The music of Charles Koechlin (1867-1950) is as various and surprising as the passions which fired him: travel, medieval music, Bach, Socialism, film stars, stereoscopic photography and Rudyard Kipling, to name but a few. This film, a mixture of fact and fantasy, shows the figure of the composer wandering through an imaginary house in which each room reveals a new facet of his many loves.
R. S. Thomas
Born in 1913, the poet R. S. Thomas was for many years a parish priest in his native Wales. Known for his passionate Welsh nationalism, his more recent work has become increasingly inward, exploring the paradoxes and self-doubts of faith in writing of great simplicity and resonance. In this film, Thomas talks in interview and reads from his poetry, which is illustrated with stunning footage of the Welsh landscapes from which he draws inspiration.
David Cronenberg
Chris Rodley was granted complete access to follow the making of Naked Lunch, horror-film director David Cronenberg’s version of William Burroughs’ infamous novel. The resulting documentary features searching interviews with Cronenberg, producer Jeremy Thomas, the actors, and special effects wizard Jim Isaac. Burroughs himself is seen visiting the sets and meeting his Sex Blobs, insect typewriters and Mugwumps. He also reads extracts from his once-banned book.
Lenny Henry Hunts the Funk
Black comedian Lenny Henry investigates his favourite music, and finds that it’s also a language, a style, and a type of behaviour. At the artist formerly known as Prince’s recording studios in Minneapolis, Lenny meets an unparalleled array of funk artists, including the father of funk, James Brown, and members of his band. There is an orgy of performance clips featuring funk’s main men – Brown, George Clinton, Prince, MC Hammer – and the beat just goes on…
Recital Cecilia Bartoli
Recorded at London’s Savoy Hotel, this recital by the acclaimed Italian mezzo-soprano includes well-known Arie Antiche by Pergolesi, Caldara, Paisiello and Vivaldi, a selection of arias from the ever-popular Mozart operas Così fan tutte and Le nozze di Figaro, as well as the lesser-known La clemenza di Tito. The highlight of the performance is the selection of songs and arias by Rossini. Miss Bartoli is accompanied by Georg Fischer.
Cecilia Bartoli
The Italian mezzo-soprano has been hailed as the most exciting, accomplished and beautiful Rossini singer to appear in modern times. Shot largely on location in Italy, this film celebrates the talents of both Bartoli and Rossini. She is seen performing Rossini arias at the famous Gran Teatro la Fenice in Venice, in recital in London, and at home in Rome. Throughout the programme, Bartoli exhibits the passion and enthusiasm she brings to all her performances.
Terence Davies
This film explores the work of Terence Davies, one of Britain’s most distinctive and personal film-makers. In interview and through sequences he has written himself, Davies looks at his past and the themes, ideas and images which haunt him. He uses poems, music and extracts from his films to reflect upon working-class life in Liverpool, the joys of accountancy and Catholicism, and British and American cinema from Diana Dors to Doris Day.
Hakan Hardenberger – A Profile of the Swedish Trumpet Player
The Swedish classical trumpeter Håkan Hardenberger rose rapidly to the pinnacle of his profession. His virtuosity and his passion for expanding the repertoire of his instrument have made eminent composers eager to write music for him, including Birtwistle and Ligeti. In this film he is seen working with Hans Werner Henze on a new composition, rehearsing and performing classic and contemporary works, and talking about his music.
John Osborne
Dramatist John Osborne (1929-94) was catapulted to fame in 1956 with his play Look Back in Anger. He created an icon for a generation of ‘angry young men’ in the character of Jimmy Porter, whose hatred of the Establishment voiced the frustrated hopes of post-war Britain. In this programme Osborne talks about the decade of success that followed – a period of public triumph but private turmoil. The interview is illustrated with extracts from his plays.
Terry Gilliam
This profile charts the career of Terry Gilliam, the ex-Monty Python animator turned film-maker, whose highly inventive features include the hugely successful Fisher King. Viewers are given a glimpse into his private world as he is seen at home in London – making a family video, showing off the unique collection of models and memorabilia he has salvaged from his film sets, watching clips from his movies, and discussing Hollywood and the cinema with his fellow Python and friend, Michael Palin.