In 1808 the composer and violinist Louis Spohr was invited to a rehearsal in Beethoven's house of the D Major Piano Trio, Opus 70, No.1 known as The Ghost, and wrote of the occasion: "It was not an enjoyable experience. First of all the piano was…

1970 was the 200th anniversary of Ludwig van Beethoven’s birth and, to mark the occasion, Daniel Barenboim and Christopher Nupen collaborated on a thirteen-part series about the man and his music. Close friends at the time, Barenboim as artist and…

John Williams is almost certainly the most accomplished performer on the Spanish classical guitar that the world has ever seen. Guitar technique was considerably developed and extended in the early years of this century by Andrés Segovia, but he was…

In 1972, when Vladimir Ashkenazy was at a new peak both in his playing and in his career, we planned with him to shoot two recitals for television, one Chopin and one Beethoven. For quite some time he had been extremely reluctant to perform in…

In 1972, when Vladimir Ashkenazy was at a new peak both in his playing and in his career, we planned with him to shoot two recitals for television, one Chopin and one Beethoven. For quite some time, Ashkenazy had been extremely reluctant to perform…

This opera is based on the Greek legend of Ulysses and his return to Ithaca after years at the Trojan wars.

A film about Georges Bizet and his ill-starred masterpiece. This film has two themes: first the substance and narrative of Bizet's perennially popular opera and second the story of its disastrous première, which had such a dramatic effect on Bizet…

This is a filmed record of Pinchas Zukerman’s first concert in Munich as both soloist and conductor. This is the concert, which provided two sequences for the film Pinchas Zukerman: Here to Make Music. Pinchas Zukerman was drawn into conducting by…

The programme is a musical celebration of the nativity, featuring many traditional carols, illustrated by pictures by the Old Masters from the National Gallery in London. With music by Handel and Vaughan Williams.

'Rejoice' is a celebration of seasonal songs and traditional carols. An outstanding item on this programme is the performance of Elgar's little known "Starlight Express" which was written for a Victorian children's play. Works by Mozart are also…