Le Maitre De Musique Review

Gerard Corbiau's film has been compared to both Diva and Amadeus but, even with music as its centre, the Oscar-nominated period piece is neither as self-consciously stylish nor as energetically irreverent as those predecessors.

The story itself is rather slight - a retired opera singer trains a beautiful soprano and a street thief tenor for a competition held by his arch-rival - the mood delicate and the staging pretty. The soundtrack, however, is glorious, with music by Verdi, Schubert and Mahler.