Off The Bookshelf R. Strauss - Capriccio / Fleming, von Otter, Finley, Trost, Henschel, Hawlata, Dell'Oste, Banks, Tear, Schirmer, Paris Opera Search DVD

Bookmark the site

Return to Homepage

US Shopping
UK Shopping

DVD : Search

Search DVD - select a category

1.Handel - Messiah (250th Anniversary Performance) plus FOR EVER AND EVER, a documentary starring: Sylvia McNair, Anne Sofie von Otter, Michael Chance, Jerry Hadley, Robert Lloyd directed by: Neville Marriner, Barrie Gavin October 14, 2003
Average Rating: >>More Details		List Price: $29.98 Off The Bookshelf's Price: $19.97 You Save: $10.01 (33%) Prices subject to change. Used Price: $15.00
Nev Marriner and the ASMF can usually be relied upon to produce a sparkling performance, and they and the ASMF Chorus do, in this Dublin performance to celebrate the first performance (in a long-disppeared venue in Fishamble Street). In particular, Mark Bennett, the trumpeter, playing a modern piccolo trumpet, produces the best trumpet part in "The trumpet shall sound" that I've ever heard, naturally far better than Valentine Snow could have played it with his natural trumpet. So what's the problem? The tenor and bass soloists, that's what. Both are major disappointments. Especially with note runs of the "And I will sha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-(etc.)-ke". The notes are not clearly enunciated and just plain tuneless. It spoiled the whole thing for me. For a really top DVD version ... Read More

2.Bizet: Carmen [Blu-ray] starring: Anne Sofie Von Otter, Haddock, Naouri, Milne directed by: McVicar November 18, 2008
Average Rating: >>More Details		List Price: $45.98 Off The Bookshelf's Price: $31.49 You Save: $14.49 (32%) Prices subject to change. Used Price: $32.79
Nev Marriner and the ASMF can usually be relied upon to produce a sparkling performance, and they and the ASMF Chorus do, in this Dublin performance to celebrate the first performance (in a long-disppeared venue in Fishamble Street). In particular, Mark Bennett, the trumpeter, playing a modern piccolo trumpet, produces the best trumpet part in "The trumpet shall sound" that I've ever heard, naturally far better than Valentine Snow could have played it with his natural trumpet. So what's the problem? The tenor and bass soloists, that's what. Both are major disappointments. Especially with note runs of the "And I will sha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-(etc.)-ke". The notes are not clearly enunciated and just plain tuneless. It spoiled the whole thing for me. For a really top DVD version ... Read More

3.Hector Berlioz - La Damnation de Faust / von Otter, Lewis, van Dam, Rose, CSO, Solti (1989) starring: Georg Solti, Anne Sofie von Otter, Keith Lewis, Jose van Dam, Peter Rose January 17, 2006
Average Rating: >>More Details		List Price: $24.99 Off The Bookshelf's Price: $22.49 You Save: $2.50 (10%) Prices subject to change. Used Price:
This production, apart from being a quite satisfying performance of the musical piece, has excellent dramatic presentation. The soloists perform as they sing, with facial expression, emotional intensity and interaction that almost transports them to an imaginary theatrical set provided by the musical imagery. Kind of like radio dramas, but with some visual support. This facet of the presentation is showcased by a well crafted videography that is relentlessly capturing the strongest musical and dramatic moments with well timed shot sequences. A real tribute to the true intent of the composer. Kudos to the excellent camera crew for this live production.

4.Metropolitan Opera Gala - James Levine's 25th Anniversary starring: Renee Fleming, Deborah Voigt, Karita Mattila, Roberto Alagna, Thomas Hampson November 22, 2005
Average Rating: >>More Details		List Price: $39.98 Off The Bookshelf's Price: $27.97 You Save: $12.01 (30%) Prices subject to change. Used Price: $20.55
This is a magnificent presentation, so many artists and such terrific performances from all of them, the pity of it is that there have been so many other fabulous performances that have been left out, I have the original VCR issue and there are far more arias and duets than there are on the two DVD's, the magnificent aria from Jessye Norman is missing and so is Alfredo Kraus's fantastic rendition of Pourquoi me reveiller among others. I would prefer to pay a bit extra for a 3 DVD set to get the missing items. The original concert went for something like 6 hours, why can't we have it all?

