Recorded live from the Philharmonie in Munich, Sir Colin Davis conducts the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra for this performance of Mahler’s great song symphony.
Sinfonia Concertante in E flat K364
From the Munich Philharmonie comes a live recording of Sir Colin Davis conducting the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra in a performance of Mozart’s Sinfonia Concertante in E flat K364, featuring the internationally-acclaimed soloists Yuri Bashmet (viola) and Vladimir Spivakov (violin). An introduction to the concert performance is available, which shows Sir Colin Davis working with the soloists and the orchestra, documenting the painstaking preparation that goes into achieving the conductor’s musical vision.
Ken Russel’s ABC of British Music
Asked to make a programme about British music, one of his greatest passions, Russell came up with this video A to Z. His shamelessly personal selection of music – the best and the worst – ranges from Britten to The Beatles and from Purcell to Punk. The items come in a variety of forms, including specially-recorded performances, archive film, pop videos and television clips, and link man Russell also comes in many guises – butler, nun, undertaker and Hell’s Angel, among others!
John Neumeier at Work
The American dancer and choreographer John Neumeier is renowned for his work with the Hamburg Ballet. He was filmed with the company over a busy six-month period, which encompassed rehearsals for Artus Sage, the creation of The Magnificat, and performances in Hamburg, Paris and Avignon of works including his acclaimed St Matthew Passion. Throughout the programme Neumeier talks about his methods and his creative influences.
Bernardo Bertolucci
Shot on location in China, this programme looks at the making of Bertolucci’s Oscar-winning epic, The Last Emperor. The director is seen filming various sequences, including the coronation scene in the Forbidden City in Beijing, for which he used thousands of extras from the Red Army. He also talks about the particuiar challenge of this huge multi-national production and his fascination with the story of Pu Yi, the last Chinese emperor. An interview with Peter O’Toole, who plays the young emperor’s tutor, is included.
Andy Warhol
Warhol’s death in 1987 was the end of a classic American rags-to-riches story. Born in the slums of Pittsburgh, he grew up dreaming of Hollywood stars and eventually became a cult hero himself, famous for his Pop Art, his bizarre Underground films and simply for being a celebrity. This film looks at the whole range of his creativity and focuses on his unique understanding of mass culture, using archive and newsreel footage, extracts from his movies and interviews with many of his closest associates.
The Death and Life of Garcia Lorca
Spain’s most revered twentieth-century poet and dramatist was born in 1899 and assassinated in 1936 during the early days of the Spanish Civil War. Location filming in Spain traces the sources of his imagery and poetic imagination, and extracts from his poems, plays and letters are intermixed with the story of his life and the events leading up to his brutal murder. His biographer, lan Gibson, also contributes, together with surviving relatives, friends and witnesses.
Raymond Chandler
Chandler’s lonely, wise-cracking hero, Philip Marlowe, has become the very epitome of the fictional private eye. This film special, shot in California and London, includes interviews with contemporary thriller writers, Chandler’s biographer, Robert Mitchum – who has played Marlowe in two films – and others who knew or worked with him. It evokes his enduring portrait of Los Angeles and tells the story of his extraordinary life through dramatised excerpts from his letters.
The Andrew Lloyd Webber Story
Lloyd Webber has achieved unprecedented success in the world of musical entertainment. He talks about his life and his music in an in-depth interview, illustrated with excerpts from his hit shows, including Evita, Cats, and Jesus Christ Superstar, many specially staged for this programme. Elaine Paige, Sarah Brightman and Marti Webb perform Lloyd Webber favourites, and the original production of The Phantom of the Opera is seen in preparation, rehearsal and performance.