Deutsche Welle presents "Classical Masterpieces"

Six master composers, six symphonies, a top orchestra and its star conductor – these are the main ingredients for creating an exceptional classical menu on DW-TV: "Kent Nagano Conducts Classical Masterpieces" is an outstanding musical documentation produced as part of the cooperation between the Deutsche Welle and the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin (DSO).

The six-part production presents exceptional works from musical history and their creators. The series kicks off with "An Alpine Symphony" by Richard Strauss. It is followed by Symphony No. 3 (Eroica) by Ludwig van Beethoven, Robert Schumann’s Symphony No. 3 (Rhenish), Johannes Brahms’ Symphony No. 4, Anton Bruckner’s Symphony No. 8 and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s Symphony No. 41, the Jupiter Symphony. The works are presented by star conductor Kent Nagano and the internationally successful DSO Berlin. The concerts were recorded in the Philharmonie in Berlin.

This television production has a special feature: entertaining animated sequences that tell historically authenticated stories from the lives of the master composers. The filmed recordings of the concerts and the documentary segments also depart radically from the usual aesthetic format of classical music programmes. Remote-controlled cameras, boom shots and rapid cuts are all devices that up to now have mostly been used in the field of pop music. They create new angles and a modern look. It is hoped that this will appeal to young viewers who have until now shown little or no interest in classical music.

DW’s Director-General, Erik Bettermann: "Classical music has always been an excellent ambassador for Germany throughout the world, and is also an important aspect of European culture. This series with Kent Nagano and the DSO fits in perfectly with the cultural mission of Germany’s international broadcaster. What is more, the "Classical Masterpieces" series is a highlight of outstanding quality, not least because of the cooperation with such renowned partners. This is why we will be presenting it to our international audience on a multimedia platform."

To produce the series, DW-TV brought together an experienced team: its directors are Oliver Becker and Ellen Fellmann, whose unusual music documentaries have already attracted great attention. The producer, Bernhard Fleischer, is also a specialist in the field of classical music; his production "Anna Netrebko – The Woman, The Voice" is one of the most successful classical DVDs ever. Sound engineer Martin Sauer has already been awarded five Grammies. The director of photography, Henning Brümmer, has worked with directors like Werner Herzog and Christoph Schlingensief, as well as with the legendary Hollywood cameraman, Michael Ballhaus. The animated sequences were created by Martin Missfeldt, a pupil of the German artist Georg Baselitz. Scriptwriter Rolf Rische has worked across a number of genres as a TV editor, documentary filmmaker and fiction writer.

The series has been filmed at "High Definition Standard" (1920 x 1080 pixels in the 16:9 format). "This makes it possible to have cinema-quality images," says project manager Rolf Rische. In addition to the television programmes, there will be a DVD series containing full-length recordings of all the symphonies presented, as well as the documentary segments. Rische promises that "The DVD will present this classical production in excellent Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound. That means the listener is virtually placed right in the middle of the concert hall."

DW-TV will broadcast this ambitious six-part series worldwide in German, English, Spanish and Arabic, starting on 22 July 2006. DW-RADIO will be presenting adaptations in several languages, while DW-WORLD.DE will provide supplementary material on the series on the Internet.
11 May 2006

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