Customer Reviews

Sarah Brightman - La Luna (Live in Concert)

5 star:		(80)
4 star:		(25)
3 star:		(9)
2 star:		(7)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

I saw the concert live- it was unquestionably the best concert that I have ever been to. I would reccommend this concert to anyone- no matter what kind of music you like, you WILL enjoy this concert! the music was astonishing, and the presentation was unparalled. all of the britneys, christines, and maddonnas of the world could learn a lot from sarah brightman!

There are differences between the VHS and the DVD versions of this concert.

Here is a listing of the songs:

The DVD Track list is: 1. La Lune 2. Winter in July 3. Scarborough Fair 4. Who Wants To Live Forever 5. 3. Hijo De La Luna 6. Figlio Perduto 7. La Luna 8. La Califa 9. Pie Jesu 10. Nessun Dorma 11. Siren/Deliver Me 12. He Doesn't See Me 13. Whiter Shade Of Pale 14. There For Me 15. Twisted Everyway 16. Phantom Of The Opera Suite 17. Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again 18. Music Of The Night 19. Question Of Honour 20. Moon River 21. Time To Say Goodbye the VHS track list is: 1. La Lune 2. Scarborough Fair 3. Hijo De La Luna 4. Figlio Perduto 5. La Luna 6. Deliver Me 7. He Doesn't See Me 8. Whiter Shade Of Pale 9. There For Me 10. Nessun Dorma 11. Pie Jesu 12. Music Of The Night 13. Question Of Honour 14. Moon River 15. Time To Say Goodbye END

Watched the La Luna concert DVD three times last weekend. It was great! I heard the VHS version is not very good with bad editing and inferior sound quality. Rest assured that the DVD treatment of Ms. Brightman's latest concert tour is magnificent. Sarah's performance was out of this world. She truly is the "angel of music"!

My favorite tracks were "Winter Shade of Pale", "Nessun Dorma", "Moon River", and the spectacular "A Question of Honour". I also enjoyed the bonus materials very much. It's nice to see Sarah's behind the scenes stuff. Not only is she a great singer and performer, Sarah is also a sweet and down-to-earth person. How many stars actually sign autographs and take pictures after their shows? Sarah did! I am anxiously waiting for her next CD and tour!

The sound quality of the DVD is breathtaking. Dolby Digital 5.1 or DTS Digital Surrond. Wow! Furthermore, it's wonderful that you can turn on the on-screen lyrics. Nice touch. The only thing I would love in the future will be some interactive DVD content that can be played in the DVD-ROM of a computer, e.g. screen savers, photo gallery, web links, etc.

In closing, this is a must buy DVD for any Sarah Brightman fan. Trust me, you won't be disappointed!

To all Sarah Brightman fans and reviewers, hello. There's so much one can say about this concert. For one, the programme appears to be as full as the actual show. Frank Peterson, Miss Brightman's producer/manager has done a wonderful job bringing the show to a success. From the opening haunting notes of "La Lune" to the closing notes of "Moon river", the show is and was as stunning as a Moon-Goddess could make it. With stunning special effects and daring costumes, the moods change throughout the entire dramatic show. Sarah's backflips and the confetti/sparks shower in "A question of honor" were the best effects. Some of the costumes revealed a playfully daring Sarah.

The best examples you'll find are her "Human beeded lampshade" look or her Xena warrior Princess with tearaway leather dress and hip-boots. Some costumes were dreamy, like her "Sea-foam bride" white gown in "A whiter shade of pale". For "Nessun dorma", sarah donned miles of flowing fabric, while atop her head sat a halo of stars which lit up. In "hijo de la luna", she rocked her arms side to side as if she were rocking a baby. She even came out in a chrome corset and a totally see-through floor length gown.

The La Luna concert's programme is powerful, yet as light as a feather. Sarah's voice was at its best, as it soared above the audience angelicly. The aria "Nessun Dorma" was a hit with many, as Sarah seemed entranced while singing it. The same went with the title song, "La Luna" and "A question of honor".

The La Luna orchestra obviously shrunk, compared to the Eden show. In la Luna they were only to the left side of the stage. But they were at their best throughout the entire presentation.

Unfortunately, the VHS is shorter than the DVD. I don't know why. Maybe the editor had a limit set on the production. The VHS says total running time 59min. I don't know how long the DVD will be, but the DVD comes with all this Xtra stuff. Look for a video clip of "A whiter shade of pale" and some backstage footage and an interview with Sarah. I think there are 15 songs on the VHS and 21 songs on the DVD. Let Sarah and the moon take you away for 1.5 hrs in their own world.

