City of Light: Esa-Pekka Salonen on Debussy’s Pelleas et Melisande
Esa-Pekka Salonen describes his love affair with Debussy's only opera
City of Light: Uncover the history of the French flute with Sam Coles
Explore the flute via Debussy’s Syrinx, and find out how today's instrument evolved thanks to innovation and the mastery of the French makers.
City of Light: Discover The Magic
Paris was the place to be in the first half of the 20th century. Immerse yourself in the city in our introduction from our Series Advisors.
City of Light: Ravel's World
A universe in each room, and a forest for his imagination: Ravel’s endlessly creative, boundless world
City of Light: In Performance: Debussy's Syrinx with Sam Coles
A full performance of Debussy's Syrinx by Philharmonia Orchestra Principal Flute, Sam Coles
City of Light: Naturally Inspired
Find out how French composers brought the natural world into their art
City of Light: A guide to the Piano luthéal
Discover an astonishingly diverse device that forms part of one of the world’s rarest instruments
City of Light: Making the Ondes Martenot speak
Find out how the lab at the Musée de la Musique is trying to bring this delicate instrument back to life
City of Light: Esa-Pekka Salonen compares Debussy and Ravel
Esa-Pekka Salonen compares the distinct styles of the composers at the heart of the series
City of Light: Esa-Pekka Salonen Introduces the Series
Dive into this extraordinary period and its sound world with the Philharmonia Orchestra
City of Light: Esa-Pekka Salonen on Dutilleux's Correspondances
Find out how composer Henri Dutilleux carried on the refined French composition traditions established in the early 20th century
City of Light: Debussy's Life & Loves
All about Debussy's extraordinary effect on women, and his distaste for travel
City of Light: A guide to the Ondes Martenot
Discover this early electronic instrument, invented in Paris in 1928
City of Light: Performer's Perspective on Ravel's Tzigane
Voyage into the Romanian countryside of violinist Sarah Nemtanu's imagination, a scene she conjures when performing this piece
City of Light: Ravel’s Tzigane with Sarah Nemtanu
Violinist Sarah Nemtanu is one of the few to have performed with the rare piano luthéal, bringing the folky sound of Ravel's Tzigane to life
City of Light: The Montparnasse Melting Pot
The artists and writers of Montparnasse broke the rules and changed art forever
A Portrait of the Composer André Jolivet
André Jolivet's daughter, Christine Jolivet, shares another side of her father in this intimate int...
Stravinsky
The Firebird Project: Documentary
What happened when we brought together young musicians and dancers from southwest London to create t...
The Firebird Project: Performance Film
A film of the original choreography created for the 2013/14 Firebird Project featuring dancers from ...
Listening Guide: Stravinsky's The Firebird Suite
The Philharmonia Orchestra's Principal Conductor and Artistic Advisor, Esa-Pekka Salonen, discusses ...
Philharmonia on Tour: Paris & The Rite of Spring (2013)
Go on a journey with Esa-Pekka Salonen and the Philharmonia Orchestra to Paris, as they prepare for ...
Listening Guide: Stravinsky's The Firebird Suite
Animateur Paul Rissmann takes us on a mystical journey through Stravinsky's The Firebird Suite....
Esa-Pekka Salonen on the Rite of Spring
With 2013 being the Centenary year for Stravinsky's Rite of Spring, Principal Conductor and Artistic...
Listening Guide: Stravinsky's The Rite of Spring
Animateur Paul Rissmann delves into the brutal and paganistic world of Stravinsky's masterpiece the ...
Debussy
In Performance: Peter Jablonski plays Debussy, Images I, Reflets dans l'eau
Peter Jablonski plays Debussy's "Reflets dans l'eau", the first of three pieces for the piano from h...
Listening Guide: Debussy's Prélude à l'après-midi d'un faune
The Philharmonia Orchestra's Principal Conductor and Artistic Advisor, Esa-Pekka Salonen, talks abou...
Messiaen
Olivier Messiaen 1908-1992: Messiaen's use of birdsong
A film made as part of the Philharmonia Orchestra's 2008 season celebrating the composer Olivier Mes...
Olivier Messiaen 1908-1992: Messiaen and the Organ
Composer Olivier Messiaen was the organist at La Trinité Church in Paris for over 60 years, and bot...
Olivier Messiaen 1908-1992: Messiaen and Synaesthesia
We speak to artist Jane Mackay about how synaesthesia affects her artwork, and how it has influenced...
Olivier Messiaen 1908-1992: The Boston Première of Turangalîla-Symphonie
The Turangalîla-Symphonie was Messiaen's first major international commission, requested by Serge K...
Olivier Messiaen 1908-1992: Esa-Pekka Salonen on Messiaen
Esa-Pekka Salonen discusses Messiaen in this film from 2008....