Search - See How Great They Sound!: The Classics DVD Sampler 2004-2005 on DVD

Excellent Opportunities!

Mr John Haueisen | WORTHINGTON, OHIO United States | 11/18/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This dvd offers so many possibilities.

It's a great opportunity to browse through various operas you might consider buying. You can see and hear them, to help decide about buying.

It's a chance to be exposed to things you might not have considered. For example, there are three ballet scenes, one of them with Nureyev and Fonteyn. I never dreamed humans could be so light and airy.

You can see a sensual Carmen (Agnes Baltsa) play around with Jose Carreras.

Watch Prince Orlofsky (Fassbaender) welcome Eisenstein (Waechter) and Dr. Falke (Brendel) to his (her) party.

Take a look at Carlos Kleiber's Der Rosenkavalier to see Anne-Sophie von Otter and Barbara Bonney capture "that magic moment" of love-at-first-sight, where time absolutely stops.

Be right there, in the rehearsal hall, to watch Lenny Bernstein rehearse Kiri Te Kanawa, and Jose Carreras as he conducts (and dances to) West Side Story's "Tonight." You can feel the energy and Lenny's love of the music.

See Gwyneth Jones and Manfred Jung as Brunnhilde and Siegfried. Their duet cries out, "What greater love?! and What Joy for Life!"

See the secret power of opera to overcome reality to illustrate a truth, as you watch Pavarotti and Edita Gruberova in that heartbreaking scene (for Rigoletto's daughter, Gilda, at least). Opera allows the two scenes to go on simultaneously--lust and anguish--as Gilda looks in through the window at her lover who is using on another woman the same lines he worked on her. In the real world it's an impossibility, as the duets would be overheard before their end result in an incredibly beautiful blending of love and pathos.

There is so much more here: Placido Domingo, singing "Celeste Aida," Kurt Moll singing Sarastro from Mozart's Magic Flute, and even Carlos Kleiber conducting (or is he dancing?!) in the most joyful performance I've ever seen of the Radetzky March.

It's a wonderful smorgasbord, or perhaps even a gateway to introduce beautiful singing, beautiful dancing, and beautiful music to your friends or loved ones. Excellent Opportunities!"

Quick note on the DVD itself

M. Desai | Cary, NC USA | 03/29/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"For all interested buyers who are wondering about the DVD - it features 3 audio track selections - standard PCM Stereo, Dolby Digital 5.1 and DTS. The sound is indeed excellent - no complaints there at all.

The aspect ratio varies track to track - some are the standard 4:3 while others are Widescreen (16:9). Note though that none of the tracks seem to be in Anamorphic Widescreen.

As for the performances, just read some of the reviews for a similar previous release: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B00005RCDI/ref=pd_sxp_f/104-4516631-4714311?v=glance&s=dvd

All in all, an excellent compilation for fans of classical music/opera."

Opera Sampler

Mark E. Alcamo | Provincially, Seattle, WA. | 05/03/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"
I really enjoy these Sampler discs because you get a variety of (hopefully) good performances at a reasonable cost. I frequently put them on as background while doing 'lighter' reading ...

I buy the ones specifically designed to promote that label's offerings, because they typically give you a couple hours of Samples they think will motivate you to buy more, which seems a win/win situation."