Premieres Fridays April 8 and 15, 2022 at 10 p.m. and Sundays, April 10 and 17 on KPBS 2 / On Demand
A new two-part PBS film, "Chamber Music Society Returns," tells the story of Chamber Music Society’s return to live concerts at Lincoln Center’s Alice Tully Hall and on a six-city national tour. The documentary captures the passion for making music that pushed the CMS community forward at every turn.
The film features behind-the-scenes footage in CMS’s rehearsal studios, backstage, and offices; musicians revealing their relief at finally leaving the isolation of the pandemic behind; and the jubilant performances that represented the long-awaited return to the stage, full of emotion, embraces, and tears of joy.
At the start of the film, David Finckel explains succinctly why live music is special. “Listening to a recording,” he says, “is like looking at a painting on a wall. It can be a great painting, but it doesn’t change. It’s always exactly the same. The live performance, though, is so far beyond the recording or the painting on the wall in that it’s like watching the artwork itself being recreated by the artist in front of your eyes in real time. Because live is always an interpretation. It’s never the same twice.”
Part 1: “Setting The Stage” premieres Friday, April 8 at 10 p.m. and Sunday, April 10 at 3 p.m. on KPBS 2 - Artists and staff of the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center band together in preparation for the return to their home venue, proving that the trials of mounting a concert during a pandemic are outweighed by the rewards of live music.
Punctuating this first hour of the documentary are performances of both solo Bach and works from the opening night concert, including the meditative and noble second movement, Adagio con espressione, from Beethoven’s C minor String Trio, Op. 9, No. 1; the intimate yet playful Rondo in A major by Schubert; and the exuberantly virtuosic finale, Allegro vivace, from Mendelssohn’s D major Sextet.
Part 2: “Bringing Down The House” premieres Friday, April 15 at 10 p.m. and Sunday, April 17 at 3 p.m. on KPBS 2 - The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center continues its new season with a host of pandemic-related challenges, including reuniting wind players, sending a large group of artists on tour, and returning home to New York amidst a COVID resurgence.
“Bringing Down the House” is anchored by Mozart’s enduring “Gran Partita”, K. 361 as well as Bach’s Brandenburg Concertos No. 3 and 4.
Watch On Your Schedule:
With the PBS Video App, you can watch your favorite and local station shows. Download it for free on your favorite device. The app allows you to catch up on recent episodes and discover award-winning shows.
Credits:
Directed by Tristan Cook. Director of Photography: Zac James Nicholson. Producers: Peter Dimario and Elizabeth Helgeson. Executive Producers: Guto Barra and Tatiana Issa. Editor: Tamara Mattos and Karina Vilela. Production of Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center and Art Docs.
