Product Details

• Actors: Placido Domingo, Sarah Brightman, Lorin Maazel, Paul Miles-Kingston
• Format: Classical, NTSC
• Language: English
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Number of tapes: 1
• Studio: Kultur Video
• VHS Release Date: October 22, 1991
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 6300174875
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #200,894 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Andrew Lloyd Webber's first and only large-scale classical work was his 1985 Requiem, composed shortly before he dabbled in opera miniatures for The Phantom of the Opera, both of which were written for the stratospheric vocal range of his then-wife, soprano Sarah Brightman. Inspired by the death of his father (himself a composer of church music) as well as strife in Northern Ireland and Cambodia, Lloyd Webber's setting of the Roman Catholic Mass of the Dead is a dramatically charged work, owing a great deal to Giuseppe Verdi's highly operatic Requiem. It's initially dark and brooding, then fierce in its march toward the Day of Judgment. The joyous Hosanna breaks out into a jazzy beat, while the Pie Jesu, which became a hit single in Britain, features a meltingly beautiful melodic line for Brightman and boy soprano Paul Miles-Kingston that recalls the Requiems of Gabriel Fauré and Lloyd Webber's British contemporary John Rutter. This live performance from New York's Saint Thomas Church also features tenor Placido Domingo, choir, and orchestra, with Lorin Maazel conducting. While the minimal stage action can't compare to Lloyd Webber's musical shows, the well-cued cameras usually find something interesting to watch. --David Horiuchi

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Great music and performance wrecked by video quality., March 22, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Andrew Lloyd Webber Requiem [VHS] (VHS Tape)

I'd been hoping PBS would rerun the Requiem performance it showed a dozen years ago, so when I saw that Amazon had it, I eagerly ordered it. The music and performance, with Domingo and Sarah Brightman at the top of their form, was as good as I remembered. But the sound is pirate-video quality: hissy and broken up. The video is almost OK, but faded-looking. I know this was taped 15 years ago, but I have jazz recording from the 40s that sound better. Sadly, I can only recommend this to those who must have the performance available and are willing to put up with terrible quality to get it.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Andrew Lloyd Webber: Requiem, November 19, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Andrew Lloyd Webber Requiem [VHS] (VHS Tape)

I saw this performance some years ago on PBS and purchased the CD. It has been one my favorite compositions for years. This work is an absolute beauty, but unfortunately the quality of the sound and picture of the video are not up to par. At least purchase the CD and enjoy this glorious mass for the dead.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Andrew Lloyd Webber's Masterpiece, June 11, 2003

By 

Bobbie Walker (Los Angeles, California) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Andrew Lloyd Webber Requiem [VHS] (VHS Tape)

This music is exceptionally moving. I thought the soloist were well chosen. The Hosanna was thrilling. Maestro Domingo is at his very finest. His interpretation of this piece is awe-inspiring. The young boy soprano--Paul Miles-Kingston has a wonderful instrument and I hope that he kept up his quest for serious music. He has great talent. His youth is apparent in several places, but in a very positive way. His tonal quality is breath taking. His breath control and musicianship were outstanding. I was inspired by his performance and wish him well. An Oratorio is not an opera. I did not expect to see a stage play. Sarah's duet with Paul Miles-Kingston Pie Jesu is unbelievable. The effect is ethereal--truly not of this world. Sarah's voice is bell-clear and her renditions are captivating. I've listened to this video many times and am always inspired. There is a clarity in boys' choirs that is not found elsewhere. It is captured on this particular recording. The men's choir and the orchestral also inspire me. I highly recommend this video. Andrew Lloyd Webber in this work expresses a different side of his compositional abilities from other
of his earlier compositions. He has fine classical as well as contemporary skill in composition. This is perhaps my favorite work by him, and I like much of his music. I wish this were available on DVD. I would definitely buy it! May those of you who decide to purchase this recording find at least the inspiration and blessing that it afforded me.