The film focuses primarily on Sanssouci, the summer palace of the Prussian King, Frederick the Great. A performance by the renowned chamber orchestra, The Hannover Band, on historical instruments. Music by J.P. Kirnberger, C.P.E. Bach, C.H. Graun, J…

This film is a docufiction on the great Toscanini – Larry Weinstein pushes the boundaries of conventional documentary storytelling by borrowing tools from fiction films, including dramatic reconstructions and historical cinematic stylings.The film…

A retrospective view of twenty years in the life of this Soviet-born master pianist who has lived in the West since 1963. We have been producing films and television programmes with Vladimir Ashkenazy since 1966 and this one spans the entire period…

"Bach around the world" celebrates in the form of a Pledge Show the great composer and Thomaskantor Johann Sebastian Bach. Impressions of all over the world give an idea of how modern and popular the old music of the composer still is. Whether in…

This film traces the unlikely journey of a lock of hair cut from Beethoven's corpse and unravels the mystery of his tortured life and death. The film begins in modern times when a pair of Beethoven enthusiasts, Ira Brilliant and Dr Alfredo “Che”…

Behind the Scenes at TURANDOT follows Zhang Yimou from his initial meetings with Maggio Musicale Artistic Director Cesare Mazzonis in Florence, to the costume workshops of the Peking Opera in China. The documentary features rehearsals with the…

In March of 2004, the Royal Opera Covent Garden in London cancelled its contract with Deborah Voigt. The official reason given by the casting director: too fat. The opera world was outraged. Since when can't opera singers be overweight? Since Callas…

At the age of 43, Anton Bruckner has not developed his full musical genius. Although everything inside him is striving towards music he finds one excuse after another to turn away from his vocation. Having completed every imaginable course of study…

This unique archival discovery shows Bruno Walter rehearsing Brahms's Symphony No. 2 with the Festival Orchestra Vancouver, Canada in 1958. It also includes the only existing film interview ever made with him.