The Gewandhaus Quartet consists of some of Europe's most prestigious musicians and is a favorite in classical music venues around the globe. It is the oldest, uninterrupted existing string quartet in the world. Founded almost 200 years ago, the…

Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau’s Master Class at the Hochschule der Künste in Berlin. Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau is one of the most famous lieder singers of his generation. He is greatly admired for his interpretive insight, note-perfect control of the tonal…

Inspired by the Tea Ceremony, Tan Dun, the contemporary Chinese composer living in New York, wrote the opera “Tea”. Tea is a tragic love-story set against the background of Chanoyu, the Japanese tea ritual. In “Tea”, Tan Dun combines Eastern and…

David Fray’s sparkling talent is such that he is one of the few pianists of the new generation to have signed an exclusive recording contract recently with one of the current majors, Virgin Classics. In January 2008 he recorded a programme entirely…

Sir Peter Ustinov traces the life and achievements of Felix Mendelssohn. Sketches and drawings by Mendelssohn, extracts from his fascinating correspondence and music performed by the Gewandhausorchester and the Thomaner-Chor are just a few of the…

In 1827, a year before his death, Franz Schubert wrote one of his most important works: the Winterreise. In the song cycle the Austrian composer set the 24 poems of Wilhelm Müller to music and depicted the haunted soul and landscape of the state of…

At the age of 20, Robert Schumann decided to dedicate himself to music. He became one of the greatest composers of the romanticism. This documentary covers Schumann’s life from 1828 until his early death in 1856. Excerpts of productions with Leonard…

Rebirth of an Opera: Persée in the Court of Atelier is a two-hour performance documentary focusing on the remount of a three hundred year old French Baroque opera based on the Greek Myth of Perseus and Medusa. Rehearsals and corresponding stage…

The brother and sister duo Gil & Orli Shaham perform a selection of violin sonatas by W.A. Mozart in the Palais Daun-Kinsky in Vienna. This recording is brimming with energy and fearlessness, tempered by a deep understanding of - and respect for -…

In "Moro no Brasil“, the Finnish director, Mika Kaurismäki dives into the overflowing musical diversity of Brazil. Having got to know Brazil well during more than 12 years, Kaurismäki sets out on a 4000 km journey to discover local, popular culture…