Born in Montbrison, France in 1925, Pierre Boulez studied under influential figures such as Olivier Messiaen at the Conservatoire de Paris. Boulez's career began in the late 1940s as music director of the Renaud-Barrault theatre company in Paris, and…

The film portrays Igor Stravinsky, one of the most fascinating artistic personalities of the 20th century. Numerous visual and audio documents trace his most important stations in life and work in Russia, Western Europe and America. Stravinsky is…

Throughout his life, Johannes Brahms was uneasy with women. Many of his works have their origins in his unfulfilled passions, but he was never prepared to commit himself to a woman. Several years of intensive research have resulted in this impressive…

János Darvas joins the composer György Kurtág during a masterclass for chamber music held at the International Bártok Festival in Szombathely, Hungary. This film is an amazing and somehow intimate document showing György Kurtág’s various methods of…

The film portrays Bruno Walter (1876-1962), one of the most important conductors of the 20th century. The Italian biographer Michele Selvini speaks about the musician Bruno Walter who formed the musical life of the capitals of Europe and the United…

Antonio Pappano has been announced the successor of Bernard Haitink as Music Director of the Royal Opera in London’s Covent Garden. Since 1992, when he was named Music Director of the Théatre Royal de la Monnaie in Brussels, he has been working with…

The composer Claude Debussy was born in St. Germain-en-Laye, a few miles outside Paris, in 1862. While a pupil at the Conservatoire, he composed music that did not conform to the theory of the times. He contradicted his teachers by claiming that…

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…

How can a young Japanese woman carry on the legacy of the old jazz legends? The young Miho Hazama is a big name on the international jazz scene. In the US, she has been recognised as one of the 25 shooting stars who will shape the future of jazz. Now…

Take a pianist and composer from today's jazz scene, a curious musician constantly on the lookout for new experiences. Put him in the presence of soloists from the Ensemble Intercontemporain for a stimulating improvisation session. Then leave them to…