1212 Productions

The true story of King George VI's struggle to overcome his stammer, and the parts played in his battle with his disability by his speech therapist, brother, father and wife.

Over twenty-five years after his death in July 1989, the controversial Austrian conductor Herbert von Karajan remains an enigma. He was the most successful conductor in the history of classical music. Many of his recordings - of Italian opera, of Wagner and Richard Strauss, of Sibelius, Beethoven and Brahms - are treasured by music lovers around the world. Yet, even at the peak of his fame, his performances were variously criticised for being too opulent, too manicured, lacking warmth or spiritual depth. This musical profile explores the many paradoxes in the life and music of this controversial figure, who forged his international reputation in London with the Philharmonia Orchestra shortly after the end of the Second World War and went on to reign supreme in the classical music world during his three decades with the Berlin Philharmonic. The film also examines Karajan's belief in the visual power of music, and his determination to leave behind a substantial legacy of music on film.

Yehudi Menuhin was the 20th century's greatest violinist. He was a child prodigy but the man behind the violin was harder to know. Endlessly touring and crossing continents and cultures, his contract with EMI was the longest in the history of the music industry. He took classical music out of the concert hall because he believed music was for everyone and had the power to change lives. An impassioned idealist, Yehudi wanted to give more to the world - he became a tireless fighter for humanitarian issues he believed in. In this film, commemorating the 100th year of his birth, family and close friends recall his extraordinary musical life, in which he embraced jazz and Indian ragas as much as Bach, Beethoven and Bartok. And incredible home movies take us on an intimate behind-the-scenes journey from his childhood in California, to meeting gypsies in Romania and travelling to India and beyond.