How Realistic Are These Piano Scenes In Films?? Jazz Pianist Reacts

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[AlanSteinberger]

I’ve often been filmed by animators when recording a score, specifically so that they can get the gestures correct, if not the actual pitches. That scene at the end of Tangled, where the music goes flying off the piano and the pianist grabs it midair without missing a beat? That exact thing happened to me while playing the original song (about 20 minutes into the film), and the animators brilliantly included it. I was floored when I saw what they had done.

[TheRandomPhangirl]

One of my favourite things about the Amadeus scene in particular is that his variation on Salieri's theme ends up being the 'Non Piu Andrai' aria from the Marriage of Figaro

[garyb]

One of the stories about Mozart is that when he was 14 he listened to a 14 minute choral piece in the Vatican and when home and wrote the full thing from memory. On second listening later in the week he made some minor corrections.
So the scene of him being able to play Saliere's piece after one listen is probably a fairly accurate representation of his abilities.

[faastex]

I actually love when Charles starts playing over a scene, and then it's basically just him playing for 2 minutes straight and enjoying himself

[mikoajp.]

"Corpse Bride" takes right keys, but at wrong places: the octaves are all over the place. At some moments Emily even plays higher notes than Victor :)

[TheGalWithTheBlueCat]

The first one is actually a 10/10. Miserere mei Deus by Allegri was a song only being allowed to be played in the Vatican. Copying the sheet music was strictly forbidden. Adding to that it was only allowed to be performed publicly on two specific days during the Holy Week (the week before Easter)- Holy Wednesday and Good Friday.

14 year old Mozart heard it once. Later that day he transcribed the entire 15 or so minute piece from memory and it was so accurate that the Pope himself was so delighted he gave young Mozart an order.

It‘s true, look it up! 👍

[Ryspadda]

Charles “9/10, absolutely a conversation that could happen in a lesson room”

Also Charles “9/10, I could absolutely see a piano casket and a moving hand detaching itself to carry on playing”

[francescodeguidi]

In the legend of 1900 the soundtrack is by Ennio Morricone, played by the amazing Gilda Buttà. Great pieces of music, superb piano player! All of the OST is worth listening

[bastiangugu]

The accuracy in the Corpse Bride is really astounding, especially considering that it is Stop-Motion-Puppet-Animation. The amount of work is mindboggeling.

[timbeaton]

Would have been interesting to hear your take on Ryan Gosling's playing in La-La Land. Looked pretty accurate on a cursory inspection

[nickhiggsthesinger]

The piece Mozart eventually plays is Non Piu Andriu from Le Nozze di Figaro :)

[justinbrentwood]

*Dead pianist's hand come off, plays piano by itself, and proceeds to climb up another pianist's arm*

Charles Cornell: 9/10 for accuracy

[legoharry]

"Play one wrong note and you die."

Jazz musicians: jokes on you, ALL I PLAY ARE WRONG NOTES WITH INTENT

[reebee]

The Legend of 1900 is one of my ALL TIME FAVORITE MOVIES and I love that you’ve featured it. It is very far-fetched, but has such great story telling and great music. Plus a duel with Jelly Roll Morton - how could you go wrong?

[DojoOfCool]

I was hoping you'd mention the animated movie Soul from 2020. To get the piano right they used that technique were they film the actor with the little balls to show body motion. For Soul they filmed Jon Batiste hands playing the piano parts to get them right. Which they also get the animated character in the movie the same long thin fingers like Batiste has. The movie did a good job of musicians playing in the cartoon. Tia Fuller did all the sax parts, Questlove the drums.

[iPhonedo]

Shine is one of my favorie movies of all time but The Legend of 1900 is such a fantastic movie too.

[titerote]

Writing down ‘Miserere’ by Italian composer Gregorio Allegri, was punishable by excommunication, but 14 year old Mozart committed it to memory…


According to a popular story (backed up by family letters), the fourteen-year-old Mozart was visiting Rome when he first heard the piece during the Wednesday service. Later that day, he wrote it down entirely from memory, returning to the Chapel that Friday to make minor corrections. Some time during his travels, he met the British historian Dr Charles Burney, who obtained the piece from him and took it to London, where it was published in 1771. Mozart was summoned to Rome, but instead of excommunicating the boy, the Pope showered him with praise for his feat of musical genius and the ban was lifted.

This little piece from salieri would be a Joke to Mozart talent.

[cadensandstrom]

You should definitely check out the rest of Legend of 1900. Lots of piano scenes throughout the movie, since it follows the life of a pianist who has lived his whole life on the ship. They are certainly not all realistic, but they are just very fun! Especially when he is challenged to a piano duel!

[grammarpanda]

I wish I had recordings of this, but my Nana had that exact ability to mimic music. Could not read music, but let her listen to the radio or a record once and she could play it exactly. What I would give to have a fraction of that!

[Nm]

Movie: "Play one wrong note and you die"
Every jazz musician: "Ain't nothing like a wrong note... I'm immortal!"