‘Five Orchestral Pieces’ Opus 16, written in 1909, is one of Schönberg’s most famous compositions, and a breakthrough in his work. With this piece Schönberg broke away from tradition, and made the revolutionary step from tonal to atonal music. 'No…

A documentary on Stravinsky’s «Symphonies for Wind Instruments», a funerary work written in memory of Debussy (for whom Stravinsky had always felt a great friendship). The ‘Symphonies for Wind Instruments’ was composed by Igor Stravinsky in 1920 in…

A documentary on Pierre Boulez and his work «Eclat». «Eclat» is a real study of resonance written for fifteen instruments and created in 1965.

«Sonic Acts» provides an informed survey of the development and current state of affairs of electronic music. The boundaries between the serious and the popular sides of electronic music are becoming faint and this film explores the crossover taking…

A documentary illustrating the unique working relation that has developed between the conductor Riccardo Chailly and his world famous Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra. The film features rehearsals and performances of works by composers such as Mahler…

How did artists survive in the Soviet Union? How tricky did they have to be in the face of authorities? What kind of danger and difficulties did they have to fear? Gennadi Rozhdestvensky talks about authorities, watchdogs and the political system in…

There were several compelling reasons to make a film portrait of Maurizio Pollini (b. 1942): his immense talent as a pianist, his rare personality, his affability, intelligence and the desire he himself expressed to submit to this exercise for the…

The great German baritone Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau is greatly admired for his interpretive insight, note-perfect control of the tonal qualities, and shadings of color in his voice, for exceptional rhythmic sense and impeccable diction. His reputation…

Documentary on the award-winning young violinist, Gilles Apap; filmed in Santa Barbara, California. The repertoire of Gilles Apap, this highly gifted young musician, is not solely limited to classical music, but also spans many works in the…

1 – The Devil's Instrument This 2-part film explores the history of violin performance during the 20th century and using rare archival footage to illustrate the work of its most significant artists. Starting with a performance of Mendelssohn's…