1. Jasper in a Jam
In this entertaining Puppetoon animated short film, a young boy, Jasper, gets trapped inside a pawnshop at midnight. All the musical instruments come to life and play jazz. A whooping wooden Indian chief self-animates as well, and goes on the warpath.
It has an average vote of 6.429 on TMDB.
2. Living Bach
There are more than 300 Bach choirs and Bach ensembles worldwide, most of which are made up of amateurs. For many, their lives are inextricably linked with the music of Johann Sebastian Bach. What do people seek and find in his music? What connects them across continents? What fascination lies in the music of the famous German composer, which manages to transcend borders, cultures, religions and centuries? The film embarks on a journey through six continents to meet amateur musicians and singers who have made Bach their "centerpiece".
3. Strings Attached
This documentary delves into the lives, on and off stage, of four young classical musicians who give up the prospect of solo careers to form The Dover Quartet. We are with them from their meeting as students at the Curtis Institute of Music, through their breakthrough win at a prestigious string quartet competition, and when they find themselves touring internationally as their careers take off.
4. The Anonymous Lover — LA Opera
LA Opera proudly presents The Anonymous Lover , an unjustly neglected 1780 chamber opera by Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges, a pioneering Black composer who was a contemporary of Mozart. The comic romance tells the story of Léontine, a beautiful young widow who has become disillusioned with love. Much to her surprise, she receives a steady stream of letters and gifts from an unknown man professing his undying passion. This amuses her friend Valcour, who also claims to have no interest in romance. But now, after hiding his true feelings for years, Valcour works up the courage to reveal that he himself is the devoted secret admirer. Will his confession sway a woman sworn to resist all affairs of the heart?
5. Samuel Barber: Absolute Beauty
Known for his mournful "Adagio for Strings," Samuel Barber was never quite fashionable. This acclaimed film is a probing exploration of his music and melancholia. Performance, oral history, musicology, and biography combine to explore the life and music of one of America’s greatest composers. Features Thomas Hampson, Leonard Slatkin, Marin Alsop and many more of the world's leading experts on Barber's music, with tributes from composers Leonard Bernstein, Aaron Copland, Virgil Thomson and William Schuman. The film was broadcast on PBS, and screened at nine film festivals internationally, with three best-of awards. It was named a Recording of the Year 2017 by MusicWeb International.
It has an average vote of 10 on TMDB.
6. Ivo Pogorelich: Bach, Scarlatti, Beethoven
Pianist Ivo Pogorelich in a 1987 studio recital of works by Bach, Scarlatti, and Beethoven, recorded at historical palaces of Veneto Villa Caldogno in Vincenza and Eckartsau Castle in Lower Austria. The program consists of: BACH English Suites ##2,3 // SCARLATTI Sonatas K487 in C, K20 in E, K98 in e, K450 in g, K1 in d, K159 in C // BEETHOVEN Sonata #11 in B♭ op22; Bagatelle "für Elise".
7. All the Mornings of the World (Tous les matins du monde)
Following the death of his wife, a renowned musician ostracises himself from the outer world and dedicates his life to music. However, his life changes when a young man approaches him to learn music.
It has an average vote of 7.037 on TMDB.
8. The Silence (سکوت)
Khorshid, a blind child growing up in Tajikistan, is constantly distracted by music and sounds. This frequently causes him to be late to his job as an instrument tuner even though he runs the risk of being fired at a time when his family is in danger of being evicted from their house.
It has an average vote of 6.375 on TMDB.
9. A Little Summermusik
A film pastorale set in the early summer near Elora, Ontario, where music students practice out-of-doors. Lush green fields, towering elms and a rippling stream near an old farmhouse provide a rich setting for young musicians playing solo or in groups on flutes, strings, and piano. Music has charm indeed when the mood is of lilac and the sweet pipings of spring.
It has an average vote of 10 on TMDB.
