Andre Rieu - Tuscany
from Denon Records
Those who have enjoyed this program on PBS need only be told that it is available on home video. André Rieu is a master of light classical music, and here he is at his best. The program was taped live, outdoors in the Piazza de la Republica in the Italian cty of Cortona. Rieu addresses the audience in fluent but sometimes charmingly awkward Italian, with English subtitles. From the opening moments he has the vast crowd in the palm of his hand. They whistle for him in "Chanson d'amour," clap in unison for the "Toreador Song" from Carmen, the "Radetzky" march, and the galloping finales of the William Tell and Light Cavalry overtures, and sing along in "La donna e mobile," the drinking song from La traviata, and, most movingly, the Italian national anthem and "Va pensiero," which is almost a national anthem.
The music is basic classical top-40, with an emphasis on opera and a lot of Italian music, including "The Carnival of Venice" and the Grand March from Aida. The performances are full of energy and technically skilled. Rieu conducts, plays his violin, and generously shares the spotlight, notably with soprano Carmen Monarca, mezzo-soprano Carla Malfioletti, and several singing and dancing young ladies who might have stepped out of a Botticelli painting. Visuals include, besides the concert, a charming Tuscan landscape and a ride in a Venetian gondola. --Joe McLellan
1. The Godfather (Love Theme) 2. Strangers In Paradise 3. Romance Anonyme - Jeux Interdits 4. Once Upon A Time In The West 5. Chanson d'Amour 6. O Mio Babbino Caro 7. William Tell Overture 8. Opera Potpourri 9. Italian National Anthem 10. L'Italiano 11. Marina 12. Roses From Tyrol 13. Lagune Waltz 14. The Rose 15. Italiana 16. Barcarole 17. La Paloma 18. Light Cavalry 19. All Men Shall Be Brothers (Ode To Joy) 20. Radetzky March 21. Vino 22. La Montanara 23. I Love You
Andre Rieu - The Homecoming
from Denon Records
Andre's multimedia spectacular filmed in the spirit of his best-selling Tuscany!Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: MUSIC DVD/CONCERTS UPC: 795041761491 Manufacturer No: COZ17614
Andre Rieu - 100 Years of Strauss
from Denon Records
Andre Rieu - Live in Dublin
from Denon Records
Filmed in Dublin's famous downtown train terminal which has been converted into one of the most delightful concert halls in Europe, LIVE IN DUBLIN features Andre and the orchestra performing a collection of old favorites and exciting new selections. Already a smash PBS program LIVE IN DUBLIN captures Andre Rieu and his magical live performances at their most elegant best!
Andre Rieu - Live at the Royal Albert Hall
from Denon Records
Track List: 1) Ballade 2) My Heart Will Go On - Theme to "Titanic" 3) Sous les ciel de Paris (The Sky of Paris) 4) Autumn in Venice 5) Granada 6) Marino Waltz 7) Kirmesliebe 8) Yeux Noires 9) Send in the Clowns 10) True Love 11) Moon River from "Breakfast at Tiffany's" 12) Edelweiss from "The Sound of Music" 13) Lost Heroes 14) The Blue Danube Waltz 15) Greensleeves 16) Adagio (Albinoni) 17) Internezz (mascagni) 18) Lullaby (Brahms)
Andre Rieu: Christmas with Andre Rieu
from Denon Records
As seen on PBS... A delightful Christmas experience featuring timeless yuletide favorites filmed in many of Europe's most beautiful locations.
Hilary Hahn: A Portrait
by Benedict Mirow
from Deutsche Grammophon
Bond - Live at the Royal Albert Hall
from Decca
Filmed at their Royal Albert Hall debut gig in September 2000, Bond Live is a slick showcase for four classically trained, ex-session musicians and their fusion of string quartet and rock music. Whatever the hype (four beautiful women wearing scanty tops and dancing with violins while backed by a five-piece rock combo and a small, rarely seen string section), it has nothing to do with making classical music cool and everything to do with sex. In "Duel," first and second violins Haylie Ecker and Eos trade licks "guitar-hero" style, and most of the tracks are new instrumentals written for the album Born, though "The 1812" does manage to reduce Tchaikovsky's overture to a five-minute dance number. With rock-show lighting, synthesizers, dance beats, and a finale involving the "James Bond Theme" followed by a Rio-style fiesta for the closing "Victory--Carnival Mix," this is camp, melodramatic, sexy fun. --Gary S. Dalkin, Amazon.co.uk
The Art of Violin
by Bruno Monsaingeon
from Nvc Arts
A documentary film by Bruno Monsaingeon devoted to the 20th century's greatest violinists, The Art of Violin really cannot be faulted. The same, incidentally, can also be said of the similar volumes that cover the piano and singing, so there's never been a better time to collect a personal audio-visual archive of some wonderful historical performers. The added dimension provided by the painstakingly collected film material (here featuring no fewer than 20 outstanding soloists) is of exceptional value when observing violin technique, and the diversity of approaches presented here in loving detail is in itself a subject for endless comparison. The material mixes archive performance footage, much of which one might never have dreamed existed, with interviews and documentary commentary. However, rather than turn the project into a museum piece, Monsaingeon includes contributions from contemporary figures such as Itzhak Perlman and Hilary Hahn. An absolute must. --Roger Thomas, Amazon.co.uk
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