Customer Reviews

Sarah Brightman - Diva: The Video Collection

5 star:		(35)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

It's perfect for a devoted fan of 20 years (such as myself). Since our local video channels don't play much Sarah, it's good to have the DVD in such fine quality. By releasing this DVD, Sarah will make many new fans, and will obviously please her current fans very much. Through Sarah's videos, it's obvious she's very talented. And she's a chameleon, never looking the same from one album to the next. The early videos are the most precious to me, and I can't believe this compilation has finally surfaced. "Diva: The Video Collection" is a definite must-have for any Sarah fan (young & old alike).

I was half-expecting to see poorly doctored videos, according to other reviews. From what I've seen, I disagree. It all depends on the quality of your DVD player. All my DVD players work fine with this product. Among it, my faves are: 1,3,5,6,7,9,10,11, 16. Let Sarah showcase her beautiful body in gold leaf in her Ave Maria video. She's gorgeous and knows how the marketing strategy. Sex sells, and in this day & age, it's not abnormal. Videos 1 through 4 are very nice and showcase Sarah's versatile range (style and singing). That's why I think she's a chameleon. She can look and play any part and do it perfectly. I've always loved video #3. It's one of those that you can't help but cry when you're watching it.

Videos 5,6,7 are stunning and I never saw any of them in their entirety. It's nice to have the official thing, as these videos have probably never been seen played on non-European TV. I look for originality, and originality is what you get when you see these 3 for the first time. The 2nd half of the DVD is okay. There are a couple of goodies thrown in there. Videos 11&14 are nice. Since I've only seen screen caps of 14, I always wanted to see it. What videos is the compilation lacking? I can't think of much right now. Perhaps they could've put the video for "It's a Beautiful Day" and the video for "In the Bleak Midwinter". Sarah was so charming back then and I'm sure a lot of her fans would've loved to see that video.

My thoughts on Packaging & Details:
- 8 page insert is full of images, all neatly aligned among all 6 inner pages, printed on glossy paper.
- Insert is very pretty and attractive to the eye. The cover of the insert is gorgeous.
- Title is in glittery gold, compared the plain & boring front cover of "Diva" CD.
- I like that they put the tracklist on the back page of booklet, as it's out of the way of the photos.
- There is no writing inside the insert, but ONLY images.
- The DVD is black with gold roses, which looks stunning inside the transparent DVD case.
- Tracklist, 20 thumbnail preview & small bio are found on the backside of package, all neatly arranged.
- The transparent DVD case is nice, as you can see the black artwork of the interior right through it.
- I think they did a spectacular job on the whole thing...and give them a LOT of credit for it all.
- Thanks Sarah, Frank Peterson, Siew May & The Entire Team who put so much hard work into everything about the DVD release.

Video List:
01- Pie Jesu
02- Phantom of the Opera
03- Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again
04- Amigos Para Siempre
05- Captain Nemo
06- A Question of Honour
07- How Can Heaven Love Me
08- Time to Say Goodbye
09- Just Show Me How to Love You
10- Eden
11- Who Wants to Live Forever
12- Deliver Me
13- Anytime, Anywhere
14- Nella Fantasia
15- Whiter Shade of Pale
16- Ave Maria
17- Kama Sutra
18- Harem
19- Free
20- Starship Troopers
ENCORE
21- Music of The Night (Andrew Lloyd Webber's 50th Birthday Celebration)

Oh...I wanted to mention...since this is an officially liscenced DVD from Sarah's Official team, I presume all the piracy crap on ebay will cease. So...take my advice and buy this DVD from the real people, and LOVE it please.

