Hilary du Pré
Encyclopedia
Hilary du Pré is a British flautist
and memoirist best known for her co-authorship of the book A Genius in the Family and contributions to the film Hilary and Jackie
, both of which relate the family story around her sister, cellist Jacqueline du Pré
.
Du Pré is married to conductor Christopher "Kiffer" Finzi
They have four children together.
, Surrey, the eldest child of an upper middle-class family headed by an accountant father and a pianist mother.
She revealed a natural affinity for music at an early age, but was overshadowed by the talents of her younger sister Jackie
, a celebrated cellist whose life and career were cut short by multiple sclerosis
.
Hilary married Christopher Finzi and lived with him in the country with the family they made. Allegedly with his wife's consent, Finzi had a romantic affair with his ailing sister-in-law, who was exhibiting suicidal
behaviour as the result of a nervous breakdown
.
In her 1997 memoir A Genius in the Family, co-written with her brother Piers, du Pré chronicled the complex relationship, both tortured and deeply loving, which she had with her sister. She claimed to have agreed to the affair because she wanted Jackie to experience the stable family life the younger woman envied. This version of events has been contradicted by a number of sources, including Hilary's daughter with Christopher. She said that her father had more than one affair and exhibited abusive behaviour towards Jacqueline du Pré while she was in a vulnerable, emotional state.
's controversial 1998 film Hilary and Jackie
is based on A Genius in the Family, and features Emily Watson
as Jacqueline and Rachel Griffiths
as Hilary. Although the film was a critical and box-office success, and received several Academy Award nominations, it ignited a furore, especially in London, center of du Pre's activities. A group of her closest colleagues (including fellow cellists Mstislav Rostropovich
and Julian Lloyd Webber
) sent a bristling letter to The Times
. Clare Finzi, Hilary's daughter, charged that the film was a "gross misinterpretation, which I cannot let go unchallenged." The London Evening Standard
reported (18 June 1999) that a cello student from the Royal College of Music
was paid by the film's PR company Maclaurin Group to picket the premier in order to create added publicity. Daniel Barenboim
– who has always teetered on the edge of villainy in du Pré-revering quarters—said, "Couldn't they have waited until I was dead?".
Hilary, Jackie's sister, and co-author of the book strongly defends both the book and the film, writing, in The Guardian
: "At first I could not understand why people didn't believe my story because I had set out to tell the whole truth. When you tell someone the truth about your family, you don't expect them to turn around and say that it's bunkum. But I knew that Jackie would have respected what I had done. If I had gone for half-measures, she would have torn it up. She would have wanted the complete story to be told.". The New Yorker
reported her as saying, “When you love someone, you love the whole of them. Those who are against the film want to look only at the pieces of Jackie’s life that they accept. I don’t think the film has taken any liberties at all. Jackie would have absolutely loved it.”
Flautist
A flautist or flutist is a musician who plays an instrument in the flute family. See List of flautists.The choice of "flautist" versus "flutist" is the source of dispute among players of the instrument...
and memoirist best known for her co-authorship of the book A Genius in the Family and contributions to the film Hilary and Jackie
Hilary and Jackie
Hilary and Jackie is a 1998 British biographical film directed by Anand Tucker. The screenplay by Frank Cottrell Boyce is based on the memoir A Genius in the Family by Piers and Hilary du Pré, which chronicles the life and career of their late sister, cellist Jacqueline du Pré...
, both of which relate the family story around her sister, cellist Jacqueline du Pré
Jacqueline du Pré
Jacqueline Mary du Pré OBE was a British cellist. She is particularly associated with Elgar's Cello Concerto in E Minor; her interpretation has been described as "definitive" and "legendary." Her career was cut short by multiple sclerosis, which forced her to stop performing at 28 and led to her...
.
Du Pré is married to conductor Christopher "Kiffer" Finzi
Christopher Finzi
Christopher "Kiffer" Finzi is a British orchestral conductor.He is the son of composer Gerald Finzi. Like his father, the younger Finzi became a pacifist; he refused to do his National Service, and was briefly imprisoned. After his father's death in 1956, he helped his mother, Joy Finzi, to...
They have four children together.
Early life and education
Hilary du Pré was born in WokingWoking
Woking is a large town and civil parish that shares its name with the surrounding local government district, located in the west of Surrey, UK. It is part of the Greater London Urban Area and the London commuter belt, with frequent trains and a journey time of 24 minutes to Waterloo station....
, Surrey, the eldest child of an upper middle-class family headed by an accountant father and a pianist mother.
She revealed a natural affinity for music at an early age, but was overshadowed by the talents of her younger sister Jackie
Jacqueline du Pré
Jacqueline Mary du Pré OBE was a British cellist. She is particularly associated with Elgar's Cello Concerto in E Minor; her interpretation has been described as "definitive" and "legendary." Her career was cut short by multiple sclerosis, which forced her to stop performing at 28 and led to her...
