Documentaries & Biographies > Entertainment Documentaries Documentaries & Biographies > 10 GBP to 15 GBP

Advantages: Fascinating insight into a very private conductor
Disadvantages: One always wants more concert clips in DVDs like this...

...is a fan of conductor Claudio Abbado. If you are a keen classical music lover it also gives a fascinating insight into the artistic genius of this very special maestro. With revealing comments not only from Abbado himself, but some of his colleagues and a generous selection of concert/rehearsal clips, the DVD provides a tantalising glimpse into Abbado's complex philosophy towards music and conducting, in particular how it has deepened since his severe ...
...Abbado is probably the world's finest living classical music conductor. He was born in Milan, Italy in 1933 and studied in Milan and then in Vienna with renowned conducting teacher Hans Swarowsky (who was also the teacher of fine conductor Zubin Mehta as well as many other top maestri including one of my own conducting professors.) Abbado has held some of the most important conducting jobs in the world including Music Director of La Scala Milan opera ... Read review

Advantages: Superb historical performances and fascinating insights
Disadvantages: Only that there are no bonus interviews this time

...the second volume of "The Art of Conducting". It is entitled "Legendary Conductors of a Golden Era" and concentrates on the work of 6 illustrious maestri from the past: Sergiu Celibidache; Wilhelm Furtwaengler; Erich Kleiber; Evgeny Mravinsky; Charles Munch and Willem Mengelberg. There are also rare archive film clips included of conductors Herbert von Karajan; Hermann Scherchen; Andre Cluytens and Vaclav Talich. Commentary on the work and personalities ...
...Andry; violinists Yehudi Menuhin, Walter Barylli (from Vienna Philharmonic) and Alexander Barantschik (Leningrad Philharmonic); conductors Daniel Barenboim, Bernard Haitink and Evgeny Mravinsky himself; renowned Boston Symphony timpanist Vic Firth and bass-baritone Otto Edelmann. So, quite a star-studded line-up, as there was in the first volume of this series. Music on the DVD: Again, as on the first DVD of the series, there is a wide range of ... Read review

Advantages: Great interviews, images, soundtrack ,everything.
Disadvantages: NONE!!!!!

...music picks up and changes style quickly into something exuberant loud and happy as the lights highlight wild enormous pieces of graffiti on the sides o the trains that because of all that is going on and the orginiality of the piece (piece = name given to any single piece of spray can art graffiti). You wil be amazed furthermore when a train is shown passing in the subway, the train is littered with vibrant graffiti all over the place and it makes ...
...york clearly has the best style too and will probably remain the capital and best city for graffiti atleats aslong as the 'hall of fame' is around to this date in NY). But it was slightly sad for me to see in this film how the legend of the 'BUFFER' came to power the buffer is something that the train departments developed as a means of washin (spraying) train in a matter of minutes cleansing them of all the markings and graffiti on the outside, ... Read review

Advantages: Great films
Disadvantages: I wanted more!

...only vaguely interested in the early days of cinema, you really do need to get this special 2 DVD set. Because when the British Film Institute says early, they mean really early! The earliest film in this collection dates back to 1895. Yes! That's right! 1895! You can see gems like Sortie d'usine, which is a film taken of workers leaving the Lumiere factory in Lyon, France. One amusing point in this film I that a dog rushes out with all of the workers ...
...is Demolition d'un mur, of early 1896, which shows him overseeing the demolition of a wall at the factory. Apparently, when this film was shown, they would also play it backwards, just for the fun of it. You might have seen stills taken from Arrivee de Congressistes a Nueville-sur-Saone, when Lumiere filmed members of the Congress of Photographic Societies arriving for a meeting, stepping from a steam launch. Mostly men, but some women, too. Also, ... Read review

Advantages: Improved sound and picture
Disadvantages: Hard to find release

Love him or loathe him, Tony Benn is one of the most distinguished and consistent members of state to represent humanitarian and old labour issues in the UK. One would expect him to be rallying support for fox hunting with his authoritative Etonian grandfather voice and clenched fist. However, in traditional street speaker style, Tony Benn explores current national and international politics with insightful digressions into history he himself participated ...
...logic and common sense in Tony Benn's convictions. Any one even with a slight interest in politics, human rights, current affairs or alternative opinions will find this gripping and will find it hard to resist Tony Benn's humour, charisma and didactic passion. Witty, recondite and bursting with enthusiasm, Tony Benn shares his deconstructive explorations on current affairs issues such as fox hunting, nuclear weapons, public sector pay to the future ... Read review