Cate Blanchett lauded for latest role as a tortured conductor

Cate Blanchett as conductor Lydia Tár.(Focus Features LLC)

By Jennifer Mills

Cate Blanchett plays a fictional conductor consumed by her artistic drive in new film TÁR.

Written and directed by fellow Oscar-winner Todd Field, the film is already gathering accolades worldwide. It received a six-minute standing ovation following its September premiere at the 79th Venice International Film Festival, and Blanchett walked away with the Coppa Volpi for Best Actress.

"It's a ruthless but intimate tale of art, lust, obsession and power." - Owen Gleiberman, Variety

Alongside Blanchett, the film stars Noémie Merlant, Nina Hoss and Sophie Kauer – who is herself a professional-level cellist in real life, having studied at London's Royal Academy of Music.

Lydia Tár is chief conductor of a celebrated Berlin-based orchestra, a tour de force with a formidable international profile and a resume that also lists the Cleveland, Chicago and Boston symphony orchestras, as well as the New York Philharmonic (and a mentorship with Bernstein). Her current orchestra's concertmaster is also her wife, Sharon (Nina Hoss), with whom she's raising a daughter, Petra (newcomer Mila Bogojevic).

She's talented and self-assured, but little-by-little is no longer in charge as her fastidiously-wrought façade begins to crack.

The score, penned by Icelandic composer Hildur Guðnadóttir (another Oscar winner, for Joker), accompanies the protagonist with both a smooth momentum and a grating intensity.

Hildur Guðnadóttir.(Supplied: Deutsche Grammophon)

Guðnadóttir was initially tipped to receive Best Original Score Oscar nominations for both TÁR and another upcoming release, Sarah Polley's Women Talking, before news broke in December of TÁR's ineligibility due to being “diluted by the use of Pre-existing music.” If Guðnadóttir had received both nominations, it would have been a new record in the award category.

Music from and inspired by the film will feature on a concept album to be released by Deutsche Grammophon, interspersed between excerpts of Elgar and Mahler – Symphony No. 5 of course. Blanchett not only learnt to conduct for the film, but is featured doing so on the album.

Without Blanchett, Field said that "the film would never have seen the light of day." And lucky for us, she said yes – she's been described alternately as "masterful" (Vulture), "devilishly unrepressed" (The Wrap) and "utterly magnetic" (The Guardian) in the titular role.

"TÁR marks yet another career peak for Blanchett – many are likely to argue her greatest." – David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter

TÁR opens in Australian cinemas on January 26 2023. The concept album comes out on CD and digitally on October 21 2022, and will be released on vinyl on January 20 2023.

First published at ABC News Classic FM, October 6, 2022 and again, January 31, 2025