Vladimir Ashkenazy in a series of legendary recitals, filmed by Christopher Nupen's camera.

A few days before the 75th birthday of one of our century's greatest pianists, medici.tv gathers those exceptional archives in which, at the beginning of the 1980s, Vladimir Ashkenazy performs the Beethoven last five sonatas as well as milestones from the Chopin repertoire. Beethoven and especially Chopin are two composers which Ashkenazy never stopped performing and recording during his long-time career, from the year 1956 when at the early age of 19 he was awarded the second prize at Chopin Competition, until now (in July 2012 will be released on the Decca label a new album of solo works by Chopin). Go back in time and meet again the 40 year-old Vladimir Ashkenazy – the concert pianist who had not yet started a career as a world-renowned conductor.

Those six recitals were recorded in studio, with invited audiences, and filmed by Christopher Nupen, with whom Vladimir Ashkenazy has followed an intensive collaboration.