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 The Restless Visionary uses previously unpublished archival material to paint a long overdue, comprehensive portrait of one of the most important, yet also most original and versatile artistic personalities in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.
Herbert Blomstedt – When Music Resounds, the Soul Is Spoken
The feature-length film portrait When Music Resounds, the Soul Is Spoken To was created between his 90th and 95th birthdays. It accompanies Herbert Blomstedt in his work with selected orchestras, which are representative of the many international ensembles he has either led or with which he still works regularly, and observes the gifted communicator during rehearsals and concerts. Blomstedt vividly conveys his clear interpretive ideas, turning every orchestra rehearsal into an experience. As an exciting discourse on life philosophies, musical life and experiences as a musician, the film is a portrait of an unpretentious artist who has decisively shaped the classical music world for decades and continues to do so to this day.