This 6 DVD set sees Maestro Barenboim perform a series of eight concerts at the Staatsoper Berlin and includes a substantial bonus in the form of six 55-minute masterclasses during which Barenboim coaches outstanding young pianists, including Lang Lang and Jonathan Biss, in a series of individual Beethoven sonata movements. The concerts were lavishly shot by the award-winning French filmmaker and documentary director Andy Sommer.

The Beethoven sonatas have been an important part of Daniel Barenboim's life and repertoire for many years and he continues to perform them, both individually and as a cycle. This is his second recording of the complete sonatas, and his first for DVD. It is likely to become the definitive version of these seminal works.

"Barenboim on Beethoven the Masterclasses," a series of masterclasses in which the legendary pianist works closely with six young pianists at various stages of professional achievement, was filmed last year at Symphony Center, Chicago. The participating pianists hail from different counters: Saleem Abboud Ashkar (of Palestinian/Israeli background); Alessio Bax (Italy); Jonathan Biss (U.S.); David Kadouch (France); Lang Lang (China); and Shai Wosner (Israel). Barenboim takes each player through the sonata movement he has chosen, illustrating the importance of structure and describing and demonstrating the interrelationships between tempo, harmony, and dynamics. The improvement in each pianist's playing is dramatic over the course of the masterclass and the audience can see and hear this transformation as it occurs.

Features the complete 32 sonatas (live) plus bonus masterclasses.