Search - Bernstein in London: Verdi Requiem on DVD

Bernstein in London: Verdi Requiem

Xavier | 02/28/2007

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Great production of the Verdi Requiem. Bernstein was magnificent as ever; soloists Martina Arroyo, Josephine Veasey, and Placido Domingo were simply amazing and would loved to have given a 5 rating. I'm a total fan of Arroyo and Domingo and am never disapointed. They do well in whatever production they are a part of. Now I'm a fan of Veasey of whom I had no knowledge. The bass Ruggero Raimondi was a little inexperienced for the part but showed potential. He was sharp in several instances; forcing his tones. Sadly, in my opinion, he hasn't improved after all these years.

The orchestra was fantastic and the chorus was good.

I was disappointed in that during the climax of Arroyo's last solo (Libera) the camera was not focused on her while she soared those beautiful high notes. I own several Verdi Requiems and this has been a problem in each. Who wants to see where they are singing or hear the rest of the chorus accompany them up to those heights. We want to see them hit those notes (alone) that "reach into the heavens".

Well worth the purchase!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

A superb performance in a grand setting

RENS | Dover, NH USA | 11/20/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"At last we have the DVD release of Leonard Bernstein conducting the Verdi Requiem in St. Paul's Cathedral in London.

The four soloists are Arroyo, Veasey, Domingo, and Raimondi. Their singing is delicious, equally dramatic and devout. The young Domingo comes soaring in at the beginning of the Kyrie, his clarion voice sending shivers down the spine. Veasey's rich, warm mezzo voice speaks to the listening heart and blends well with Arroyo in their duet. Arroyo's "Libera me" conveys both hope and terror without overdramatization or any loss of musical control. Raimondi is not quite at the same high level of the others: he covers and forces his voice somewhat, but it doesn't really matter, since it is clear that he knows what he is singing and that he wants to honor it fully.

The London Symphony Orchestra and Chorus cannot be faulted and indeed must be highly praised. I doubt that there is another orchestra and chorus in all of Europe that performs more consistently well than they did and do. Bernstein's conducting style can often seem overly dramatic in the concert hall, but in a space as large as St. Paul's it comes across as necessary and even reverent. He clearly lives the music and the text as he leads this performance.

The DVD is a transfer of a performance filmed in 1970 and released in 1992 on VHS, but the images are clear and the sound is excellent. And the price is right. Don't hestitate to purchase a copy: performances of Verdi's Requiuem don't come any better than this."

Lenny gives it his all

John Gascoyne | Buford, GA USA | 01/09/2007

(4 out of 5 stars)

"If you like the effect rather than the analysis of music Lenny Bernstein (and currently James Levine) can bring an energy to music that few others can. I have several different audio and DVD recordings of the Requiem but Bernstein's is the most captivating and wrings the most out of the huge orchestral and choral resources at his disposal. A 'must add' to any collection"

Magnificent

MusicLover | Florida USA | 06/16/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Through the years, there've been a number of wonderful recordings of the Verdi Requiem on vinyl, CD and DVD. For me, this is at the top of the list. We have a legendary conductor, four world-class soloists when they were young and one of the great orchestras and choruses. The real star, of course, is Verdi's masterpiece and it's devout and operatic at the same time. Bernstein, who conducts without a score, is possessed by the music and perhaps even Verdi's spirit and the vocal and orchestral forces respond to his every gesture and nuance. This performance, which is nearly 40 years old, is both sublime and ferocious. Given its age, there are a couple of brief video blips but they won't distract you. The audio, on the other hand, is a revelation. Kultur's packaging says it's Dolby 2.0 (two channel stereo). But, on the DVD menu, there's an option for Dolby Digital 5.1 and this opens the sound and makes it solid from top to bottom. The Dies Irae is a great workout for your surround system. Having grown up in New York, I attended many of Bernstein's concerts and they always left me breathless. This DVD is no exception -- music-making at the highest level."