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Reviews (34)

Fantabuous!Bravo!
Lavish production--sets, costumes, voices, orchestra, and dancing.
Outstanding performance
I'm impressed. This is an outstanding performance, at a good tempo, with good sound quality, and great artists.

Ancient Egyptian razzmatazz and some great singing
Of all the 'Aida' productions I've witnessed, this version is my favorite.If you are searching for your first 'Aida' it should be this Metropolitan Opera production with its balance of great and good singers, and its grandiose Egyptian backdrops of sandstone, bronze, linen and gold.It has one of the better triumphal marches, too.No elephants (except for a few tusks), but scads of soldiers, dancers, Ethiopian prisoners, leopard skins, and gaily caparisoned horses.
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Subjects:  1. Classical    2. Classical Video    3. Opera / Operetta / Oratorio    4. Performing Arts    5. Performing Arts - Opera   

Features

• Classical
• Color
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Reviews (9)

Little known facts about Liszt's encounter
I know this movie is for children, but some of the reviewer here are missing the point.
Liszt's Rhapsody a must watch!
This movie is great NO MATTER WHAT ANYONE SAYS! Liszt's Rhapsody- a must watch!
my sister and i wached this video and loved itRead more

Subjects:  1. Classical    2. Classical Video    3. Feature Film-drama    4. Orchestral & Symphonic   

Editorial Review

Most opera "greatest hits" collections involve the usual musical suspects; this compilation from La Scala (Milan), Covent Garden (London), Glyndebourne (England), La Fenice (Venice), and Arena di Verona (Italy), while unavoidably uneven, does have more hits than misses. The most memorable excerpts? John Rawnsley's rousing "Largo al factotum" from Read more

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Reviews (1)

Kabaivanska's Butterfly
On the cover picture there is a small portrait of Raina Kabaivanska as Butterfly. Strangely why she is not even mentioned among the singers.Her performance is one of the greatest moments on this DVD.You could not imagine more beautiful Butterlfy than Kabaivanska. Fan Site: www.rainafan.tk ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Classical    2. Classical Vocals    3. Opera/Operetta Collections    4. Performing Arts    5. Performing Arts - Opera    6. V/a Compilations   

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Reviews (74)

La Traviata
It is one of the best operas made in movie that I have ever seen.It is a true masterpiece.

worth recommendating
a good classic performance with luxurious scenes.
Excellent!Bravo!
Franco Zeffirelli wanted to bring opera to the screen so that more people could enjoy it.I'm sure he succeeded with this production of Verdi's La Traviata with such divine music.
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Subjects:  1. Classical    2. Opera / Operetta / Oratorio    3. Opera/Operetta    4. Performing Arts    5. Performing Arts - Opera   

Editorial Review

Among the more charming--and improbable--of pre-millennial success stories is the left-field crossover triumph for this Welsh soprano,12 years old at the time of her debut, and still on the near side of herteens in this concert video derived from a hit PBS special.At a time when "teeny pop" reigns over MTV and radio playlists, Church's serene program of Welsh and Irish folk airs, devotional hymns, and generally tranquil classical melodies gives alternative music an entirely new meaning.Read more

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Reviews (45)

Remessa para o Brasil
Amazon esta de parab�ns.... tudo foi perfeito
An Angel Indeed
Charlotte Church will hopefully remain one of the voices of the future. She is a remarable talent proving that today's young people are capable of great things besides hip hop and rap. Without seeing her perform, it would be hard to realize that such a magnificent voice came out of someone so young. She is the essence of youth untouched by the drugs, booze, and sex emulating from today's modern music culture. She is a refreshing change from the stale, everybody sounds alike music of our supposedly dominate society.

A distant shadow of a beauty
Ok folks, I thought I`d just be fair here:Read more

Subjects:  1. Classical    2. Classical Crossover    3. Classical Vocals    4. Music Videos - Classical   

Features

• Classical
• Color
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Reviews (17)

Very good, but not very true.
I show this to third grade elementary general music students each school year.It is, at the very least, a way to show what people may have looked like in Bach's time.Bach's music is played throughout, which is wonderful.The most appealing thing is that it is a fun story for children to watch.That's enough all by itself.
A Fine Video
This is one of the greatest videos I have ever seen.It makes me sad that people don't like it .It was a wonderful experience for my child, so he told me to buy it.So indeed, I recommend this video to everyone.

