Customer Reviews

Daniel Barenboim: The Jubilee Concert from Buenos Aires & 'Multiple Identities'

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

A 2 DVD set celebrating Daniel Barenboim's fifty years before the public that comprises a two-hour recital (with thirteen encores!) filmed at the Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires, commemorating Barenboim's very first recital in his native city, plus a ninety-minute documentary about Barenboim's life.

First the recital: The regular program consists of the Mozart C Major Sonata, K. 330, followed by Beethoven's 'Appassionata' Sonata, Op. 57. After the interval are excerpts from both books of Albéniz's 'Iberia'--Evocación, El puerto, El Corpus de Sevilla, Rondeña, and Triana. Then follow thirteen encores demanded by an adoring and vociferous capacity audience in the Colón who at one point sing 'Happy Birthday' in Spanish to Barenboim. He talks to the audience before every encore and charmingly says that when he was planning his recital he at first thought he might just repeat that first recital he had played when he was ten, but thought better of it because 'some of you might have been there that night and would tell me the first concert had been better.'

The musical aspects of the recital and the marathon encores were typical Barenboim--delicately nuanced moments peppered with bombastic playing that is over the top. Clearly, though, all these years of primarily conducting orchestras like the Chicago and the Berlin Staatskapelle have not robbed him of his pianist chops.

The documentary on the second DVD traces his life from early childhood in Buenos Aires (and includes footage of a trip back there to see childhood haunts including the synagogue he had attended) through visits to the Berlin Staatsoper, the Berlin Philharmonic, the Chicago Symphony, a visit to Israel (where he grew up after about age ten), a session with the orchestra he founded consisting of Israeli and Arab musicians, the controversial concert with the Staatskapelle in Jerusalem where he finished a concert by asking the audience if they would be willing to hear some Wagner (Prelude and Liebestod) which provoked an outraged few to shout and then leave the hall. And finally a little bit of tango with bandoneon and double bass players back in Buenos Aires. Throughout Barenboim is shown to be a charming and genial man who clearly enjoys life to the fullest (including smoking big cigars at any opportunity, and spicing up a Chinese dinner with salsa).

An interesting combination of musical recital and documentary, both filmed by a team consisting of Paul Smaczny and Isabel Iturriagagoitia, beautifully videographed. Sound is good. Subtitles in English, French, German. Sound choices: DD 5.1, DTS 5.1, PCM Stereo. Total time: concert 140 mins; documentary 90 mins.

Scott Morrison

This 2 DVD set helped me appreciate Barenboim. Up to now, I thought he was merely a conductor who once was a pianist, but never impressed me as having top caliber pianism. I see I was wrong. In this DVD, Barenboim gives you his heart. He plays a splending program of Beethoven, Chopin, Moriz Rosenthal, Albeniz, and so many many others. The DVD downplays all the extra encores Barenboim "presents" -- in the sense of a "gift" -- to his heart-warming audience, who cheers him on and sings happy birthday to Barenboim. Barenboim's warmth was endearing. I imagined him as a megalomaniac conductor, as most of them are. But no, here was a man of elegance, but also of candor and warmth. There were musical goodies in the Documentary portion as well, not just talk. It's wonderful to appreciate Barenboim's outstanding musical memory in action. There were some minor gliches, but in general, absolutely brilliant playing. Barenboim got better as the program progressed. His second half is electrifyingly splendid. His Spanish speaking was also a bonus. Bravo to a great soul!

Disc 2 of this double DVD set is a pulsing look at Daniel Barenboim and his immense world of music and art and indeed fine living - friends, discoveries, everything a gifted and elegant intelligence can thrive within. He comes across an interested, intriguing man of tremendous gifts and sensibilities. It's a joy to watch him work and relax, to witness his world, and it's easy to understand his artistic preeminence after 50 yrs living a musician's life. It's a film unafraid to present its subject as one who listens attentively to the requirements of great gifts, and man, does it make for a beautiful one. Beautifully, intelligently filmed and edited, the pacing's just right and the sound is superb, and a few nuggets from the concert are studded throughout - it's just right. As fine as the documentary is, the real gift of this set is Barenboim's concert at the Teatro Colon. The Mozart and Beethoven that open the concert are just the rumblings. From the Scarlatti sonata in D forward, Barenboim commits playing that in any age would be judged a supreme art. Such playing! He gives Ginastera's gemlike Danza de la moza donosa a performance of spectacular ease and mysterious colors. Barenboim's magical intelligence absolutely possesses the keyboard, spinning out Schubert and Chopin, a delectable Rosenthal, Villa-Lobos, on through encore after loved encore, until he himself finally closes the piano lid, indicating the necessary end. The Chopin's a revelation! An etude - a nocturne of sublime artfulness - the gods were with the maestro this night in Buenos Aires. The piano playing is STUPENDOUS, and I'm an old man with lots of experience up that river. It flat out overwhelmed me - I watched it twice in immediate succession! If you dont know this authoritative and elegant musician's musician, if you've not heard him play, this 2-disc set is THE perfect moment to wake up! A profound artist with humility that clearly underpins his art and makes it memorable beyond words. Honestly, the finest filmed piano concert I've ever experienced. The intense and loving air in the Teatro Colon comes right to you, beckoning. Dont miss it.

