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The Alchemy of the Piano (Music in Films)

The Alchemy of the Piano (Music in Films)

鋼琴家們的秘密煉金術 (Music in Films)

Released
20 Sep 2026
Runtime
90 min
Original title
Die Alchemie des Klaviers
Language
de

DocumentaryMusic

The verdict

There are not yet enough audience votes to give this a reliable score. It is not currently playing in Hong Kong cinemas. 90 minutes.

What it is about

Francesco Piemontesi, a BBC Music Magazine award-winning pianist and lauded as a ‘wonderful Mozartian’, has an intense curiosity about his fellow artists – their pianos, the sonorities they cultivate, the secret elements that animate their playing, and what drives them.


In this documentary by Jan Schmidt-Garre, filmed over one year, Piemontesi talks with some of the world’s leading performers, including his mentor Alfred Brendel, Maria João Pires, Stephen Kovacevich and Antonio Pappano, in a series of revealing encounters that illuminate their individual approaches to the instrument, its colour and form.

What to expect

Francesco Piemontesi, a pianist the BBC Music Magazine singled out as a ‘wonderful Mozartian’, spends a year seeking out the players he admires most. Director Jan Schmidt-Garre follows him into living rooms and rehearsal spaces for unhurried conversations with Alfred Brendel, Maria João Pires, Stephen Kovacevich and Antonio Pappano. The talk stays close to the instrument: how a particular sonority is built, what a piano can be made to do, why one phrase breathes and another doesn’t. It is a working documentary, not a greatest-hits reel, and its pleasures come from watching serious musicians think aloud. The movie is in German with English and Chinese subtitles, runs 90 minutes, and opens in Hong Kong on 20 September 2026 at select cinemas. No age restriction applies, though the reflective tempo suits an audience already curious about classical performance.

Cast

  • Francesco Piemontesi Self
  • Maria João Pires Self
  • Antonio Pappano Self
  • Jean-Rodolphe Kars
  • Stephen Kovacevitch Self
  • Ermonela Jaho Self
  • Stephen Kovacevich
  • Alfred Brendel Self
  • Sir Antonio Pappano
  • Eldar Nebolsin

Crew

  • Director Jan Schmidt-Garre
  • Writer Jan Schmidt-Garre
  • Director of Photography Diethard Prengel
  • Editor Sarah J. Levine
  • Producer Jan Schmidt-Garre
  • Producer Marieke Schroeder

Streaming in Hong Kong

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Common questions

How long is the movie?
90 minutes.
What language is it in, and are there subtitles?
The original language is German. English and Chinese subtitles are provided.
Is it suitable for children?
There is no age restriction, but the movie is built around extended conversations and rehearsals, which younger children may find slow.
Is it showing in IMAX or other premium formats?
No premium formats are listed; it is a standard documentary release playing at select cinemas.

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