the young and beautiful Sophie (Anne Roussel) whom he adores, and the impetuous pickpocket Jean (Phillipe Volter) whose voice he admires. When Prince Scotti asks Dallayrac and his students to attend and participate in his annual singing contest, the two young singers must face off against Scotti's protégé. Through their students, the old archenemies Dallayrac and Scotti re-ignite the long standing feud. The Music Teacher is gorgeously filmed, with beautiful set decoration, and winning costumes. And the soundtrack features excerpts from the works of Mahler, Verdi, Mozart, Offenbach, Schubert, and Puccini. Hopefully, this aural and visual feast will reach many new viewers on video. Highly recommended. (R. Pitman)