Everything you wanted to know about conductors but were afraid to ask(1993)

Conductivity(fi)

Conductivity is a film about creative leadership told through the story of three young conductors at the prestigious Sibelius Academy in Helsinki, Finland; I-Han Fu (Taiwan), Emilia Hoving (Finland) and James Kahane (France). When stepping on the podium, they are put under a magnifying glass. Conductor training, in essence, is leadership training. The film gives a unique viewpoint to follow the students, as this is the first film about conductor training at the Sibelius Academy.

André Rieu - 70 Years Young(nl)

70 Years Young is André Rieu’s ultimate concert featuring musical highlights chosen by the maestro himself from his illustrious career so far. This unique commemorative celebration will take you on an unbelievable journey around the world to André Rieu’s most amazing concert locations, including Schönbrunn Vienna, Radio City Music Hall New York and the Coronation Concert in Amsterdam.

The Nutcracker(en)

The young Clara creeps downstairs on Christmas Eve to play with her favourite present – a Nutcracker. But the mysterious magician Drosselmeyer is waiting to sweep her off on a magical adventure. After defeating the Mouse King, the Nutcracker and Clara travel through the Land of Snow to the Kingdom of Sweets, where the Sugar Plum Fairy treats them to a wonderful display of dances. Back home, Clara thinks she must have been dreaming – but doesn’t she recognize Drosselmeyer’s nephew?

K-Classics Generation(fr)

The film traces the career of some of the winners of this new generation nicknamed the "K-Classics Generation", including the 2 recent winners of the Queen Elisabeth Competition, the soprano Hwang Sumi and the violinist Lim Jiyoung. In Korea, where it all began, and in Germany where most of them have settled.

John Cage: I Have Nothing to Say and I Am Saying It(en)

This 56-minute documentary on America's most controversial and unique composer manages to cover a great many aspects of Cage's work and thought. His love for mushrooms, his Zen beliefs and use of the I Ching, and basic bio details are all explained intelligently and dynamically. Black Mountain, Buckminster Fuller, Rauschenberg, Duchamp are mentioned. Yoko Ono, John Rockwell, Laurie Anderson, Richard Kostelanetz make appearances. Fascinating performance sequences include Margaret Leng-Tan performing on prepared piano, Merce Cunningham and company, and performances of Credo In Us, Water Music, and Third Construction. Demystifies the man who made music from silence, from all sounds, from life.

Deception(en)

After marrying her long lost love, a pianist finds the relationship threatened by a wealthy composer who is besotted with her.

Janine Jansen spielt Tschaikowskys Violinkonzert(de)

Allegro non troppo(it)

The film is a parody of Disney's Fantasia, though possibly more of a challenge to Fantasia than parody status would imply. In the context of this film, "Allegro non Troppo" means Not So Fast!, an interjection meaning "slow down" or "think before you act" and refers to the film's pessimistic view of Western progress (as opposed to the optimism of Disney's original).

Simon Rattle: The Making of a Maestro(en)

This documentary portrait, the first television biography of Rattle for 15 years, follows him through an extraordinary year of concerts, oratorios and opera with five different orchestras. We see his rigorous preparation and experience his irresistible dynamism in rehearsal and performance. We will watch him at work with the Berliner Philharmoniker, often described as the world’s leading orchestra. We will also see him with the Orchestra Of The Age Of Enlightenment and with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra. We see him preparing a score for performance, share his experiences with the players and gain privileged insights into the day-to-day life of a conductor

Inside Karajan(en)

Very few people really knew Herbert von Karajan. The conductor gave access to his private life only a little circle of strictly loyal people who kept their secrets even long after the maestro’s death. This documentary for the first time shows in the whole dimension the real man Karajan: not only the image of a dandy that he himself had shown to the public, but the unfiltered image of his personality. Newly discovered original film footage from the inner circle shows Karajan’s private life like it really was.

Beethoven's Nine: Ode to Humanity(en)

Can a work of art remain relevant 200 years after its creation? Ludwig van Beethoven’s last completed symphony proves it’s possible.

High Fidelity: The Adventures of the Guarneri String Quartet(en)

Relationships, rehearsals, performances, hobbies, and family life of the members of the Guarneri String Quartet.

Four Minutes(de)

Jenny is young. Her life is over. She killed someone. And she would do it again. When an 80-year-old piano teacher discovers the girl’s secret, her brutality and her dreams, she decides to transform her pupil into the musical wunderkind she once was.

A Modern Man(en)

You could be forgiven for mistaking Charlie Siem for James Bond. Whether he's driving an orange Porsche to his cliff-top Monaco mansion, ordering martinis or looking suave in a designer suit, he is a man on a mission. It isn't to hunt down SPECTRE, but to find perfection in everything he does. Whether it's performing on stage, recording albums, or selecting a suit, Charlie demands the best, of himself and others. Despite an entourage dubbed ‘Charlie's Angels', he's lonesome, and complains that people can't relate to him. Danish filmmaker Eva Mulvad, with patience and panache, delves into this life of privilege to find commonalities of ambition and desire.

