Might be a strange and relatively dumb question, but did the musicians in the movie really play the piano? I've seen Richard Dreyfuss play in other movies (I think it was actually him) and I've heard that Amy Irving do, and I might find the answer somewhere else, but if anyone knows...Thanx.
shareRichard and Amy displayed a competent level of "faking" while the performaces of professional pianists were heard on the soundtrack. Amy, as I understand it, has had some classical training, but not at the level the role called for. Richard's faking was more noticeable, to real musicians, as his finger work was more akin to someone who speaks with a slobber.
shareI found something in a Google search a little while ago about the man who really played for Amy. It said nothing about Richard Dreyfuss' playing though. As a pianist, I was amazed to watch the shots of him playing. It didn't look fake at all, although it might have been dubbed with a better player as he played it for visual effect. I had no idea he played at all.
shareI portrayed the contestant "Mark Landau" (the twitty, sour-faced Canadian pianist who was one of the six semi-finalists), and had the pleasure of working on this film for seven weeks. All of the actors, save myself, were trained to look as if they were really playing. This heroic feat was performed by Jean Evensen Shaw, a concert pianist and piano teacher who was a longtime friend of the film's producer William Sackheim. The film's writer/director, Joel Oliansky, was determined to make a film about pianists wherein all the actors would really be making contact with the keyboard, instead of using the old trick of having a real pianist's hands used for close-ups. All of us mimed our concertos on a silent keyboard while the music was played back to us during "takes". (I'm a pianist and conductor, and have always told friends that, even though I was miming the Liszt E-flat Concerto, I was hitting all the right keys!)
It's a pleasure knowing that this sweet little film still attracts its share of fans.
Best regards,
Adam Stern
That's awesome -- thanks for this insight into the filming of the movie -- you were a lot of fun in your role.
I thought everyone involved was terrific in depicting their keyboard work. As a musician myself (a singer and cellist), it was great to see people (for once) who actually, truly, looked like they were playing their instruments. (My biggest pet peeve is the way most actors playing violinists/cellists show very few signs of even attempting to look like they actually play.)
It's a great movie, very well written and performed by all involved.
Have you seen "Samantha"?
The credits list violin coaches for both Martha Plimpton and Ione Skye, and they looked good. The bows were moving the right way, looked like they were on the correct string, parallel to the bridge, the left hands moving in the correct fashion.
Then Dermot Mulroney looked way too good on the cello (one of my instruments). I said, he can't be faking that! And noticed his name in the credits (he also had a portion where he played the slow movement of a Boccherini concerto, alone.) He also played in another movie about Nashville musicians. So he's real.
Amy Irving also took some cello lessons (& looked good "playing") for the movie "Micki & Maude"
I, too, appreciate it when movies at least make an effort for their actors to look reasonable when portraying musicians. I've got the music and have worked on 4 of the concertos used in the movie, and the faking/miming was fun.
I also concur...Where's the DVD???
Wow, Mr. Stern, you're kind of a hero of mine! Can't tell you how many times I've won "name the movie" quote games by citing your only line -- "Liszt, E-flat." Did you have any more lines that didn't make the final cut?
Showed the movie to a friend of mine many years ago, a guy who's very focused and unsentimental. His only comment after watching it was, "That Canadian guy should have won."
Holler at me if the Seattle Phil needs a clarinetist.
Thank you so much for posting, adam-stein. I always dreamed of being the next female Van Cliburn or Andre Watts' wife but alas I learned early on that this would never happen. You were awesome in this movie which is one of my favorites. All of you were awesome and as a classical pianist, it was so hard to tell.
Fantastic!!!
Peace.
PCL
First of all, I'm sorry I have not come across your reply sooner; I would have answered it immediately if I had.
In answer to your question about my one line of dialogue, I'll share two bits of trivia with you. The line originally read, "Liszt E-flat Major," but since my character was tightness personified, I asked writer/director Joel Oliansky if I could lop off "Major" in order to make the line that much more terse. He agreed, and that's what made it on film.
Joel verbally shared with me some other ideas he had had for the script which didn't make it into the final version. He said he had thought of a scene which would have explained my character's reserved nature: At the post-finals-concert party, I am sitting on a couch. Michael Humphries (the African-American contestant) sits down next to me and asks, "Well, Mark, did you talk to the reporters?" I nod. Michael asks, "What did you tell them?" I reply, somewhat fuzzily, "I told them that the only pianist who ever came up with the correct fingerings for the 'Waldstein' Sonata was Chico Marx." Michael looks confused, and peers at me; then a smile of comprehension spreads over his face. "Are we STONED, Mr. Landau?" he asks. There was to have been a close-up of me, finally smiling, with markedly dilated pupils. (Had we indeed included this scene, my family and friends would have been delighted -- I have never even tried marijuana!)
