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There's a first time for everything, and thus Chinese multi-disciplinary artist Ai Weiwei set out to make his debut as an opera director, with an entire film crew following the meticulous preparations of this endeavour. Ai Weiwei's Turandot provides not only a rich insight into the creation process, but also offers a glimpse into the heart and brain of China's most famous artistic dissident.
Naples, 18th century. Salvatore "Totò" Sapore, an unemployed minstrel, always manages to cheer up the hungry with his songs about good food, always upsetting Vesuvia, a magma witch who lives inside the Vesuvius.
Against the backdrop of the Temple of Concordia in Agrigento and for the occasion illuminated with a play of lights that make the location even more evocative, Piero, Gianluca and Ignazio experience the magic of Christmas and write a letter to Santa Claus, just as they did as children.
A documentary about the three Woodstock music festivals.
In Liverpool there's a gang war between the Mods (who dress in the latest fashions and styles) and the Rockers (who are more into the '50s "greaser" look). Ricky, the son of a wealthy businessman, is a Mod guitar player, and in a gang fight with some Rockers, his girlfriend is killed. He leaves Liverpool for the continent and winds up in Rome, where he becomes involved with his father's mistress.
The movie will chart the journey of Richard and Cosima Wagner as they arrive in Venice following the prèmiere of Parsifal in 1882. The plot will turn on an alternative history, as it will see Wagner’s father-in-law, Franz Liszt, follow the couple soon after as news of a comet headed towards earth launches Wagner into composing one final piece of music.
The love story of Eva, a young immigrant who has always dreamed of becoming a singer but works as a dishwasher, and Armie, a very skilled pianist with a fervent imagination. Both will discover that fantasy, dream and life can instead mix and become the recipe for happiness. The background is New York after the Great War and before the Great Depression, in an era of music, hopes and great changes.
After winning in battle, Commander Macbeth receives a prophesy that he will one day become King of Scotland. Influenced by the whisperings of his wife, he literally stops at nothing to fulfil the prophesy. But racked by guilt, the Macbeths soon sink into delusions and become victims of their own thirst for power. Anna Netrebko reprises her electrifying portrayal of Lady Macbeth opposite Plácido Domingo at the Berlin State Opera. Maestro Daniel Barenboim leads the opera icons along with the Staatsopernchor and Staatskapelle Berlin.
In the 16th century, in Cyprus, at the port of Famagusta, General Otello arrives with his ship after defeating the Turkish navy in the Mediterranean and securing Venetian rule over Cyprus, but jealousy, conspiracy and revenge lead to tragedy. ‘Otello’ is an opera in four acts by Giuseppe Verdi, with a libretto by Arrigo Boito based on William Shakespeare’s ‘Othello, the Moor of Venice’, and premiered on 5 February 1887 at La Scala in Milan. Taken from the ‘Tutto Verdi’ box set of 27 Verdi operas. Recorded live at the Salzburg Festival, 5–10 August 2008.
A love story cloaked in gypsy magic. Angel is a famous rock star. An idol for millions of teenagers who copy her "look" and adopt her language. She has everything a girl could wish for with the exception of a true love. Suddenly, her whole life crumbles; she is blackmailed with some videos where she is seen making love with Francisco, a gypsy boy he met on the island of Ibiza. Francisco, who is in love with Angel, admits that he had been paid to seduce her, but he did not know he had hidden cameras in the room. To prove his love, he decides to personally undertake the investigation leading him to unveil a surprising ending.
“ Bird 100 ” , a tribute to Charlie Parker on the centenary of his birth ( Aug. 29, 1920). The story of Bird, the revolutionary musician and the man tormented by the “ evil of living, ” is told by Franco Maresco with the support of archival materials and the participation of pianist Salvatore Bonafede and alto saxophonist Orazio Maugeri.
This first-rate 1982 production of Verdi’s Falstaff marked the great 20th century Italian maestro Carlo Maria Giulini's return to opera conducting after more than a decade's absence. Renato Bruson leads a brilliant cast as the lovable fat knight Sir John Falstaff, going toe to toe in a series of hijinks with Katia Ricciarelli (Alice Ford) and Brenda Boozer (Meg Page).
A movie about Domenico Modugno, famous singer.
Combining musical and dance numbers with comedy sketches (performed by members of The Armando Curcio Company and The Gauthier Ballet Troupe)without any plot, this is more of a revue than a movie, along the lines of The Ed Sullivan television series in the U.S.
