By Performer

Vivere Live in Tuscany [DVD/CD]

CAPTURING BOCELLI S FIRST EVER CONCERT PERFORMANCE OF HIS MOST POPULAR SONGS FEATURING GUESTS CHRIS BOTTI KENNY G. LANG LANG SARAH BRIGHTMAN HEATHER HEADLEY and more.Last July on the slopes of Andrea Boceli s home town Lajatico a rural village in Tuscany a special theater was constructed for a one-night-only concert of his greatest popular hits along with new songs performed to honor the occasion. Some famous musical friends dropped by and the magical result is Andrea Bocelli Vivere Live in Tuscany.Format: DVD AUDIO Genre: MUSIC DVD/LIVE PERFORMANCES Artist: BOCELLIANDREA UPC: 602517602694 Manufacturer No: B0010669-50

Music of the Heart (Miramax Collector's Series)

Why, you might ask, would Wes Craven direct a conventional biopic about Roberta Guaspari, a divorced mother of two who created an acclaimed music program in East Harlem's troubled school system? After all, Craven built his career on Freddy Krueger and the Scream trilogy, and you won't find razor-tipped gloves or a single drop of blood in Music of the Heart. All Craven has to do is provide a safe working environment for Meryl Streep (who earned an obligatory Oscar nomination), sublimate his deft directorial style, and surrender to the banalities of Pamela Gray's screenplay, which would've played more effectively on cable TV.

To be fair, Music of the Heart (partially inspired by the 1996 documentary Small Wonders) serves its purpose quite nicely. Streep is flawless in a non-showy role, and the story of Guaspari's celebrated violin training program provides the requisite rush of inner-city inspiration. As a fact-based companion to Mr. Holland's Opus, the film is less effective but similarly engaging; you'd have to be cold-hearted to dismiss it altogether. It's best when focusing on Guaspari's school program and the 10-year struggle to keep it alive; the drama falters when dealing half-heartedly with her tentative relationships, notably with a journalist (Aidan Quinn) who shies from commitment. And Craven? He seems content to direct by the numbers here, leaving inspiration on the screen while forfeiting his own. --Jeff Shannon

Two-time Academy Award(R)-winner Meryl Streep (1983 Best Actress, SOPHIE'S CHOICE; 1980 Best Supporting Actress, KRAMER vs. KRAMER) stars with Angela Bassett (HOW STELLA GOT HER GROOVE BACK) in a heartwarming, acclaimed true story of how one woman's musical gift affected those who least expected it. A single mother with little more than talent and the determination to make a difference, Roberta Guaspari (Streep) overcame the skepticism of everyone who didn't think she should be teaching violin to students in a tough inner-city neighborhood. But even after a decade of ever-growing popularity and countless success stories, Roberta and her kids must rise to meet an even greater challenge: budget cuts aimed at shutting down her valuable program for good! Also starring Aidan Quinn (PRACTICAL MAGIC) and Grammy-winner Gloria Estefan in a stellar cast, this extraordinary story will inspire anyone who's ever thought their dreams were too far out of reach!

Sarah Brightman - Live from Las Vegas

Recorded in March 2004 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas during Sarah Brightman's Harem World Tour, this new live CD and DVD (sold separately) demonstrates the musical seductress's penchant for fusing musical genres- musical theater, classical, rock and world music- and plays like a collection of greatest hits performed live. The DVD will be a double-disc containing the entire Las Vegas show on Disc 1 (approx. run time of 110 minutes). The show was filmed with 18 cameras and directed by world-renown David Mallet (projects include Cher, Celine Dion, Cirque du Soleil, and the Three Tenors). Disc 2 features more than 1 hour of bonus footage: The making of…, all access backstage footage, multiple angle views, photo gallery of 100+photos and an interactive Harem quiz with a special prize

