Product Details

• Actors: Musicians of The Philadelphia Orchestra
• Directors: Daniel Anker
• Producers: Daniel Anker, Nate Smith
• Format: Color, Dolby, DVD, NTSC
• Language: English (Dolby Digital 5.1)
• 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: New Video Group
• DVD Release Date: March 27, 2007
• Run Time: 89 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B000KJU1JG
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #33,106 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
• For more information about "Music From the Inside Out" visit the Internet Movie Database (IMDb)

Editorial Reviews

Acclaimed by audiences and critics alike, MUSIC FROM THE INSIDE OUT is a cinematic exploration of the magic and mystery of music through the stories, passion, and artistry of the 105 musicians of The Philadelphia Orchestra. This groundbreaking film, directed by Oscar-nominee Daniel Anker, is a feast of sound--with jazz, bluegrass, salsa, classical and world music interwoven with the musicians’ personal stories, each of which has at its core the universal struggle for self-expression.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

28 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Totally unique, outstanding musical experience!, June 23, 2007

By 

S. A. Felton (southern OR USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Music From the Inside Out (DVD)

I watched this incredible dvd several times in recent months, including one of the

extras, which is a great radio interview of the filmmaker and the principal first and

second violinists of the Philadelphia Orchestra. 5 stars isn't a high enough rating - this

is more than a must see for (classical) music lovers.

In my experience this is a totally unique production. Interesting, entertaining, intimate,

thought-provoking interviews of professional orchestral musicians are the main focus,

interweaved with many scenes of the musicians in live performances, in rehearsals as an orchestra

or in smaller groups, as well as in other venues, playing chamber music and also non-classical

music - I'll pass on the bluegrass, but the scene with the trombonist playing Latin music was

great! These fine musicians discuss their craft and music itself from many points of view. The

interviews are done sometimes with only one musician, other times in groups. And of course

either in the background, or in the foreground, we are always hearing great classical music.

I felt like on some level I was really getting to know some of the musicians, through the

magic of music, and because of the depth, directness, and honesty of their comments. There

are so many inspiring, insightful comments, so much music packed in to this 90-minute

production, along with interesting travel footage of the orchestra in Europe and Asia.

A few of the comments/scenes I noted:

a) "You can't define great musicianship, but you know when you hear it."

b) We might think that musicians are competitive (and they are sometimes!), and yet on

the dvd we hear otherwise. One violinist comments on how blown away he was when he heard

Sarah Chang play a Paganini concerto when she was nine. He and another musician express not

envy but are rather deeply inspired by her phenomenal talent.

c) The amazing story of the concertmaster, David Kim, who didn't quite make it as a

soloist, but still feels he has fulfilled the expectations of his deceased Mother. The music for

this entire scene is Schubert's Cello Quintet, which Kim calls "pure ecstasy," and we feel

the same feeling in our own way, through the beauty of the music and the playing (he with

other members of the orchestra).

d) One of the percussionists makes a statement near the end of the dvd that music

expreses something Divine.

e) Another musician, who is also an artist, comments about the timelessness of

the music, that playing (and listening) is like time-traveling, and she feels like she

knows the composers in some way.

Words can't really convey the depth of the experience of watching this dvd, but I

don't think a person can appreciate it unless they like classical music. One other excellent

production feature is the very visually-appealing, spatial arrangements of the musicians

during rehearsals, so much more interesting than the normal look of an orchestra on stage.

This is better than a 5-star production, but I would have appreciated it if the

title of the pieces were displayed so I would know exactly what I was hearing (though

some of the pieces are recognizable). The names of the pieces are listed at the end

of the main feature, but I think they omitted several, like the Debussey piece that

was so well presented, along with an insightful explanation about connecting sounds and

impressions.

As mentioned at the beginning of the review, one of the extras, the radio interview of

the filmmaker with 2 of the principals, gives more insight and enjoyment into the music,

the music process, and other things you will see for yourself when you watch it.

20 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars What Is Music?, February 6, 2007

By 

Agogo (St. Louis, MO USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Music From the Inside Out (DVD)

This documentary attempts to answer the question "What is music?", through the members of the Philadelphia Orchestra. Sometimes the musicians discuss this as a group, or some give individual reflections on the question. There are many varied responses, and there is no absolute answer. It really demonstrates the common bond that music has in it's most basic sense, as some of the musicians demonstrate their affinity for all kinds of music.

Whether you enjoy classical music or not, if you DO enjoy music, this movie is sure to please, and sure to make you smile. Definitely a movie that can be watched over and over.

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Not so wowed., May 15, 2008

By 

George Gorham (New York, NY USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Music From the Inside Out (DVD)

I wasn't that thrilled with this. Although I enjoyed the behind-the-scenes aspect of life in a first-class professional orchestra, I didn't get nearly enough of that, and I was not so much interested in the musicians' lives away from the orchestra. By example, a good chunk of time was spent with a horn player talking, not about horn, but about long distance running. Not about how it relates to music making, but just about running. ??

I also think the film needs some organization to the material--even if it were somewhat arbitrary, i.e., following the orchestra for a season, or on a particular tour, or preparing a particular work. The film just begins and ends, with no real new understanding of this life. It seems completely lacking a point of view.

There is the discussion toward the end of the film on "What is music?", which - had we started with that - might have been the organizing principal here, the string that held the beads together. As it is, that discussion is distinctly banal, with answers ranging from "organized sound" on one end, to "the divine" at the other, pretty much undergraduate stuff.

Lastly, I think it's very telling that the most exciting piece of music in the film is NOT the Philadelphia Orchestra - but a street musician playing Vivaldi (amazingly) on an accordion.