I recieved this DVD and CD from Amazon today and the DVD has been in constant rotation since I opened the package. We fans have been waiting a long time for these videos and even though it doesn't include every video Sarah has ever done, it certainly satisfied me. First of all, the cover and the inside booklet(which is similar to the one in the CD) look amazing and is very high quality. Having Sarah give commentary about every song and video is so fantastic and gives us a lot of insight about the time each video was filmed. There are quite a few funny moments. Like when Sarah tells what the director of the "Phantom of the opera" told her to get her loosened up. The story she told about the director of "How can heaven love me" and how he was swinging around in his wheel chair got me giggling. She also tells of the video that is not really her favorite (Who wants to live forever). Plus in the interviews, she changes three times and looks fantastic each time. This is one of the first times, the fans have seen her shorter hair other than in the Live Chat and in pictures and it looks beautiful.

When I saw these videos, I realised how campy Sarah can be. A lot of her earlier music videos have that kind of campy feeling to them. I guess since she is so polished now, the earlier videos show a more unpolished and Sarah. "How can heaven love me" is the perfect example of this. About that video-I think you're either going to love it or hate it but I love it. I don't know why exactly. I've always loved the song and the video does seem to fit with it. "Eden" is probably my favorite. The Eden cd is my favorite Sarah cd and so I love everything from that period. The dark feeling of the video really does go well with the song. About "Ave Maria", I don't really see the big deal about it. I thought most fans knew that the almost naked with gold on the body look was the look of the video but people seemed to be acting all surprised. Everyone interprets a song differently and the video is how Sarah chose to interpret it and if you don't like it-don't watch it. Plus the gold on the skin look that is in the video is just like the pictures in the 2001 "Classics" cd, so it's not like we haven't seen that anything like that. And of course the "Beautiful" video in the Harem Desert Fantasy DVD, has Sarah dressed in a similar fashion. Any seasoned Sarah fan knows that sometimes Sarah has a different fashion taste.

Pie Jesu-4/5 >a young Sarah freezing while a cold wind blows in Ireland

Phantom of the opera-5/5 >this is the Steve Harley version. Love the Cleopatra look

Wishing you were somehow again-5/5 >watching this video made me like the song again since after all the concert performances of it, I was getting a little tired of it

Amigos para siempre-5/5 >Sarah tells a good story about this one.

Captain Nemo-5/5 >you can tell it's an early video-it doesn't have the high-tech look of todays's videos. I've always loved this song

A question of honour-4/5 >The game kind of look kind of takes away from the song but Sarah looks lovely.

How can heaven love me-5/5 >A little out there but I like it

Time to say goodbye-5/5 >a gorgeous Sarah in this video.

Just show me how to love you-5/5 >I was familar with this one since it was included in Sarah's Classic PBS special. It was show in Paris and yet again, Sarah looks beautiful

Eden-5/5 >There's one shot of Sarah in this video when she's sitting on the throne near the beginning of the video that I find really beautiful. Again, I really love the Eden era

Who wants to live forever-4/5 >I can kind of see why this is not one of Sarah's favorites-especially in the beginning.

Deliver me-5/5>this is from Sarah's One night in Eden tour but it's not just the live performance. It gives some different angles and some footage from South Africa. I forgot how powerful this song is.

Anytime, Anywhere-5/5 >the same video from the Harem Desert fantasy DVD but without the couple in it.

Nella Fantasia-5/ >I'm not this songs biggest fan but I love the Eden shots in it. Also interspersed is some shots from the Harem videos.

Whiter shade of pale-5/5 >I've always loved this song and video. La Luna was a great period.

Ave Maria-5/5 >The controversial video. But I got what she decided to convey and I like it

Karma Sutra-4/5 I would have preferred less couple and more Sarah

Harem- 5/5 I love this video, especially the beginning when Sarah is in the stairway. The colors in it are so vibrant.

Free- 5/5 One of my all-time favorite Sarah songs and this video is a little different than the one that's on the Harem Desert fantasy DVD. It includes some different shots from the various videos on that DVD.

Starship troopers-4/5 >This video and the song is not the orginal version but the dance version with clips of the cheesy "Starship trooper" movie that came out in the 90's. But it's still fun and the remix is great.

