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Language
English
Description
From an imperial-era Russian Christmas party, a young girl named Clara is whisked in her dreams to an imaginary world populated by the animated creations of the wizard toy maker Drosselmeier. Clara innocently develops a crush on the imaginary Nutcracker prince. Upon her arrival in the Land of the Sweets, she dances a yearning pas de deux with the Nutcracker Prince. It makes the ballet far more interesting. The frequent involvement of Drosselmeyer...
Language
English
Description
Includes a documentary hosted by the San Francisco Symphony's music director Michael Tilson Thomas, who discusses the drama, pathos, elation, and despair embodied in Tchaikovsky's 4th Symphony; the documentary features interviews with musicians as it takes the viewer behind the scenes to experience the preparation that goes into a performance of the piece. Also includes a live performance of the complete Tchaikovsky 4th by the San Francisco Symphony,...
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Description
"Explore the dreamlike world of Rudolf Nureyev's interpretation of The Nutcracker. In his imaginative retelling of a 19th-century classic, the young Clara is propelled by dark forces from the realm of childhood into a radiant kingdom where she takes centre stage. With a striking psychoanalytic dimension to the traditional festive favourite, Clara's surreal journey becomes an allegory for the hopes and dreams of a young girl on the cusp of adulthood"--Container...
Language
English
Description
Leonard Bernstein earned glory as a composer, conductor, and pianist (classical and jazz), but nothing gave him more pleasure than the joy of teaching. He presented the unique blend of spoken words and music. He is an intensely interactive teacher, getting his audience to sing, springing a quiz full of trick questions. He can take the most abstruse subject and present them to a young audience with clarity, without condescension, and with a clear sense...
Language
English
Description
The Symphony No. 5 in E minor by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky was composed between May and August 1888. It was first performed, under Tchaikovsky's own baton, in St Petersburg on November 6, 1888. While composing the symphony, Tchaikovsky constantly doubted his powers of composition. However, after a performance of the symphony in Hamburg the composer wrote: I no longer have a bad opinion of the symphony, and like it once more!" Musicologist and Tchaikovsky...
Language
English
Description
This program from the Famous Composers series provides an overview of the tumultuous life and influential work of Russian composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, born to a large family with a history of military service. The film details Tchaikovsky's early loss of his mother, and how it influenced him greatly throughout his life. His musical education at the Saint Petersburg Conservatory distanced the composer from both his family, who wished him to...