On their quest for "the philosopher's stone" alchemists got to the bottom of things. They were obsessively hunting that mysterious"quintessence", which was essentially a material appearance of the creator's spirit. Those who would obtain it they thought could make gold, heal the sick and make the old young again. In a world of thought where the concepts of matter and soul, body and cosmos run through one another so thoroughly, music is of major importance as an image of universal harmony. Songs and legends bear witness to believing in an elementary force. This program tells of this world with words and music. Four prominent representatives of early music sing and play in different constellations and eventually, as tonal alchemists, they bring music in person from heaven down to earth.