Music of the night (taken from the Andrew Lloyd Weber's 50th birthday Celebration)-5/5>I have the other two performances featuring Sarah from this show on tape but I was missing this performance. Sarah's perfomance of Music of the night has always been fantastic and moving and this is no exception. I much prefer this to "Wishing you were somehow here again"

It doesn't matter if you're a new Sarah fan or a seasoned one-this DVD is a must for all Sarah Brightman fans.

Brightman does not fail with the term DIVA and the video collection perfectly captures that. After 25yrs. Sarah Brightman continues to capture the hearts of millions world-wide. The video collection encompasses many of her videos and biggest hits, especially her international hit duet with Andrea Bocelli on "Time to Say Good-Bye". Not only is it a video collection, its even better to call this collection a greatest hits package. From her days on Broadway ("Phantom of the Opera"), to her more thematic, solo performances like "Capt. Nemo", "How Can Heaven Love Me", or "Harem". Also included are her more Classical/Vocal hits like the controversial "Ave Maria" and "Just Show Me How to Love You" (duet with Jose Cura).

For fans all over the world, this is one DVD you absolutely have to get your hands on! Fans have eagerly waited for such a collection to be released, and especially here in the United States, Sarah's videos are rarely shown or really, not at all. For people who would like to hear some of Sarah's best work, the VIDEO COLLECTION is superior over the SINGLES COLLECTION which does not contain a lot of memorable music from the DIVA herself.

On the videos, it's great to see Sarah Brightman looking better than ever! Brightman talks about some of the work that went into the videos, the directors, and things related to the videos. My favorite videos are "Just Show Me How to Love You", "Ave Maria", "Eden", "Anytime, Anywhere", and "Harem".

Other videos are "Starship Troopers", "Pie Jesu", "Phantom of the Opera", "A Question of Honour", "How Can Heaven Love Me", "Amigos Para Siempre", "Deliver Me", "Whiter Shade of Pale". The track list is longer but these are the songs that have made SARAH BRIGHTMAN.

She has mesmerized her listeners for many years. She refuses to be categorized into one genre of music. From rock to classical, ballads to dance/electronica, vocal/showtunes to the sounds of the Middle-East, DIVA is the only word to describe the woman who has transcended music genres.

Classical-pop singer Sarah Brightman has always had a flair for the dramatic -- exotic, fanciful concerts to match her music. Now her music videos are compiled in "Diva: The Video Collection," with Brightman singing many of her most popular songs against exquisite scenery and backdrops.

It starts off with some older stuff: the heartbreaking "Pie Jesu," with Brightman singing the hymn with a young choirboy, against the backdrop of a ravaged Ireland. Then it's the slightly campy "Phantom of the Opera" video, with a white-clad Christine Daae rushing into an underground to meet a rather overwrought Phantom, played by Steve Harley. Seriously, what is up with that whipping cape and twitchy gestures?

But Brightman is excellent, wide-eyed and innocent even when she gets dolled up in an ornate Cleopatra oufit, and the theme carries over to the bittersweet "Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again," with Christine laying flowers in a graveyard.

From there on, Brightman explores different worlds in each of her videos -- sexy lovers in a hotel, the shimmering blue-green world of Captain Nemo, the beautiful wildlife of Africa, dreamers waking from rose-petal covered beds, a prison cell, mosaic-covered palaces, twilit mosques and camels, a watery dungeon inside a bathtub, an oasis, and a flower-filled reflecting pool.

There's even a "Starship Troopers" music video, which has thankfully been revamped into a more sci-fi-ish theme with lots of footage from the movie of the same name. You can see the goofy original video (complete with silver spandex and bare-chested dancers) on screens -- a clever bit of self-mockery.

