Luciano Pavarotti heads an exceptional cast in this spectacular live recording from La Scala, Milan, with Ghena Dimitrova, Maria Chiara, Nicolai Ghiaurov and Juan Pons, all in peak form. Luca Ronconi’s magnificent production of Verdi’s much-loved masterpiece was a triumphant success, with Mauro Pagano’s monumental settings capturing perfectly the imposing grandeur of the land of the Pharaohs and the ochre hues of the desert. Lorin Maazel conducts.
In Rehearsal: Mariss Jansons
Featuring some of today’s leading conductors in rehearsal, this series gives a unique insight into the process of creating great music. The conductors’ very different styles and methods; the dialogue between an orchestra and an inspired interpreter; the intensity of the preparations for a concert performance; and the struggle towards perfection are captured in these revealing audio-visual records. Most episodes include a full run-through of the work rehearsed. All include interviews with the conductor who is seen at work. Mariss Jansons prepares Bartók’s Miraculous Mandarin Suite with the Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra.
David Bowie
Ever since he burst on to the music scene in the early 1970s, David Bowie has been one of rock’s most consistently inventive performers. Driven by manic creativity and restless energy he has constantly assumed new roles, each signalling a change of personal and musical direction. In a wide-ranging interview Bowie talks about his many reinventions of himself and his music, and these remarkable changes are charted in memorable performance extracts and archive film.
Sting
Sting first found fame with the band The Police and then went on to forge a highly successful solo career. He is one of today’s most thoughtful and literate songwriters, adopting an eclectic array of styles, while remaining a best-selling artist world-wide. Filmed at his magnificent English country manor, Sting is seen recording his hit album Mercury Falling. An elusive star who has preserved his essential privacy against all odds, he talks in interview about his life and his music.
Elaine Paige
Elaine Paige played Grizabella in the première staging of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s musical Cats and shot to stardom overnight when she created the title role in his hugely successful Evita. This music special focuses on Paige’s portrayals of Eva Peron (Evita), Norma Desmond (Sunset Boulevard) and Edith Piaf (Piaf). The cameras follow her to Buenos Aires, Hollywood and Paris to investigate the lives of these charismatic, but very different, women, whose stories are juxtaposed with her own. A wealth of rehearsal and performance footage is included in the programme.
The French Chanson
Charles Aznavour, Juliette Gréco, Petula Clark and Mireille are among the singers who take part in an exploration of the French chanson, looking at its history, its distinctive character, its stars, its enduring popularity and its unique role in French culture. Material drawn from sound and film archives featuring many of the great chansonniers is included, and the final vital ingredient in the programme is Paris, home of the chanson, captured in a melancholy, wintry mood.
k. d. lang
Shot on location in Vancouver and Los Angeles, this intimate portrait charts k. d. lang’s journey from her childhood in Canada to superstardom. The vocalist gave the cameras unprecedented access to film her as she worked on her album All You Can Eat and she is seen with her long-time collaborator Ben Mink, laying down the type of multi-octave, soaring vocals that have earned her the reputation of being one of the most outstanding popular singers of her generation.
Country Music
This colourful, upbeat documentary travels to Nashville to look at the huge impact women singers have recently made on the country music scene. It is jam-packed with music, from wonderful catchy songs to hauntingly emotive ballads and features artists including Kathy Mattea, Mary Chapin Carpenter and Pam Tillis, as well as long-time stars Dolly Parton and Tammy Wynette.
Lionel Bart
Composer and lyricist Lionel Bart, who died in 1999, had a remarkable, if chequered, career. He first found success writing hit records in the 1950s and went on to pen a string of musicals – including the ever-popular Oliver! – which brought him enormous fame and riches. A big spender whose generosity was exploited by others, he became addicted to drugs and alcohol. Failure, bankruptcy and obscurity followed. In the 1990s, the inimitable Bart bounced back. Seen working on a revival of Oliver! in London’s West End, he tells his story in a lively documentary filled with his music.
Tim Rice
From his first meeting with a young composer called Andrew Lloyd Webber, to his Oscar-winning songs for Disney’s Aladdin and The Lion King, this programme traces Tim Rice’s development as a lyricist. It centres on a relaxed and informative television interview with the man who is never at a loss for words. Rice and Lloyd Webber talk about the development of shows they created together, such as Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat, Jesus Christ Superstar and Evita.