I ousted opera due to that fact that there was already a very nice thread for it on this subject. So, which are actually worth WATCHING?
PS Stuart, you are limited to 10. $:) ;D
My favorites:
Abbado's Beethoven Symphony Cycle with Berlin. Marvelous on all counts.
Bach's Brandenburgs performed in Cothen Palace by Freiburger Barockorchester
Julia Fischer doing Vivaldi's Four Seasons with the ASMF at the National Botanic Garden of Wales.
A Mozart Gala from Prague. Czech Phil doing Overture to Don Giovanni, Clarinet Concerto, and Prague Symphony.
Birthday Concert for Pope Benedict. Hilary Hahn plays Mozart's 3rd VC and Gustavo Dudamel conducts the New World Symphony.
Quote from: Bogey on October 29, 2009, 01:38:06 PM
I ousted opera due to that fact that there was already a very nice thread for it on this subject. So, which are actually worth WATCHING?
PS Stuart, you are limited to 10. $:) ;D
Hmm, the total number of titles I own is close to 30 ... ;D
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1)The live VPO Bruckner 9th maybe the greatest I have ever heard..........HVK is transcendent
2)The 1977 Beethoven 9th New Years Eve, HVK's finest 9th that culminates in a furious finale, HVK at his peak
3)Has the famous LSO 2nd from Ely Cathedral (not on CD), essential for Mahler fans.......
Quote from: DarkAngel on October 29, 2009, 06:02:07 PM
(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/3147yHhYxFL._SS500_.jpg) 1)The live VPO Bruckner 9th maybe the greatest I have ever heard..........HVK is transcendent
I have this DVD as well. The performance was great ...
Coop
Please note that HVK has eyes closed as was typical in 1970s........... ;)
I have found this DVD very enjoyable - Bach Violin Concertos and Magnificat by HvK, Anne Sophie Mutter and the BPO - even if the performance was not HIP ...
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Quote from: DarkAngel on October 29, 2009, 06:46:19 PM
Coop
Please note that HVK has eyes closed as was typical in 1970s........... ;)
Looking at these DVD covers I'm wondering if Karajan
ever opened his eyes! :o
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Kleiber is great; you can just see the joy in his face. That Concertgebouw lot are pretty good too. :)
What would you consider under this? Ballet, concerts/recitals, documentaries? There is really a lot of it around. Few favorites:
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While Swan Lake is very classical production, Sylvia and R&J are modern choreographies which I like but probably not to everyone taste, especially R&J where Preljocaj uses only about half of Prokofiev's music and even adds some electronic stuff.
All Michelangeli recitals on Opus Arte are worth seeing.
Youtube is great resource when it comes to checking clips before deciding to buy a DVD.
Quote from: Mandryka on October 30, 2009, 04:27:26 AM
Sokolov's DVD
Don't know how I missed that!
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Most of the DVDs I've bought I haven't kept. But these are all well worth catching:
Abbado Lucerne Mahler -- all of them. One good trick with them is that, on some, you can change the angle of view.
Harnoncourt Haydn Paris symphony -- it also has some opera excerpts on it which I never listen to. The Haydn is the best HIP version of it I know (though definately not the best version tout court)
The Well Tempered Clavier with Demidenko, Gavrilov, Joanna McGreggor and Hewitt. Nice photography, interestimg performance.
Monteverdi Vepers -- Gardiner -- maybe -- sometimes I like the photography, sometimes I think it's too static.
Elgar Cello Concerto -- in the DVD with Du Pre called A Portrait.
B Minor Mass -- Richter
The DVD of Fischer Dieskau and Brendel doing Winterreisse -- especially nice for the rehearsal bonus track.
Sviatisav Richter -- Mozart sonatas + some chopin -- from London in the 80s
Claudio Arrau -- the 1964 Mozart and Beethoven sonatas -- and a good interview (in French)
Horowitz doing Mozart PC 22 -- he does some very strange things with his fingers a couple of times.
There's a DVD of Gilels playing Book 1 of Brahms Paganini Variations as an encore -- excellent.
Sokolov's DVD
Michelangeli with a chopin recital from somewhere in Italy in the 60s -- includes the Op 45 Prelude and B flat monor sonata, and a nice berceuse. Just unbelievable piano playing.
Weissenberg's DVD -- good interview and nice performances of all the usual suspects (Scriabin, Stravinsky, Chopin etc)
The Les Noces and Firebird from Covent Garden -- outstanding documentary bonus on the making of Les Noces.
The Pulchinela with Robert Tear -- laugh out loud funny
The Soldat from Rambert (maybe)
The cartoon Rosignol (maybe)
The Romeo (Prokofieff) with Nureyev.
The Cinderella (Prok) with Margot Fonteyn
The film about Gesualdo by whats-his-name -- that German director. Nice madrigal performances.
The Monteverdi Madrigal DVD with Emma Kirkby.
Ponnelle's Carmina Burana (well -- it's not an opera)
Bernstein's West Side Story (definately not an opera)
The New York Ballet production of Davidsbundlertanze -- but you'll have to buy the tape and get it converted to DVD (I did)
Quote from: Mandryka on October 30, 2009, 04:27:26 AM
The film about Gesualdo by whats-his-name -- that German director. Nice madrigal performances.
Death for five Voices by Werner Herzog. Not bad.
Quote from: Drasko on October 30, 2009, 04:43:16 AM
Death for five Voices by Werner Herzog. Not bad.
Thank you -- That story about the boy and the balcony is apparently a complete fabrication.
Some of my DVD faves (with a huge "to watch" pile waiting, including some of those Bernstein and Abbado recordings mentioned already):
Prokofiev: Symphony No. 1 / Schnittke: Viola Concerto / Stravinsky: The Firebird (Yuri Bashmet/Gergiev/Vienna)
Voices of Our Time: Recital with Dawn Upshaw and Gilbert Kalish - Includes works by Messiaen, Saariaho, Harbison and Crumb.
A Night of Encores (Vadim Repin/Mariss Jansons/Berlin Philharmonic) - Exactly as billed, but much more fun than it might be, with some rarities.
Mahler: Symphony No. 5 / Adès: Asyla (Simon Rattle/Berlin Philharmonic) - I bought this for the Mahler, but the Adès is hugely entertaining.
And one I just started, which so far is terrific:
Debussy: La Mer / Boulez: Notations I-IV / De Falla: El Sombrero de Tres Picos (Barenboim/Chicago)
--Bruce
Quote from: bhodges on October 30, 2009, 02:17:09 PM
Mahler: Symphony No. 5 / Adès: Asyla (Simon Rattle/Berlin Philharmonic) - I bought this for the Mahler, but the Adès is hugely entertaining.
Seconded