Andrew Lloyd Webber - The Royal Albert Hall Celebration

In 1998 a concert at the Royal Albert Hall celebrated Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber's 50th birthday and featured more than two hours of hits from a body of work spanning almost three decades. In this keepsake of a memorable night, star after star steps on to a massive, Eurovision-style set to revisit golden moments in their long association with Britain's most successful composer of musicals. Elaine Paige in big frocks and an even bigger voice delivers "Don't Cry for Me, Argentina" and "Memory" with her usual power; Michael Ball and Donny Osmond stretch the last vestiges of boyish charm to the very limits but still sound great; and Boyzone gets the youth vote. Then there are Kiri Te Kanawa, Bonnie Tyler, Tina Arena, and, of course, another encore for brother Julian Lloyd Webber and those Variations on the cello. But the stars are Sir Andrew's ex-wife Sarah Brightman in an outstanding selection from The Phantom of the Opera (probably his best work), Antonio Banderas (who really can sing), and Glenn Close, a stupendous, moving Norma Desmond in songs from Sunset Boulevard. All in all, a deserved celebration for someone who has given so many people a great deal of pleasure, and a treat for musicals fans of all ages. --Piers Ford

Puccini - La Boheme / Pavarotti, Scotto, Niska, Wixell, Plishka, Levine, Metropolitan Opera

Puccini - Turandot / Franco Zeffirelli - Marton, Domingo, Mitchell, Plishka, Cuenod - James Levine, MET (1988)

The Berlin Concert - Live from Waldbuhne

Sparks fly in this video of the all-star concert from Berlin's equivalent of the Hollywood Bowl in July 2006, part of the World Cup festivities. The electricity is generated by the all-star trio of tenors Placido Domingo and Rolando Villazon and soprano Anna Netrebko in a program of operatic and vocal favorites. The crowd estimated at 20,000 eats it all up, and so will home viewers who'll relish the prospect of great singers performing great music.

Domingo is his usual self, still remarkable at an age when most tenors have called it quits. He sings with intensity and a voice undimmed by the passing of time. Domingo's duets with his partners are notable for his acute phrasing, the highlights being the first-act love duet from Verdi's Otello with Netrebko's gorgeous lyric Desdemona and the ravishing duet with Villazon from Bizet's The Pearlfishers, in which he takes on the baritone role. Netrebko seems slightly stiff at first but loosens up as the evening progresses, but she's in excellent voice, with luminous pianissimos most sopranos wish they could emulate. Her Puccini arias are beautifully sung, and she even offers a Franz Lehar aria and a charmingly accented duet, "Tonight," from West Side Story with Villazon. But if anyone can be said to steal the show it's Villazon, a singer in perpetual motion, who brings the house down with a version of Rossini's La Danza full of dash and brio. There's a lot more, from Spanish songs to arrangements of the Brindisi from La traviata and Lehar's featuring all three singers, with the tenors dividing their lines between to woo the soprano. These are part of the scintillating encore set--good fun that has the audience panting for more.

Expert accompaniments are by the Orchestra of the Deutschen Opera of Berlin under the baton of conductor Marco Armiliato, who also offers several well-shaped operatic overtures and intermezzos and joins in the fun during the unbuttoned encores. Too bad the video direction doesn't match the on-stage proceedings. The production team apparently suffers from camera nervosa, the cameras swooping above the scene, then to floor level, now up, now down, now in close-up, now in long shot, searching for novelty while distracting from the music. There are also misjudged cuts, jumps, and angles. This hyperactivity doesn't seriously mar enjoyment but it is a blemish on a terrific concert. --Dan Davis

Andrea Bocelli - Under the Desert Sky [CD Included]

