Mozart in the Jungle explained

Genre:Comedy drama
Theme Music Composer:Roger Neill
Opentheme:"Lisztomania" by Phoenix
Country:United States
Language:English
Num Seasons:4
Num Episodes:40
List Episodes:List of Mozart in the Jungle episodes
Location:New York City
Venice, Italy
Camera:Single camera
Runtime:26–30 minutes

Mozart in the Jungle is an American comedy-drama television series developed by Roman Coppola, Jason Schwartzman, Alex Timbers, and Paul Weitz for the video-on-demand service Amazon Prime Video.[1] It received a production order in March 2014.

The story was inspired by Mozart in the Jungle: Sex, Drugs, and Classical Music, oboist Blair Tindall's 2005 memoir of her career in New York, playing various high-profile gigs with ensembles including the New York Philharmonic and the orchestras of numerous Broadway shows.[2] The series stars Gael García Bernal as Rodrigo, a character based on conductor Gustavo Dudamel,[3] alongside Lola Kirke, Malcolm McDowell, Saffron Burrows, Hannah Dunne, Peter Vack, and Bernadette Peters.

The first season premiered in full on December 23, 2014. Three more seasons, each ten episodes long, followed in 2015, 2016 and 2018, before Amazon announced the show's cancellation.

Cast

Main cast

Recurring cast

Episodes

See main article: List of Mozart in the Jungle episodes.

Production

The many oboe solos played by the protagonist and other characters throughout the series are performed by Lelie Resnick, principal oboist of the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra, while the character of Rodrigo is loosely based on Gustavo Dudamel, the Venezuelan music director of the Los Angeles Philharmonic.[4] Dudamel coached García Bernal before the latter conducted, in the character of Rodrigo, for a real performance of the Los Angeles Philharmonic at the Hollywood Bowl, scenes of which were used for the second season opener.[5] Dudamel has a cameo in that episode, acting as a stagehand trying to convince Rodrigo to move to Los Angeles. Other musicians with cameos in the series are violinist Joshua Bell, pianists Emanuel Ax and Lang Lang, composers Anton Coppola and Nico Muhly, Broadway star Brian d'Arcy James and conductors Alan Gilbert and Bernard Uzan. Blair Tindall, oboist and writer of the book on which the series is based, also appears in a cameo.[6] Much of the original music for the show (most notably "Impromptu", and other work presented within the show's continuity as by Thomas Pembridge) is composed by contemporary composer Missy Mazzoli.[7] For Pembridge's more experimental music in Season 4, the show turned to another female composer, Laura Karpman.[8] Irish composer and conductor Eímear Noone served as Lola Kirke's real-life conducting coach in season four.[9] Interior shots of the home concert hall were filmed at the Performing Arts Center at SUNY Purchase.[10]

Focus on women composers and conductors

In addition to behind-the-scenes contributions from Mazzoli, Karpman and Noone, the theme of underrepresented, and unjustly forgotten and overlooked women composers and conductors in the world of classical music became central in the show's third and fourth seasons. Historical female composers who appear in the show include Vítězslava Kaprálová, Isabella Leonarda, Nannerl Mozart and Fanny Mendelssohn. The fourth season featured Pulitzer Prize-winning contemporary composer Caroline Shaw appearing as herself (and the characters perform one of her actual compositions).[9] Composer Paola Prestini also makes a brief cameo in season four, playing one of her own compositions.[11]

Reception

Critical response

The first season of the series received positive reviews. Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes gave the series a 'fresh' 91% rating based on 35 critic reviews, with the critical consensus "Though confined to the isolated world of classical music, Mozart in the Jungles Gael Garcia Bernal makes this charming little show sing."[12] Metacritic gave the series a 73 out of 100, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[13] Cory Barker, writing for TV.com, praised the series. "What works so well is that Mozart isn't afraid to throw you into a world you're likely unfamiliar with, but it doesn't swim so far into the deep end that you immediately drown in jargon and distanced dramatic stakes."[14] Robert Lloyd, writing for the Los Angeles Times, also lauded the first season. He stated that "Characters who were mouthpieces for attitudes start to seem like people, more complicated than a thumbnail description can accommodate. You grow interested in what will become of them without expecting or rooting for any particular outcome."[15] Kory Grow of Rolling Stone also praised the series: "Thanks to quirky scripts and a smart ensemble cast... it comes off whimsical without ringing off-pitch."[16]