Italian filmmaker Carmine Gallone was still in his "operetta" mode when he helmed 1938's Il Sogno di Butterfly (Dream of the Butterfly) Maria Cebotari plays opera diva Rosa Belloni, currently starring in a production of Puccini's Madama Butterfly. The plot thickens when Rosa's backstage life begins to mirror the travails of the character she is portraying. The climax comes when Harry Peters (Fosco Giachetti), the American father of Rosa's illegitimate child, returns after four years with his new wife in tow, leading inexorably to a doleful ending both on- and offstage. Critics complained about the substandard photography in Il Sogno di Butterfly, but this might have been due to poor laboratory work.
Music, ballet, folk dances and mime eliciting the spirit of Naples across the ages are loosely tied together by the comedic wanderings and exploits of the Esposito family.
There was once upon a time the Grand Duchy of Forilalì where Aladdin lived. After taking part in many robberies, he decided to turn honest for the love of the beautiful Princess Esmeralda. But his intention lasted only a few days. Afterward he found himself in jail with his old companions. They were freed by the magician Magrebì and in a night of lunar eclipse, Aladdin found a magic lamp. He succeeded in cleaning his sister Adalgisa's house with the help of the genie and then, with no help at all, to marry Esmeralda. But evil powers were in action.
From the Giovanni Agnelli Auditorium in Turin, the RAI National Symphony Orchestra, conducted by D. Kitaenkoosn, performs works by Rachmaninov and Ravel.
Super Guitar Trio brings together three legends of jazz guitar: Larry Coryell, Al Di Meola & Biréli Lagrène. These three virtuoso musicians have collaborated at various times in their career, but this concert from 1989 comes from the only tour they have done together as a trio. They perform a mixture of tracks from each of their solo repertoire plus special arrangements of some of their favorite tracks by other artists. For jazz musicians, playing at Montreux is always a highlight and the three guitarists are clearly inspired by playing together in the unique Montreux atmosphere.
In the panorama of Kurdish music, Koma Berxwedan (Group Resistance) is one of the most interesting, innovative, experimental groups. To a deep love for music research the group has always associated a strong political commitment. Some of its members have joined the PKK guerrillas in the mountains of Kurdistan. Three of them died in combat. Some have been forced to live in exile and others continued to challenge the Turkish authorities by carrying out their work in Kurdistan.
An account of the life and artistic career of Raffaella Carrà (1943-2021), Italian pop star and television personality, told through the voices of those who knew her best.
With “La Gioconda,” Amilcare Ponchielli (1834–1886) composed a magnificent romantic melodrama that blends French opera and Verdi-esque drama. Fifty years after its last performance, the Teatro San Carlo in Naples is staging “La Gioconda” with Anna Netrebko in the title role, alongside Jonas Kaufmann and Ludovic Tézier.
A humble Neapolitan with singing ambitions, being broke, resorts to bag-snatching. He's arrested and while in jail he takes part in a singing contest and wins it with some kickback by a powerful mafia boss. He becomes a famous singer, falls in love with a gold digger and forgets the only love that really counts on this earth, his mother's.
In 2021, the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia marked a new beginning following the closures caused by the health emergency, with a packed programme of concerts and events, often described as a moment of ‘opening’ and hope, and sometimes referred to as the ‘Overture’.
Hired as a pizza chef in a resort town, Nino tries to resist the advances of a hotel owner’s daughter while his true love back home awaits his return.
The 30-year career of the most famous Italian artist in the world between past, present and future to relive the most loved hits and discover the backstage secrets of the world tour. The three chapters of the artistic life of a true international icon who has never forgotten her Italian roots.
Nine episodes about life in Italy in the period just before its economic boom.
Rome, 1965. The entire city awaits the inauguration of the Piper. While the journalist Roberto Benetti falls in love with Sabrina May, the kept woman of a politician, thus giving up a scoop, the young Mario, leader of the band "I demoni", meets Milena, who has fled from Venice to sing. A fortuitous event will offer the two young people the opportunity to perform in the legendary club.
Trumpeter Enrico Rava and pianist Fred Hersh perform from their album, The Song Is You, at the Italian Piacenza jazz festival.
The son of a rich industrialist forces a woman to become his fiancée by threatening to bankrupt her parents — until an unlikely hero steps in.
Carlo is a successful singer, married to Livia; the two also have a son, Maurizio. Carlo decides to accept a tour in the USA but, shortly before departure, together with his agent Puglisi has a sentimental adventure with two women. Livia, having discovered what had happened, leaves home with Maurizio.
Rita, a vivacious co-ed flees her boarding school with her music teacher, who is also engaged to her. She wants to take part in a singing contest but her father who is dead against it has her kidnapped. He finally gives in when his wife threatens to sing in the contest herself.
Amateur songwriter falls in love with a Sicilian girl, but her father has already promised her to another.