5.Richard Strauss - Der Rosenkavalier / Carlos Kleiber, Otto Schenk - Lott, von Otter, Bonney - Wiener Staatsoper starring: Felicity Lott, Kurt Moll, Anne Sofie von Otter, Gottfried Hornik, Barbara Bonney directed by: Horant H. Hohlfeld June 19, 2001
Average Rating: >>More Details		List Price: $39.98 Off The Bookshelf's Price: $27.97 You Save: $12.01 (30%) Prices subject to change. Used Price: $21.50
Still, I am going to make them for those who need to choose between these two productions. Like a previous reviewer, I am going to suggest getting both. If you have to restrict yourself to one, get the earlier Munich production, it is marginally better. Both version opera have the same conductor and are based on the same stage director's work. The earlier production had Gwyneth Jones, Brigitte Fassbaender and Lucia Popp as the Marchellin, Octavian and Sophie. Here we have Felicity Lott, Anne Sophie von Otter and Barbarba Bonney and a chance to see how different singers interpret these roles. In almost every way the Munich performance is better. The stage settings are far superior to those used in this performance. The singers are more evenly matched, but while Ms. Lott and Ms. ... Read More

6.Mozart - Requiem & Mass in C Minor starring: Barbara Bonney, Anne Sofie von Otter, Monteverdi Choir, English Baroque Soloists, Anthony Rolfe-Johnson directed by: John Eliot Gardiner January 10, 2006
Average Rating: >>More Details		List Price: $29.98 Off The Bookshelf's Price: $19.97 You Save: $10.01 (33%) Prices subject to change. Used Price: $22.49
...me! Or at least so it often feels when I listen to this shattering musical experience, possibly the most unconsolable requiem in all of music. Yes, I meant that "pathetic fallacy" so don't jump on me. The music itself is alive and unconsolable, though there are intimations of resignation, not unlike Shakespeare's "we are such stuff as dreams are made on, and our little life is rounded by a sleep." Being differently compressed acoustically, DVDs often seem by ear to have a huge advantage over CDs if your sound system is adequate, even in the stereo mode rather than surround sound. This is an immortal celebration of mortality, this recording of the Requiem, with Barbara Bonney singing like a soprano archangel. Mike Birman has beaten me to the punch; his review says everything that wants to be ... Read More

7.Bizet - Carmen / Jordan, McVicar, von Otter, Haddock, Glyndebourne Festival Opera starring: Anne Sofie von Otter, Marcus Haddock, Laurent Naouri, Lisa Milne, Mary Hegarty directed by: Sue Judd March 18, 2003
Average Rating: >>More Details		List Price: $39.99 Off The Bookshelf's Price: $35.99 You Save: $4.00 (10%) Prices subject to change. Used Price: $15.00
The production with Placido Domingo and Ruggero Raimondi is a tough act to follow, with its sumptuous outdoor filming. However, this production is far more true to the original libretto. The story unfolds with a much more believeable and understandable story line. Our hapless Jose comes across much more clearly as to how he wound up a soldier - namely to escape a life of gambling, and even assault and battery, in addition to stealing his mother's money to support his habit. He intended to go into the ministry-but all the above blew that. So he is serving penitence, so to speak, and means to be more moral, and above all, repay his poor mother. Until the sexy, overtly flirtatious cigar factory girls make their daily showing by the guard house; where Carmen makes her sexual depravity so blatant, it even blows ... Read More

