Mozart: Requiem KV 626 – Chor und Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks, Mariss Jansons

New Year's Concert 2024(de)

New Year's Concert 2024

Beethoven - Symphony No. 7(de)

Recording of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Herbert von Karajan playing Beethoven's 7th Symphony.

Beethoven - Symphony No. 8(en)

Recording of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Herbert von Karajan playing Beethoven's 8th Symphony.

Chopin: The Space Concert(en)

200 years after Chopin's birth, the Space Shuttle Endeavour, like a giant piano, took the music of Chopin into orbit.

In Search of Mozart(en)

Made to celebrate the 250th anniversary of Mozart's birth, IN SEARCH OF MOZART is the first feature-length documentary on Mozart's life. Produced with the world's leading orchestras and musicians, told through a 25,000 mile journey along every route Mozart followed, this detective story takes us to the heart of genius. Throughout, it is the music that takes center stage, with the jigsaw of Mozart's life fitting around it.

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.

Scotland: Edinburgh, the Highlands and the Hebrides(en)

This fascinating musical exploration of Scotland retraces the journey taken in 1829 by acclaimed composer Felix Mendelssohn, which inspired some of his most famous works, such as the "Scottish" Symphony and "The Hebrides" overture. Travel from the majestic sites of the historic Edinburgh Castle, Scott Monument and Palace of Holyrood to the picturesque island of Staffa, home of the legendary Fingal's Cave.

Jonas Kaufmann – Mein Wien(de)

Jonas Kaufmann's very personal tribute to the city's famous music. We see the star tenor on the move in Vienna, visiting his favorite places, from the Ferris wheel to the sausage stand. The centerpiece of the more than 100-minute documentary is the acclaimed concert at the Vienna Konzerthaus, where Jonas Kaufmann, accompanied by the Prague Philharmonic under the direction of Jochen Rieder, sang world-famous melodies from Viennese operettas and famous Viennese songs. The Viennese audience was enthusiastic, and the reviews for the concert were glowing. Interspersed with the music from the concert, we experience Jonas Kaufmann at his favorite places in Vienna, in front of the Konzerthaus, at the Naschmarkt, and in the Vienna Cemetery – sharing interesting facts and stories about Viennese music. "My Vienna" is an atmospheric declaration of love, a personal documentary full of music and stories that touch the heart and put you in a good mood.

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.

Vivaldi: The Four Seasons(de)

The exquisite harmony of Vivaldi's masteerpiece with stunning video of nature's wonderous beauty.

Tchaikovsky: Symphonies Nos. 4, 5 & 6 - Gergiev(en)

Valery Gergiev is widely recognised as the greatest modern interpreter of Tchaikovsky’s music and the Mariinsky holds a peerless reputation in the repertoire. Together they deliver definitive interpretations of Tchaikovsky’s most popular symphonies. These acclaimed performances were filmed at Salle Pleyel in Paris during January 2010, directed by Andy Sommer. The themes of fate and death pervade Tchaikovsky’s final symphonies. The composition of the Fourth Symphony coincided with the breakdown of Tchaikovsky’s marriage and a failed suicide attempt, yet he considered it to be his greatest. In contrast he believed his Fifth to be flawed and uninviting, yet today this heartfelt work is widely regarded as one of his finest. The subject of fate is further instilled in the Sixth Symphony, premiered shortly before Tchaikovsky’s death. It was posthumously entitled ‘Pathétique’ by his brother and is a deeply melancholic work, full of dynamic extremes and an inherent sense of finality.

Bach: Magnificat - Karajan(en)

Live performance of Johann Sebastian Bach's Magnificat, BWV 243 from Herbert von Karajan's New Year's Eve concert in 1984.

Figaros Hochzeit(de)

Shortly after WWII, the DEFA Studios produced a series of operas and operettas which belonged to the classical German musical heritage. This enchanting film, the very first opera production of DEFA, stands out because of its lavish decor and costumes, its outstanding actors and their masterful voices of that time.

Days of Happiness(fr)

Emma, a talented conductor and rising star on the Montreal scene, has a complicated relationship with her father and agent Patrick. She has to face up to her emotions and decide whether she wants to successfully combine her career with her love affair with Naëlle, a recently separated cellist and mother of a young son.

Boulez at 80(en)

Pierre Boulez conducts the BBC Symphony Orchestra and Chorus in a special concert from the Barbican, as part of the composer's 80th birthday celebrations. The programme contains two compositions by Debussy; Jeux and Trois ballades de Villon, as well as Daphnis et Chloé by Ravel, featuring soprano Elizabeth Atherton as soloist.Presenter Charles Hazlewood interviews Boulez and discusses the concert with guest Sir Peter Maxwell Davies.

Tanglewood Music School and Music Festival(en)

This video depicts Tanglewood in its very early years. It contains very rare footage of Serge Koussevitzky and Aaron Copland.

O, Fortuna! A portrait of the composer of Carmina Burana, Carl Orff(fr)

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.

Julia Fischer - Violin & Piano(en)

German virtuoso Julia Fischer performs violin and piano concertos by Saint-Saens and Grieg, accompanied by the Junge Deutsche Philharmonie under the baton of Matthias Pintscher.