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I don't know what Angel Records was thinking when they released the VHS version of the La Luna concert. Five songs were missing, the songs were presented out of order, and the sound quality was sorely lacking. But with the release of the La Luna DVD Sarah Brightman fans are treated to the complete concert version of La Luna, as well as over 90 minutes of extras such as a tour map, backstage footage, interviews, and the music video for "A Whiter Shade of Pale." Sarah's innovative staging, crystalline voice and gorgeous costumes are captured brilliantly on this DVD.

Track Listing 1. La Lune 2. Winter in July 3. Scarborough Fair 4. Who Wants To Live Forever 5. Hijo De La Luna 6. Figlio Perduto 7. La Luna 8. La Califa 9. Pie Jesu 10. Nessun Dorma 11. Siren/Deliver Me 12. He Doesn't See Me 13. A Whiter Shade Of Pale 14. There For Me 15. Twisted Everyway 16. Phantom Of The Opera Suite 17. Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again 18. Music Of The Night 19. A Question Of Honour 20. Moon River 21. Time To Say Goodbye

What moron started this ridiculous string about Sarah Brightman lip-synching? Let me set the record straight once and for all; Having personally worked on the American leg of the LaLuna tour I can assure you that Sarah Brightman has NEVER lip synched during a live concert performance, yet alone one in which is being filmed for a WORLD WIDE AUDIENCE which involves countless close-ups. I guess Sarah SHOULD take this accusation as a compliment which really is no more than true testament to her seemingly effortless vocal range and gift. I don't pretend to know Sarah well on a personal basis, but I can tell you that she would actually get a kick out of this rhetoric. Everyone who has worked with Sarah has nothing but the utmost respect and admiration for her. In addition, we are fiercely protective. I only wish people knew the discipline and the countless hours of preparation and rehearsing that goes into a tour of this magnitude. So in closing, we will choose to take this criticism as a compliment to Sarah Brightman's unrivaled artistry and talent.

Watching the Sarah Brightman (Live In Concert) La Luna DVD was both a wonderful and trying experience. I love it because now I can see her in concert whenever I want to but I also hate it because it reminds me of how I missed the opportunity to see her live. By the time I realized that she would be playing in southern California it was too late. All the tickets sold out in a matter of minutes. It bothered me for a long time but at least I have this, which is better than nothing.

I don't think that this particular concert is as good as Eden but there are some moments that come very close to changing that perspective. "La Wally/A Question Of Honour" was an amazing spectacular of Sarah flying in the air while doing flips and singing majestic high notes with confetti falling onto the crowd. And while many might think that impossible (for most opera singers just stand in place, completely immobile as to work their support system which involves squeezing the stomach) you can tell that Sarah isn't lip singing. There's just no way that she can distort the face without actually carrying out the notes... She's also suspended above a crystal ball on "Siren/Deliver Me". But instead of doing daring flips through the air she just hovers there with her beautiful lilac gown hanging below her feet. Newcomer Josh Groban also joins Sarah Brightman on a dazzling duet where they slow dance together on "There For Me" while flairs of fireworks shoot down from above to give the effect of falling stars on "A Whiter Shade Of Pale" where she twirls around like the moongoddess she is. "Winter In July" is another amazing song to watch for because she's dancing in these huge high-heels while doing all these strange movements with her arms which gives it a very ethereal feel. "Scarborough Fair" follows that song (just as it does on the CD) with the local symphony accompanying the folktale.

I didn't find the costumes on La Luna to be as risky as they were on Eden but she does wear this huge flowing gown (or drape) of crimson red that tumbles down a flight of stairs with a huge star soaring above her head with the moon in the background on "La Luna". She also wears a xena-like warrior costume for powerful songs like "Hijo de la Luna". I only wish that she would have sang more from "The Phantom Of The Opera Suite". "Music Of The Night", however, was utterly breath-taking, even with her minor breaking of the vocal cord which proves once again that she's not lip singing like so many accuse her of doing. And by the request of the audience she closes the set with her solo version of "Time To Say Goodbye" as the crowd rises for a standing ovation....

This DVD also includes "A Whiter Shade Of Pale" music video with the mixed ATB version, a backstage tour as well as behind the scenes of Sarah's photo shoot for the La Luna album, the recording of the CD, after-show- party footage (where everyone's trying to get Josh Groban to drink), and much much more.

This is one DVD that all Sarah Brightman fans should own.