8.Berlin Philharmonic's New Year's Gala 1997 starring: The Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, Anne Sofie Von Otter, Claudio Abbado, Bryn Terfel, Roberto Alagna directed by: Hans Hulscher October 03, 2000
Average Rating: >>More Details		List Price: $24.99 Off The Bookshelf's Price: $22.49 You Save: $2.50 (10%) Prices subject to change. Used Price: $19.15
Let me start by saying that Amazon's reviewer has made some terrible mistakes in describing the picture. It IS NOT 16:9. It is 4:3 as clearly stated on the dvd's back cover. So, there is no problem with the image being distorted. Also, even though I played this dvd on a cheap player without progressive scan, there was absolutely no graininess, no out of focus pictures. In fact the picture was extremely sharp and clear. Performance - Claudio Abbado & Berlin Philharmonic - top of the line. Two soloists really stood out. Anne Sophie Von Otter's voice was warm and rich, and Gil Shaham's virtuosity on violin was breathtaking. Other reviewers have remarked that this is as good any performance dvd of classical music they've ever seen and I eagerly agree. Read More

9.Gluck - Alceste / Robert Wilson · John Eliot Gardiner · Anne Sofie von Otter · English Baroque Soloists · Théâtre du Chatelet starring: Anne Sofie von Otter, Paul Groves, Dietrich Henschel, Yann Beuron, Ludovic Tézier directed by: Brian Large March 27, 2001
Average Rating: >>More Details		List Price: $29.99 Off The Bookshelf's Price: $26.99 You Save: $3.00 (10%) Prices subject to change. Used Price: $21.95
When is a CD more visually exciting than a DVD? That's not a joke; the answer is this Chatelet production of Gluck's Alceste. I've watched glaciers - literally - for hours, and seen more action than this.Was Brian Large, the director, momentarily suffering a post-encephalitic syndrome such as Oliver Sachs reported in Awakenings? LSD could not make this staging meaningful. This Alceste makes Wagner's Rheingold seem like a Rossini romp. It turns "Remenbrance of Things Past" into a haiku. It makes the American election process seem cogent. What do you get when you pop this disk into your player? Blue. Faded Levi blue. A blue backdrop with hazy blue stage lights, sectioned by various blackish pillars and cubes. A small blue cube gyrates slowly overhead throughout the first act. A dozen female dancers in off-the-shoulder ... Read More

10.R. Strauss - Capriccio / Fleming, von Otter, Finley, Trost, Henschel, Hawlata, Dell'Oste, Banks, Tear, Schirmer, Paris Opera starring: Renee Fleming, Anne Sofie von Otter, Gerald Finley, Dietrich Henschel, Barry Banks October 18, 2005
Average Rating: >>More Details		List Price: $34.99 Off The Bookshelf's Price: $31.49 You Save: $3.50 (10%) Prices subject to change. Used Price: $21.99
I was lucky enough to see this production in Paris in July 2004. I had already seen Carsen's brilliant 'Hoffmann' at Bastille with Dessay and was not disappointed by his 'Capriccio'. Though some may find his approach 'minimalist' or 'distracting', for me there is a very profound exploration of theater in/as performance but also as metaphor. The usual boundaries between onstage-backstage-house, performer-stagehand-viewer dissolve away, allowing Carsen to capture the theatrical event in all its complexity. 'Capriccio' is the perfect vehicle for this type of exploration, with its tension between words and music AND (what often gets left out of the equation) the theatrical art that allows both to come to life. It is no accident, I think, that one of the strongest and indeed central performances in this production of strong performances is given ... Read More

page 1 of 2
1 2

Off The Bookshelf gives you a unique shopping experience, you can find all the products you like within a few minutes online, locate the latest charting CD's, DVD's & Games, read user reviews on the bestselling Books and Household products. All items are available to buy Used (at a greater saving) or New (at a great discounted RRP). Add the items to your shopping basket, pay securely online and we send these products to be delivered to your door. We take great pride in being able to offer you the great savings partnering with Amazon, offering you cheaper prices than the high street retailers, we have thousands of discounts on all the the items you can buy off the shelf and hope you find the website easy to use.

Thanks for visiting and browsing Off The Bookshelf

In association with Amazon.com

SME-WS
HolidayHavens - Holiday Rental Accommodation