Good video for kids, not for the musicologist!
Since the videos in this series are just about the only child-friendly introductions to these composers on the market, and children do seem to like them, it is easy to forgive their many flaws.And this one does have MANY flaws.It is chock full of inaccuracies in virtually every scene, has very badly-written dialogue and scenes, falls flat in terms of drama and suspense and goes down in history for one of the worst, most blatant uses of "deus ex machina" at the end that will be sure to disappoint even young children.There's also a scene where an actor holds a recorder to his lips (or at least, close to his lips) while a flute is playing on the soundtrack!Some parents may also disapprove of Bach and other characters drinking what appears to be wine, and Bach's comment about kicking one of the other characters in the ... (his wife stops him short). Nevertheless, the videography is compelling, the music is wonderful, the boy is ADORABLE and children find the Duke to be particularly amusing.To sum up:Despite the movie's drawbacks, there is hardly a better method available to introduce children to Bach and Baroque music in general. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Classical    2. Classical Soundtrack/Score    3. Drama    4. Feature Film-drama    5. Orchestral & Symphonic   

Features

• Classical
• NTSC

Reviews (2)

very good
This recital is very interesting. Even if Carreras spits a lot while singing. Lights and angle of camera, I suppose. There is something quite intimate in this recital. Amateurs should buy, just to listen to and see the great Master performing.

A fun Recital
For me personally it doesn't get any better.Jose Carreras is my hero and he hams it up in this recital.Unfortunatly this is 1987 which is a tad bit late on his vocal ticker.His high notes are shoved, but not foggy in the least.Those who are accostomed to his three tenors warbling will find a relativley consistant vibrato.Read more

Subjects:  1. Classical    2. Classical Artists    3. Opera / Operetta / Oratorio    4. Performing Arts    5. Performing Arts - Opera   

Editorial Review

The popular group of three Irish tenors performs a lively program of ballads, folk songs, and Irish standards before an appreciative audience in Belfast. Ronan Tynan, Anthony Kearns, and Finbar Wright perform together and in solo spots (and John McDermott, who has performed with the group previously, sings two songs during a solo guest appearance). Decked out in cutaway coats and surrounded by an orchestra, the singers give full voice to such songs as "The Last Rose of Summer," "Fields of Athenry," "The Kerry Dance," and "Isle of Innisfree," a number whose appearance in a John Wayne film is duly noted.Those who fondly recall Van Morrison's collaboration with the Chieftains may find themselves fascinated by Finbar Wright's evocative version of "Carrickfergus," and the many devotees of Read more

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Reviews (8)

not my type
Definitly not my type, but Mother liked it. Too much caramel for me.

WhatA great video!
The Irish tenors were my first love in singing and prompted me to learn more.I credit them with helping me realize the beauty of singing classically several years ago.This concert was a great mix of everything that is great about the group. The Halcyon Days Revisited
These three top flight performers have recreated something that has been missing from the world's concert stages since the heydays of the great John McCormack and the legendary Richard Tauber. (More so, insofar as you get three for the price of one).Read more

Subjects:  1. Celtic/Irish    2. Classical Collections-Artist Desc.    3. Classical Crossover    4. Int'l & World Music    5. Ireland    6. Irish Folk    7. Music Videos - Classical    8. Pop   

Editorial Review

The American Ballet Theater version of the Tchaikovsky classic, a 1977 studio rendition directed by Tony Charmoli, has become a holiday perennial on PBS stations and home video. It's a favorite of parents who want to give their kids the gift of culture--and with good reason.There's a loose fairy tale plot to keep dance neophytes interested, and Boris Aronson's eye-candy production design is a series of lavish dioramas. From an imperial-era Russian Christmas party out of Tolstoy, a young girl named Clara (Gelsey Kirkland) is whisked in dreams to an imaginary world populated by the animated creations of the wizard toy maker Drosselmeier (Alexander Minz), who prances on his stick-thin limbs like a Dickens illustration come to life. The main attraction is, of course, Mikhail Baryshnikov, one of the greatest classical dancers of the century, at his absolute peak of athleticism and precision. An opening slow-motion montage diagrams his fabled smoothness of execution, elegant airborne trajectories that have a feather-light perfection.Music lovers who know only "The Nutcracker Suite" will relish the chance to hear this great score all the way through, conducted with lilt and vigor by Kenneth Schermerhorn. Read more

