Magic Moments of Music – John Cranko’s ‘Onegin’

John Cranko, born in South Africa in 1927, moved to London as a teenager and quickly became a well-known choreographer after a short career as a dancer. In 1961, the artistic director of the Stuttgart Theatre persuaded him to take over the position of creative leader of the then little-known Stuttgart Ballet. Within a short time, Cranko succeeded in making the ensemble one of the most successful companies in the world. None of his works better exemplify Cranko’s artistry than Onegin. The piece, based on Pushkin’s verse novel Eugene Onegin and set to music by Tchaikovsky, premiered at the Stuttgart Ballet in 1965 and remains Cranko’s greatest success to this day and is still on the repertoire of many ballet companies. Cranko condenses Pushkin’s novel into a theatrically effective distillation by focusing the drama on five characters. At the same time, Cranko demonstrates that pas de deux are not only the dance highlights of a ballet, but should also be the driving force behind the plot. The Russian audience was very sceptical when Cranko announced that he would be performing his Onegin at a guest performance in Moscow in 1971. Cranko had ventured into two sacred works of Russian culture, Pushkin’s novel and Tchaikovsky’s opera. But the performance in Moscow became Cranko’s greatest triumph. He died shortly afterwards, in 1973.

Premieres Revisited – Handel’s Messiah in Dublin

A film to explore the profound cultural and historical impact of Handel’s Messiah, tracing its journey from its legendary 1742 Dublin premiere to becoming a yearly sing-along tradition on Dublin’s streets. With exclusive interviews, the film features insights from conductor Proinnsías O’Duinn, violinist Dermot O’Hanlon, and singer Sharon Carty, who perform in the traditional open-air performance with the Lady’s Choral Society and the Dublin Handelian Orchestra. The production portrays Messiah not just as a historical relic, but as a living tradition that continues to move and empower audiences 285 years after its first notes echoed through Dublin.

The power of the Ring – 150 Years ‘The Ring of the Nibelung

Wagner’s ‘The Ring of the Nibelung’ is the musical embodiment of the motto “Think big.” The documentary ‘The Power of the Ring – 150 Years of the Ring of the Nibelung’ embarks on an entertaining journey of discovery into the fascinating world of Wagner’s operatic cycle. With conductors Gianandrea Noseda, Simone Young ; Philosopher Slavoj Žižek ; Scientist Eva Rieger ; Author Boris Schumatsky ; Stage Director Andreas Homoki

The Free Spirit – Carl Maria von Weber

A tireless innovator: Carl Maria von Weber was defined by curiosity, musical expressiveness and an insatiable artistic energy. Soprano Regula Mühlemann, baritone Äneas Humm, composer Jörg Widmann, film composer Rachel Portman and others discuss an artist whose influence extends far beyond the famous Freischütz. Carl Maria von Weber saw the orchestra as a narrative force; he experimented boldly and opened up new musical horizons, the influence of which extends into the modern era and film music. At the same time, his life was marked by upheavals, shaped by illness, financial strain, tireless work and the search for his own artistic language beyond established traditions. “The Free Spirit – Carl Maria von Weber” takes us into the world of a composer who, until his untimely death at the age of 39, worked tirelessly to renew the sound of his time and to give music its own language of expression, thereby opening up a new way of listening for his audience.

Super Diva – Opera for Everyone

The Portuguese Soprano and “opera communicator” Catarina Molder is opening the world of opera for new audiences of all ages and musical backgrounds in an absolute out of the box TV format which integrates magazine, documentary and fiction. After the success of ist preceding Portuguese seasons, Super Diva premieres with 13 English episodes. Each of them focuses on one super opera, unveils ist plot and context and reworks ist most emblematic super aria. World famous guests like Sir Antonio Pappano, Rolando Villazón, Gaëlle Arquez, Sonya Yoncheva or René Pape share their personal experiences in opera confessions. Finally, the Consulting Room! Opera Mix presents new exciting versions of great operatic hits. Super Diva also includes the innovative feature of twitter opera: newly commissioned operas in short film format which reflect upon present-day life and are thematically related to each episode’s super opera. Episodes: Die Zauberflöte, Macbeth, L’incoronazione di Poppea, Cavalleria rusticana, Fidelio, Norma, Otello, Carmen, Faust, Tosca, La forza del destino, Turandot, Tristan und Isolde.

Nederlands Dans Theater 3

According to the ancient Greek legend, Prometheus brought fire and culture to mankind, thus saving the world from being destroyed by Zeus. Through the ages, this story has inspired countless artists, poets and musicians to some of their grandest creations.

Christopher Swann’s film is based on a 1993 televised concert from Berlin’s Philharmonic Hall.

The program features music by Beethoven, Liszt, Skriabin and Nono based on the legend of Prometheus. The four compositions could not be more diverse in style and conception, representing highly different approaches: from the Prometheus as bringer of plague and destruction to the punished Prometheus chained to a rock.

In this film, Christopher Swann stresses a visual approach to this variety of ideas, using a number of modern film techniques to underscore and illustrate the musical presentation.

Performances by the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra under Claudio Abbado are first-rate, although it is the presence of Argerich that will make this DVD an obligatory purchase.

Carlos Kleiber – I am lost to the world

Carlos Kleiber, the eccentric and reclusive conductor par excellence, is remembered as much for the rarity of his appearances as for the brilliance of his interpretations. In marked contrast to his contemporary Herbert von Karajan, Kleiber refused to participate in the international music business – as well as in most interviews. Accordingly, Kleiber the Man and Kleiber the Musician have remained an elusive mystery that this new documentary, following extensive research amongst the conductor´s musical companions, collaborators and friends, sheds light upon. Featuring Riccardo Muti, Otto Schenk, Ioan Hollender, Sir Peter Jonas, Michael Gielen, Ileana Cotrubas and many more as interview partners as well as several musical excerpts of previously unseen footage. “What the film … conveys is the tremendous emotion that Kleiber produced in people or, rather, that he stirred up in them.” (Süddeutsche Zeitung)