A documentary about Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart told through dramatic readings from his personal letters. Includes interviews with noted personalities and excerpts from numerous musical performances.

Meredith Monk is a composer, singer, filmmaker, and director/choreographer. This tape includes interviews and excerpts from performance. A pioneer in what is now called "extended vocal technique" and "interdisciplinary performance," Ms. Monk has created more than 80 works of music, theater, dance, and film. A recipient of the MacArthur Foundation Fellowship, she has been acclaimed by audiences and critics as a major force in the performing arts. "When...

American composers have long struggled against the momentum of the Western European classical tradition and the prestige it has held in America's cultural life. "I did not want to have any stricture at all, I wanted to be completely free." So spoke Harry Partch, describing not only his own path, but also that of two other influential American composers: Lou Harrison and Terry Riley. They were attracted to musical ideas and sounds outside of the surrounding...

Offers a look into the life of Aretha Franklin: from her childhood traumatized by the loss of her mother through her difficult rise to international fame in the sixties, when she was also struggling with an abusive marriage and alcohol problems.