Features

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• Closed-captioned
• Color
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Reviews (55)

Tchaikovsky - The Nutcracker / Baryshnikov, Kirkland, Charmoli
Wonderful as all Baryshnikov performances are.The popular Christmas ballet at its best!!!!

Nice Adaptation
I was impressed that they actually performed this to be video taped and took advantage of the video options like zoom.No one jumps like Baryshnikov.It's magical.

Nutcracker has a clear sexual theme to it
Rss22 is apparently disturbed by the sexual theme present in this version of the Nutcracker. However, it is essential to the ballet. In short, the Nutcracker is about a young girl becoming a woman and the sexual conflicts involved. Her dream is clearly sexual. She fights off the mice who represent her "dirty" sexual impulses and lascivious temptations including that of being "conquered" by the Mouse King. Finally, with the arrival of the Nutcracker Prince and his help, she is able to sublimate these impulses into a mature love for a protector who marries her (the Nutcracker prince) and who makes an "honest woman" of her. Proper versions of the ballet always have the Christmas tree swell and rise to gargantuan size, like the big phallis it represents. Ballets that fail to do this indicate a lack of understanding of what the ballet is all about. However, children can enjoy it without necessarily having the sexual meanings made explicit to them. Just don't point them out. Simple. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Ballet    2. Christmas    3. Classical    4. Music Video    5. Opera/Operetta    6. Performance   

Features

• Classical
• Color
• Original recording reissued
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Reviews (1)

Good 'ol Victor
Can't get enough of him.He's very entertaining and the good thing is his humor isn't vulgar whatsoever.If you haven't seen his routine, then you need to.Watch it over a couple times you might miss some of those subtle jokes. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Classical    2. Performing Arts - Concerts   

Features

• Black & White
• Classical
• Color
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Reviews (4)

Victor Borge, a comic musical genius
Great entertainment, (pht) by a great artist. Well worth watching, but make sure you are sitting down or you might fall over laughing.

A Masterpiece from the Master Himself!!
Victor Borge was possibly the funniest stand-up (with the occassional sit-down) comedian of all times...he combined superlative piano-playing, with even more superlative humour, with a sense of timing & panache that most comedians would give their sense of humour for.
Victor Borge's Funniest Moments
Very good, even if in "The Timid Page Turner" the scene with the "William Tell Overture" it has been broken away from this publication. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Classical    2. Performing Arts - Concerts    3. Spoken / Comedy / Radio Shows   

Features

• Color
• NTSC

Reviews (3)

Great Video Hits.
Reba Can Truly Sing. I Saw The Videos On CMT For "You Lie", "Rumor Has It", "Fancy", "For My Broken Heart", And "Is There Life Out There" Which Won An Award In1992.

One of the best I have seen.
As usual Reba has out done herself with her voice

I THINK IT WAS THE BEST VIDEO EVER
I REALLY LIKE ALL OF HER MUSIC, BUT THIS ONE WAS THE BEST ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Country    2. Music Videos - Classical    3. Pop   

Features

• Classical
• NTSC

Subjects:  1. Classical    2. Classical Video    3. How To - Musical Instruction    4. Performing Arts   

Editorial Review

According to this video's back cover,Finbar Wright "is being hailed as the leading Irish tenor on the world'sstage." He establishes Irish credentials firmly with memorableperformances of "Danny Boy" and "My Lagan Love," but hisambition clearly goes beyond that ethnic category. No other Irishtenor, and not many who are not Spanish, would open a program,as he does this 1991 concert from the Grand Opera House in Belfast, with Ferdinand Lara's "Granada." He sings it perfectly, with amastery of Spanish style and language acquired during years ofwork and study in Spain.He is also adept in Italian, and in thedialect of Naples, which is like no other language.Read more

