Product Details

• Actors: Knappertsbuch, Wiener Philharmoniker, Birgit Nilsson
• Format: Classical, Color, Dolby, DVD, NTSC
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Studio: Tdk DVD Video
• DVD Release Date: October 21, 2003
• Run Time: 81 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B0000DG04G
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #182,184 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

Knappertsbusch was undoubtedly one of the last of a generation of great German conductors, a ‘Director of Music’ in the best sense of the word. Knappertsbusch hated superficiality and showmanship on the rostrum; he generally conducted from the score and used gestures sparingly. He used to say, "I can after all read music," and he was perfectly able to defend highly unconventional interpretations convincingly. The orchestra loved him, his quirky manner, his dislike of too many rehearsals. His unsentimental straightforwardness and even his sarcastic humour, however, did not always win him friends. This is an unmistakable Knappertsbusch document, which, in the truest sense of the word, will convey a picture of the great conductor to later generations. The excerpts from Wagner’s Tristan, with whose interpretation Knappertsbusch had so often set the standard in Vienna, Munich and Bayreuth, show clearly just what distinguishes this conductor above all others: concentration on the essential, suspense from within and a depth of feeling which does not need to resort to sentimentality and superficiality.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful Music, June 16, 2006

By 

S. Evans (San Francisco, CA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Concert - Leonora Overture No. 3, Concerto for Piano and Orchestra No. 4 in G Op. 58, Tristan und Isolde / Hans Knappertsbusch, Birgit Nilsson, Wilhelm Backhaus, Vienna Philharmonic (DVD)

More and more, I think what separates Kna from others is that he's all about the music. So you won't see a lot of motion from him - you see, he's concentrating on bringing out the best of the music, not on how he looks to the audience. So for a true musician (such as myself), he's a refreshing alternative to the show-off conductors. If you listen to Kna, what you'll hear is close to what the composer intended.

The Beethoven 4th Piano Concerto is a case in point. The soloist, Backhaus, is in great form at 78, and the orchestra and piano are melded in such a way that all you hear is Beethoven. This piece has such a sublime, spiritual tone and you won't find that better realized than here.

The Prelude to Tristan und Isolde is simply amazing. Almost never do you hear a cello section that is so sure of these notes. This is concentrated, committed music making all around, and there's an almost unbearable intensity in this prelude which is exactly what Wagner intended. The rest of the orchestra is equally superb. Having seen Nilsson live many times performing this same excerpt, this is a treat to have a memento of her superb and superhuman Isolde. She cuts through the orchestral tuttis with no strain whatsoever, and she spins out this line beautifully in the longer passages. Remember that with Kna, you are always playing at a slower tempo, so it's much more difficult to sing (they have to breathe at some point, after all!) Again, this is all about capturing the music and the intensity of the story.

Now, with all that praise out of the way, this IS a live performance. There are some missed notes in the orchestra, a few slightly rough patches here and there. But that's to be expected. Also, there are moments when the camera is off - in the wonderful viola section solo in the Rondo of the Beethoven Piano Concerto, the camera is focusing on the winds who are all resting! But as an historic document, this is invaluable - showing the restrained and understated manner of a great conductor of the past.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautifully clear picture, and very good mono sound: a treat to watch., August 25, 2005

By 

Alan Majeska "Alan Majeska" (Bad Axe, MI, USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Concert - Leonora Overture No. 3, Concerto for Piano and Orchestra No. 4 in G Op. 58, Tristan und Isolde / Hans Knappertsbusch, Birgit Nilsson, Wilhelm Backhaus, Vienna Philharmonic (DVD)

TDK should be commended for releasing this rare video document of Hans Knappertsbusch and the Vienna Philharmonic from a May, 1962 concert. The picture quality is very good, black and white and full screen. I had heard of Hans Knappertsbusch for years, being familiar with him from a Decca LP of Brahms' ACADEMIC FESTIVAL OVERTURE, TRAGIC OVERTURE, and VARIATIONS ON A THEME OF HAYDN with the Vienna Philharmonic. I knew he was a great Wagner conductor, having recorded the RING cycle. However, I had never SEEN Mr. Knappertsbusch until this video. He looks gaunt, thin and elderly, but conducts with great authority and precision. The Vienna Philharmonic follow his every move with great precision and teamwork, and this is a treat to watch. The concert begins with Beethoven's LEONORE OVERTURE 3. Then, pianist Wilhelm Backhaus (1884-1969), age 78 when this was filmed, performs Beethoven's PIANO CONCERTO NO. 4 IN G MAJOR with the orchestra. Backhaus' playing is so beautiful, so effortless, it makes one forget how difficult this music is to play. Backhaus was a Beethoven specialist, having recorded all 32 Sonatas for Decca (once in mono, and later in stereo) and the 5 Piano Concertos in the late 1950s with Hans Schmidt-Isserstedt and the Vienna Philharmonic for Decca, so he has special authority in Beethoven's Concerto. The concert concludes with Wagner: the Prelude and Liebestod from TRISTAN UND ISOLDE, with Swedish soprano Birgit Nilsson.

Knappertsbusch is in firm control throughout the concert, but after the Beethoven Concerto and Wagner Liebestod, doesn't come back on stage, rather letting either soloist take the credit from the audience. I suspect he was a shy man, not liking public acclaim or credit.

I had read Knappertsbusch was not fond of rehearsing, or of long rehearsals, and preferred spontaneous music making to having everything rehearsed to the nnth degree, the opposite of say George Szell. This is a very interesting DVD, one I will watch again and again.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Sublime Indeed, October 16, 2004

By 

BLee "bpslee" (HK) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Concert - Leonora Overture No. 3, Concerto for Piano and Orchestra No. 4 in G Op. 58, Tristan und Isolde / Hans Knappertsbusch, Birgit Nilsson, Wilhelm Backhaus, Vienna Philharmonic (DVD)

Yes, Nilsson is sublime and more so is Backhaus: it's simply poetic and majestic. One needs to ask himself if other than Wagner, Knappersbusch is equally superb with Beethoven.

The recording, both sound and sight, is acceptable. But it's far from the best, particularly when it was filmed in Vienna in 1962 at a time when we already have stereo recording.

For the piano, it's unmistakenly Backhaus. But for the orchestra, one could barely recognise that it is the Vienna Philharmonic and in any event, the hissing is rather strong.

As far as the photography of Backhaus is concerned, owing to the poor positions of the camera, for about half of the time we can only see part of his right hand ( i.e. the back of his right hand and the first knuckle) plus his profile. For the rest, it's a view of his back at about 50 degree from the air a bit to the right. So, again more often than not, we can only see his right hand. And what's more, the camera often wanders away from the instrument/section playing the theme and there is no exception for the piano: at one time, it would only casually cover it when it's playing the solo part couple of bars later; at another time, it simply wanders away a few bars before it finishes! There were occasions when the camera covers the members of the orchestra who were not playing at all!!

Nevertheless, we are grateful for what we have for giving us some important clues as to how this pianistic giant actually tamed his instrument. Well, the more you watch this DVD, the more you're convinced that no contempories could compare with Hofmann, Lhevinne, Rachmaninov & Backahus.