肖邦的《G小調第一敘事曲》總長僅九分鐘，誕生至今已有近二百年，卻依然有著特殊的魅力，不但在視頻網站上創下數百萬的點擊率，更影響著今天許多人的生活。本片講述了兩個普通人——蘇格蘭青年保羅和日本中學生桃香，在各自經歷了人生的不幸之后，因肖邦的敘事曲而重新振作，勇敢面對今后的生活。伊莫金·庫珀、弗拉基米爾·阿什肯納齊、朗朗、斯蒂芬·霍夫等鋼琴演奏家也將輪番登場，詳細剖析這首不同尋常的鋼琴曲，為我們揭開音符中的奧妙。Thishour-longdocumentary,directedbyBAFTAandEmmyawardwinningdirectorJamesKent,meetsJapaneseteenagerMomokaandScottishmusicstudentPaulMurraytoexplorehowChopin’sextraordinaryBalladeNumber1transformsthelivesofordinarypeopleandillustrateshowclassicalmusicstillpenetratescontemporarylifeinunexpectedandpowerfulways.Momoka,isa15-year-oldpianistfromSendai,Japan,whosecommunitywasdecimatedbythe2011tsunamiandearthquakes.ForMomoka,theBalladeembodiestheanguishandrebellionshefeelsbutdoesn’tallowtosurface.For22-year-oldPaulfromGlasgow,thepieceislife-changing.PaulgrewupinBellshill,aworkingclasssuburbofGlasgow.Hefirstplayedpianoat15,anditopenedupawholenewworldforhim.DuringhisfirsttermstudyingontheB.Mus(Hons)degreeprogrammeattheUniversityofAberdeen,PaulwasdiagnosedwithabraintumourandthenMSwhichbotheventuallycausedhimtolosetheabilitytowalkandtoplaywithhisrighthand.Waitinginhishospitalbedinbetweenoperationsoverthreemonths,heplayedtheBalladeagainandagainontheiPodhisdadStephenhadgivenhim.Itwasthatsinglepiece’semotionalpullthatPaulcreditswiththereturnofhismemory.Paultoldussomemoreabouthisinvolvementintheprogramme:"IhavebeenforsometimenowtranscribingtheBalladeingminorfortheleft-handalone.ThereasonbeingIplayedthispiecebackinhighschoolandwiththemedicalcomplicationslosttheabilitytoplayperhapsmyfavouritepieceofalltime.LuckilyformythispiecewasgoingtobethesubjectofamajordocumentaryandwithmystoryandattachmenttotheBalladeIwasselectedtobeinvolved!"Thefilmincludesinterviewswithsomeoftheworld’sgreatestpianistsincludingStephenHough,LangLangandVladimirAshkenazy.ItwasshownonChannel4inAugustandtrailerscanstillbeviewedonYouTube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3J6KDmTE0F0,http://youtu.be/4JM_KELsU4cThedocumentarywasawarded2ndplaceinthe’Halo’BestArtsDocumentaryawardcategoryattheawardsceremonyonMonday,4November2013attheQueenElizabethHallatLondon’sSouthbankCentre.TheceremonywasfilmedandshownonSkyAtlantic.