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• Classical
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Reviews (8)

A Love-Hate Relationship
I love the Irsh tenors and have enjoyed them at live concerts all around New England.This love prompted me to purchase this Finbar Wright opera spectacular.As a great lover of opera nd an operatic tenor myself, I had great expectations for Finbar. Finbar Wright, Best Irish Tenor Alive IMHO
This video displays the magnificent talent of Finbar Wright with his beautiful and trained voice, he sings each selection beautifully and pretty perfect IMHO.I love his voice and the songs and arias he sings.He reminds me of Mario Lanza but he will have a much longer career hopefully.

All you current opera tenors can breath easy ***for awhile
Finbar is the very essence of Irish tenors plus a marvelous singer of most songs. I repeat most songs. I could listen to him sing for hours on end but not opera arias. Finbar has a long way to go before he can carry any opera. Opera singers both male and female are not just singers they are trained in there craft and as of right now he needs a lot of training before he can have the opera world waving big dollar contracts for him to sign. If you love a good Irish tenor this is your video. I encourage you to purchase this video. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Classical    2. Classical Vocals    3. Opera/Operetta    4. Performing Arts    5. Performing Arts - Opera   

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• Black & White
• Color
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Reviews (1)

Opera singers from Ed Sullivan's "really big shoe"
For those who remember "The Ed Sullivan Show" for The Beatles, Senor Wences, and Topo Gigio, this collection of operatic highlights serves as a reminder that high culture was also a part of the mix each week on Sunday night's broadcast.Sullivan presented not only rock stars and grand opera but classical ballet, dramatic recitations, and dancing bears between 1948 and 1971 on CBS.Read more

Subjects:  1. Documentary    2. Movie    3. Performing Arts    4. Performing Arts - Opera   

Features

• Color
• Live
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Reviews (48)

Is this the same woman that appears on the CLASSICS cd?
I must say that I found myself unable to believe that this sweet, seraphic, wide-eyed woman is the same woman who appeared nude in two later music videos:Winter Light and Ave Maria.
Gave it a 5er even though I couldn't watch it..
I bought this before I noticed it was region 2...didn't notice 'til I put the disc in my player, and it wouldn't play.
Sarah Brightman is amazing!
This is an awesome video. The performances are incredible, especially the duet "Time to Say Goodbye" with Andrea Bocelli. Sarah also sings "Music of the Night", which is something she says she doesn't get to do often, since the song was written for the Phantom. It's a rare treat.
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Subjects:  1. Music Videos - Classical    2. Pop    3. Pop Vocals   

Features

• Classical
• Color
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Reviews (6)

This title is now available on DVD
It is not immediately obvious (it doesn't come up as an alternate format), but this work is now available in a DVD edition, which has been re-mastered to 5.1 digital sound.

Magnificent, A great opera story ever told , Viva Mascagni
I have seen this video more than three times & each time i see it, it has the same impact on me. The feeling of beauty, tragedy. The way the artists potray the characters is truly superb. My favourate scenes is between the Tiruddu & Santuzza. The song 'No no Tiruddu' is done so well. also the intermezzo. Thelast act my Domingo 'Mama....."saying goodbye to her mother before the fight with Alfio ofcourse he dies at the end. The woman who shouts "Somebody has killed Tiruddu" in Italian is such a thrill & has become so familiar with many movie goers especially "the God Father part 3" saga. This is a great video to own.Obrastva & Domingo have never sounded so good. I also like Alfio's voice with his whip at the beginning of the film when he enters the market & everyone sorrounds him to listen. Buy this one U wont regret.