Let me start by saying that I saw this concert in Portland last October and it was amazing. No... Astounding! Sarah looked stunning, sounded perfect and the stage set was wonderful. However, the production on this VHS release nearly ruins it all. I was suspicious when I saw the running time of 59 minutes.....I recall the concert being almost 2 full hours. There are at least 5 songs missing here and there is never more than a second of audience reaction between the songs. The editing is very choppy and disjointed. She has a small troupe of dancers and a chorus that are all but ignored by the cameras. The wonderful "Question of honour" sequence ( probably the highlight of the show! ) is totally ruined by poor camera work. "Winter in July", which set the tone of the show early on, is missing, "Moon River" is butchered down to one minute and suddenly she's singing "time to say goodbye". The production values on this video are embarrassing, especially after how amazingly the "One Night In Eden" video was produced. I'm praying the DVD release will leave the entire concert intact...it was an excellent show and deserves to be seen in it's entirety. Honestly, an artist like Sarah deserves better than this.

Took me awhile to realize that the Sarah Brightman people kept mentioning was the soprano from the original Broadway cast of Phantom. This is her first DVD I've ordered and the wide disparity in reviews here puzzled me until I watched the show.

Brightman is a brilliant soprano, in the class I believe is called a "coloratura." Classical pieces and modern work intended to exhibit the beauty of the human voice let her use her talent. One or perhaps two pieces on this DVD are less successful. The song by Brian May of Queen - "Who Wants to Live Forever" - makes a dramatic instrumental statement with a mid-range vocal providing lyric emotion. It does not necessarily require a man, but definitely a mid-range voice with great body. Musical range and depth are not required, or well exhibited by this piece. Arranging it for a coloratura soprano was difficult I'm sure. Certainly the result is not characteristic of Brightman. She stays in her high register for nearly the entire cut, which may be what led to the unkind chipmunk simile in an earlier review. On songs that permit her full range, Brightman is excellent.

A second piece exhibits a different problem: I suspect that audio producers are beginning to take for granted multi-channel speaker systems. Listening to the Dolby audio track with a pair of near-studio quality headsets (Sennheiser HD600's) the voices in the duet with Josh Grogan were overwhelmed by the instruments. The headsets were unable to create a strong enough center-channel image. Listening to this piece using the DTS audio track on a six-speaker home theater was completely different. The clarity of a physically separate center channel is sometimes very important to enjoy a vocalist. And that is the case with this performer (or at least this recording).

You'll enjoy the DVD on a simple stereo rig, but you'll be immersed and very moved if you have a full set of speakers and a DTS-capable receiver. As I say, this is probably becoming the case with most audio material. You just won't realize the void until you install the extra speakers and a multi-channel receiver.

With those limited caveats, I heartily recommend this DVD. A friend suggested it for Brightman's performance of Figlio Perduto, and that piece is indeed beautiful. That cut along with "Time to Say Goodbye" are worth the price of the DVD by themselves, but I also enjoyed the remaining cuts and the show as a whole. (It is a live concert recording.) The title piece (La Luna) and the several cuts from Phantom are noteworthy. I particularly enjoy the building drama of the pieces from about the middle section to the end.

A brilliant soprano and a DVD worth owning. I came back tonight to decide which of her DVD's to buy next.

Under the clouds of the night, an orchestra plays as a beautiful woman sings at the top of stairs covered with fog. Gracefully, as she descends, she enraptures us in the haloed embrace of her song. From that subtle entrance, Sarah Brightman's mastery of French song sets the eternal theme her concert "La Luna".

She warns us not to let life pass you by like "Winter in July" and sings of "parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme" in the medieval classic "Scarborough Fair".

As she sings Queen's "Who Wants to Live Forever" she can bring tears to your eyes on wind swept fields of love and warmth and after capturing us with her spell binding voice, she graciously thanks us for joining her this night and introduces her next song. "Hijo De La Luna" or "Son of the Moon" is that song, a sad story that leads to the first "La Luna Interlude" from which Sarah returns as a ballerina in a music box.

"Figlio Perduto" is a powerfully sad song that Brightman emphatically carries to such an emotional level, that it reaches the heart and soul even if you don't understand it's Italian lyrics. I had tears in my eyes when she finished singing it!

In the concerts title song "La Luna", Sarah weaves her voice through the strings of violins with unimaginable grace, as if she were making a fine silk garment.

After singing of the Lady Caliph, we are introduced to a sad song that is dedicated to children who have lost their lives in political conflicts. "Pie Jesu" is a prayer in Latin for Jesus, who takes away the sins of the world, to grant us peace.

Following the second "La Luna Interlude" we find Sarah standing tall and haloed like an angel with stars. She now sings in angelic fashion "no man will sleep" in the song "Nessun Dorma".

A graceful transition is made from an angel and Sarah now appears as a Celtic Princess, arrayed in a crown of jewels, bracers, a breastplate of steel, and a royal purple skirt. As she floats around an orb, not unlike the planet Jupiter, she sings, "Deliver Me" to a pop score, a song that ends with her asking, "Won't you deliver me?" with such feeling that you want to stand and yell "YES! I will deliver you!"

