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Gustav Mahler was born into a poor family in a small town in the Austro-Hungarian Empire. His astonishing musical talent carried him from there to the heights of music in his day as a conductor and composer. His vast musical landscapes have made him into one of the most admired composers in the musical canon. This film by Malcolm Hossick traces his remarkable life and is followed by a brief overview of his works. Mahler was born into a poor family in a small town in the Austro-Hungarian Empire. His astonishing musical talent carried him from there to the heights of music in his day as a conductor and composer. His vast musical landscapes have made him into one of the most admired composers in the musical canon. This film by Malcolm Hossick traces his remarkable life and is followed by a brief overview of his works.

Mozart was born into a musical family and his extraordinary musical talent was evident at an early age. As a child prodigy he traveled to all the capitals of Europe and developed into one of the greatest composers of all time. The video uncovers his delightful character and explores the difficulties he had to overcome to to establish himself as an independent artist in age when musicians were simply seen as the servants of the rich and powerful. The video ends with a brief overview of Mozart's work useful to experienced music lovers and newcomers alike. On the soundtrack some of his most characteristic compositions are played by members of the Elysium ensemble.

Puccini was born in Lucca in Italy to a musical family and went on to write some of the best loved operas of all time. This film by Malcolm Hossick traces his interesting life and is followed by an overview of his work. Born in the beautiful old Tuscan city of Lucca in 1858 you could argue Puccini was destined to be a composer. For generations his family had been at the centre of musical life in the city. Few could have prophesied the phenomenal success he enjoyed in his day and his works are still as popular as ever. This film by Malcolm Hossick film traces his interesting and eventful life and is followed by an overview of his work.

Ravel was born in the little seaside town of Ciboure in French Basque country near the Spanish border. His mother had also been born in Ciboure but his father was a Swiss engineer and a naturalized French citizen. Ravel lived most of his life in Paris, following his music studies there and becoming one of the greatest of French composers and in spite of his relatively small output one of the most influential composers of the 20th century. The video traces his life and his musical development and ends with an overview of his works.

Strauss was born in Munich into a very musical family. He showed talent for composition at an early age and had his first symphony performed when he was only seventeen. He began conducting in various opera houses around Germany and was soon astounding the world with his wonderful music. He began with compositions for orchestra but became one of leading composers of opera in the first half of the twentieth century. The video traces his career and ends with and overview of his works.

Schubert was born the son of a schoolmaster in a suburb of Vienna. He became a singer in the choir of the court chapel. His precarious life struggling to live from his compositions was enlivened by the group of friends among whom he lived and who supported him and valued his work. He achieved little outside recognition in his own time and died of typhus at the tragically early age of 31.The film ends with a brief overview of Schubert's work useful to experienced music lovers and newcomers alike. On the soundtrack some of his most characteristic compositions are played by members of the Elysium Ensemble.

Jan Sibelius 1865 - 1957. Sibelius was born in Finland. He learned to play the violin and after studying music for a while set out to be a composer. He developed a unique style and was steeped in the literature and natural beauty of his native land which inspired his music. These nordic roots have not stopped him becoming universally admired and his music is now a staple of modern concert halls. This film by Malcolm Hossick traces his life and his musical development. It is followed by an overview of his work.

Stravinsky was born into a musical family in the little town of Lermontov near St Petersburg. His father was principal bass singer at the opera there, so music was part of his life. He studied at the St Petersburg conservatioire under Rimsky Korsakov and was soon making an impression with his compositions. He had early successes with his ballet music for Diaghilev and over a long and productive life went on to become arguably the greatest composer of the twentieth century. The video traces his eventful life and ends with a brief overview of his compositions.

Tchaikovsky was born into a modest family on the bottom rank of the Russian aristocracy. His father was a mining engineer and after an early education from a French governess Tchaikovsky was sent to the School of Jurisprudence in St Petersburg Conservatory opened shortly afterwards and as one of its first graduates he launched into the doubtful career of music composition. His gifts were soon recognised and he went on to achieve extraordinary international acclaim. The video traces his career and ends with an overview of his works.

