The Great Rehearsals: When a Man Dedicates His Life to Music

"Et expecto resurrectionem mortuorum", the work by Olivier Messiaen, was a commission by the Minister of Cultural Affairs André Malraux and was to be performed on the 20 June 1965 at Chartres Cathedral, in the presence of President Charles de Gaulle. This documentary takes place during the rehearsal on the prior day.

Filmed during rehearsals for the premiere of Stockhausen's monumental work Momente. The revealing rehearsal sequences are interspersed with Stockhausen speaking of his youth, work process and the genesis and meaning of Momente.

Edgard Varèse died on 6 November 1965, a few days before the filming of the rehearsal of his work "Déserts" which he had to attend.

French television documentary about Cecil Taylor.

This short documentary film is conceived as a stroll through the valley of Thebes and the temple of Karnak.

Dutch documentary filmmaker Joris Ivens follows the course of the famous wind as it originates in the Alps and finds its way to the Mediterranean Sea. Natural sounds and creative camera work provide a mood film showing the effect of the fury of the wind on the life of southern France.

In a gargantuan city lurking in the sky, powerful immortals who have become jaded with eternal life. Most of their time is spent monotonously constructing bizarre and unusual objects while waiting for the ultimate gift to arrive.

Documentary about Jean Dubuffet

Edgard Varèse died on 6 November 1965, a few days before the filming of the rehearsal of his work "Déserts" which he had to attend.

Filmed during rehearsals for the premiere of Stockhausen's monumental work Momente. The revealing rehearsal sequences are interspersed with Stockhausen speaking of his youth, work process and the genesis and meaning of Momente.

French television documentary about Cecil Taylor.

A man is relentlessly pursued by a sinister shadowy figure, whom he cannot elude. Cornered with nowhere left to flee, he faces his tormentor and is shocked to discover his identity. A nightmarish allegorical tale about the destructive tendencies in high-pressure modern society.

"Et expecto resurrectionem mortuorum", the work by Olivier Messiaen, was a commission by the Minister of Cultural Affairs André Malraux and was to be performed on the 20 June 1965 at Chartres Cathedral, in the presence of President Charles de Gaulle. This documentary takes place during the rehearsal on the prior day.

History is so poetic when it's missing all the pieces.

Between 1965-68, the composer Luc Ferrari collaborated with director Gérard Patris on a series of filmed intimate portraits of great musicians, 'Les Grandes Répétitions' (The Great Rehearsals). Created for the ORTF, and encouraged by its director Pierre Schaeffer, these remarkable films were shown on French TV. They are remarkable not only for their exceptional content, but also for the creative camera work, including dynamic hand-held shots and croppings, and the juxtaposition of music and talk. Olivier Messiaen: Et Expecto Resurrectionem Mortuorum; Karlheinz Stockhausen: Momente; Edgar Varèse: Hommage À Edgar Varèse; Hermann Scherchen: Quand Un Homme Consacre Sa Vie À La Musique; Cecil Taylor: Cecil Taylor À Paris.