They Came to Play

Amateur is just a word when applied to the seventy-five passionate artists competing in the Van Cliburn Foundation’s International Piano Competition for Outstanding Amateurs, held every four years in Fort Worth, Texas. Emotions run high as the individual stories of astonishingly diverse contestants unfold in the background while performances of breathtaking virtuosity hold the stage. Lifelong dreams come true, or not, as director Rotaru captures the beauty, the pain, and the hard-won triumph in this exhilarating and inspiring documentary. It’s a feast for the ears for any music lover--composers represented include Debussy, Beethoven, Schumann, Schubert, Cimarosa, Glinka, Sgambatti, Barber, Alkan, and more. DigiBeta video.

中规中矩的比赛纪录片。片子关注了太多选手所以有些时候失去了重点。但是我对真正热爱音乐的“业余”选手从来都没有抵抗力，所以加一颗星吧。