Down from the rafters, she now holds her warriors spell bound with "He Doesn't See Me".

The stage grows dark; all is quiet except for the keyboard. A fog fills the room and sparkles fall from the sky, Sarah slowly spins like a little girl in a dream. Here is the song, which impelled me to purchase this DVD and worth it's proverbial weight in gold. Sarah's cover of Procul Harum's "A Whiter Shade of Pale" gives this song new meaning and is the very best version of this song I have ever heard. The entire DVD is worth it, just for this song.

But that's not all! "There for Me" is guaranteed to make all those couple present feel warm and fuzzy toward their loved one as she is joined by the power of Josh Grobin as he enters singing:

When it's blowing cold and all the city streets are grey
Walking all along and watching how the children play
Voices on the wind and faces from the past all dancing by
They're asking why....

And then they sing together:

Are you still there for me? Every time I go away
Are you still there for me? Thinking of me everyday
Are you my destiny? Words I never dared to say
Are you still there for me?

I held my wife a little tighter as they sang!

"Twisted in Every Way" leads into the "Phantom of the Opera Suite" in which she sings "Little Lotti", "Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again", and "Music of the Night" which brings the crowd to their feet and she teases us by leaving through parted stairs.

She floats above these stairs a moment later to sing "A Question of Honour", a powerful song that Sarah successfully sings in Italian with operatic style and then fluidly moves into English with pop style.

The curtain closes and again Sarah returns to take a bow, with the crowd on it's feet in applause, she sits on the edge of the stage and does her version of "Moon River".

When the song is done, she gets up and as she walks out she looks over her shoulder with a devious little smile. Of course she returns to tease us again with a "Time to Say Goodbye" which ultimately ends the concert in a standing ovation.

Sarah Brightman's concert "La Luna" is not for those who take music lightly or are afraid to feel passionately about something. Its power is manifest from the opening song to the final farewell.

This concert offers one up happy surprise after another. The special effects seem a bit excessive at times but don't really hurt the show. The same is true with effects added to the video-not all of them work but they don't interfere with the performance. That part of things is beyond reproach. It's not often one hears music by Dvorák, Mancini and Brian May on the same programme with some traditional music thrown in to the mix. It's even less often the artist sounds comfortable such a wide variety of material. Sarah Brightman does. "Scarborough Fair" is a traditional piece. She follows it with "Who Wants to Live Forever". That was a hit for Queen. La Luna is an adaptation of "Song to the Moon" which was written by Antonin Dvoråk. She performs them all beautifully and with an ease which makes them compatible with one another. Her rendition of "Nessun Dorma" (Puccini) brings the house down. Even more touching is her interpretation of "La Califfa". That one was written by Ennio Morricone, the man who provided the magnificent and wonderful music for many of the best films to come from Sergio Leone. He has as much of a gift for songs as for soundtracks. Much of his work is indescribably beautiful. She brings it all to the surface with a ravishing performance of the piece. Her performance of "Time to Say Goodbye" is a thing of beauty. Her performance of the music from "The Phantom of the Opera" is an outpouring of emotion from her to her audience. This work is still very close to her heart and it shows. The treatment she gives it is tender, loving and sensual to the point of being a caress. There's never any doubt that she's singing it directly to somebody. This sounds as much like a deep and heartfelt "thank you" as it does a performance. Any cynicism anyone ever had about her connection to Webber has to vanish when this is heard. I've read that she and Webber are still the best of friends and on seeing this, believe it. She sings these pieces with a love that's as deep as could ever be felt.

There's a lot of money behind this show. The production values and special effects used make that obvious. The money's there because she's succeeded at making it work though, not because she's doing it for the money. No artist that tries to bring material from such a wide range of genre together and present it in one format is doing it just for the money. They're trying to open doors for their audience. She does that and she does it well. That she's as comfortable with this range of material as she is is a credit to her and her production partner Frank Peterson. She is a major talent and an extremely dedicated artist. Her voice is deceptive. It sounds small and fragile but it's not. She has enormous range and the ability to colour all areas of it with a wide variety of shadings. She can sing at a whisper or fill a hall and never strains doing either. He is an extremely gifted musical force. He wrote a lot of the material for "La Luna". He adapted most of the source material he drew on to fit the style they both wanted to use. He arranged everything. The quality of the sound recording and the way it's mixed is exemplary. He oversaw that as well. A lot of people have (or had) reservations about Sarah Brightman and her work because of her rise to fame was so closely connected to Andrew Lloyd Webber and his musical, "The Phantom of the Opera". I know. I was one of them.

I was wrong. I'm a fan now.