, a celebrated cellist whose life and career were cut short by multiple sclerosis
Multiple sclerosis
Multiple sclerosis is an inflammatory disease in which the fatty myelin sheaths around the axons of the brain and spinal cord are damaged, leading to demyelination and scarring as well as a broad spectrum of signs and symptoms...
.
Hilary married Christopher Finzi and lived with him in the country with the family they made. Allegedly with his wife's consent, Finzi had a romantic affair with his ailing sister-in-law, who was exhibiting suicidal
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
behaviour as the result of a nervous breakdown
Nervous breakdown
Mental breakdown is a non-medical term used to describe an acute, time-limited phase of a specific disorder that presents primarily with features of depression or anxiety.-Definition:...
.
In her 1997 memoir A Genius in the Family, co-written with her brother Piers, du Pré chronicled the complex relationship, both tortured and deeply loving, which she had with her sister. She claimed to have agreed to the affair because she wanted Jackie to experience the stable family life the younger woman envied. This version of events has been contradicted by a number of sources, including Hilary's daughter with Christopher. She said that her father had more than one affair and exhibited abusive behaviour towards Jacqueline du Pré while she was in a vulnerable, emotional state.
Film and book
Anand TuckerAnand Tucker
Anand Tucker is a film director and producer based in London. He began his career directing factual television programming and adverts...
's controversial 1998 film Hilary and Jackie
Hilary and Jackie
Hilary and Jackie is a 1998 British biographical film directed by Anand Tucker. The screenplay by Frank Cottrell Boyce is based on the memoir A Genius in the Family by Piers and Hilary du Pré, which chronicles the life and career of their late sister, cellist Jacqueline du Pré...
is based on A Genius in the Family, and features Emily Watson
Emily Watson
Emily Watson is an English actress. She gave an acclaimed debut film performance in Lars von Trier's Breaking the Waves.- Early life :...
as Jacqueline and Rachel Griffiths
Rachel Griffiths
Rachel Anne Griffiths is an Australian film and television actress who came to prominence in the 1994 film Muriel's Wedding and her Academy Award nominated performance in the 1997 film Hilary and Jackie....
as Hilary. Although the film was a critical and box-office success, and received several Academy Award nominations, it ignited a furore, especially in London, center of du Pre's activities. A group of her closest colleagues (including fellow cellists Mstislav Rostropovich
Mstislav Rostropovich
Mstislav Leopoldovich Rostropovich, KBE , known to close friends as Slava, was a Soviet and Russian cellist and conductor. He was married to the soprano Galina Vishnevskaya. He is widely considered to have been the greatest cellist of the second half of the 20th century, and one of the greatest of...
and Julian Lloyd Webber
Julian Lloyd Webber
Julian Lloyd Webber is a British solo cellist who has been described as the "doyen of British cellists".-Early life:Julian Lloyd Webber is the second son of the composer William Lloyd Webber and his wife Jean Johnstone . He is the younger brother of the composer Andrew Lloyd Webber...
) sent a bristling letter to The Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
. Clare Finzi, Hilary's daughter, charged that the film was a "gross misinterpretation, which I cannot let go unchallenged." The London Evening Standard
Evening Standard
The Evening Standard, now styled the London Evening Standard, is a free local daily newspaper, published Monday–Friday in tabloid format in London. It is the dominant regional evening paper for London and the surrounding area, with coverage of national and international news and City of London...
reported (18 June 1999) that a cello student from the Royal College of Music
Royal College of Music
The Royal College of Music is a conservatoire founded by Royal Charter in 1882, located in South Kensington, London, England.-Background:The first director was Sir George Grove and he was followed by Sir Hubert Parry...
was paid by the film's PR company Maclaurin Group to picket the premier in order to create added publicity. Daniel Barenboim
Daniel Barenboim
Daniel Barenboim, KBE is an Argentinian-Israeli pianist and conductor. He has served as music director of several major symphonic and operatic orchestras and made numerous recordings....
– who has always teetered on the edge of villainy in du Pré-revering quarters—said, "Couldn't they have waited until I was dead?".
Hilary, Jackie's sister, and co-author of the book strongly defends both the book and the film, writing, in The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
: "At first I could not understand why people didn't believe my story because I had set out to tell the whole truth. When you tell someone the truth about your family, you don't expect them to turn around and say that it's bunkum. But I knew that Jackie would have respected what I had done. If I had gone for half-measures, she would have torn it up. She would have wanted the complete story to be told.". The New Yorker
The New Yorker
The New Yorker is an American magazine of reportage, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons and poetry published by Condé Nast...
reported her as saying, “When you love someone, you love the whole of them. Those who are against the film want to look only at the pieces of Jackie’s life that they accept. I don’t think the film has taken any liberties at all. Jackie would have absolutely loved it.”