Ian Foster wrote:

>... it is perfectly possible that Jacqueline du Pre was both (a) a gifted
>cellist and (b) a manipulative and selfish woman.  The two categories are
>not mutually exclusive.

There is no question about (a) but (b), of course, makes no difference.

Much as I enjoyed Amadeus, both as play and film, I knew that considerable
licence had been taken with the facts.  The pity is that film, being such
an easily accessible medium, too often provides what becomes popularly
accepted as fact rather than recognised as being perhaps the creation of
a scriptwriter.  Even though Emily Watson is a wonderfully vibrant actor,
I'll be happy to pass on Hilary and Jackie.

Richard Pennycuick
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