Emmanuel Despax & Petroc Trelawny: Rethinking Liszt

Knight Classical produced Rethinking Liszt – a long-form filmed conversation between pianist Emmanuel Despax and broadcaster Petroc Trelawny, created to coincide with the release of Despax’s Liszt album on Signum Records.

Structured as an in-depth artistic dialogue, the film explores Despax’s interpretative approach to Liszt, examining questions of virtuosity, architecture, colour, and philosophical depth within the composer’s works. Rather than functioning as a promotional clip, the project was conceived as a substantial reflective document, allowing space for extended musical discussion.

We led filming and editorial development, shaping the conversation into a coherent and intellectually focused narrative aligned with the scope and ambition of the recording project. The resulting film functions as both an artistic companion to the album and a durable digital asset, supporting long-term presentation of core repertoire within a considered musicological framework.

Knight Classical’s role