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.
Arnold Schönberg – The Restless Visionary
He was the founder of a new musical age and the overpowering father figure of musical modernism. With his departure from tonality and the invention of twelve-tone music, Arnold Schönberg left his mark on the music of the 20th century more momentously than any other composer. The founder of the Second Viennese School, whose concerts in the first decade of the 20th century provoked notorious scandals among audiences, did not see himself as a radical subversive but rather as a staunch upholder of the great German-Austrian musical tradition. On his way into new musical territory, he was guided by an uncompromising desire for the integrity of musical expression. To celebrate the 150th anniversary of his birth, the 90 min. film Arnold Schönberg. The Restless Visionary uses previously unpublished archival material to paint a long overdue, comprehensive portrait of one of the most important, yet also most original and versatile artistic personalities in history. The film also provides surprising insights into lesser-known aspects of his life and personality: his religious conflicts, his family environment, setbacks, his painful emigration to America, and his enigmatic fear of the number 13.
Hope on the Road – South Africa
Together with his father, Daniel Hope travels to his native South Africa. 30 years after the end of apartheid (1994), he not only explores his family history there, but also the rousing music that was part of the political transformation of the rainbow nation. Golda Schultz, Vusi Mahlasela and many others support him in his work.
Víkingur Ólafsson – My Favourite Melodies
Acclaimed pianist Víkingur Ólafsson shares his deep connection with music, from Icelandic songs to the works of Bach, Mozart, Rameau, and Philip Glass. He explores how these pieces shaped him and how his feelings differ when performing works like the Goldberg Variations or Bartok’s Folk Song. Ólafsson invites us into his world where musical knowledge, Nordic roots, and creativity merge in his interpretations.
Richard Strauss – In the Twilight
He is a music mage. To this day, he fascinates audiences with his magical sense of sound. But the tracks of the luminous figure that is Richard Strauss are followed by a dark hadow in discreet agreement. Who is one, who is the other? How are they connected? The film IN THE TWILIGHT illuminates the multiple layers of the man and musician Richard Strauss. Oscillating between high key and low key, between darkness and light, visually striking spaces are revealed for the musical genius as well as the viewer´s desire for association.