Claudio Arrau has been playing the piano to great international acclaim for almost eighty years. From Tokyo to Berlin, to Paris, to London and to New York, he has won the love and admiration of music-lovers around the world. He has built his career largely without the help of hype or hysteria. Arrau’s repertoire is larger than that of any other pianist of his time. He is known universally as “The Emperor”.

Although he has performed everywhere in the world except China, there is one country that is especially dear to Arrau’s heart: his native Chile. His triumphant return to Chile in 1984 after an absence of 17 years was an event of national importance, ranking with Franz Liszt’s return to Hungary.

In this program, we’ll join Maestro Arrau as he returns to the land of his birth. And we’ll also go back and trace the events in the life of this extraordinary artist.

Finally, we’ll hear Maestro Arrau perform his signature work, Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No.5 in E-Flat Major, the “Emperor” Concerto.

This programme includes a 40-minute documentary tracing Arrau's life and career, directed and produced by Peter Rosen.

Artists:
Performance: The Symphony Orchestra of the University of Chile / Victor Tevah
Documentary: The Philharmonic Orchestra of Santiago / Juan Pablo Izquierdo

Recorded live at the Metropolitan Cathedral of Santiago in Chile, May 1984

“Claudio Arrau … the most musical and deeply serious piano phenomenon of our time.” - Süddeutsche Zeitung

“The Magician of the Piano” - Le Figaro

"In Arrau's 'Emperor' ...his is Emperor and King combined." - Times of London  

Picture format DVD: NTSC  4:3
Sounds formats DVD: DD 2.0
Region code: 0
Subtitles: English, German, French, Spanish
Booklet notes: English, German, French
Running time: 85 mins
FSK: 0