Boogie woogie became a craze in 1940s America, having started as a piano form in the logging camps of Texas and Louisiana in the twenties. With a vintage parade of classic clips featuring the great exponents of boogie woogie – including Meade Lux Lewis, Albert Ammons and Pete Johnson – this programme gives a history of the distinctive style which energised popular music. As a climax, two of today’s leading Boogie artists, Big Joe Duskin and Axel Zwingenberger, stage a special jam session.
The Al Jolson Story
Little has ever been heard of the true Al Jolson – the extravagant womaniser, who poached material, went in for outrageous contractual manoeuvrings and whose occasional ruthless cruelty left him few real friends among a host of hangers-on. This colourful and candid profile of the legendary singer includes extensive film clips, rare archive and home movie footage, together with a number of interviews with those who knew him well.
Malcolm McLaren
A devotee of youth culture, McLaren has survived numerous changing trends, by turns a fashion designer, store-owner, rock and roll manager and recording artist. A prime mover in the punk era of the 1970s, he managed the notorious Sex Pistols and later gave Adam Ant and Boy George their first big breaks. Adam Ant, Boy George and Steve Jones from The Sex Pistols contribute to this illuminating profile of McLaren, which was filmed in Boston, New York and London.
¡Guitarra!
Celebrated classical guitarist Julian Bream features in this series, playing some of the finest pieces in the repertoire of the Spanish guitar, including compositions by Albéniz, Granados, de Falia, Tárrega and Rodrigo. Filmed on location in Spain, the programmes trace the evolution ot the instrument from 1500 to the present day. Against a backdrop of magnificent buildings and beautiful landscapes, ist music and history form a rich evocation of the country and her people.
Roger Daltrey
Having rocketed to fame in the 1960s as lead singer of The Who, Roger Daltrey went on to make a name as a film actor. Featuring his music and extensive Clips from his screen appearances, this profile looks at his career and at how he copes with success. It also focuses on his portrayal of the villain Macheath in Jonathan Miller’s television production of The Beggar’s Opera.
Shirley Verrett
The cameras followed Shirley Verrett during the course of a year to capture a glimpse into the life of one of opera’s great stars. She is seen rehearsing with Domingo, performing at top opera houses in roles she has made her own – Iphigénie, Tosca, Dalila, Carmen – and talking on subjects ranging from her religious upbringing and experiences of being black, to her health, diet, style and family. She performs blues and gospel numbers specially for the programme.
Symphonie Fantastique
In this live recording from the Concertgebouw, Amsterdam, Haitink conducts the Concertgebouw Orchestra in a performance of Berlioz’s Symphonie fantastique Op. 14. Sub-titled Episodes in the Life of an Artist by the composer, this brilliant psychological fantasy in music is thought to have been inspired by his passion for the famous Irish actress Harriet Smithson.
Repercussions
“Compulsory viewing for anyone remotely interested in black music” (The Guardian), this series shows off the dazzling diversity of African-American music. To explore its constantly evolving cross-fusion of styles, the film-makers travelled to Gambia to search out the traditional music of the Mandinkas; to the USA to capture the sounds of rhythm and blues, gospel quartets, and the masters of bebop; to the Caribbean to survey the colourful variety of forms blending African and European influences; and, finally, to West Africa, to record the ecstatic polyrhythms of today’s African popular music.
William Walton Gala Concert
Sir Andre Previn conducts the Philharmonia Orchestra in this gala concert, given to mark the eightieth birthday of one of Britain’s best-loved twentieth-century composers, Sir William Walton (1902-83). Recorded live from London’s Royal Festival Hall, in Walton’s presence, it features three of his most famous works: the Coronation march, Orb and Sceptre, Concerto for Violin in B minor (soloist Kyung-Wha Chung), and Belshazzar’s Feast for baritone (Sir Thomas Allen), chorus (the Philharmonia Chorus) and orchestra.