“… it goes without saying that Franz Liszt cannot be a quiet piano player for quiet state burghers and cosy sleepyheads". This is how Heinrich Heine assesses Franz Liszt's public position. The Sonata in B minor, written in 1852/53 and considered one…

A series of six recitals, including the last five Beethoven Sonatas, by this master pianist at a new peak in his career. Both his audiences and the critics have been aware in recent years of new dimensions in Ashkenazy's playing. This may stem in…

A 45-minute feature on the subject "love", taking as an example the relationships between Clara and Robert Schumann and Johannes Brahms. The film presents Hélène Grimaud playing excerpts from Schumann's Piano Concerto with the Staatskapelle Dresden…

In Spring 2009, the year of Joseph Haydn, Xavier de Maistre was invited to the Esterházy Castle in Eisenstadt, where the composer officiated nearly thirty years. After an introduction in which he plays a solo Fantasy on a Theme of Haydn by Marcel…

This film features the first collaboration between Daniel Hope and Daniel Harding, although they have known and cherished each other for a long time. The film reveals pictures of the two sympathetic and charismatic musicians working as a team in such…

Sol Gabetta and the Chamber orchestra Basel perform Haydn’s Concert for violoncello and orchestra in C major in the magnificent St. Martin Baroque church in Rheinfelden. The second piece is Plainscapes for mixed choir, violin and violoncello…

The story of Caffé Taci, downtown Manhattan: the craziest place in the opera universe, with diamond dealers, losers, up-and-coming singers, opera stars like René Pape, an-85-year-old Russian pianist, aficionados, agents and bohemians. Life is a big…

The Concerto for Orchestra by Bela Bartok is one of the most frequently performed works of the twentieth century. The French composer and conductor Pierre Boulez explains how he interpreted this composition with the Berlin Philharmonic. He also…

Ludwig van Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony has the character of an appeal. From the very start, the four-note “fate” motif casts a spell on listeners. The German Beethoven expert Wulf Konold illustrates the ingenious variations of this motif on piano…

In time for his 65th birthday in November 2007, Daniel Barenboim has completed a cycle of Beethoven's piano concertos. Recorded live at the prestigious Klavier-Festival Ruhr in May 2007, this recording reflects both a very individual and special…