This sublime and sumptuous film focuses on three things – one of the most renowned orchestras in the world, The Orchestra dell’Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia in Rome; its present conductor, the Anglo-American Sir Antonio Pappano; and intriguingly, the very essence of the Italian character. Interviews with famous conductors and soloists who’ve played with the orchestra are combined with excerpts from their rehearsals and performances. This not only gives us a rare insight into the workings of a great Italian orchestra, but a gradual understanding of the approach to life that is characteristic for a country loved by many, but often misunderstood or underrated.