Performed on a specially constructed floating stage in Lake Las Vegas a resort community 20 miles south of Las Vegas this historic performance captures Andrea Bocelli's first ever pop concert. Under the Desert Sky which co-stars Tony® winner Heather Headley (Elton John's Aida) represents a new era for the Tuscan-born singer. Spanish guitars flourish traditional Latin percussion seductively keeps the tempo accordions and harmonicas provide haunting ambience. Highlights include "Somos Novios" - Perry Como had a hit with it as "It's Impossible" - and "The Prayer" a duet with Heather Headley David Foster and Carole Bayer Sager's Oscar® nominated song from Quest for Camelot. Capping the program is a new song "Because We Believe" by David Foster with lyrics by Andrea Bocelli and Amy Foster Gillies which was written for and introduced at the 2006 Torino Winter Olympics.Disc 1 DVD1. Amapola2. Besame Mucho3. Somos Novios4. Canzoni Stonate5. Pero Te Extrano6. L'Appuntamento7. Estate8. September Morn9. Can't Help Falling In Love10. Mi Manchi11. Jurame12. Solamente Una Vez13. Les Feuilles Mortes (Autumn Leaves)14. Porque Tu Me Acostumbraste15. Cuando do Me Enamoro16. The Prayer17. Momentos18. Because We BelieveDisc 2 CD1. Besame Mucho - live2. Cuando Me Ennamoro - live3. Estate with Chris Botti - studio version4. September Morn - live5. Can't Help Falling in Love - studio duet with Katharine McPhee6. Canzoni Stonate - new studio edit with Stevie Wonder7. Momentos - live8. Somos Novios - live9. The Prayer - live duet with Heather HeadleyFormat: DVD MOVIE Genre: MUSIC DVD/CONCERTS Rating: NR UPC: 602517043060 Manufacturer No: B0007830-50

If music be the food of love, then Under the Desert Sky is an Italian feast. Andrea Bocelli performs live at the Lake Las Vegas resort for this DVD and bonus CD, featuring some of the world's greatest love songs. In straying from the largely classical repertoire that helped shoot Bocelli to stardom, he is able to take more contemporary material and give it the sheen of timelessness. Most of the selections are in Italian, Spanish, or French--Romance languages, naturally. Highlights include the swoon-inducing "Amapole," the pitch-perfect "Canzoni Stonate," and even a reverent "Can't Help Falling in Love." Through it all, Bocelli's relaxed, self-effacing manner and confident delivery make for an intimate concert experience. Bocelli is also backed by a terrific group of talented musicians, including pianist and executive producer David Foster. A real show-stopper: Bocelli's duet with the Tony-winning Aida singer Heather Headley; the blending of their voices suggests the duets of Aaron Neville and Linda Ronstadt at their most sublime. There's only one real clunker: "Besame Mucho," which is so innately cheeseball that trying to deliver it sincerely only makes it more cheesy. Included is a CD with nine tracks, including a different version of "Can't Help Falling in Love," with a duet by American Idol's Katherine McPhee, and a soulful "Canzoni Stonate" with Stevie Wonder. DVD extras include interviews with Bocelli, Foster, and others (be sure to turn on your subtitles manually if you're not an Italian speaker). That's amore! --A.T. Hurley

Three Tenors: In Concert

Fantasia 2000

More ambitious in scope than any of its other animated films (before or to come), Disney's 1940 Fantasia was a dizzying, magical, and highly enjoyable marriage of classical music and animated images. Fantasia 2000 features some breathtaking animation and storytelling, and in a few spots soars to wonderful high points, but it still more often than not has the feel of walking in its predecessor's footsteps as opposed to creating its own path. A family of whales swimming and soaring to Respighi's The Pines of Rome is magical to watch, but ends all too soon; a forest sprite's dance of life, death, and rebirth to Stravinsky's The Rite of Spring too clearly echoes the original Fantasia's Night on Bald Mountain/Ave Maria sequence. But when it's on target, Fantasia 2000 is glorious enough to make you giddy. Hans Christian Andersen's "The Steadfast Tin Soldier" is a perfect narrative set to Shostakovich's Piano Concerto No. 2, and Donald Duck's guest appearance as the assistant to Noah (of ark fame) set to Elgar's Pomp and Circumstance marches is a welcome companion piece (though not an equal) to The Sorcerer's Apprentice, the one original Fantasia piece included here. The high point of Fantasia 2000, though, is a fantastic day-in-the-life sequence of 1930s New York City set to Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue and animated in the style of cartoonist Al Hirschfeld; it's a perfect melding of music, story, and animation. Let's hope future Fantasias (reportedly in the works) take a cue from the best of this compilation. The music is provided by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, conducted by James Levine, interspersed with negligible intros by Steve Martin, Bette Midler, Itzhak Perlman, James Earl Jones, and others. --Mark Englehart