And in these music videos, she embraces every kind of persona. There is Brightman as a naive young singer, a dreamy damsel, a modern girl, an exotic sea nymph in leather, the queen of an abandoned labyrinth, a Middle-Eastern temptress in a mosaic palace, and a moon goddess. She even covers herself in gold leaf for "Ave Maria."

Most of the videos are very dreamlike and fantastical, with Brightman floating around in flowing gowns, rosy skies, and idealized forests, palaces and lunarscapes. In fact, she seems oddly removed from the things that go on around her; even in videos where she's involved, she seems to be apart from all the other people.

Not every video is ideal -- "Question of Honour" is basically a tour through an empty CGI temple. And I still don't entirely know what is up with the couple sitting in a cardboard box. But the majority of these are stunningly visual and atmospheric, full of exotic landscapes and evocative settings. The videos peak with "Captain Nemo's" low-tech, shimmering, surreal look. Not much CGI, but lots of pumping pistons, pearls, and whales.

It's worth noting that the quality is not top-notch in every video, but then, some of these are obviously several years old. And it's not like they have lines or fizzing; some are merely less sharp than others. But for compensation, there's a link encoded in the DVD which leads to -- ta da! -- two more videos on her website. You have to subscribe, but it's worth the effort.

Brightman doesn't disappoint in "Diva: The Video Collection," with her fantastical music videos and beautiful vocals. Some music videos can be tedious or self-important, but these are just exquisite.

This is a great collection of music videos spanning the whole of Sarah Brightman's 25+ year career--from the Starship Trooper video she made in her late teens, to the Harem videos from just a few years back! Sarah's biggest hits are here of course--Phantom of the Opera, Time To Say Goodbye, Whiter Shade Of Pale, etc.--plus a few extra rare gems for the fanatic collectors, such as Captain Nemo, Question of Honour, and How Can Heaven Love Me.

The introductions to each video by Sarah are a big plus to this disk. Even if you've already seen the video many times, her narrations are interesting, and sometimes funny or touching, and shine a new light on what you're seeing. Sarah herself of course is, as always, cute, classy and charming.

The only criticism I can make about this disc is that some of the oldest videos are somewhat grainy. This may have been inevitable due to the age of the films or difficulty in tranferring them to DVD, but it would have been nice to see them more clear and crisp.

Wow!!!
This dvd worth a lot, not only for the videos,because Sarah appers to comments all and each of all the 21 videos for about 3-5 minutes!!!,She comments about the video and a sinopsis and anecdotes that happend during that video.she appears with a new look.
My favorite videos
How can heaven love me.
Just show me how to love you.
Captain Nemo.
and ovbiously "The phantom of the opera'.
Good for Sarah,Mr Frank and all the label.seems to they are listening all the comments from us,the Sarah Fans.Thanks

Finally!!! We, fans, have waited FOREVER to get a video compilatioN!!! I almost can't believe it's been released! at last!!! And though some videos (like Winter Light, All I Ask Of You, Anything But Lonely) were not included, this is still a WONDERFUL DVD!!!

First of all, Sarah's comments really complement each video. At first I thought that Sarah wouldn't get much involved into this (as most artists do with their video collections) but she proved me wrong!!! Sarah's comments really bring some light to the meaning of the videos, and how the ideas came out, etc. A total joy to listen too! And she's as gorgeous as ever! (love the new hair btw)

About the quality of the videos, I most definitly can't complain. Most of her videos I had in my pc were low quality and couldn't really aprecciate them. But it's a whole different thing to watch them in the tv screen!

And the packaging, well the booklet has lots of pics of Sarah (some of then unseen till now) and is very similar to the cd booklet. Very nice though, as the pictures are bigger.

And finally, I'd like to comment on the AVE MARIA video. The two previous reviews qualified this video as 1/5. I think it's 5/5. Yes, Sarah's kinda nude, SO WHAT?! She's supoussed to be posing as a BOticelli painting!! (The Birth of Venus to be more precise) And the video is so artistically shot, you don't see a half naked woman (covered in gold painting) you just see a piece of art. And screw the "sacred" quality of the song, just enjoy it. And about the Winterlight video, it's very similar to Ave Maria but with more shots of Sarah with her hair blowing in the wind. Really nice. And maybe it was not included because of the similarity with Ave Maria, it's just abonus you can watch in her official website.

