In 2019, celebrated pianist Igor Levit allowed filmmaker Regina Schilling into his life, home and studio to shoot a behind-the-scenes portrait. His recording, “Beethoven: Complete Piano Sonatas,” had just hit the charts and his 108-stop world tour was one of the year’s most-anticipated events. The o
In 2019, celebrated pianist Igor Levit allowed filmmaker Regina Schilling into his life, home and studio to shoot a behind-the-scenes portrait. His recording, “Beethoven: Complete Piano Sonatas,” had just hit the charts and his 108-stop world tour was one of the year’s most-anticipated events. The often-controversial speaker, who disavowed his Russian roots and called out German antisemitism, was in a cultural zeitgeist. But then, the world stopped. COVID set off one of the most remarkable musical transformations of Levit’s career: What is performance without an audience? With resounding honesty and the occasional panic attack, the virtuoso talent embraced the silence, loneliness and isolation. Dressed in black, often barefoot, live from his living room every night at 7 PM sharp, Levit performed 52 concerts via Twitter that grew a cult following. Witness an artist create an entirely new touchpoint with millions of strangers who also needed a connection more than ever.
