Customer Reviews

Gustavo Dudamel: Live from Salzburg - Beethoven/Mussorgsky

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

No need to describe the undescribable alchemy that works its way through this concert - the gifted and exhilarating Dudamel, the piano goddess Argerich and the near-mystical union of the brilliant Capuçon brothers,fired up by the enthusiastic and talented Simón Bolívar Youth Orchestra. This true dream team sets about presenting Beethoven's Triple Concerto through a rare and moving process that has to be seen and heard to be believed.

If I sound over-enthusiastic, I am to be forgiven once you watch this DVD from the Salzburg Festival, where the audience seems about to rush on stage
during the applause and embrace all the musicians the way the four principals embrace each other. The Mussorgsky, in the hands of these devoted young musicians, never sounded more colourful - and I'm as picky as anyone. Again, I must let the presentation in Dudamel's hands speak for itself to every individual lucky enough to see this film.

The musical project of Venezuela, "El sistema" (See Paul Smaczny's "El Sistema", Arvelo's "Tocar y Luchar" and Failoni's "L'altra voce della musica"), the highly successful result of visionary José Antonio Abreu's dream to rescue street children through the creation of youth orchestras, has given us not only Gustavo Dudamel - now director of the Los Angeles symphony, but an enormous wave of hope throughout the world...and all through the power of classical music. If Maestro Abreu does not receive the Nobel Prize for his humanitarian work, I'll be extremely sad,
along with thousands...including, I'm sure, Sir Simon Rattle, Claudio Abbado, Daniel Barenboim and Placido Domingo who've worked closely with him over the years. If you've not heard of the project, you'll find clips on YouTube and Ted.com.

The quality of the entire DVD is first class, the documentary of Dudamel's informal instruction with his musicians re. Mahler's First Symphony - priceless. This review is certainly not to detail what might or might not be wrong with this or that aspect - that would be utterly inappropriate. If you want a thoroughly enlightening and polished rendering of great music by
musicians of true soul and capacity, BUY THIS DVD. You never regret it.

If you are fan of Gustavo Dudamel and his outstanding potentiality of very possibly becoming one of the greatest conductors of all times, then THIS particular remarkable DVD will indeed support that potential conclusion.


If ever their was a LEGITIMATE candidate for the Nobel Peace prize, it would have to be:

José Antonio Abreu,

He is a Venezuelan economist, who conceived and founded back in 1975 (long before the Hugo Chavez political upheaval existed) the "National Network of Youth and Children's Orchestras of Venezuela",for the purpose of reducing poverty, the undereducated and above all,the lack of INITIATIVE to hundreds of Venezuelan youths. He gave them the ever elusive INCENTIVE, by introducing them in participating and becoming directly involved in the creation (playing) of classical music and also by furnishing the musical instruments for doing so. He created INCENTIVE and MOTIVATION.

It also was also the support of the parents, that help to make the program such a hugh success.

It was from this remarkable benevolent program that Gustavo Dudamel found his destiny, along with hundreds of other Venezuelan youths and THIS remarkable DVD will certainly bear that out.

This remarkable youth orientated program is finding its way into other countries and I hope that includes the U.S.A.

This is a OUTSTANDING DVD for anyone that likes classical music or has never heard or seen a classical music prefromance.

I M P O R T A N T! THIS DVD is especially desirable for ANY young person who shows an interest in music, especially in any musical instrument.

The outstanding supporting three guest preformers, in the included Beethoven's "Triple Concerto" (Martha Argerich- Renaud & Gautier Capucon) on THIS DVD is alone worth the price of THIS DVD. You will be rewarded of the pathos of these three guest preformers.

Starting this fall, Gustavo Dudamel became the musical director of the Los Angeles Symphony orchestra. If it was in my power,I would also try to keep the same orchestra that is on THIS DVD.

Close your eyes for a moment and you will think you are hearing the world greatest Orchestra, maybe you are.

Being 83 years old, the only regret I have, is that I wont be around to see the indubitability future of Gustavo Dudamel.

In not too many years, this DVD will become priceless.

Using DVD's of such musical performances, certainly makes it more interesting and entertaining.

If possible, please allow yourself about 3 hours of viewing (and listening)of ALL the features of this OUTSTANDING DVD,it IS a spiritual experience (to me) and has brought me to tears of enjoyment and astonishment every time I view and review this remarkable particular DVD, which is often.

