Piano

Alexander Waugh has been passionate about pianos ever since he was a small boy. Fuelled by an insatiable curiosity about the roots of his musical addiction, he sets out in search of other like-minded piano-obsessives to discover what it is about this instrument that has the power to turn seemingly rational people into compulsive lifelong piano junkies.

The remarkable story of Fa'amoana's time as a state ward in the 1960's and the intergenerational impacts of these experiences.

A behind the scenes look at the making of The Piano Guys' music video for their cover of "Fight Song" and "Amazing Grace". Filmed on location in Scotland, featuring an old castle on a loch, and a marching band of bagpipe players. The Guys though encounter a host of issues in the making of this music video, and it takes all their collective ingenuity to pull the whole thing off.

This installment of the Classic Archive series captures renowned American pianist Murray Perahia at one with his art form, interpreting the works of Ludwig van Beethoven with unrivaled virtuosity and sensitivity. At once playful and disciplined, Perahia's technique evokes the mastery of a poetic genius who strives to blend the lyric and the epic, much like Beethoven united classic and romantic styles in his compositions.

A talented but down-on-his-luck pianist struggles with depression and bad habits as he tries to keep his relationship, and his sanity, intact

Filmed at the stunning Red Butte Garden in Utah, Live At Red Butte Garden is an outdoor concert special. The Piano Guys perform many of their most popular hits live including "Titanium/Pavane," "Rolling in the Deep" and "What Makes You Beautiful" along with three additional bonus performances.

George Gershwin's musical world becomes clearer and closer thanks to the children's story of the cook's son Izya Shmulevich. And, as the composer said: "Jazz is music, it uses the same notes that Bach used".

An old retired photographer on the edge of bankruptcy makes last attempt to fight for his house while taking care of his mentally ill wife.

Mandy Moore from Clone High covers three Elliott Smith songs in Columbine High School's cafeteria.

After decades of work on Beethoven’s original scores, the Austrian pianist Rudolf Buchbinder offers a definitive interpretation of all of Beethoven’s piano concertos in this series of live recordings of his ecstatically acclaimed performances in the Musikverein in Vienna. Buchbinder conducts the Vienna Philharmonic from the piano and achieves a rare degree of tension and chamber-like concentration. “There is no one else who plays Beethoven with such classical perfection and at such a high level.” Der Kurier, Vienna

For those who know the out-of-print Gramavision 5-hour, 5-CD release of the 1981 performance of The Well-Tuned Piano, this Just Dreams 401-minute DVD of the entire 1987 performance is the inevitable complement. The continually expanding composition now includes more musical material than even La Monte Young can play in one setting. Together, the 1981 release and the 1987 video provide a much more comprehensive perspective of the scope and complexity of the work.

Angela Hewitt shares the inspiration and experience behind her award-winning playing in an illustrated lecture that explains the technical and practical steps essential for performing Bach on the piano. For the first time she appears on a 2-DVD set, launched in conjuntion with her Bach World Tour which took her to all corners of the globe during the 2007-2008 concert season. In the first disc, she conducts a ‘masterclass’, discussing all the challenges, possible pitfalls and delights in performing Bach on the piano. The second disc features Hewitt live in concert. This is an unmissable release.

Maestro Leonard Bernstein conducts and talks about the work of Ludwig van Beethoven. The collection includes all nine of Beethoven's symphonies, the piano concertos performed by Krystian Zimerman, the monumental Missa Solemnis and four overtures together with the String Quartet op 131, excerpts from the ballet 'The Creatures of Prometheus' and the Choral Fantasy op 80 - all introduced and conducted by Bernstein.

A documentary that centers around the dynasty created by the very musical family the Casadesus'. Robert Casadesus, his wife Gabby and son Jean became arguably the most prolific family of classical pianists in history. Narrated by Jean, this story follows the career of the group as well as their growth as solo performers. Recitals by all three from the Bell Telephone Hour archives are also included.

The music and influences of experimental pianist Margaret Leng Tan, featuring concert clips and interviews.

Featuring works by Ravel, Beethoven and Fauré, this Classic Archive installment spotlights the artistry and technique of the French piano school via recitals by three gifted musicians: Vlado Perlemuter, Yvonne Lefébure and Robert Casadesus. The program also includes a pair of bonus performances by pianists Hephzibah Menuhin, who studied under Marcel Ciampi, and Dino Ciani, a pupil of Alfred Cortot's.

A shark has trouble making friends on account of how scary he looks and confides in the practice of a piano

The first installment of a series profiling the next generation of great pianists highlights the work of Russian virtuoso Boris Berezovsky, who has forged a reputation as a musician of remarkable creativity and sensitivity. In a memorable recital recorded live at Germany's state-of-the-art Philharmonie Essen in 2006, Berezovsky plows through a set list of works by Beethoven, Godowsky, Liadov, Llywelyn and Medtner.

Six legendary film composers each write an original piece for a classic pianist to perform.