10. Appalachian Journey Live In Concert
April 5th, 2000... On the heels of their unanimously acclaimed albums "Appalachia Waltz" and "Appalachian Journey", "Appalachian Journey Live In Concert" captures three of the world's most extraordinary musicians live in concert, along with very special guests James Taylor and Alison Krauss, from their sold-out performance at New York City's Avery Fischer Hall.
11. Bach & Friends
A two hour documentary on Johann Sebastian Bach. World-class musicians share their innermost thoughts and personal reflections on the power and genius of the most influential composer in history.
12. Christmas Oratorio
This recording of all six cantatas from the Salle Henry Le Bœuf in the Palais des Beaux-Arts in Brussels, Belgium, in December 2012 features internationally renowned Bach expert Philippe Herreweghe and the Collegium Vocale Gent.
It has an average vote of 10 on TMDB.
13. The Silence Before Bach (Die Stille vor Bach)
This latest feature from the eccentrically experimental Catalan director Portabella is a beautiful, sometimes faintly bonkers celebration and contemplation of the role Bach’s music plays in the world today. Blending historical reconstruction with very loosely linked ‘dramatic’ scenes and documentary sequences, the film constitutes a playful, painterly sequence of variations on the argument that Johann Sebastian changed the way the world hears thanks to his extraordinary ear for harmony.
It has an average vote of 7.265 on TMDB.
14. Chronicle of Anna Magdalena Bach (Chronik der Anna Magdalena Bach)
The life and music of Johann Sebastian Bach as presented by his wife, Anna.
It has an average vote of 6.2 on TMDB.
15. Bach pour tous (Bach pour tous)
A musical journey in the footsteps of conductor Michel Brun, an atypical character, an atheist, who nevertheless plays sacred music, and who devotes his life to Johann Sebastian Bach. With the musicians of the Ensemble Baroque de Toulouse.
It has an average vote of 8 on TMDB.
16. Theremin: An Electronic Odyssey
After escaping Russia's communist revolution, Léon Theremin travels to New York, where he pioneers the field of electronic music with his synthesizer. But at the height of his popularity, Soviet agents kidnap and force him to develop spy technology.
It has an average vote of 5.4 on TMDB.
17. Alfred Deller: Portrait of a Voice
In this unique documentary, French filmmaker Benoit Jacquot interviews Alfred Deller, the internationally celebrated contemporary countertenor who focused his talent on showcasing Renaissance and Baroque music to modern audiences. One of the few films on Deller, it includes footage of him performing selections from Campion, Rosseter, Morley and Purcell. Deller toured the globe with his group, the Deller Consort, from the 1950s through the '70s.
18. The Quest for Tonewood
Gaspar, a luthier, wants to make a violin from the wood of a tree so rare that it may or may not exist anymore.
It has an average vote of 8 on TMDB.
19. Erbarme dich - Matthäus Passion Stories (Erbarme dich - Matthäus Passion Stories)
Erbarme dich - Matthäus Passion Stories is a labyrinthine narrative in which notables such as Peter Sellars, Emio Greco, Simon Halsey and painter Rinke Nijburg explain their special relationship with Bach’s St Matthew Passion to Ramón Gieling . They speak against the backdrop of a church which has fallen into disrepair, while a choir of homeless people and Pieter Jan Leusink’s Bach Choir & Orchestra rehearse the Passion. Leusink isn't just the conductor, he is one of the main characters himself, with a painful past in which this musical piece has played a dominant role. Stories from the others alternate seamlessly with this. We learn how the St Matthew Passion played a decisive role in the relations between men and women, fathers and sons, fathers and daughters, mothers and their unborn children, and finally that in spite of our differences we all find a common denominator in the secret of Bach's music.
20. Академия детских наук. Музыка. Как сочинять оперы. Фильм 4 (Академия детских наук. Музыка. Как сочинять оперы. Фильм 4)
(Академия детских наук. Музыка. Как сочинять оперы. Фильм 4)
It has an average vote of 9 on TMDB.