Incomparable Genius, Timeless Music, Tragic Lives - Thirteen/WNET Looks At the Loves, Longings and Inspirations Behind Six Classical Music Luminaries in Great Composers, Premiering April 14 ON PBS; Mozart, Beethoven, Wagner, Mahler, Tchaikovsky, And Puccini - Meet The Men Behind The Masterpieces.

NEW YORK--(ENTERTAINMENT WIRE)--April 7, 1999--

INCOMPARABLE GENIUS, TIMELESS MUSIC, TRAGIC LIVES - THIRTEEN/WNET

LOOKS AT THE LOVES, LONGINGS AND INSPIRATIONS BEHIND SIX CLASSICAL

MUSIC LUMINARIES IN GREAT COMPOSERS, PREMIERING APRIL 14 ON PBS 

Mozart, Beethoven, Wagner, Mahler, Tchaikovsky, And Puccini - Meet The Men Behind The Masterpieces

Featuring Narration by Acclaimed Actor-Director Kenneth Branagh

When Wolfgang "Amadeus" Mozart was resurrected for the Broadway stage and the silver screen, no one could have predicted the story's mass appeal. The individual behind the legendary genius struck a chord with audiences everywhere, classical music aficionados or not. Almost overnight, the classical music icon became a flesh-and-blood human being with hopes, loves and humor that everyone could appreciate.

Now the personal and often dramatic stories of six enduring and influential architects of Western music's history have been brought to life in GREAT COMPOSERS, a new six-part series of biographical music documentaries presented on PBS by Thirteen/WNET in New York. Broadcast over three consecutive Wednesdays, the series premieres with Mozart and Beethoven on Wednesday, April 14, 1999, at 9 p.m. (ET), followed by Wagner and Mahler on Wednesday, April 21 at 9 p.m. (ET), and Tchaikovsky and Puccini on Wednesday, April 28, at 9 p.m. (ET) on PBS (check local listings).

Narrated by Kenneth Branagh, the six one-hour programs take an investigative approach to their subjects, digging beyond superficial reputations to examine the composers' lives and times, complex personalities and prodigious talents. Shot on location throughout Europe in the places where the composers lived and worked, the series offers an insightful glimpse of the men whose talent, inspiration and personal experiences led them to become the cornerstones of classical Western music and to achieve immortality through their art.

The series includes performances by and interviews with many of today's most distinguished artists, including mezzo soprano Cecilia Bartoli, tenor Jose Cura, pianist Vladimir Ashkenazy, soprano Julia Migenes, and baritone Thomas Hampson, among others. Commentary by experts including conductors Nikolaus Harnoncourt, Sir Georg Solti, Michael Tilson Thomas, musicologist-pianist Robert Levin, and scientist Stephen Hawking open new avenues to understanding the composers and their music.

Tying the entire series together is the brilliant music that has made these composers icons of the concert and operatic worlds. What becomes clear is the lasting impact and significance of their music. From Mozart to Puccini, each of these men has left a musical legacy that is still central to the international repertoire at the end of the 20th century.

The two-hour series premiere on Wednesday, April 14, 1999, from 9-11 p.m. (ET) showcases the extraordinary lives of Mozart and Beethoven. In an engrossing opening hour, we follow Mozart from his days as a child prodigy to his later life as a prolific composer and tireless public performer. We discover the forces that helped create this wunderkind, from the core personal story of his musician father's encouragement to the overall societal influences of 18th century Europe. We also see the emotional and personal impetus behind some of Mozart's greatest works. For example, his mother's death inspired the rage and intensity of his A Minor Sonata, and the C Minor Mass was written in response to a vow he made to his wife. Musical highlights of the documentary include excerpts from Mozart's operas The Marriage of Figaro and Don Giovanni, Symphonies No. 1, 31, 40, and 41, the Piano Concerto No. 23, and the haunting Requiem. Featured performances and interviews include mezzo soprano Cecilia Bartoli, opera director Jonathan Miller, musicologist-pianist Robert Levin, and Sir Colin Davis conducting the London Symphony Orchestra.

The following hour, filmed on location in Bonn and Vienna, traces the saga of Beethoven's remarkable life. Through anecdotes and musical examples, experts demonstrate Beethoven's incomparable contributions to classical music. A giant among composers, his forward-thinking musical concepts forever changed the way music was written and performed. Frustrated by the mechanical limitations of the piano, Beethoven broke strings, smashed hammers and played to the limits of a piano's range. From his early struggles for public acceptance to his later popular success, the full dimension and complexity of Beethoven's genius is explored. We also witness the despair he suffered after his tragically ironic hearing loss and the love that inspired him to conquer his disability and resume composing. Intertwined throughout the dramatic tension of his life story are performance excerpts from the Pathetique and Hammerklavier piano sonatas, the Fifth Piano Concerto, and both the Fifth and Ninth Symphonies. Among those featured in performances and/or interviews are conductors Nikolaus Harnoncourt and Michael Tilson Thomas, pianist Vladimir Ashkenazy, musicologist Charles Rosen, and director Sir Peter Hall.