David McVicar’s production of Giulio Cesare manages to combine serious insight with entertainment, bringing Handel's masterpiece to life in a powerful, convincing and highly intelligent way. ln every line of the complex narrative the subtle nuances are apparent, reflecting perfectly the transparent and exquisite nature of Handel's musical expression. Filmed in High Definition and recorded in true surround sound, the outstanding singing of the all-star cast, led superbly by Sarah Connolly, and the vivid playing of the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment under the energising baton of William Christie reveal the colour and dramatic character of Handel’s music in a most delightful manner.
From Milan's Teatro alla Scala, the traditional Christmas Concert. The program includes Francis Poulenc's “Les Animaux modèles” suite for orchestra and Charles Gounod's “Messe solennelle de Sainte-Cécile” for soloists, choir, orchestra, and obbligato organ.
Edoardo Iaschi (known as Eddie Brock) is an Italian indie singer born and raised in Rome. When his song “Non è mica te” unexpectedly goes viral on TikTok, Edo is thrust into the spotlight and forced to confront the realities of adulthood, fame, and a world far bigger than he ever imagined…
Puccini s last and unfinished opera tells the tale of Turandot, the cruel daughter of the Chinese emperor, who demands that her suitors correctly answer three riddles. If they fail they are beheaded. Turandot does this in memory of a female ancestor who was brutally ravished and murdered by a marauding prince. Many have failed her test, the latest being the Prince of Persia who will be executed at moonrise. Watching is Calaf, son of the King of Tartary, who on seeing Turandot is captivated by her beauty and he takes up the challenge. With Rosario La Spina cast as Calaf, Susan Foster as the icy princess and Hyeseoung Kwon as the loyal slave girl Liù, the singing throughout is superlative. The choreography and direction of Graeme Murphy is visionary, add the set and costume designs of Kristian Fredrikson, and the lighting of John Drummond Montgomery and this production is glorious in its beauty.
Mozart and Da Ponte use the theme of "fiancée swapping", which dates back to the 13th century; notable earlier versions are found in Boccaccio's Decameron and Shakespeare's play Cymbeline. Elements from Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew are also present. Furthermore, it incorporates elements of the myth of Procris as found in Ovid's Metamorphoses, vii.[10] Place: Naples Time: the 18th century
A musical fairy tale for children, Op. 67 by Sergei Prokofiev, conducted by Wayne Marshall, featuring Arturo Brachetti.
From the Toscanini Auditorium in Turin: Pergolesi’s Concerto in G major for flute, strings and bass; Johann Sebastian Bach’s Suite-Overture No. 2 in B minor, BWV 1067, for flute, strings and bass; Giovanni Battista Pergolesi’s Stabat Mater. Conducted by Fabio Biondi, with Jennifer O’Loughlin (soprano) and Sara Mingardo (contralto).
Live from Bologna, a concert featuring the finalists of the 29th International Composition Competition, held in memory of the victims of all massacres. Maestro J. Santonja conducts the Teatro Comunale Orchestra in a performance of the three finalist pieces. This will be followed by G. Verdi’s Requiem Mass, conducted by Maestro D. Renzetti.
From Sermig in Turin, the professors of the RAI OSN perform: Corelli’s Concerto Grosso in F major, Op. 6, No. 9; Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto No. 5 in D major for flute, violin, harpsichord, and strings; and Handel’s Concerto Grosso in B minor, Op. 6, No. 12.
Based on Gluck's masterpiece and performed entirely on location in and around the environs of the Baroque Theatre at the Cesky Krumlov Castle in the Czech Republic; it's an opera production designed specifically for the film with outstanding sets and production values. Countertenor Bejun Mehta sings the role of the torn main character and acts as an artistic advisor, making for an involving and impeccably performed opera.
Using unedited archive footage Questa storia qua recounts Vasco Rossi's exceptional career as an artist and a man. Twenty-five million albums sold in his thirty year-long career, unfading success and a unique story: Vasco Rossi talks about himself in this documentary and for the first time presents us with an intimate self portrait. A new, authentic picture is created of this rockstar from Emilia Romagna thanks to super 8 footage, family photographs and amateur videos. Vasco accompanies us along the path which took him from Zocca, in the province of Modena, to success. He describes his personal history without ever taking himself too seriously, while his words conjure up recollections of an era and a generation. He is accompanied by friends, his loved ones and musicians who have always followed him and who help us to discover that special mix of memories, nostalgia, rebellion, freedom and talent which have inspired his songs.
20 short films about human rights.
This story took place during World War II. A group of Italians living in London are raising funds to rebuild a Catholic cathedral that was bombed by the Nazis. To this end, they organized a concert, the proceeds of which would go toward the construction. The project was led by journalist Carlo Scala. He faced and overcame many difficulties in organizing the event, but he handled them with honor, and the performance by leading Italian singers took place. He was assisted in this by the incomparable Dora Scala.