Musicals on DVD - Discounted Musical DVDs

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

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

It would be difficult, perhaps impossible, to assemble a better group of musicians to perform Beethoven's Triple Concerto and Choral Fantasy. Daniel Barenboim has been so busy conducting the world's top orchestras and opera companies that there is a danger of forgetting what an excellent pianist he is. He conducts both of these works from the keyboard, as Beethoven would have expected, engaging in chamber music-like dialogue in the concerto and creating a sense of impromptu in the Fantasy's long piano solo, which Beethoven wrote for himself and partly improvised at the first performance. Itzhak Perlman and Yo-Yo Ma are sensitive, alert, and technically superb partners. <p> The music is not Beethoven's most familiar, but it is absolutely charming. The concerto is appealing in its melodic material and the intricate interactions among the soloists and orchestra. The Choral Fantasy features a long piano solo that Beethoven wrote for himself, plus a choral melody that sounds like a preliminary sketch for the last movement of his Ninth Symphony. Both works pose unusual balance challenges, to which Barenboim and the recording engineers rise impressively. <I>--Joe McLellan

In 1979, as China re-opened its doors to the West, virtuoso Isaac Stern received an unprecedented invitation from its governernment to tour the country. This extraordinary experience became the landmark, Oscar-winning documentary FROM MAO TO MOZART--a be

Studio: Repnet Llc Release Date: 05/06/2008 Run time: 98 minutes

THIS DTS-HD MASTER AUDIO DISC DELIVERS AN AMAZING ACOUSTIC REALITY EXPERIENCE THROUGH PLAYSTATION 3 (LPCM OUTPUT) OR BLU-RAY PLAYER WITH DTS-HD MASTER AUDIO OUTPUT CONNECTED THROUGH 1.3 HDMI CABLE WITH DTS-HD MASTER AUDIO CAPABLE RECIVER. THE FULL RANGE 7.1 (6.1;5.1) SURROUND SPEAKER SET-UP IS HIGHLY RECOMMENDED FOR FULL PERCEPTION OF ACOUSTIC REALITY AND LOW FREQUENCY CHANNEL (LFE) THAT IS VERY CRITICAL FOR THIS RECORD. PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS RECORD WAS ORIGINALLY PRODUCED FOR 5.1 AND PRESENTED FOR 7.1 SURROUND SOUND REPRODUCTION TO PROVIDE YOU WITH UNIQUE ACOUSTIC REALITY EXPERIENCE.

This Disc is Audio Only

Experience 87 minutes of hypnotic retinal bliss by San Francisco VJ and software artist Spot a.k.a. Scott Draves. Five video tracks sync with electronic music by jhno, Spool, dj vordo, and mbb. Three more tracks sync with music by techno-violin sensation Kenji Williams (ABA Structure), including an original track not released elsewhere. See three unique and original styles: Dub Visuals, Electric Sheep, and Bomb, each with a documentary explanation. Includes looping tracks with solid backgrounds for use by VJs.

Described as "possessed, "frightening," and "brilliant," Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg has either enraged or enraptured critics while earning herself the nickname "the bad girl of the violin." Academy Award® nominee Speaking In Strings explores the controversial and fascinating life of this funny, fearless, irreverent, and world-renowned musician. A deeply private look at the woman behind all the accolades and controversy.

DVD Features: Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg Biography; Docurama Previews; Interactive Menu; Scene Selection