The Music Documentary – Classical Music Performers on screen : Education, stardom and performance in documentaries on classical music

Abstract

Search for the defining characteristics of documentaries on classical music performers. Documentaries on classical music performers share the way they function as educational film with documentaries in general. Recent documentaries on classical music performers differ from documentaries on classical music by the way they represent their subjects: both demysitifying the person and stressing their extraordinary talent at the same time. The way music features as an aesthetic element is used is a unique characteristic of documentaries on classical music performers. The music of the performances of the artists is used as both an event in the film as well as a directional tool. It functions on three levels: to demarcate time, place and create unity; to heighten emotional involvement; and to add a symbolical meaning to the scenes through the meaning of the musical piece.