Striking imagery. Glorious music. The sweep of history and the intimacy of touching friendships: This is Beethoven in Beijing. The dynamic documentary film captures the thrilling rise of classical music in China and contrasts that with challenges in America-and reveals the unexpected and heart-warming symbiosis of two cultures often cast in the harsh light of diplomatic tensions. As the surprising story unspools, a remarkable cast of characters brings history to life-from Richard Nixon to charismatic pianist Lang Lang, from legendary maestro Eugene Ormandy to astonishing child prodigies of today. The film's chief focus is on the iconic Philadelphia Orchestra - the first U.S. orchestra to perform in communist China - which today is turning to China, and its past, to shape and inform its future. The film combines archival material of the groundbreaking 1973 tour with behind-the-scenes footage from the Orchestra's recent tours, complete with reunions of Chinese and American musicians who made history a half-century ago. It concludes with a triumphal performance in Beijing by this storied American orchestra and its Canadian conductor, while a Chinese chorus sings Ode to Joy. From Philadelphia to Beijing, Beethoven in Beijing is a glimpse into the future of classical music worldwide.