Cavalleria Rusticana
The greatest opera ever composed. Why is it not available in DVD? ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Classical    2. Classical Video    3. Opera / Operetta / Oratorio    4. Performing Arts    5. Performing Arts - Opera   

Editorial Review

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• Classical
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Reviews (33)

great dvd, poor sound quality, poor workmanship
this is clearly 1 of the best dvd that have just about every famous pianist from the 20th century. i really like it. but the sound doesn't play at the same time with the moving picture. Meaning-horowitz pressing the middle c, wait 1 sec, then the sound of middle c is heard. i mean, it is great if i was listening to it, but when you watch you won't be able to relate the picture to the music which is rather annoying. clearly, the jerk who made this movie didn't care much for it authencity and throw together a bunch of clip that doesn't go with the sound. very poor workmanship.
For anyone who loves piano.
My wife and I both took piano lessons when we were growing up.Although neither of us became really proficient at the piano, we both greatly enjoy listening to virtuoso piano performances and have an extensuve collection of classical piano CDs..This DVD covers most of the famousperformers familiar to Americans during the 20th century and some European performers with whom we were not familiar.If you are looking for complete performances ofpieces, this is not for you, but the music is a good sampling and illustrates the various personal styles of the artists featured.The motion picture footage of the artists and the movement of theirhands on the keyboard is facinating.The commentary also provides insights to the performers backgrounds and personalities.

20th Century Virtuosity at a Glance
The thing I like most about this DVD is the seldom seen footage of Cortot, Hoffman et al.The two minuses are the sometimes out of sync video/audio (especially during Hoffman's performance of Rach's c minor prelude) and the interruptions of the performances by editorial dialogue. Also, no footage of Rachmaninoff, why?!
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Subjects:  1. Chamber Music & Recitals    2. Classical    3. Classical Artists    4. Music Video    5. Music Videos - Classical    6. Performance   

Editorial Review

Jacques Offenbach died with his masterpiece not quite finished, and thathas made Read more

Features

• Color
• Original recording remastered
• NTSC

Reviews (28)

The last great Powell and Pressburger film, and it is extraordinary.
Poor Hoffmann. He is a poet who is famously unlucky in love. As a young student in Paris, he first fell in love with Olympia (Moira Shearer). She was a gorgeous creature with pale, silken skin, luminous eyes and red hair. Unfortunately, she was an automaton. Then, as a man of the world in Venice, he fell in love with Giulietta (Ludmilla Tcherina). She was seductive, with black eyes that held promises and with long, raven hair. Unfortunately, she stole men's reflections and then their souls. Next, as a famous poet visiting a beautiful isle, he fell in love with Antonia (Ann Ayers), a young, passionate opera singer. Unfortunately, she suffered from consumption. Throughout it all, he is accompanied by a young and skeptical friend, Nicklaus (Pamela Brown), and followed by the sinister Lindorf (Robert Helpmann), who seems determined to thwart Hoffmann. Now, he waits in a tavern for his new love, the ballet dancer Stella (Moira Shearer). And while he waits and drinks, everyone urges Hoffmann to tell them the tales of his loves. And in this opera by Jacques Offenbach, and in this marvelous movie by Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger, he does.
powell & pressburger channel offenbach & george romero
an amazing movie! to begin, my thanks to my friend bugsy for turning me on to this, which i probably would not have watched on my own. adapted from the offenbach opera, there are so many startling images i will only single out three: the coil springs popping out of olympias severed head and dissolving into the canal of venice; the barefooted giulietta descending the statued steps portrayed as the heads of her victims; the desperate antonia running thru door after door only to continue entering the same room. beautifully danced, beautifully sung, i watched this two times in a row (second time with martin scorseses terrific commentary) and i KNOW i could watch this many more times and STILL find something new. great work by director michael powell and scenarist emerich pressburger, this has gone on my list of the 100 best ever.
Offenbach's opera on the big screen
This review is for the Criterion Collection DVD edition of the film.
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Subjects:  1. Drama    2. Movie    3. Performing Arts - Opera   

Features

• Classical
• Color
• NTSC

Reviews (2)

DVD Gods Listen Up!
I have seen many productions of Hansel Und Gretel, but this one is far and away the finest, both in terms of singing and acting!Why has no one seen fit to release this exquisite production on DVD?

adorable
Solti is always Solti. Gruberova is so childish as never after.Fassbaender is the ever-boy-in-the-oper. The direction's great, and this was the most beautiful scene I've ever seen. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Christmas / Chanukkah    2. Classical    3. Performing Arts - Opera