A Film by Norbert Bus
Featuring Serge Celibidachi, Daniel Barenboim, Irina-Paraschiva Celibidachi and others.

Celibidache was a man of extremes or rather: his human nature was extreme. He hated nothing more than indifference, luke warmness and mediocrity in himself most of all. He could have an entire auditorium rolling with laughter, while he regaled them for hours with anecdotes recounted with huge comedic flair. Or he could descend into bouts of the deepest pessimism and despairing bitterness. For his person combined painful inner contradictions with the serenity of what he thought through with rigour and clarity.

Norbert Bus's film is a moving portrayal of the legendary conductor. In the making of it he chanced upon a minor coup: Celibidache's curriculum vitae, discovered in the archives of the Musikhochschule in Berlin, and falsified by the conductor in order to enhance his career. But the film's focus is also on the man who seemed always so aloof. For the first time there are interviews with Celibidache's sister and son Serge, whose own film portrait of his father is to be broadcast in extracts as a TV premiere. This is the portrait of a conductor who perhaps more than any other combined analysis and passion, ruthlessness and sympathy a maestro furioso.

Special Features: Sergiu Celibidache conducts the Berliner Philharmoniker, "Egmont" overture, 1950 Extended interviews with Daniel Barenboim, Michael Ballhaus and Irina-Paraschiva Celibidachi.

Sound Format: PCM Stereo
Picture Format: 16:9
DVD Format: DVD 9, NTSC
Audio Languages: DE, GB (including subtitles)
Subtitle Languages: FR, ES, IT, Korean, JP
Running Time: 53 mins + 30 mins (Bonus)
FSK: 0