Valery Gergiev Conducts The Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra (DVD)

The Art of Conducting - maestro myth revealed?

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

at Tanglewood in 1949 which is as vivid as if you were actually sitting there playing - a real highlight of the DVD for me! Other complete pieces include Felix Weingaertner conducting Weber's "Die Freischuetz Overture" in a very sonically impressive film considering it dates from 1932. It is always much more satisfying to enjoy some longer sections of music than just having short extracts all the time, especially when this archive material is so precious and revealing. Anyone who has wondered what it is like to play in an orchestra will find the footage in several of these archive films absolutely riveting. As an orchestral violinist myself I was engrossed in Verdi's Overture to "La Forza del Destino" where even though it was filmed in 1944, the flesh-penetrating, tempestuous and passionate laser-beam gaze of legendary Italian maestro Arturo ...

Maestrolover 04.11.2007 (03.11.2007) · Read full review
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Review of Art Of Conducting - Great Conductors Of The Past (DVD)

Excellent hotel in Vienna

Advantages: Large rooms, clean, with firendly staff.
Disadvantages: 10 minute walk to shops and cathedral

The Hilton Vienna Plaza is an excellent hotel located on the Ringstrasse in Central Vienna, I will talk more about the hotels location later on. Before I arrived at the hotel I emailed the manager with a few questions about the local area and the hotel etc. The hotel staff are incredibly friendly and I received an email back with all of my questions answered which was helpful. It took around twenty minutes to get to the hotel from the Airport, although on my way back to the airport at the end of my stay it took about thirty minutes because of heavier traffic. Check-in was fast and very efficient, the hotel staff were friendly and gave me a map of the local area. I booked to stay in a standard king room, the rooms at the hotel are a very nice size. The bed was very comfortable and there was a chaise longue, desk, television, safe, tea ...

jack2794 22.10.2009 · Read full review
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Review of Hilton Vienna Plaza, Vienna

Small, but perfectly formed hotel in Vienna

Advantages: Classy, comfortable, fantastic breakfast
Disadvantages: Not overly expensive, but the rates match how nice it is

In October of last year my husband and I celebrated our 10th wedding anniversary. Astounded at how quickly the years had passed and determined to reward ourselves for our staying power, we looked for a suitably romantic/memorable way to mark the occasion. It was my husband who hit on the idea of getting the night train to Vienna (must write about this too) and I was tasked with selecting the hotel. Well, I really wanted to make sure I picked something special for the occasion. I work away quite a bit (only in the UK - nothing special) and get to stay in Hiltons and Crowne Plazas, and, whilst these are really good quality chains, I was really hoping to find something different so that I wouldn't feel like I was on a work trip! I found the Altstadt Vienna on tripadvisor where it was the 5th most popular hotel in Vienna. Well ...

sonic0209 09.01.2009 · Read full review
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Review of Altstadt Vienna, Vienna