Tim Goodman of The Hollywood Reporter also gave the first season a positive review: "Bernal is both likable and magnetic, and makes the eclectic maestro surge on the screen. He alone is worth streaming the series, but, thankfully, there's a lot more going on here."[17] Brian Lowry, writing for Variety, also lauded the series: "While Mozart is surely a niche confection, the show generally shines by proving long on charm even when it's short on laughs."[18] In a more mixed review, Jeff Jensen of Entertainment Weekly gave the series a B−.

Some socially-minded critics have praised the show's push for gender equity, while others have critiqued the "almost all-white orchestra and main cast" as unrealistic, given the prevalence of East Asian musicians in real-life orchestras.[19]

Accolades

YearAwardCategoryRecipientsResultRef.
2015Imagen Foundation AwardsBest Actor – TelevisionGael García Bernal[20]
2016Golden Globe AwardsBest Television Series – ComedyMozart in the Jungle[21]
Best Actor in a Television Series – Musical or ComedyGael Garcia Bernal
Primetime Emmy AwardsOutstanding Sound Mixing for a Comedy or Drama Series (Half-Hour) and AnimationThomas Varga, Andy D'Addario, Bill Higley, Chris Navarro (for "Nothing Resonates Like Rhinoceros Foreskin")[22]
Imagen Foundation AwardsBest Actor – TelevisionGael García Bernal[23]
2017Golden Globe AwardsBest Television Series – ComedyMozart in the Jungle[24]
Best Actor in a Television Series – Musical or ComedyGael Garcia Bernal
Primetime Emmy AwardsOutstanding Cinematography for a Single-Camera Series (Half-Hour)Tobias Datum (for "Now I Will Sing")[25]
Outstanding Production Design for a Narrative Program (Half-Hour or Less)Tommaso Ortino, Susanna Codognato, Letizia Santucci (for "Now I Will Sing")
Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Comedy or Drama Series (Half-Hour) and AnimationAndy D'Addario, Gary Gegan, Marco Fiumara (for "Now I Will Sing")

