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Made in 1978 for Italian television, Orchestra Rehearsal is possibly Fellini’s most satirical and overtly political film.

An allegorical pseudo-documentary, the film depicts an Italian television crew’s visit to a dilapidated auditorium (a converted 13th-century church) to meet an orchestra assembling to rehearse under the instruction of a tyrannical conductor. The TV crew interviews the various musicians who each speak lovingly about their chosen instruments. However, as petty squabbles break out amid the different factions of the ensemble, and the conductor berates his musicians, the meeting descends into anarchy and vandalism. A destructive crescendo ensues before the musicians regroup and play together once more in perfect harmony.

Abounding with its director’s trademark rich imagery and expressive style, Orchestra Rehearsal marks the last collaboration between Fellini and the legendary composer Nino Rota (due to the latter’s death in 1979) who provides one of his most beautiful themes in the film’s conclusion.

SPECIAL EDITION CONTENTS:

Brand new 2K restoration from original film elements, produced by Arrow Films exclusively for this release
High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) presentation
Original 1.0 mono sound
Optional English subtitles
Richard Dyer on Nino Rota and Orchestra Rehearsal, the film scholar talks about the great composer and his last collaboration with Fellini
Orchestrating Discord, a visual essay on the film by Fellini biographer John Baxter
Gallery featuring rare poster and press material on the film from the Felliniana collection of Don Young
Reversible sleeve featuring two original artwork options
FIRST PRESSING ONLY: Illustrated collector’s booklet featuring new writing on the film by Adrian Martin



February 12

Never seen this and glad the late Fellinis are finally getting the deluxe treatment.

This must have one of the first - if not the first - Fellini I saw, it must have been on BBC2 or C4 back in about 1990. I made sure I saw it as I was about to start to a module on Rossellini and Italian Cinema at University. I remember really enjoying it, but that's about all, so it's definitely the stand out for me this time.

Most enjoyable, the transfer is most handsome. The extras are good. Someone should, however, have fact-checked Richard Dyer -- it's a picture of Toscanini, not von Karajan, visible in one shot, which rather contradicts his whole "conductor as fascist" theory, as Toscanini was apparently a particularly committed anti-fascist.

Roscoe wrote:Most enjoyable, the transfer is most handsome. The extras are good. Someone should, however, have fact-checked Richard Dyer -- it's a picture of Toscanini, not von Karajan, visible in one shot, which rather contradicts his whole "conductor as fascist" theory, as Toscanini was apparently a particularly committed anti-fascist.

Yes, that gaffe was worth a chuckle.

Although, to be fair, Toscanini was a fearsome autocrat, so it's not that far wrong.

Well, I don't think Toscanini had anyone sent to firing squads -- being a bully in a concert hall doesn't necessarily make one a mass murderer, or a supporter of one.

Roscoe wrote:Well, I don't think Toscanini had anyone sent to firing squads -- being a bully in a concert hall doesn't necessarily make one a mass murderer, or a supporter of one.

I like the qualifying "necessarily".

Well, it's interesting, isn't it, that Fellini adds that picture of the "autocrat but not fascist" Toscanini to his film -- if I remember right, it's the only photograph on display as art direction. There are those hanging banners of assorted composers, Mozart and Telemann among them, that get dragged down and spattered with shit.

For years I thought this was supposed to be another documentary like The Clowns so I was really taken aback at the slow realization that this was a fiction. That lie I told myself really puts into light the basic reality of humanity Fellini was able to imbue his fantasies with.

knives wrote: ↑

Mon Mar 22, 2021 6:47 pm

For years I thought this was supposed to be another documentary like The Clowns so I was really taken aback at the slow realization that this was a fiction. That lie I told myself really puts into light the basic reality of humanity Fellini was able to imbue his fantasies with.

I, on the other hand, just now found out The Clowns is a documentary