Hope this little bit of lore adds to your enjoyment of the movie...
Best regards,
Adam Stern
The little gaze you gave the hot woman at the party who sat next to you was much better than any line that could've been scripted.
Many thanks for the extra trivia.
I love your character in the movie:). I always thought of him is just a very quiet guy (introvert possibly) with a possible quirky sense of humor. Those are good bits of trivia.
shareI'm an old man--a little older than Dreyfuss--and I still enjoy
the movie.
I appreciate your added information. It makes the film much more
enjoyable to me.
I told my wife about your miming but playing the right notes.
We hope your career is going well.
Dear Mr. Porter,
Thank you for your kind and supportive words! I glad that the little tidbits I occasionally contribute to this board are welcome and that they enhance your enjoyment of "The Competition".
I'll be 53 in October, so neither you nor Mr. Dreyfuss are THAT much older than I am -- so I'd venture to say that none of us are "old men"!
Please send my very best regards to your wife. My career gives me much pleasure, being that I am a very busy symphony conductor and I love my work. The greatest sources of joy in my life, though, are my children Ella and Oscar, who are lovely, bright, creative and delightful young persons. Between them and having the honor of conducting the music of Mozart, Haydn, Tchaikovsky, Vaughan Williams and many other great composers, I would say life is a good thing.
Warmest regards,
Adam
It's wonderful! Such a unique movie--I loved it back in the 80s when Z channel played it often, and tonight it captured me again when I thought I was not even in the mood--TCM played Le Mans and The Carey Treatment in the 4 hours preceding The Competition. I thought I was movied-out for the night.... But the energy of yours and the others' performances captured my attention, and the characters are so touching that I was hooked for my 3d and definitely most touching view in a row today. Thanks for a great movie--I love it!
I portrayed the contestant "Mark Landau" (the twitty, sour-faced Canadian pianist who was one of the six semi-finalists), and had the pleasure of working on this film for seven weeks. All of the actors, save myself, were trained to look as if they were really playing. This heroic feat was performed by Jean Evensen Shaw, a concert pianist and piano teacher who was a longtime friend of the film's producer William Sackheim; Jean worked for several months with all the actors -- especially Richard Dreyfuss, who was, by his own admission, almost wholly ignorant about classical music. The film's writer/director, Joel Oliansky, was determined to make a film about pianists wherein all the actors would really be making contact with the keyboard, instead of using the old trick of having a real pianist's hands used for close-ups. All of us mimed our concertos on a silent keyboard while the music was played back to us during "takes". (I'm a pianist and conductor, and have always told friends that, even though I was miming the Liszt E-flat Concerto, I was hitting all the right keys!)
It's a pleasure knowing that this sweet little film still attracts its share of fans.
Best regards,
Adam Stern
A big THANK YOU to Adam Stern for adding to our knowledge about this lovely gem of a film. I love this movie and usually end up watching it whenever it runs on one of our movie channels. My family is clueless and got nothing whatsoever out of it except that there was a romance. (They didn't even understand the main REASON that Amy's character won, which in my view is because his love gave her the fuel for her passionate interpretation of the concerto! He sabotaged himself, because the emotion is what she needed for that kind of playing, and his love and support inspired her.) I, however, can watch it time and again, listening to the performances.
I wish there were more thinky movies like this made now. Most of the new ones rely pretty strongly on special effects that just take away from the imagination. The Competition explored the characters, which is what makes it great.
Thanks again!
My pleasure! This was a delightful project on which to work, and I'm glad the film still has its share of devoted fans.
AOS
Thanks again Adam Stern. We'll miss reading your commentary :-(
shareI love this movie; discovered it by chance only in recent times. I don't know much about piano music, but one of the hokiest piano scenes I've ever seen was the one in the 1970<?> version of "Jane Eyre" (Scott/York) where Miss Blanche Ingram is playing the piano while Scott sings. I turn my eyes away every time, even though it's one of my favorite movies of all time! I also love the theme music by John Williams, in this Jane Eyre version. Anyway, if you compare the fake piano playing in "Jane Eyre" with that in "The Competition", the latter doesn't look fake at all! Until I found this thread, I thought Irving and Dreyfuss really did play in the movie. I figured Dreyfuss had a musical background since he also did "Mr. Holland's Opus."
shareNo, they are just actors, they are not the actual pianists. If you watch the closing credits, it states who played each of those concertos. In fact, if you look really carefully, you can see times when the keys aren't even really being played.
shareOf course they're not actually playing.
It's listed in the credits who plays each piece.