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Horowitz in Moscow on DVD

Hank Drake | Cleveland, OH United States | 05/05/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"It is good to see the powers that be in the DVD world are not ignoring classical music. I have been wanting to see Horowitz material reissued in the new format and I was not disappointed.
Comparing the DVD to my LaserDisc, I find that the video portion is somewhat superior on DVD, with improved clarity and contrast. The sound is also better. There are two audio versions, the original non-compressed stereo, and a new Dolby Digital 5.1 track which will knock your socks off. If you have a DVD player, this disc is a must, if you haven't purchased a player yet, this is incentive to get one!

Unlike the Pioneer DVD release, this Sony release contains Horowitz's final encore, Rachmaninoff's Polka VR.

Now, how about putting the other Horowitz videos on DVD?

"

Horowitz's Historic Moscow Performance -- A Legend At His Be

Dr. Ervin Nieves | 10/19/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I own the original videotape of "Horowitz in Moscow" and "Horowitz in London." Both are wonderful (5 stars each), but "Horowitz in Moscow" is extraordinary. It's like two DVDs in one. You get great personal insight into the life of Horowitz, particularly about his emotional return to Russia after a 60 year absence. This "return" -- a running theme in the lives of displaced Russian pianists who fled to the West, like Horowitz and Rachmaninov -- sets the emotional tone for the Russian recital (and encores) marvelously. One cares about Horowitz more and hopes to hear great performances. The grand master delivers. On the DVD you will find several Scarlatti, Scriabin, Rachmaninov, and countless other gems. Pianists tend to age well. It's not uncommon to see a seventy or eighty year old pianist wobble to the piano (one wonders if they will get there without collapsing), sit down shakily, and explode into a wonderful performance that is at least 85-90% of their best ever. Sometimes, an older pianist playing a piece that requires greater musical understanding and maturity -- and is less taxing technically -- will play the piece even better than in their youth. You get much of the latter on this DVD. Horowitz's fingers were so remarkable in his youth that the grand master's 90% is another's 150%. There is no meltdown of skill here. This is a virtuoso at his prime, at times excelling his youthful performances of Scriabin, Scarlatti, and others. No musical library is complete without this DVD. Now, if only "Horowitz in London" came out on DVD too!"

Wonderful

Joseph Hart | Visalia, CA United States | 03/01/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"My reviews of these violinists and this pianist are becoming redundant. The performers are all so good, that I'm reduced to admiration and have little else to say. I remember many years ago I was listening to NPR, they had a female musical expert on and they were testing her, they had both Rubinstein and Horowitz play something by Chopin, she was supposed to identify the pianist. She guessed wrong both times. I guessed right. I thought at the time that Rubinstein was the supreme player of Chopin, and I thought the Horowitz version was cold. This was many years ago, and while I still prefer Rubinstein's Chopin (warmer), Horowitz is my hero, my favorite pianist, though I'm not nuts about his customary choices of composers. But this flick. It is a perfect gem (and so tragically underpriced, anyone can afford it). The drama of the arrival, Horowitz' conversation, the shots of the audience (some of whom, yes, were crying), the marvelous close-ups of his hands (his nails were unclipped and seemed to be dirty, and he doesn't arch his fingers which my very dim and distant piano teacher used to tell me was imperative, though he does it some on the right hand), and the music. It was glorious. I love Horowitz. One glitch. There would be. My disc was defective, and somewhere during the penultimate piece it screwed up, so I didn't get to see the whole thing, I missed the last 2 pieces of music and whatever dramatic or "human interest" ending was on the film. But good old Amazon is already getting ready to ship me a replacement and tonight I returned the defective copy. I'll have the new one in 2 days. One last note. I've been going broke the passed few weeks buying musical performances on DVD, and one thing I've noticed, it's unmistakable. These people, these musicians, apart from their wonderful skills, are intelligent, humorous and compassionate. All 3, and all of them. It's humbling and refreshing."

For people that appreciate music beyond the sound.

Dr. Ervin Nieves | 07/04/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"While Mr. Horowitz plays "Treumerei", the cameras focus on a man in the audience. From under his eye glasses a tear runs down his cheek. This is not just a piano concerto. This is a family reunion. There is emotion in the air. Mr. Horowitz plays once again for his beloved country. This is a unique experience for people who appreciate music beyond the sound."