YEHUDI MENUHIN: WHO’S YEHUDI? (2016)

A landmark, presenter-led film made for the 100th anniversary of Yehudi Menuhin’s birth. Menuhin was the 20th century’s greatest violinist;
a child prodigy who captured the imagination of the world, becoming as famous as a Hollywood star. With the help of incredible home movies dating as far back as 1927, this film reveals his fascinating journey through life: from a boy wonder in the Roaring Twenties to playing for the troops during World War 2, from enlightenment in 1950’s India to a tense showdown in Cold War Moscow and much more.

A passionate idealist, Yehudi was determined to take classical music out of the concert hall, believing that music was for everyone.He was also a musical adventurer, breaking free from the classical musical straightjacket to embrace jazz and Indian ragas.

But, crucially, the enigmatic Menuhin was a paradoxical man whose intensity of playing was adored by millions yet who struggled to communicate with those closest to him. This film reveals Yehudi’s emotional complexities, his genius & his huge ambitions for the world.

DIRECTOR & PRODUCER: James Maycock

BROADCASTERS: BBC Four

PROGRAMME DURATION: 60 minutes

PRODUCTION COMPANY: 1212

BBC COMMISSIONER: Greg Sanderson



Clips

Yehudi plays for the troops in WW2