Learn the remarkable story of Verdi - who rose from poverty and obscurity to become one of the greatest opera composers of all time. It is followed by an overview of his work. Verdi was born in the tiny and remote village of Roncole near Busetto a town in the then principality of Parma, Italy. With the help of a local businessman he was given a good general education and under the local organist a fine training in music. In spite of terrible setbacks in his personal life he went on to become one of Italy's most successful composers of opera. The video traces his career and development over a long life and many operas. He never stood still and in his later years he produced some of his finest work. The video ends with a brief overview of his compositions. Verdi was born in the tiny and remote village of Roncole near Busetto a town in the then principality of Parma, Italy. With the help of a local businessman he was given a good general education and under the local organist a fine training in music. In spite of terrible setbacks in his personal life he went on to become one of Italy's most successful composers of opera. The video traces his career and development over a long life and many operas. He never stood still and in his later years he produced some of his finest work. The video ends with a brief overview of his compositions.

Wagner was born in Leipzig into the family of a government official. However his father died and his mother remarried. His stepfather was an actor in the theatre at Dresden giving Wagner an exceptionally vivid experience of the theatre which was to be the basis of his great series of music dramas. He had immense natural musical gifts and a huge ego which carried his massive operatic projects through including the building of his own theatre at Bayreuth in Bavaria. The film traces his life and the development of his work and ends with an overview of his compositions.

Joseph Haydn was born into a poor family in 18th century Hungary. His huge musical talent brought him into the service of a Prince. Eventually his work was recognised throughout the musical world. The film by Malcolm Hossick describes his fascinating life and the social change he went through. It is followed by a brief overview of his work. Joseph Haydn was born into a simple rural community where his father worked for the local landowner. Joseph's musical talents developed in local church choirs and his fine voice took him to the choir of St Stephen's in Vienna. We follow his career into the the employment of the Esterhazy family where he remained until he was sixty. His international fame as a composer brought him an invitation to London where his career was reborn. The video ends with a brief overview of Haydn's work useful to experienced music lovers and and newcomers alike. On the soundtrack some of his most characteristic compositions are played by members of the Elysium ensemble.

Handel was born in the small German town of Halle. His father was Surgeon to the local ruler a certain Duke of Weissenfels. From an early Age he displayed a precocious musical talent. His local church organist was a fine musician and teacher so Handel's talent was carefully nurtured. After a spell playing the organ in a local church he left for Hamburg determined to become a composer of operas. He met with immediate success, a success which He enjoyed for the rest of his life. He settled in England and became a national institution. The film outlines his life and is followed by a brief overview of his works.

The Polish composer Frederic Chopin is unique in that he composed almost exclusively for his own instrument, the piano. As a pianist he was self taught and had an astonishing talent for improvisation. As a composer he was a perfectionist in the classical mould and his wonderful compositions ensure that he is one of the best loved names in world music. The DVD traces his short life and includes an overview of his musical works.

Brahms was born in Hamburg into a poor but musical family. His talent was early recognised and he received devoted and first class tuition. He was discovered by the violinist Joachim and the composer Schumann and he enjoyed amazing success from his very first published work. Brahms never married but settled in Vienna where he came to be recognised as one of the great musical masters of the century.

Beethoven was born into a musical family in Bonn. He was well taught and generally well educated. With the support of his local ruler he went to Vienna to further his musical studies. He was soon celebrated as a pianist and composer and spent the rest of his life in Vienna supported by generous patrons and free to compose as he wished. In spite of going stone deaf he was able to continue composing, producing some of his greatest works in his later years. The film details his life and times and is followed by an overview of his works.

Johann Sebastian Bach is now reckoned to be one of the great masters of music. He was not a great innovator but built upon the developments of harmony which had begun with the occurance of the renaissance of learning and an understanding of the world in scientific terms in the centuries before him. He was an astonishingly gifted musician and his life was a tortured journey of success and drawbacks. This film by Malcolm Hossick explores how he worked and lived and assesses the contribution he made to music. It is followed by a brief overview of his huge output. Bach was born in Germany into a talented musical family. His astonishing musical gifts showed at an early age and by his late teens he was organist at the local church and soon moving on to positions in the many small Princely courts which made up Germany at the time. In the German musical world he quickly gained a reputation as a master organist and composer. It was not until almost a century after his death that his greatness was fully recognised outside Germany. This film by Malcolm Hossick traces his life and work and ends with an overview of his music.