Why Composers Make Such Compelling Characters

With TÁR as one of the front-runners of the current awards season, maestros are once again in the spotlight. The movie is likely to earn Cate Blanchett her second Oscar for her performance as Lydia Tár, and it's one in a long line of movies using the work of composers and conductors as a tool for looking deeper into human character. We've had many of them before, from the iconic Amadeus to the recent Annette, and all of them bring out a different aspect of the craft, which usually is the result of a combination of genius, megalomania, and chaos.