As regular readers of my blog have no doubt gathered, I adore music and it often forms the basis of my inspiration for my writing. Classical music is a particular favourite – when a song has no lyrics, it frees my mind to imagine the accompanying words; and of course it’s so easy to put on in the background when I’m writing.

I have long admired the work of the 19th-century German composer Ludwig van Beethoven – can there be any more moving piece for a romantic such as me than the ‘Moonlight Sonata’? So when I saw, in 1994, that a film had been released concerning Beethoven’s life, I was keen to see it. And when I did – oh, how I loved it!

The film is something of a detective story. Following Beethoven’s death, his secretary attempts to uncover the identity of the ‘Immortal Beloved’, the love of his life, whom he finds mentioned in Beethoven’s papers. The mystery set up in the film is in fact based on truth. Scholars have long discussed who the mystery woman could be, and though the film’s writer and director insisted that the woman he identified as Beethoven’s lover in the film is the rightful Immortal Beloved, the claim remains disputed to this day. Such a tragic and romantic story – imagine loving someone that much, but keeping it a secret!

Gary Oldman is marvellous as the tortured genius; the ‘Ode to Joy’ scene always has me sitting upright in my chair, captivated. But it is the soundtrack that most enthralls me – all of Beethoven’s powerful works laid together to complement an emotionally affective narrative.

I highly recommend the film if you love classical music and period drama and a romance story. But keep some tissues close to hand!