Waldbühne 2009 | Russian Rhythms(de)

Every year, the Berliner Philharmoniker hold a kind of classical-music fête with a bright, cheerful concert to end the season. In 2009 about 22,000 people had come together at the Berlin Waldbühne to enjoy the traditional summer picnic concert. The theme of the evening was “Russian rhythms”, and star conductor Sir Simon Rattle, the Berliner Philharmoniker and Yefim Bronfman, one of the most famous pianists in the world today, presented a superb selection of Russian music. Repertoire Tchaikovsky: The Nutcracker, op. 71, Overture, The Christmas Tree, March, Pas de deux (Intrada) Rachmaninoff: Piano Concerto No.3 in D minor, op. 30 Stravinsky: Le Sacre du printemps Lincke: Berliner Luft

Waldbühne 2010 | An Evening with Renée Fleming(de)

Repertoire Modest Mussorgsky: Night on Bald Mountain; Antonín Dvořák: Song to the Moon from “Rusalka”, Op. 114; Aram Chatschaturjan: Adagio from “Spartacus”; Richard Strauss: Final Scene from “Capriccio”, Op. 85; Richard Wagner: Overture to “Rienzi, der Letzte der Tribunen”; E. W. Korngold: Mariettas Lied from “Die tote Stadt”; Richard Strauss: Zueignung, Op. 10 No. 1; Sir Edward Elgar: Salut d’amour; Giacomo Puccini: Donde lieta uscì from “La bohème”; Tu che di gel sei cinta from “Turandot”; Ruggero Leoncavallo: Musette svaria sulla bocca viva from “La bohème”; Mimì Pinson, la biondinetta from “La bohème”; Piotr Tchaikovsky: “Romeo and Juliet” (Fantasy Overture)

Waldbühne 2011: Fellini, Jazz & Co(de)

The Waldbühne in Berlin, one of the most appealing outdoor amphitheatres on the European continent, is the home of the Berliner Philharmoniker’s summer concerts. With audiences of more than 20,000, these are some of the most popular classical music concerts in the world. Riccardo Chailly is famous for having one of the broadest and most eclectic repertoires. Here, under his baton, the orchestra presents perennial favourites by Shostakovich, Rota and Respighi. Live recording from the Waldbühne, Berlin, 23 August 2011, directed by Kasten Henning, produced by Jan Bremme. TV Producer: Dorothea Diekmann, RBB. Repertoire Dmitry Shostakovich: Suite No. 2 for Jazz Orchestra (Suite for Variety Orchestra), Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk Suite – Allegretto; Nino Rota: ‘La Strada’ Ballet Suite; Ottorino Respighi: Fountains of Rome • Pines of Rome • Danza gueresca ‘Belkis’; Paul Lincke: Berliner Luft

The Planets(en)

Based on the famous Gustav Holst musical suite, this musical film takes watchers on a magnificent journey of the planets of the Solar System.

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart 'Symphony No. 41 in C Major'(en)

Packed with intricate melodies, harmonies, and instrumentation, Johannes Vogel conducts the Synchron Stage Orchestra to perform Mozart’s Symphony No. 41 in C Major K. 551 in this elegant live concert stream. Captured in Vienna’s state-of-the-art Synchron Stage recording facility, experience the thrills and swells of a 40-piece ensemble - 30 string, 5 woodwind, 4 brass, and 1 percussion - comprised of talented musicians from renowned Viennese orchestras. Mozart completed Symphony No. 41 in C Major on 10 August 1788 – the final of three masterpieces he wrote that summer. Labelled ‘Jupiter Symphony’ by music critics, Symphony No. 41 is an example of divine perfection, brimming with the beautiful complexity, emotion, and excitement that represents the possibilities of humankind.

Antonin Dvořák's 'Symphony No. 9 in E Minor'(en)

Packed with intricate melodies, harmonies, and instrumentation, Johannes Vogel conducts the Synchron Stage Orchestra to perform Antonin Dvořák's Symphony No. 9 in E Minor Op.95 (also known as ‘New World Symphony’) in this joyful live concert stream. Captured in Vienna’s state-of-the-art Synchron Stage recording facility, experience the thrills and swells of a 60-piece ensemble – 40 string, 9 woodwind, 9 brass, and 2 percussion – comprised of talented musicians from renowned Viennese orchestras. While serving as the director of the National Conservatory of Music of America, Antonín Dvořák composed New World Symphony (a title inspired by his travels in the United States) and debuted the masterpiece in New York City on 16 December 1893. The symphony has since become one of the most famous works in classical music, filled with hope and happiness as well as uplifting instrumentals that makes it a pleasure to listen to come rain or shine.