DVD Videos

Stephen Kovacevich's international reputation as a pianist has been built both on his concert appearances, renowned for their thoughtfulness and creative intensity, and on the highly acclaimed recordings he has made throughout his career. He is considered as one of the most searching interpreters of the core classical repertoire and he has won great admiration for his recordings of Mozart, Beethoven, Brahms, Schubert and Chopin. In this masterclass he works with a student on Chopin's F Minor Fantasy

Stephen Kovacevich's international reputation as a pianist has been built both on his concert appearances, renowned for their thoughtfulness and creative intensity, and on the highly acclaimed recordings he has made throughout his career. He is considered as one of the most searching interpreters of the core classical repertoire and he has won great admiration for his recordings of Mozart, Beethoven, Brahms, Schubert and Chopin. In this masterclass he works with a student on Schubert's Impromptus Nos 1 and 3 from Op 90.

Stephen Kovacevich's international reputation as a pianist has been built both on his concert appearances, renowned for their thoughtfulness and creative intensity, and on the highly acclaimed recordings he has made throughout his career. He is considered as one of the most searching interpreters of the core classical repertoire and he has won great admiration for his recordings of Mozart, Beethoven, Brahms, Schubert and Chopin. In this masterclass he works with students on Beethoven's Piano Sonatas Nos 21 "Waldstein" and 31, Op 110

András Schiff is one of the great interpreters of Bach and a firm advocate of playing Bach's keyboard works on the piano. As soloist he has performed and recorded many of Bach's major keyboard works, and his recitals fill concert halls throughout the world.

In this masterclass, András Schiff works with a student on Bach's Second Partita for Keyboard, one of a set of six and the last group of keyboard suites Bach composed. As with the earlier French Suite and the English Suite, the Partitas consist of a series of dance movements but Bach's skill and originality have now elaborated the hitherto straightforward dance forms and given them a richly polyphonic, almost orchestral texture. In 1731 these Partitas were collectively published as Clavier-Übung ("Keyboard Exercise").

Student: Cornelia Hermann

András Schiff is admired throughout the world for his sensitive and inspired performances of Schubert's piano music. His CDs of the complete piano sonatas are ranked among the finest ever recorded.

In this masterclass, András Schiff works with a student on three movements from Schubert's much loved Moments Musicaux. These six short keyboard pieces were written in 1828, when Schubert already knew that he was fatally ill. Despite the charm and tenderness of these works, Schiff's teaching brings out the kaleidoscopic, fleeting emotions and depth of feeling lying behindthe apparent simplicity of the music.

András Schiff, world-acclaimed pianist has in the past been primarily associated with his performances of the major keyboard works of J.S. Bach, Haydn, Mozart, Schubert, Schumann and Bartok. In 2004 he began performing the complete cycle of the 32 Beethoven Piano Sonatas in chronological order, having studied them from the original autograph scores or earliest editions. This meticulous attention to the composer's instructions have resulted in performances much praised for their freshness and authenticity even though they sometimes challenge traditional interpretations.

Here, András Schiff looks at the three great piano sonatas which end the cycle and on which Beethoven worked during final years of his life, Op 109, Op 110 and Op 111. He analyses each sonata in detail and discusses and demonstrates his personal interpretation and technique in playing these sublime works.

Student: Nasrin Rashidova

Maxim Vengerov is recognised as one of the world's most exciting and brilliant violinists. His exceptional talent emerged when he was very young. He gave his first recital at the age of five and went on to win First Prize in the Junior Wieniawski Competition when he was ten years old, confirming his promise as a violinist of rare talent. Still in his mid-thirties he is now acknowledged throughout the world as one of the great musicians of our time. He is also an outstanding teacher and is Professor of Violin at the Royal Academy of Music in London. Perceptive, entertaining and always sensitive to the individual personality and ability of his pupils, he has an extraordinary ability to convey his insights into the music and inspire his students.

In this masterclass, he works on the first two movements from Bach's First Sonata for Solo Violin.

Student: Mártha Déak

Maxim Vengerov is recognised as one of the world's most exciting and brilliant violinists. His exceptional talent emerged when he was very young. He gave his first recital at the age of five and went on to win First Prize in the Junior Wieniawski Competition when he was ten years old, confirming his promise as a violinist of rare talent. Still in his mid-thirties he is now acknowledged throughout the world as one of the great musicians of our time.He is also an outstanding teacher and is Professor of Violin at the Royal Academy of Music in London. Perceptive, entertaining and always sensitive to the individual personality and ability of his pupils, he has an extraordinary ability to convey his insights into the music and inspire his students.

In this masterclass, he works on the first movement of Mozart's third Violin Concerto.

Student: Aya Sanada

Maxim Vengerov is recognised as one of the world's most exciting and brilliant violinists. His prodigious talent emerged when he was very young. He gave his first recital at the age of five and went on to win First Prize in the Junior Wieniawski Competition when he was ten years old, confirming his promise as a violinist of rare talent. Still in his mid-thirties he is now acknowledged throughout the world as one of the great musicians of our time. He is also an outstanding teacher and is Professor of Violin at the Royal Academy of Music in London. Perceptive, entertaining and always sensitive to the individual personality and ability of his pupils, he has an extraordinary ability to convey his insights into the music and inspire his students.

In this masterclass, he works with a student on the first movement of Mendelssohn's Violin Concerto, one of the most loved works in the violin repertoire and a piece with which many young players have launched their solo careers.