NOTE: The below Blu-ray captures were taken directly from the Blu-ray disc.

ADDITION: BFI Blu-ray (June 2024): BFI have transferred Ken Russell's The Music Lovers to Blu-ray. It is on a dual-layered disc with a very high bitrate. The 1080P looks solid although The Music Lovers was often filmed with a very kinetic, hand-held, camera that exports an intentionally less stable image at times. Reds can appear dominant and there is depth to the HD presentation. Contrast is excellent. I enjoyed the 2.35:1 video - reasonably clean with only a very few minor speckles and sporadic, pleasing, detail. Grain textures are less perceptible but exist. All good.

NOTE: We have added 56 more large resolution Blu-ray captures (in lossless PNG format) for DVDBeaver Patrons HERE

On their Blu-ray, BFI offer the option of a DTS-HD Master 5.1 surround bump,  or a linear PCM 2.0 channel track (both 24-bit) in the original English language. There are a few notable separations although the bump gains from being more robust for the bass response. The Music Lovers is all about the music; which has André Previn conducting The London Symphony Orchestra, performing excerpts of Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto in B-flat minor (soloist Rafael Orozco - who recorded the piano pieces played by Tchaikovsky in the film,) Eugene Onegin (soprano April Cantelo,) Symphony No. 6 in B minor, Pathétique, Romeo and Juliet, the 1812 Overture, incidental music to Hamlet and symphonies No. 5 in E minor and No. 4 in F minor. These are stirring compositions and they dominate the film experience, sounding exquisite in the lossless transfer. BFI offer optional English (SDH) subtitles on their Region 'B'-locked Blu-ray.

The BFI Blu-ray offers a newly recorded audio commentary by film historian Matthew Melia (author of Refocus: the Films of Ken Russell - ReFocus: The International Directors Series) He has taught modules on British cinema and cult and transgressive film. He discusses a lot on Russell, Tchaikovsky’s life, the director's filmmaking process, the screenplay by Melvyn Bragg, based on Beloved Friend, a collection of personal correspondence edited by Catherine Drinker Bowen and Barbara von Mec. He talks about Richard Chamberlain, Glenda Jackson, unmade and abandoned projects, specific music used in scenes, the carnivalesque opening, the characters Count Anton Chiluvsky lurking in the background of scenes, the pacing and so much more. It's very good with astute observations. He does take breaks and lets the film run. You can also watch the film listening to a 1 1/4 hour Guardian audio interview with screenwriter, author and parliamentarian Melvyn Bragg (Russell's Isadora Duncan, the Biggest Dancer in the World) from 1988. Ten years after the inception of 'The Southbank Show', Melvyn Bragg discusses his career in television and film writer Ronald Harwood, at the National Film Theatre in London. In 1972, he co-wrote the script for Norman Jewison's film Jesus Christ Superstar. There is also a new 20-minute interview with Alexander Verney-Elliott; Ken Russell's son who looks back upon his father's work, and remembers his own appearance in The Music Lovers as Von Meck as a child. Emily Bronte Enters the Big Brother House runs 1/4 hour from 2007. Ken Russell staged, directed and filmed this 'Radical Bronte' ballet for young people, illustrating Jane Eyre. There is 5-minutes of vintage footage of Galina Ulanova in "Swan Lake" from 1940. Considered one of the greatest ballerinas of all time the video shows her performing a dance from Swan Lake in this rare film held by the BFI National Archive. BFI include 10-minutes of Musical Highlights from USSR Today - edited highlights from three editions of the Soviet newsreel, gathering items about Tchaikovsky and Russian musical arts. We get to see Shirley Russell's original sketches of the costume designs in and lastly is an original trailer. The package (first pressing only) has an illustrated booklet with new writing on the film by Matthew Melia, a new essay by Caroline Langhorst (an alumni of the 'Cinema and Television History Research Centre') and contributions from Alexander Verney-Elliott and Lisi Russell.

Fearless Ken Russell's The Music Lovers encourages the filmmaker's typical divided audience. Pauline Kael said in an interview: "You really feel you should drive a stake through the heart of the man who made it. I mean it is so vile. It is so horrible." An excessive response for a filmmaker often lauded for his own excesses. There is a haunting fantasy element to The Music Lovers and it probably does not even remotely resemble Tchaikovsky life. Glenda Jackson said "I think people will love it or hate it but I doubt that anyone will go away feeling nothing." In The Music Lovers Tchaikovsky has anxiety issues dealing with his blossoming homosexuality and escalating desire for Count Anton Chiluvsky. This conflict transfers to his marriage to Antonina Miliukova (Glenda Jackson), known as Nina, where it appears to encourage her own nymphomaniacal struggles. This may be one of my favorite Ken Russell films for the sheer brazenness of the story. Totally unfettered and spirited, it's wonderful to see BFI giving The Music Lovers a Blu-ray release. Fans of the flamboyant and controversial director will surely want to indulge. Highly entertaining and aurally superb.

Gary Tooze