In this episode James Conlon explains that accompaniment is derived from the word "companions" - people who do things together.

In this episode, featuring Russia's Maxim Philippov, James Conlon explains that accompaniment is derived from the word "companions" - people who do things together. The program defines the soloist not as a dominant force or a leader, but rather as someone who works with the conductor and orchestra to convey the same musical message. Viewers see this happen in an excerpt from the Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto No. 3. Conlon says that a concerto is a musical metaphor for how disparate elements and approaches must be reconciled, and how they must learn to live together. The resulting drama is mirrored in an excerpt of the Mozart Piano Concerto No. 21 (dubbed "The Elvira Madigan" from the hit movie), which can be seen as a metaphor for life itself.