In early 2011 The UK’s Daily Telegraph newspaper claimed, “The Classical Guitar has a new hero”. That man is thirty-year-old Miloš Karadaglic from Montenegro. “I want to wake this instrument from hibernation”, he says. From growing up in war-torn Yugoslavia, discovering a battered guitar in his parents’ bedroom, Heartstrings tells the story of his love affair with the guitar, taking it to concert halls around the world and restoring it to ist rightful place in the pantheon of classical music. The documentary was filmed throughout 2012, the breakthrough year on the concert stage for Miloš with sold-out debut performances and tours around the word, and charts the guitarist’s story to date.
Kraftwerk – Pop Art
The amazing story of how a group of reclusive Rhineland experimentalists became one of the most influential pop groups of all time. The documentary features three exclusive live tracks filmed, at their Tate Modern shows in London (Feb 2013), interwoven with expert analysis, archive footage of the group, newsreel of the era and newly-shot cinematic evocations of their obsessions – motion, cycling, travel, globalism, communication, automation and the harmonious coexistence of man, nature and technology.
The Reichsorchester
In 2009 the Berlin Philharmonic celebrated its 125th year.The orchestra is using its jubilee as an opportunity to examine a rather unknown chapter in its history: The years under the rule of the National Socialists (between 1933 and 1945). Thanks to contemporary witnesses from the orchestra and its fringes who are still alive today, and thanks also to extensive and until now unappraised archive materials, it is possible to gain an insight into this microcosmos: where does the thin line run separating autonomy from entanglement, innocence from guilt? A chapter from the history of Germany and Berlin, as gripping as it is volatile, comes to life once more.
John Cage – Journeys in Sound
On the occasion of the 100th birthday of the American composer in autumn 2012, the documentary honors one of the most extraordinary protagonists of 20th century music. The program is directed by Oscar® winner Allan Miller, whom the ‘New York Times’ called ‘America’s foremost filmmaker of documentaries on classical music’, co-directed by Paul Smaczny. Shot in America, Germany and Japan, the program premieres rare archival footage; presenting concert excerpts and a set of short stories, featuring associates of Cage and contemporary artists, playfully delineating different aspects of John Cage. Protagonists are Yoko Ono, David Tudor, Christian Wolff, Steffen Schleiermacher, Toshio Hosokawa, Mayumi Miyata, Calvin Tomkins and many others. The film was awarded as ‘best documentary’ at the Golden Prague Festival 2012 and best educational program at FIFA Montréal 2013.
Alice Sara Ott: Nocturne
Dive into the beguiling world of John Field’s Nocturnes as interpreted by world-renowned pianist Alice Sara Ott. This film, directed by filmmaker and tenor Andrew Staples, immerses viewers in Alice’s imagination and her connection to Field’s music, offering a rare glimpse into the artist’s mind during the creative process. The interplay between historical venues and the custom-designed digital landscapes at Munich’s Hyperbowl LED studio creates an atmosphere where the intangible becomes vividly real, resulting in a film that is much more than just a performance; it is an exploration of a performer’s journey through the music of a neglected composer who left the world one of its most beloved musical forms: the nocturne.
Magic Moments of Music – Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli plays Ravel
The name Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli (1920-1995) is still inextricably linked with Maurice Ravel’s Piano Concerto in G major. The way Benedetti Michelangeli articulates the trill chains, for example, is considered unique. At the same time, Benedetti Michelangeli is a great mystery: he was notorious for his numerous cancellations. The smallest discrepancies on the instrument, a small change in the room climate from rehearsal to concert were enough to cancel a performance. His reputation, as one of the greatest of his guild, is undisputed. Pianist Krystian Zimerman remembers his artistic exchange with Benedetti Michelangeli. For Pierre-Laurent Aimard, the Italian pianist is a declared source of inspiration as a magician of acoustics. Serge Celibidache, the son of Sergiu Celibidache, provides insights into the special artistic friendship of the two perfectionists. While Marina Baranova goes in search of Benedetti Michelangeli’s grand piano in Bavaria, Cord Garben, his producer, remembers the not always easy collaboration. Jazz musician Stefano Bollani, an admirer of Benedetti Michelangeli, explains how the composer Ravel was inspired by jazz music.
Magic Moments of Music – The Wrath of Nina Simone
It is a special moment in the life of the world-famous singer and pianist. She has just become a mother and has joined the protests of the civil rights movement in America against racism and discrimination against the black population. She predominantly writes and sings protest songs, risking her career because her lyrics are considered controversial in America and are even boycotted in some cases. In Europe, she sees the opportunity to express herself freely and tell the stories of the oppression of black people from her homeland. Through television concerts like this one, she reaches an audience of millions. The film tells of Simone’s beginnings in music, how she transitioned from classical to jazz, and her courage and relentless fight for equality and freedom. “Tomorrow is my turn, no more doubts, no more fears,” Simone sings in a mix of resignation and defiant hope. She hopes that her voice can be part of the change in the situation of the black population in the USA in the 1960s. Pianist Gabriela Montero and singer Angélique Kidjo explain how music can be an instrument of resistance. Jazz singer Lizz Wright’s work is still strongly influenced by Nina Simone to this day. Opera singer Victoria Randem explains how important Nina Simone was for the generations after her. They all show how important civil courage, authenticity, and emotionality are on stage and how Nina Simone’s legacy continues to have an impact today.
Anastasia Kobekina – Now or Never
Many share the dream of a global career – but what does it truly take to make that dream a reality? Following the charismatic cellist Anastasia Kobekina, the documentary offers a unique look behind the closed doors of her record label, concert halls and into her private life. Having started to play the cello at age four, Anastasia struggles with the decisions made for her and those she must make, when asking herself: “Is it my choice or the choice of my parents?” Torn between her own and other people’s expectations Anastasia forges her path through a demanding industry and inspires by proving her ambition, talent, and resilience.
Premieres Revisited – Mendelssohn’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream in Potsdam
This episode marks the start of a captivating series: compositions at their world premiere venues. Mendelssohn composed his famous Sommernachtstraum (Midsummer Night’s Dream) as a teenager, but was not able to incorporate it into the accompaniment to Shakespeare’s fantastic comedy until 16 years later. The incidental music was commissioned by King Friedrich Wilhelm IV of Prussia and is performed in this special performance at the Theater des Neuen Palais in Potsdam, exactly where the premiere took place in October 1843. Alongside the Kammerakademie Potsdam and its chief conductor Antonello Manacorda, soloists Jeanine De Bique and Christiane Karg, who also appear in Berlioz’s exquisite Les nuits d’été, a work created just two years before Mendelssohn’s Midsummer Night’s Dream.
Premieres Revisited – Sibelius in Helsinki
Another episode of the “Premieres Revisited” series follows the steps of Jean Sibelius in the Finnish capital. The Symphony n. 5, one of the composer’s must beloved works, was commissioned by the Finnish government and premiered on December 8, 1915, on the occasion of the composer’s 50th birthday. It was much revised thereafter, and the final version was presented in 1919. Under its Chief Conductor Jukka-Pekka Saraste, the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra performs again the Fifth together with the symphonic poem The Oceanides, both compositions that evoke elements of the Nordic world, such as the flying swans of the symphony’s finale.