Johann Sebastian Bach: Brandenburg Concertos 1-6

Piero Cappuccilli and Shirley Verrett lead Verdi’s sombre masterpiece, drawn from one of Shakespeare’s most celebrated tragedies. Filmed for television at Teatro alla Scala in 1979, Claudio Abbado conductes a night to remember.

World-renowned maestro Claudio Abbado opens up about his life and work in this profile that effectively combines images of the conductor in rehearsal and in concert and interviews with friends, colleagues and Abbado himself. The video includes footage of Bruno Ganz, Daniel Harding, Marcel Prawy, Albrecht Mayer, Wolfram Christ, Kolja Blacher, the Berlin and Vienna Philharmonics, the Lucerne Festival Orchestra and more.

The captivating story of the Venezuelan Youth Orchestra System - an incredible network of hundreds of orchestras formed within most of Venezuela’s towns and villages. Once a modest program designed to expose rural children to the wonders of music, the system has become one of the most important and beautiful music phenomena in modern history. To Play and To Fight presents interviews and performances by many of the world’s most renowned musicians including the great tenor Placido Domingo, Claudio Abbado, Sir Simon Rattle, Guiseppe Sinopoli, and Eduardo Mata, as they reflect on the impact of such a far-reaching social project. The documentary also presents the inspirational stories of world class musicians who have been trained by the Venezuelan system, including The Berlin Philharmonic’s youngest player Edicson Ruiz and world class conductor Gustavo Dudamel.

The historic 1984 revival performance of Il viaggio a Reims was the first time in over 150 years the opera was performed. Set in a luxurious hotel in Plombières-les-Bains, the opera follows a diverse group of aristocratic characters as they gather to celebrate the coronation of King Charles X of France. Amidst the festivities, wacky antics ensue, romantic entanglements unfold, and the characters face various comedic and dramatic challenges, showcasing Rossini's masterful blend of music, comedy, and drama.

Claudio Abbado once remarked that, “With Beethoven, you never stop learning“ and indeed: the 75-year-old Milanese maestro has constantly reworked the symphonies of the master from Bonn (1770-1827). When they performed and recorded all nine Beethoven Symphonies at the Academia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia in Rome, the nationwide Italian newspaper La Repubblica simply called it: “The most wonderful symphonic cycle of the past decade.” Each of the symphonies is of course a masterpiece in itself – each represents the composer’s musical idiom at a particular stage in his development. Be it the famous Pastorale, his 6th symphony, the popular 9th, with its characteristic motifs, the less commonly performed 4th or the 7th, which marked his leaning toward romantic undertones – Abbado’s interpretations are the fruit of decades of involvement with Beethoven.

Count Almaviva is in love with Rosina. However, she is currently staying with Dr. Bartolo – who desires to marry her. By using a series of disguises, Almaviva manages to pass letters to Rosina and serenade her with his beautiful voice. Dr. Bartolo does his best to stop Almaviva but is constantly thwarted. In the end, Count Almaviva marries Rosina and Dr. Bartolo comes to terms with his defeat.

Beethoven: Concerto N° 2 for Piano and Orchestra; Symphony N° 9

From the ‘Arturo Toscanini’ Auditorium in Turin, as part of the Rai NuovaMusica series, conductor Pascal Rophé presents ‘Gli occhi che si fermano’ for orchestra by Francesco Antonioni and the Italian premiere of ‘T.S.D.’ for cello and orchestra by Giya Kancheli, performed by cellist Mario Brunello. The second half of the evening is entirely dedicated to the great Hungarian composer Peter Eötvös with ‘Reading Malevich’ for orchestra and ‘Dialog mit Mozart’, a piece for orchestra.

Maestro Mario Brunello tackles Bach's violin repertoire with a new reading on the piccolo cello of the sumptuous Sonatas and Partitas for solo violin. The Chaconne in D minor, a masterpiece of the repertoire for solo instrument, resonates in the lunar landscape of the volcano Etna in a performance of great sonic impact.

A documentary about the life of Andrei Tarkovsky in exile in Western Europe including Italy, Sweden, Germany and France until his sad demise to a fatal cancer.

Detti leaves the Harz to help build East Berlin but faces a cold welcome. He bonds with roommate Matthias and meets Silke. Assigned to Marzahn’s construction brigade, he works through challenges, determined to stay. His resolve pays off when he falls for Jasmin.