So, all in all, a GREAT compilatuion, GREAT music, GREAT videos, GREAT voice. Go Sarah!!!

Each video is introduced by Ms. Brightman. She gives nice background information and interesting anecdotes. The videos cover a wide range of time and styles. The DVD menu is easy to use and allows you to play only the videos if you have heard the introductions already and only want to hear the music.

I first heard of Sarah Brightman in September 1997, while looking for a good restaurant in Fort William, in Scotland's Highlands. I was then a French professor in France and was enjoying the last two of my well deserved ten weeks summer (paid!) vacations. As I passed by one of the many shops on Main Street, I heard a wonderful voice singing "Time to Say Goodbye". Great aficionado of feminine voices since I had discovered Nana Mouskouri when I was a student at the Sorbonne in the 1960s, I entered immediately, wrote the CD reference on my PSION 3C Organizer and... bought it during my following Christmas vacations in Miami, where I paid half as much as the European price!

After ten years of listening regularly to this great CD, I saw the publicity on PBS about Sarah Brightman's DVD called "Diva". I immediately ordered it from Amazon and, three days later, I was enjoying it on my $128 Chinese 20 inch stereo TV.

I was first disappointed when I saw a distinguished English lady (young Sarah with some extra moons on her shoulders) talking, talking, talking, explaining the circumstances of creation for the first song. My exasperation grew when I saw that the same procedure was repeated before each new clip! I think that they should have dissociated the history or technical data from the performance, as they do in other DVDs like those wonderful masterpieces called "Celtic Woman", "Dr. Zhivago" with Omar Sharif or Andy Garcia's superb "The Lost City": true, well documented, sentimental, this outstanding masterpiece has been boycotted by the movie industry for political motives. Another reason why everybody should buy it as I did! On September 19, 2008 Amazon sells it for only $11.49, which is an incredible bargain for a masterpiece! Furthermore, it's eligible for free shipping!

Eventually, you will either get used to this useful "bavardage" or will just hit the fast advance or the "next chapter" button twice in order to see the following clip without the explanations.

The first song is "Pie Jesu" that Sarah sings with a young boy whose name is not printed on the jacket, and a choir off camera, while we see rescuers searching for survivors in the rubble after a terrorist attack. This reminded me of Alfred de Vigny's verse: "J'aime la majesté des souffrances humaines" "I love the majesty of human sufferings"

This is followed by the "Phantom of the Opera" and "Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again": a touching story of a little girl missing her dead father, which is staged in a London graveyard in January.

"Amigos Para Siempre" is a masterpiece created for the end of the Olympic Games in Barcelona, Spain, in 1992. Sarah sings this number with José Carreras while we see views of the Olympic Games in colors and black and white, as well as a Barcelonan old stone building at night.

Song number 5, "Captain Nemo" shows beautiful overlapping images forming a strange ballet of shadows, shapes and colors. It is followed by "A Question of Honor", which begins like a classic, Orphean piece, but which soon deviates into modern pop music that is not my cup of tea. It ends as it had started, nice and sweetly, and Sarah's great soprano voice is here at her best.

"How Can Heaven love me", song number 7, alternates those horrible discotheque-type blinking (and blinding!) flash lights and images of imprisonment, suffering, torture and war. There is even a nuclear mushroom. A real torture for the eyes! To say that this is not the best number would be an understatement...

The eighth song is another masterpiece, the one that hooked me in Scotland back in September 1997: "Time to Say Goodbye". As in the CD, she sings it with Andrea Bocelli in an interior setting filmed in sepia color.

