Films by Chris Valentien

Germany 2020, 52 min
by Sylvie Kürsten

At the beginning of the 20th century there were two celebrated liberators of music who were the complete opposite of each other: the stylishly nonchalant Igor Stravinsky who revolutionized the musical field from the rhythm-section on the one hand – and on the other the smart and world-weary Arnold Schoenberg with his visionary 12-tone-music. What started as a respectful meeting of two composers soon turned into a bitter rivalry that led to a fundamental debate about progress and truth in music. We travelled to L.A., Vienna and Venice to trace the steps of the two genius composers.

Germany 2020, 52 min
by Thomas von Steinaecker

In the first half of the 20th century Arturo Toscanini and Wilhelm Furtwängler were revered like todays popstars. When in 1931 both of them conducted at the Bayreuth Festival it was a magical moment, the stuff of legends. But soon the polite rivalry turned into bitter enmity. Both men were forced to take a stance on fascism in their respective countries – and chose radically different paths.The documentary not only opens up the different musical worlds of the two great conductors by re-tracing their careers in Milan, Bayreuth and New York – it also poses a question which today is more relevant than ever: What does art have to do with morality?

2019, 43 min
by Magdalena Zieba-Schwind

Founded by members of the Philharmonic Orchestras from Berlin and Vienna, the PHILHARMONIX branded their ensemble-DNA with an important codex: they play everything – literally EVERYTHING! – they have always wanted to play. Virtuosity and iron discipline meets with boundless joy and passion for music of every kind. Tristan meets Tango, Strauss' "Fledermaus" meets Queens „Don't stop me now", „Summertime" meets Beethoven. Together with the PHILHARMONIX we take their feel-good-music off the stage and right into everyday life!