For Olivier Messiaen, birds are “the greatest musicians inhabiting our planet”. Their endless melodies with the finest tonal gradations, their diverse singing and the infinite variety of rhythms are the lifeblood of the French musician. On the occasion of the 30th anniversary of his death on 27 April 2022, we tell Olivier Messiaen’s story from the perspective of the birds.

In 1989, Nigel Kennedy’s recording of Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons causes a turmoil in the world of classical music. The press call the musician the “punk violinist” while others treat him with scorn. However, the record goes on to sell more copies than any other classical album before or since. Kennedy succeeds in transcending the reservations of an audience that considers classical music too elitist or aloof. The film tells of the incredible rise of an outsider into superstar and of a Vivaldi interpretation that has achieved cult status.

When Nigel Kennedy presents his vision of a new classical album to the record company EMI, he is met with broad scepticism. Certainly, with his wild hair and an outfit that mixes punk, gothic and new wave, he’s far from the typical classical musician. But manager John Stanley senses an opportunity: “If Kennedy is permitted to be who he is, you could sell millions of records.” And he’s proven right.

The film takes viewers back to 1989 when Kennedy and the English Chamber Orchestra shook up the music scene with their recording of Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons. With daring and verve, Kennedy appeals to an audience that was otherwise averse to classical music, resulting in album sales of over three million and an entry in the Guinness Book of Records.

Early on, the protege of Yehudi Menuhin stands out as a rebel: in the day he studies at the renowned Juilliard School and at night he plays in the New York jazz clubs and learns the art of improvisation, among others from Stéphane Grappelli.

Kennedy recalls: “The classical world felt like a straitjacket. I had to change something or else I had to get out. There was nothing to lose.” During the recording of The Four Seasons, he strives to free himself both from historically informed performance and the Russian School of playing. He seeks out and finds an interpretation that is inarr keeping with the times. With his playing style and arresting appearance, he breaks with the conventions of the classical concert business. The controversy is even discussed in the UK Parliament.

In the concert recording – filmed in the manner of a pop concert – the London audience sits at the edge of the stage in jeans and jumpers. The outfits of the orchestra musicians and the stage lighting change depending on the season. Star violinist Maxim Vengerov tells us what is revolutionary about Kennedy’s playing, and fashion designer Esther Perbandt gives her own view: “He’s an individualist. He doesn’t dress like this to market himself.” Nigel Kennedy says of himself: “I can only be who I am. And that’s how I am.”

With his groundbreaking recording, Kennedy helps young musicians to question the limitations and precedents of the classical music world and he pushes the door wide open for an audience to discover Vivaldi’s famous music.

They are a family with seven children, each of them an exceptionally talented musician. The Kanneh-Mason siblings, their enormous success and their incredible energy team up to prove that classical music is not exclusively for those with light skin and financial means. The documentary film “7 Lives of Music – The Kanneh-Mason Family” by Catharina Kleber will be aired on 3sat on February 5^th 2022 at 8.15 PM. It will provide moving, emotional, and surprising glimpses into the private lives and the careers of this incredible family.

It all started with Sheku: The winner of “BBC Young Musician 2016” was invited to play the cello during the Royal Wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. He became world-famous overnight and pulled his siblings into the spotlight along with him. The eldest of the seven is Isata. She plays the Schleswig-Holstein-Musikfestival while her sister Jeneba debuts at the Wigmore Hall in London with her brothers, as each of the siblings makes their way through the beginnings of promising careers that will lead them to the height of their fields. Along the way, they meet some of the current greats: Simon Rattle and Christoph Eschenbach, Daniel Hope and Thomas Hampson. Every step of their path is taken together, lifting each other up and showing the younger siblings and the world: If I can do it, so can you. With this attitude, all seven play the BBC Proms and record at the legendary Abbey Road Studios.

Their parents are never far from their sides, but they aren’t the drill sergeants one has come to expect from families such as the Bachs, the Mozarts or the Jacksons. Kadie and Stuart are as surprised as anyone at their children’s talent and determination. They are able to support these qualities, without pushing them.

The film is a portrait of all of the family, with glimpses of their dreams and goals but also the barriers and worries along the way. It spotlights rehearsals in the living room, battles on the soccer pitch and glamorous concerts with equal interest. The Kanneh-Mason Family know first-hand how hard it is for people of color and from outside the inner circle to succeed in the world of classical music, but they prove beyond a doubt, that it may not remain that way.

The private life of José Carreras was not always as glamorous and undiluted as his international career: his family was persecuted by the Franco regime, his mother dies of cancer when he was only 18, in the late 1980s he is diagnosed with leukemia. At that time a death sentence. Carreras takes on the fight and survives as one of the first patients to be treated with a bone marrow transplantation.

Especially the handling of tragic moments in his life reveals a lot about the human behind the opera star. He is a tireless warrior, a great communicator, and a merciless optimist. His energy is demonstrated not least in 1990 with the founding of the Three Tenors alongside Luciano Pavarotti and Placido Domingo. Shortly before their formation, Carreras was part of the first recording of Leonard Bernstein’s “West Side Story”, where he took on the lead role of Tony as the only Spanish person in the production.

The over 30 yearlong dedication for the José Carreras Leukemia Foundation is another proof of the indomitable nature of the Catalan: year after year he invites stars to his charity gala in Leipzig. Over 220 million euros have been donated to date – another impressive lifetime achievement.

The film shows the ups and downs of a grand career – and lets companions, friends and José Carreras himself speak about it. Birthday wishes from Plácido Domingo, Peter Maffay, Klaus Meine, Barbara Schöneberger, and many other stars demonstrate the admiration and respect with what the lucky tenor is met with.

In April of 1975, a piece of music history is made in London’s Fairfield Hall: the legendary pianist Arthur Rubinstein, who is gradually going blind, wants to leave a legacy to the world. Chopin’s Second Piano Concerto has accompanied him throughout his life. At Fairfield Hall, Rubinstein brings it to life a final time in his warm-hearted, lyrical style.

For this occasion, Arthur Rubinstein returns to London, where he made his debut 63 years earlier. Now 88 years old, he is a living legend, on a par with the great composers like Rachmaninoff and Stravinsky. It is the finale of a lifetime of achievement and a grandiose performance from a past master.

Rubenstein dominated the world stage for three quarters of a century and lived life to the fullest as a connoisseur, globetrotter and notorious womaniser. Although he claimed to practice as little as possible, he would go on to become one of the most important pianists of the 20th century and described himself as “the happiest man I ever met in my life”.

In Farewell to Chopin Daniel Barenboim confesses that at the age of just 14, he smoked his first cigar and drank his first vodka together with Rubinstein. His constant companion Annabelle Weidenfeld recalls his incredible charm, and youngest daughter Alina Rubinstein remembers the charismatic but often absent father whom she “wouldn’t trade for anyone in the world”. Rarely seen archive recordings provide fascinating insights into the family life of the Rubinsteins, while the master at the keys also has his own say.

No audience is present for this legendary concert recording – the performance is exclusively for the cameras. Together with the London Symphony Orchestra under conductor André Previn, Rubinstein is every bit the lustrous piano icon: upright and elegant in his tailcoat, he is enthroned at his instrument. The maestro’s playing is generous, luminous, supple, rhapsodic. Seemingly effortlessly, he evokes his singing and breathing “Rubinstein tone” that is venerated to this day. At almost 90 years of age, this exceptional musician and interpreter of Chopin is as captivating as ever: he is buoyant, a little mischievous. His audience always loved him for these qualities – and he loved them back.