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Amazon Studios Picks Up Mozart in the Jungle Pilot Starring Bernadette Peters . Gans . Andrew . March 12, 2014. Playbill. December 31, 2015 . March 4, 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160304054110/http://www.playbill.com/news/article/amazon-studios-picks-up-mozart-in-the-jungle-pilot-starring-bernadette-pete-215922 . live .
  2. Web site: Amazon's TV Pilot 'Mozart in the Jungle,' with Joshua Bell and Malcolm McDowell, Is a Tale of Sex, Drugs and…Classical Music? . Classicalite . December 11, 2013 . Burton . Louise . December 31, 2015 . dead . https://archive.today/20140121191742/http://www.classicalite.com/articles/4378/20131211/amazon-s-tv-pilot-mozart-in-the-jungle-with-joshua-bell-and-malcolm-mcdowell-is-a-tale-of-sex-drugs-and%C3%A2%E2%82%AC%C2%A6classical-music.htm . January 21, 2014 .
  3. News: Ramey . Corinne . Amazon Studios' 'Mozart in the Jungle' Offers New View of Music World . . December 6, 2013 . December 31, 2015.
  4. News: 'Mozart in the Jungle': Is 'Rodrigo' a parody of Gustavo Dudamel?. Los Angeles Times. Ng. David. February 10, 2014. January 26, 2016. December 28, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20201228030914/https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/arts/culture/la-et-cm-mozart-jungle-gustavo-dudamel-20140208-story.html. live.
  5. News: L.A. Phil, Dudamel dive into the 'Mozart in the Jungle' act at the Bowl. Los Angeles Times. Swed. Mark. July 31, 2015. January 26, 2016. December 28, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20201228030915/https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/arts/la-et-cm-bowl-dudamel-mozart-review-20150801-column.html. live.
  6. News: Mozart in the Jungle finds its feet. The Washington Post. Midgette. Anne. Anne Midgette. December 30, 2015. January 26, 2016.
  7. Web site: Missy Mazzoli: About Missy. September 25, 2017. August 7, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170807142153/http://www.missymazzoli.com/about-missy/. dead.
  8. Web site: 'Mozart in the Jungle' tackles gender disparity in music. May 28, 2018. December 28, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20201228030917/https://www.scpr.org/programs/the-frame/2018/02/26/61871/mozart-in-the-jungle-tackles-gender-disparity-in-m/. live.
  9. Web site: How Mozart In The Jungle Joined Time's Up. April 18, 2018. December 28, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20201228031027/https://www.refinery29.com/en-us/2018/02/191282/mozart-in-the-jungle-hailey-female-conductor. live.
  10. Web site: Amazon's Mozart In The Jungle Films At SUNY Purchase. September 8, 2016 . Harrison Daily Voice. May 14, 2017. December 28, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20201228030922/https://dailyvoice.com/new-york/harrison/lifestyle/amazons-mozart-in-the-jungle-films-at-suny-purchase/680561/. live.
  11. News: Hear How Mozart in the Jungle Became a New-Music Showcase. Michael Cooper. The New York Times . February 18, 2018 . April 18, 2018. December 28, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20201228030917/https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/18/arts/music/hear-mozart-in-the-jungle.html. live.
  12. Web site: Mozart in the Jungle: Season 1 . December 31, 2015 . Rotten Tomatoes . December 28, 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20201228031025/https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/mozart-in-the-jungle/s01 . live .
  13. Web site: Mozart in the Jungle – Season 1 . December 31, 2015 . Metacritic . December 28, 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20201228030934/https://www.metacritic.com/tv/mozart-in-the-jungle . live .
  14. Web site: Barker . Cory . January 6, 2015 . 4 Reasons Why You Should Binge-Watch Amazon's Mozart in the Jungle This Week . December 31, 2015 . . May 13, 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170513040243/http://www.tv.com/news/mozart-in-the-jungle-amazon-review-142047926395/ . dead .
  15. News: Lloyd . Robert . December 23, 2014 . Review 'Mozart in the Jungle' on Amazon gets good after woeful pilot . . December 31, 2015 . December 28, 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20201228031031/https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/tv/la-et-st-mozart-jungle-amazon-review-20141223-column.html . live .
  16. Grow . Kory . December 22, 2014 . Bittersweet Symphony: Inside the Sex and Drugs of 'Mozart in the Jungle' . December 31, 2015 . Rolling Stone.
  17. Web site: Goodman . Tim . December 23, 2014 . 'Mozart In the Jungle': TV Review . December 31, 2015 . . December 28, 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20201228030948/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/review/mozart-jungle-tv-review-760235 . live .
  18. Web site: Lowry . Brian . December 17, 2014 . TV Review: Amazon's 'Mozart in the Jungle' . December 31, 2015 . Variety.
  19. Web site: What We Love And Hate About 'Mozart In The Jungle' . . May 8, 2018.
  20. Web site: 2015 Imagen Awards Winners, Honorees & Nominees. The Imagen Foundation. September 29, 2016. September 18, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200918224600/https://www.imagen.org/awards/past-imagen-awards-winners/2015-imagen-awards-winners-nominees/. live.
  21. Web site: Winners & Nominees 2016. Hollywood Foreign Press Association. September 29, 2016. June 23, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160623150406/http://www.goldenglobes.com/winners-nominees/2016. live.
  22. Web site: 68th Emmy Awards Nominees and Winners. Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. September 29, 2016.
  23. Web site: Winners of 31st Annual Imagen Awards Announced. The Imagen Foundation. September 10, 2016 . September 29, 2016.
  24. Web site: Winners & Nominees 2017. Hollywood Foreign Press Association. December 12, 2016. January 8, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170108192524/http://www.goldenglobes.com/winners-nominees/2017. live.
  25. Web site: 69th Emmy Awards Nominees and Winners. Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. July 22, 2017. September 9, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190909080713/https://www.emmys.com/awards/nominees-winners/2017. live.

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