One of Rossini's masterpieces; a frothy little farce on the surface with an underlying sharp social critique.

This performance is a very intimate meeting of three great artists of Jazz, featuring music ranging from Argentinian Tango to international musical favourites. Very rarely has the vibrant intensity of a performance been captured with such atmosphere.

In Michael Hampe's much-praised staging, Don Giovanni appears "as the embodiment of absolute, irresistible tempestuous life force.." and "as rebel against human order, against law and morality".

Hungarian choreographer Youri Vámos combined E.T.A. Hoffmann's "Nutcracker" story with Dickens' immortal "A Christmas Carol". A colourful dance production in which ballet, music and film are skillfully combined.

Monteverdi is generally regarded as the father of European opera. His "Poppea" is a blood and thunder melodrama, set in Nero's Rome and loaded with passion, jealousy, murder and savage ambition.

The members of the ensemble are all distinguished soloists who represent a high level of artistry. This is traditional Indian folkloristic music at its purest, presented with a high level of interaction between the musicians.

Norbert Beilharz captures the Swiss choreographer Heinz Spoerli's work methods on film, basing his portrait on the development of the Swiss master's new ballet: "Goldberg Variations".

ESP 2 is the true legacy of the music of Miles Davis, kept alive by his former sidemen who are now bandleaders in their own right. Together they honor the heritage of the legendary trumpet master.

The form, rhythm and tone of Rabih Abou-Khalil's music usually follow the pattern of Arabian instrumental music, but for his amazingly cosmopolitan sound Abou-Khalil has created a synthesis of Arabian music with Western classical and jazz idioms.

The two musicians Terje Rypdal and Miroslav Vitous recently found a kindred spirit in the Indian percussionist Trilok Gurtu, who manages to play drums and percussion simultaneously on the drum set he designed himself.