Joseph Levin

Even for those plucky naysayers who are skeptical of the impact young Gustavo Dudamel is making not only in his new home with the Los Angeles Philharmonic but in the tenor of classical music around the world, this DVD of the maestro conducting his Simon Bolivar Youth Orchestra in performances of the Mussorgsky/Ravel 'Pictures at an Exhibition' and a radiant performance of Beethoven's Triple Concerto with Martha Argerich and Renard and Gautier Capucon as soloists will erase all doubts of the exciting musicality that emanates from this gifted wunderkind. The sound reproduction of the DVD is excellent and the manner in which the cinematographers have captured both the wholly involved conductor and performers immersed in this music is excellent.

But there are two aspects of this recorded live performance that are especially noteworthy. One, the concert in from the usually somewhat staid Salzburg Music Fetival in 2008, and witnessing the furor of reaction to Dudamel borders on adulation. It is thrilling to see audiences respond so vocally and viscerally to a performance. And two, the portion of the DVD that is called 'School of Listening' - moments of verbal intruction and interplay with his orchestra as they prepare for a performance of Mahler's First Symphony. Even as a speaker Dudamel reaches out to his compatriots with selfless enthusiasm and some very fine ideas about Mahler that should result in lessons for us all.

If Dudamel can recreate the magic of inspiring the youth of this country to reach for dreams the way he has influenced the youth of Venezuela, then the future of Classical music is secure. This is a delightful and enriching DVD. Grady Harp, October 09

Gustavo Dudamel is the one to bring classical music
to young and senior citizens that have not experienced
this genre of music. His enthusiasm and that of this
orchestra indicates that given anyone a chance they
can make something of themselves as members of this orchestra did.
Gustavo has joined the ranks of the great conductor and has not
reached 30 years of age.. Treat yourself and purchase this DVD.
You will not be sorry.

This is truly one of the greatest performances I have ever seen on a DVD.

I am a professional musician (organist) who played a number of years ago with Marc Reese, trumpeter with the Empire Brass at the Caracas concert hall with the Youth Orchestra. Like the DVD, the orchestra blew my mind with the quality and enthusiasm of their playing.

I later was taken out to dinner with Maestro Dudamel and Dr. Abreu. I was impressed not only with their commitment to the musical art, but to their humanity. This program takes Venezuelan children of the underclass and gives them opportunities through music to elevate their status in life, and hope for a future other than poverty. This program should serve as a model for the world.

This is a wonderful DVD and I highly recommend it!

A thrilling performance by a superb, young orchestra led by a dynamic, young conductor. This video is a feast for the eye and the ear. It's a musical thriller.

As the greatest fan of both Argerich and Dudamel, I agree with the enthusiasm for the music making on this DVD. But I give it just four stars, and I was tempted to give it three.

The reason? It's a DVD, and not a CD, so the visual element is part of the deal. The DVD is frustratingly directed, with hyperactive cutting between too-short scenes, and amateurish zooming in and out. Many of the shots of Martha Argerich are done with the camera that also serves to show the conductor, leaving her seen from an unnatural angle with which the sound stage is inconsistent.

The sound quality, though very acceptable, is not of the absolute highest quality either. Modern marvels deserve better than this.

I bought this DVD just to check out this young conductor- Gustavo Dudamel- and it turned out to be one of the best choices that I ever made.

What an outstanding conductor and this youth orchestra brings out the best of Ravel's orchestration of Mussorgsky's 'Pictures at an Exhibition'. Its amazing that this young team bring in so much passion to music.

The Salzburg Festival is all about old European tradition and great music and thus needs to be dusted off from time to time. I am not able to pronounce on whether the performances on this DVD are AAA but at the end you will either cry or cheer
for the pure wonder of seeing these young people play with a total involvement for the score, particularly when you think about the history of this orchestra. Pure visual and acoustic excitement and as alway "the Dude" shines! The master class
is a great bonus, particularly if you have the LASO DVD of their performance of Mahler 1st.

Dudamel does a great job, along with the incredible youth orchestra of Venezuala, of delivering the passionate musical images that Mussoursky describes in "Pictures at an Exhibition". The other selections on the DVD are just as spectacular. Definitely worth the investment!