Rating: 
Summary: Beethoven Lives Upstairs
Review: Excellent video for children. I teach elementary school music and it puts a personal face on a distant genius. Beethoven lived a very troubled life and it puts his genius and suffering into a language that children not only understand but embrace. After watching this video they want to know more about Beethoven and his music.
Rating:
Summary: Beethoven Lives Upstairs
Review: Excellent video for children. I teach elementary school music and it puts a personal face on a distant genius. Beethoven lived a very troubled life and it puts his genius and suffering into a language that children not only understand but embrace. After watching this video they want to know more about Beethoven and his music.
Rating: 
Summary: Pretty good, but could have been better.
Review: I teach music to K-4 and we watched this in all of my classes. It was entertaining, but I could have done without all the violent outbursts by Beethoven toward the housekeeper. The kids really did seem to enjoy the music and asked if there are other movies we can watch. It's a great way to introduce young kids to classical music. They were very excited when they recognized a song written by Beethoven himself.
Rating:
Summary: Pretty good, but could have been better.
Review: I teach music to K-4 and we watched this in all of my classes. It was entertaining, but I could have done without all the violent outbursts by Beethoven toward the housekeeper. The kids really did seem to enjoy the music and asked if there are other movies we can watch. It's a great way to introduce young kids to classical music. They were very excited when they recognized a song written by Beethoven himself.
Rating: 
Summary: One of the worst
Review: I'm very very sorry to say this, but this is one of the WORST films I had ever seen!! This film's only about 1 hr long, and it shows Beethoven who is writing music and stuff in somebody's home while a kid who lives in that house complains to the composer. Of course, Beethoven composed many piecies. But in this film, it only shows ONE concert which he conducts Symphony No. 9! And after that, the film's over!! It's the worst! So DON'T BUY IT!!
Rating:
Summary: Amazingly accurate and complete
Review: Our family (girls ages 4 and 6) loved the CD by the same name so much that we bought the video too. We were impressed at the ability of the writers and director to rearrange the story and the music to fit a film version. I realized that I knew nothing of Beethoven and read his biography after viewing the video. Then I was really impressed to find how much accurate information about Beethoven's life was interwoven into the story. Although we prefer the CD version, I think that seeing the period costume and setting helped the girls place the story in an historical context. We are now all Beethoven fans and listen to his music with new appreciation.
Rating: 
Summary: Beethoven Rants (or Raves) Upstairs
Review: Summary: Flabby, bare-chested, scary nutcase writes music.This badly written, badly acted, but beautifully photographed video presents Beethoven in caricature as an inconsiderate oaf who composes while walking around bare-chested in his upstairs room. Beethoven's humanity and level of interaction with others goes no deeper than seeing the shocked maid dropping her tray while Ludwig throws things at her. The narrative is carried through the eyes of a young boy, which is OK, since you want to attract children in your audience. But think! What message are you giving your "enlightened" audience?
No compositions are named and precious few pieces that are performed are in the background, being "walked over" by stilted dialogue. The video opens with Beethoven's funeral and parts of the Seventh symphony are heard in the background. Oh yes, for a few moments, strains of the Moonlight Sonata can be heard and then there is the grand finale with the choral section of the Ninth. No time is spent to show why any of these pieces rises above anything but a toe-tapper, or why Beethoven had anything new to say at all. What a waste of time and a disappointing work.
Rating: 
Summary: No MacIntosh!
Review: The video story is great but the enhanced DVD-ROM features will not work on a MacIntosh computer. That caveat is printed on the DVD case and should be included on your product information page.
Rating:
Summary: wholesome entertainment
Review: this film is just long enough to enjoy a small part of beethovens life. however humorous, it is seriously sad when beethoven expresses his pain from the loss of his hearing. the gatekeeper learns selflessness and becomes understanding of the importance of people in our lives. this approx. one hour video is reccomended for all ages.
Rating:
Summary: This is a great movie to watch with your children.
Review: This is a really terrific, educational, and exciting film to watch with children say, from 5 years old to 12 years old. I'm buying another copy now because I'm dying to see it with some more children.
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