Thomas Hampson - Des Knaben Wunderhorn Director: Christian Kurt Weiss Distributor: Unitel / BetaFilm © 2006, 2 x 60 mins., a co-production of BR, ORF & Unitel 16:9 shot in digital video 25p | stereo & 5.1 surround sound On the occasion of the publication's 200th anniversary of the song cycle "Des Knaben Wunderhorn", one of the most celebrated baritones of our time, Thomas Hampson, addresses himself to the folk and art song repertoire of German romanticism at the International Music Festival "Heidelberger Frühling". "Des Knaben Wunderhorn" [lit. The Youth's Magic Horn, referring to a magical device like the cornucopia] is a collection of German folk poems collected (and heavily redacted) by Achim von Arnim and Clemens Brentano, which was published in Heidelberg, Germany between 1805 and 1808. Selected poems from this collection have been set to music by a number of composers - perhaps the most renowned settings, however, are those of Gustav Mahler, which are performed by Thomas Hampson accompanied orchestrally by the Wiener Virtuosen and the pianist Wolfgang Rieger in the course of an one hour concert programme. The one hour documentary then again, focusses on the acception of the Wunderhorn songs today, its specifics, and possible difficulties that singers have to cope with: Amongst his activities in lectures and discussions rounds with musicologists, Thomas Hampson leads a masterclass for singers lasting several days. The repertoire is a compilation of the participants' own choice, as far as the interpretations elaborate any musical version of the Wunderhorn. Great expectations, curiosity, strain, hard work, disillusionment, and the final moment of relief are the moments to be witnessed by following the students' artistical growth but maybe also the struggle with their perceptions of themselves.