This DVD is excellent in all respects ... good audio, good video, well recorded and a great concert. You can sense the emotions that were present. The second DVD which is biographical is a lovely documentary in its own right. If you did not know already, this DVD will convince you of Barenboim's exceptional qualities as a musician and more important as a human being.

My compliments forthwith to reviewers J. Anderson and J. Scott Morrison for saying essentially those things which perfectly describe this DVD! I'd only add that the focus of the DVD, Daniel Barenboim, is indeed that of the consummate maestro in every sense of the word.

Like various others, I too enjoy classical music and playing same on the piano although I'll at once confess to also using various classical piece 'arrangements' when, shall we say, certain 'sic' pieces become beyond my grasp to do justice as it was originally written. But one will immediately notice that when Barenboim went on to conducting, he obviously didn't neglect the piano one iota and his playing demonstrates that over and over again. A class musician, as it were, and a gentleman as well as an individual who speaks his mind and is not shy of taking a stand on what he strongly believes in and is prepared to defend. The Wagner music being played in Israel coming immediately to mind and Barenboim drawing a distinction between the music and the man or in some cases a matter of misdirected prejudices.

I'm reminded of Dame Myra Hess who did those war-time concerts in the UK and, as most know, her specialty was the 'German' classics which she continued to play during the war and which were well received demonstrating that, bottom line, good music 'can' transcend the times or present/past events. Daniel Barenboim, in my view, seeks more to heal and move forward with regard to past events as opposed to various and sundry who may view the slogan "Never Again!" as de facto all encompassing with no latitude for either exceptions nor mitigations or indeed with regard to 'any' composer, the music versus that of the man. In the DVD itself, there are a few who voice the view that Barenboim, himself Jewish, and when it comes specifically to the music of Richard Wagner, "should be ashamed of himself" [sic] for his alleged "Wagner pandering" [sic] and this J'accuse he thoroughly and convincingly defends! The DVD presents a man who is well versed in many areas both within and without the musical realm with an open mindedness and candor that is refreshing. And an acute intelligence to back it up! This DVD is a tribute to that man both in concert [disk #1] and in his personal life [disk #2].

I don't think the word "superb" is any sort of exaggeration in describing this two disk set DVD and what it offers. And the tribute to the man and the maestro in his many accomplishments during the last 50 years are well reciprocated by the response(s) of his audience. Both live when it was made or, in my view, subsequent DVD viewing by countless others therein.

Doc Tony

I had enjoyed Daniel Barenboim, both as a pianist and conductor. It was interesting to see both the Buenos Aires Concert, and his interaction with various Orchestras. I had known of his marriage to Jacqueline DuPrez, but not his Argentine birth ot brave stands in Israel.

Here's something really great! This is a double set DVD box that shows Mr. Barenboim in a very complete way. There is a concert in the Colon theater (Argentina). The place is very famous for its exuberant beatifull, and it really is. The concert is at live and there is lots of encores. We have more than 2 hours of recording! We can see an intensive participation of the public in the concert, asking pieces directly to him and the charisma of Mr Barenboim answering them. There is a great performance of the appassionata (Beethoven op57), suites by Albeniz, and so on. The footage is great and the sound too.

The other DVD contains a very well done documentary film about Mr. Barenboim. Here you can know better this great musician. You have interviews and excerpts of him as a conductor, with several orchestras and others musicians, like Boulez for example. You will know the history of his life too. The childhood in Argentina and the live in Germany and other countries.

In fact something historic, very interesting!

Here Barenboim offers a badly selected program (too many toy pieces suitable for encores but not the meat of a solo recital, like Schumann's Musical Moment, for example, or the slow part of Mozart's K545, or a Scarlatti sonata) -- and he plays it all poorly. He even makes mistakes -- which would be tolerable if he played well what he played correctly. He plays his Scarlatti as if it were Chopin or Berlioz, with overflowing rubatos, sforzandos, and ritards, yet Scarlatti was Bach's coeval and didn't even write for the piano (which did not exist in his times); he was a Baroque composer who played and wrote for the harpsichord, idiomatically to a fault (unlike Bach). Barenboim takes his re-minor sonata and, tastelessly, makes a Chopin piece out of it. His Beethoven, otoh, is kinda monotonous, all in the middle dynamically, except for a few disconnected crashes. All very anti-climatic, especially considering the expectations any listener is bound to have.

The other disk holds a hagiographical and fairly empty documentary. There's no reason whatsoever to watch this video.

I've always preferred the music one hears in rehearsals to that of the performance. I learned this in the days when I couldn't afford concert tickets. Now that I can, I'd rather not. Why? The real stuff doesn't happen in concerts, or only rarely.

The magic is in the life details. Yo Yo Ma mugging in an attempt to loosen up the young section cellists; Daniel cajoling, rather than conducting, a Beethoven scherzo - and letting the orchestra finish the movement entirely without his direction; the Brunello di Montalcino passed at the dinner table; his balance of pain and hope in Israel; the slightly inebriated tango; the crystal-clear intellection. Here for us to witness is a special life; art without angst or neurosis; and a healthy, life-affirming approach to piano playing and music making.

Through all of this documentary, one has a sense of witnessing a truly well-lived life. If you know Daniel's background, especially his years with Jacqueline du Pré, one of the 20th century's greatest cellists, the resonance is all the richer. A first rate documentary.

I enjoy this concerto full of good sounds, Barenboim kindly played Piano with good technic, some litle mistakes but full of good feelings and great musicality.