The second evening begins Wednesday, April 21 from 9-11 p.m. (ET) with a portrait of musical genius, political figure, and outspoken anti-Semite Richard Wagner, revealing a complex personality of many faces. Wagner's music has been regarded among the greatest achievements of the human mind, yet his anti-Semitic writings disturbingly prefigure the beliefs of Nazi Germany. The documentary examines the connections between Wagner's spiritual vision and his art, including his interest in the philosopher Hegel, whose writings inspired him to develop a new style of music that would both oppose and surpass anything that had come before. Filmed on locations in Switzerland, Italy and the castles of King Ludwig's Bavaria, the many featured highlights of Wagner's opera career include Lohengrin, Tannhauser, Tristan und Isolde, and selections from his epic, fifteen-hour saga, The Ring, which was composed over a 26 year period. Among those featured in performances and/or interviews are Daniel Barenboim conducting the Berlin State Opera, Zubin Mehta conducting the Munich State Opera, Roger Norrington conducting the Prague Symphony Orchestra, and scientist Stephen Hawking.

The evening's second hour goes on to explore the career of one of the world's leading conductors, who also happened to be a brilliant composer, Gustav Mahler. Mahler's symphonies celebrate the creation of the world and the joy of nature, but they also reflect his personal struggles through life. Through the course of this documentary, viewers learn of the untimely deaths of Mahler's nine brothers and sisters, the terrible loss of his elder daughter and the infidelity of his wife. Mahler's music takes on new meaning as the details of his life unfold against the backdrop of his powerfully beautiful compositions. Through larger orchestras and longer symphonies he achieved new dimensions in classical music, creating a remarkable, overwhelming sound. The musical highlights include performances from Mahler's Symphonies 1, 2, 3, 5 and 9, Das Lied von der Erde and the Kindertotenlieder. Among those featured in performances and/or interviews are baritone Thomas Hampson, conductor Michael Tilson Thomas, film director Ken Russell, and Sir Georg Solti conducting the BBC Symphony Orchestra.

The third evening Wednesday, April 28, from 9-11 p.m. (ET) opens with one of the few composers whose music still speaks so directly to a wide public - Tchaikovsky. This episode explores some of his most famous compositions by placing them within the context of his life. One of the most persuasive interview subjects is Valentina, a Russian tram driver whose route takes her around many of her celebrated countryman's old haunts. Also examined is Tchaikovsky's struggle with his homosexuality, his brief, tumultuous marriage, and the controversy surrounding his death, offering further insight into the dramatic tension of his music. His symphonies were often an expression of his feelings - their raw emotional power influenced such composers as Mahler and Puccini - while his ballet music, including such classics as Swan Lake, became the center of the classical dance repertoire. For a composer often dismissed for his accessibility and popularity, the program also notes the re-evaluation of his music that has taken place, highlighting the relevant passages from Romeo and Juliet Overture, the First Piano Concerto, the Violin Concerto, Symphonies 2, 4 and 5, and Sleeping Beauty. Among those featured in performances and/or interviews are pianist Evgeny Kissin, conductor Valery Gergiev, prima ballerina Natalia Makarova, and violinist Maxim Vengerov.

The final hour highlights Puccini, the man whose operas are not only the culmination of the nineteenth century Italian operatic tradition but also reflect a new kind of opera. Instead of looking for inspiration in historic myths, Puccini often derived his stories from true-life situations or successful box-office plays, and his straightforward dramatic techniques were so successful that he ultimately became one of the richest men in music history. The story of Puccini's life - his love of his home at Torre del Lago and its stunning lake, his infidelities, his unhappy marriage, his obsession with hunting and his final illness - is told alongside the story of his music. Among the works featured are magnificent arias from La Boheme, Tosca, Madame Butterfly, and Turandot. Tenor Jose Cura, soprano Julia Migenes, Richard Buckley conducting the BBC Philharmonic, and opera directors Simon Callow and Jonathan Miller are among those featured in performances and/or interviews.

GREAT COMPOSERS is co-produced by the BBC, NVC Arts and Thirteen/WNET in New York. The Puccini program is an Iambic Production for the BBC, NVC Arts and Thirteen/WNET. Jac Venza is the Executive Producer for WNET. John Walker is the Producer for WNET. Kriss Rusmanis is Series Executive Producer.

Individual programs are produced and directed as follows: Mozart by Francesca Kemp; Beethoven by Jill Marshall; Wagner by Kriss Rusmanis; Mahler by Kriss Rusmanis; Tchaikovsky by Simon Broughton; Puccini by Chris Hunt.

Funding for GREAT COMPOSERS is provided by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, public television viewers and PBS. Corporate support is provided by Travelers Insurance, Salomon Smith Barney and NAMM (International Music Products Association).

Free off-air taping rights of the series will be available to educators for one year following the premiere broadcast in April.

Thirteen/WNET in New York is one of the preeminent and most prolific producers of programming for American public television, bringing such enduring and acclaimed series as NATURE, GREAT PERFORMANCES and AMERICAN MASTERS to audiences nationwide. Thirteen/WNET is also the flagship public broadcaster, serving the tri-state area of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut, where approximately 5.3 million tri-state area viewers tune in to Thirteen/WNET's programming each week. A not-for-profit organization dedicated to education and community service, Thirteen/WNET is the creator of innovative educational projects like the National Teacher Training Institute and the publisher of teacher's and viewer's guides that enhance the educational value of Thirteen/WNET productions. As broadcast and digital media converge, Thirteen/WNET is also blazing trails in the creation of Web pages, CD-ROMs, educational software, and other cutting-edge media products. More information about Thirteen/WNET's programs and projects, including schedule information, can be found at wNetStation at http://www.wnet.org.