This is followed by "Just Show Me How to Love You" (another song from my original CD) with tenor José Cura. Here, we have images in black and white of a young couple lightly dressed and apparently living in big boxes on the streets of Paris. Beautiful images of the embraced couple and several Parisian buildings and monuments. After all, France has the reputation of being the country of love...

"Eden" is song number 10. It begins with a choir of men evoking medieval Gregorian Chants alternating later with Sarah while strange, surrealistic images, fill the screen.

"Who Wants to Live Forever" (also in my first CD) is another masterpiece that erases the horrible souvenir of the seventh song. Colorful, poetic images enhancing Sarah's beauty in a natural setting are a blessing for the eyes.

Song number 12 is "Deliver Me", that Sarah sings with a choir of African women while the view of the stage alternates with touching images of African animals in their natural environment; a real delight for the eyes.

"Anytime, Anywhere" begins with the famous "Concierto de Aranjuez" but very soon Arabic drums fill the background, introducing a strange tonality that the original doesn't have. Joaquin Rodrigo must be jumping in his grave! But the video was turned in a beautiful Arabic palace of Seville that reminded me of my visit to the Alhambra of Granada in 1967.

"Nella Fantasia" (No. 14) was originally Ennio Morricone's soundtrack for "The Mission" (1986). Sarah finally obtained his permission to put words to it and this is now a very well known song, wonderfully interpreted by a heavenly group called "Celtic Woman" in their first DVD. You may read my review of their outstanding second DVD ("A New Journey") on February 5, 2007 in Amazon's site. From time to time, there is a male ballet dancer on stage alternating with enchanting, romantic images of a beautiful young Sarah.

Song number 15, "Whiter Shade of Pale", is staged on the Moon's surface with the Earth in the background. It is followed by "Ave Maria", that Sarah had the awkward idea of singing naked (but don't get excited: you won't see much!) like a young voiceless "singer" of today who has to take off her clothes in order to catch the public's attention! Sarah doesn't need that! As a matter of fact, this "Eva's apparel" would seem more appropriate for the following songs: "Kama Sutra" or "Harem" but that's the way it is.

"Kama Sutra", the famous Indian sex instruction manual from the second century BC, follows Virgin Mary... Images of an Arabic couple in tender poses in an Arabic interior alternate with Sarah's face.

After the sex handbook, here comes the "Harem", also staged in a beautiful Arabic palace with the prince and his women performing belly dances. Nothing is missing, not even a couple of camels at sunset!

The following song, "Free" (No. 19), is filmed in Marrakech, in a beautiful courtyard with a center fountain and young women sitting around it. Lovely alternating images show Sarah by the ocean, in the desert, at sunset, etc.

"Diva" ends with two more songs: "Starship Troopers" and an "Encore": "Music of the Night". If you liked "Star Wars" (I believe there is more than one?) you may appreciate "Starship Troopers". But since I never saw it (I only tolerate "science fiction" in Jules Verne's or Ray Bradbury's books), I will pass this number...

Finally, song number 21, "Music of the Night", takes place on stage with the orchestra in a bluish background. Wonderful, sentimental song charged with emotion that compensates the preceding "Troopers". For the first time since the beginning, there is no other image than Sara singing on stage. You won't miss them.

With the exception of a couple of numbers "dans le vent" that I didn't really like, I love this film that offers the wonderful voice of Sarah Brightman and enchanting, great views most of the time. Without the extreme pain caused by song number 7, with more information on the jacket and with all the talking separated from the songs, I would have certainly given five stars to this globally excellent DVD.

Sara Brightman is an artist whom a lot of people have not heard of but she is magic to listen to.Her original fame came from her leading role in Phantom of the Opera in London, U.K. From then she has appeared as a lead in many musicals. She has issued a number of CDs which I have, but this DVD is probably one of her best. She looks good and sings good and now has the maturity to render the music in an awesome way. If you like light opera, you will love this.