The film tells the story of classical black singing set against the background of black emancipation in politics and society. We hear the great Afro-American singers talk about their views. Historical and contemporary film extracts.

In this recording acclaimed pianist András Schiff performs the first part of the fifteen piece cycle “On an Overgrown Path”, written by Czech composer Leós Janácek. Inspired by his Moravian homeland, the music is filled with folk melodies and is…

The Sonata 1905 is probably the most important work for piano by Czech composer Leós Janácek. In this work he expresses his deprecation for the violent death of a young worker who was killed in demonstrations short before. In this recording Hungarian…

Musical encounters with Barbara Hendricks on tour in Eastern Europe with several Eastern European vocal masterworks in her musical repertoire. Our film documents this encounter between Western artists and Eastern Europe, both in the concert hall and…

Bruno Monsaingeon is famous for getting up close and personal to world-class artists in his documentaries. In this invaluable historical document, he offers the audience an intimate portrait of living-legend violinist Yehudi Menuhin - talking about…

The six Brandenburg Concertos by Johann Sebastian Bach rank among the undisputed favorites of all baroque fans. They have become a firm fixture in music education and an integral part of our international musical heritage. So what’s their secret? The…

In the eyes of his contemporaries, Johannes Brahms’s violin concerto was so different from everything that had come before that, after the premiere, a critic stated that it wasn’t a concerto, but a “symphony with violin obligato”. In an interview…

Debussy’s “La Mer” is a masterpiece of suggestion and subtlety in its rich depiction of the ocean. Several authors have claimed that “La Mer” sounds like nothing before it. As a specialist in French Impressionism, the British pianist and writer Paul…

The Surprise Symphony is the best known of the over 100 symphonies by Haydn. Its second movement is the most popular and gave the symphony its name: legend has it that the sudden beat of the timpani was meant to rouse members of the audience who had…