Orchestra Rehearsal DVD

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

...and colleagues, and of course from Abbado himself - which is perhaps the most fascinating aspect of the DVD as up to now he has always preferred to talk through his music rather than to journalists. The orchestras featured in the performance extracts are the Berlin Philharmonic, Vienna Philharmonic, Lucerne Festival Orchestra and the Gustav Mahler Youth Orchestra. Performance and rehearsal extracts played during the DVD are by: Luigi Nono - "Prometeo"; Dvorak - Symphony No. 9; Beethoven - Symphonies No. 1, 3 and 9, Egmont Overture; Bruckner - Symphonies No. 1 and 9; Stravinsky - Symphony of Psalms; Brahms - "Ein deutsches Requiem"; Richard Strauss - "Elektra"; Webern - 6 Pieces for Orchestra; Mahler - Symphony No. 2; Debussy - La Mer and Tchaikovsky - Symphony No. 5. Some of the extracts are quite brief, but all are incredibly musically... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful

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

...- Symphonies No. 4 and 5; Johann Strauss II - "Kuenstlerleben", "Emperor Waltz", "Blue Danube"; Berlioz - Hungarian march from Damnation of Faust and Symphonie Fantastique; Bizet - "L'Arlesienne Suite"; Weber - Oberon Overture; Beethoven - Symphony No. 9 and Egmont Overture; Franck - Symphony in D minor; Debussy - "La Mer"; Ravel - Daphnis et Chloe Suite No. 2; Schostakovich - Symphony No. 5. For me, one of the most fascinating things about watching great conductors at work is having the chance to eavesdrop in their rehearsals and there are unique opportunities to do that with this DVD which shows Celibidache, Munch and Erich Kleiber hard at work to get their own sounds out of the orchestra, 3 very different conductors and 3 very different rehearsal techniques. The differences in personality and musical approach of each conductor are succinctly... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful

Advantages: Superb production, fascinating footage, great music
Disadvantages: None whatsoever apart from wanting more

...It surprises me a lot that no-one has written a review for this amazing DVD! I've had it for a few years now and it frequently comes off the shelf to be played as it always makes an inspiring impact on me in one way or other no matter how many time I have watched it. Anyone who has an interest in classical music and the big name conductors of the past will find this a fascinating document which will inevitably lead to further exploration of the recordings by these renowned names. Basically the DVD attempts to lift the lid on the mystique of the "maestro" - with rare and often previously unseen archive footage of a wide-ranging selection of the great conductors of the 20th century in performance and rehearsal, combined with insightful comments from famous colleagues such as Yehudi Menuhin, John Eliot Gardiner, Isaac Stern and many... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful

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

...and colleagues, and of course from Abbado himself - which is perhaps the most fascinating aspect of the DVD as up to now he has always preferred to talk through his music rather than to journalists. The orchestras featured in the performance extracts are the Berlin Philharmonic, Vienna Philharmonic, Lucerne Festival Orchestra and the Gustav Mahler Youth Orchestra. Performance and rehearsal extracts played during the DVD are by: Luigi Nono - "Prometeo"; Dvorak - Symphony No. 9; Beethoven - Symphonies No. 1, 3 and 9, Egmont Overture; Bruckner - Symphonies No. 1 and 9; Stravinsky - Symphony of Psalms; Brahms - "Ein deutsches Requiem"; Richard Strauss - "Elektra"; Webern - 6 Pieces for Orchestra; Mahler - Symphony No. 2; Debussy - La Mer and Tchaikovsky - Symphony No. 5. Some of the extracts are quite brief, but all are incredibly musically... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful

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

...- Symphonies No. 4 and 5; Johann Strauss II - "Kuenstlerleben", "Emperor Waltz", "Blue Danube"; Berlioz - Hungarian march from Damnation of Faust and Symphonie Fantastique; Bizet - "L'Arlesienne Suite"; Weber - Oberon Overture; Beethoven - Symphony No. 9 and Egmont Overture; Franck - Symphony in D minor; Debussy - "La Mer"; Ravel - Daphnis et Chloe Suite No. 2; Schostakovich - Symphony No. 5. For me, one of the most fascinating things about watching great conductors at work is having the chance to eavesdrop in their rehearsals and there are unique opportunities to do that with this DVD which shows Celibidache, Munch and Erich Kleiber hard at work to get their own sounds out of the orchestra, 3 very different conductors and 3 very different rehearsal techniques. The differences in personality and musical approach of each conductor are succinctly... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful