Product Details

• Actors: Zubin Mehta
• Format: Classical, Color, DVD, NTSC
• Language: English
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Studio: Image Entertainment
• DVD Release Date: March 27, 2001
• Run Time: 55 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B000059H8D
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #130,679 in Movies & TV (See Bestsellers in Movies & TV)

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  #19 in	Movies & TV > Musicals & Performing Arts > Classical > Educational
  #22 in	Movies & TV > Musicals & Performing Arts > Classical > By Performer > Mehta, Zubin

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
The In Rehearsal documentary series offers enthralling, profound insights into music making of the highest caliber. In this case, with Zubin Mehta conducting the Israel Philharmonic in a rehearsal of Richard Strauss's Till Eulenspiegel's Merry Pranks, those insights are sharpened by the knowledge that the orchestra is playing the piece for the very first time: the music of Strauss had been banned in Israel until 1994 as a reaction to his involvement with the Nazi party. Thus, though the initial run-through is somewhat scratchy (and causes a hilariously neurotic fit on the part of the principal horn player), the fact that the ensemble has no performance tradition of this piece means that every phrase has to be taken apart, explained, and put together again. We therefore see Mehta's ability to make a phrase more comic or fuller of pathos by simple nips and tucks of note lengths, and hear his reasons for shaping the piece the way he does. --Warwick Thomson

Product Description
Director Peter Berggren set out to record the "live happenings" of conductor Zubin Mehta and the Israeli Philharmonic as they rehearsed Richard Strauss's early masterpiece Till Eulenspiegels Lustige Streiche. The intent was to break down the distance between conductor and audience, so the role of the maestro might seem less mysterious to viewers. Recording all the orchestra's rehearsal sessions and the first run-through of the piece, the finished program draws on wealth of visual material to give a rare inside look at the creative process. 55 minutes.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Superb video..., June 18, 2006

By	Lawrence D. Eckerling "Lawrence Eckerling" (Glenview, Il) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

One of the reviewers said that this video is for amateurs, but not for professionals. Being a professional conductor myself, I have a completely opposite view. This is a spectacular presentation from start to finish. What this other reviewer seems not to understand, is that conducting is not mostly with the face or the hands. The art of conducting is primarily the art of "the EAR". If you have ears and you hear his comments (and also see plenty of his conducting", there is much, MUCH to learn from this video. I recommend any conductor or player who plays this music to watch and hear this video HIGHLY!

1 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars another great rehearsal, January 14, 2005

By	scarecrow "scarecrow" (Chicago, Illinois United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)

This is yet another rehearsal this time with Zubin Metha and The Israel Philharmonic.
Richard Strauss's music was banned from performance in Israel. He was associated with the Third Reich for a time,and anti-semiticism as Wagner. The Israeli musicians here speak about this and the memories this music does and may suggest,Wagner even more in that his operas were utilized by the Third Reich as proclamations, and the characters in his 'Ring' for example are and can be representation of this anti-semiticsm, with the roles of Mime and Alberich.(Certainly Wagner's audiences knew of these associations)

I have no problem with this ban especially when you think that there are countless modern masterpieces that are waiting for performances,there is no shortage of music;and it is no great loss not to have played Wagner.

Strauss by the time he wrote 'Till Eulenspiegel' was a virtuoso orchestrator, and this work as Mehta explains really is a few motivic ideas, the opening forever memorable motive played countless times by the French Horn is tossed to the Eb Clarinet, and others, a Violin solo as well. So the work breaks the orchestral canvas to feature soloists. The Israeli Orchestra here has a nicely wonderful lean sound, very clean crisp, you hear everything, and that makes Mehta's job somewhat easier. The rehearsal is technical,although he makes brief remarks on the programmatic elements of the "prankster" here how he must impart this "mischevious" sense to the music. "You were a bar early", or ", , , No on the beat this time", make the "G" a little longer French Horns". You come away really knowing this work. We then see Mehta with earphones listening to the recording, and advising the technician to make the strings a little darker.

3 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars It depends on how you look at it., March 18, 2006

By	John T. Sylvanis "Pro" - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I bought this product harboring great hopes to learn how a great conductor uses his hands to make music. Since Mehta is so famous for his hands, I ordered it in earnest. The company I ordered from is an example of greatness as to the way it delivered the product, in 4 work days via USPS. Thank you Cheap-CDs!!

Technically the DVD is good. Video production is fine, colors and resolution good, no ghosts, no obscure spots, etc, no image distortion (geometry and proportions are good all the time). Sound is also good, speech clear and always audible, microphone placement renders the orchestra well.

Now, the title of the DVD is Zubin Mehta in Rehersal with the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra. As far as I am concerned, I would have retitled the DVD as follows:

"Some members of the Israel Philharmonic in Rehearsal. Collaborating conductor: Zubin Mehta".

For, that's what happens on this DVD. What one sees most of the time is four of the Orchestra's members in different positions, their faces and expressions. Yes, we see Mehta from time to time, his face that is. As I understand, conductors use their HANDS to conduct, not their face. Yes, facial expression helps SOMETIMES, but most of the time it disturbs because the musicians don't really know what to look at: the face or the hands. Conducting technique firstly and foremostly means the way the conductor uses his HANDS to communicate meter, rithm, phrasing and articulation. Expression is mostly used in movies helping to perpetuate the myth of "the sensitive artist living the work" to amateurs and music lovers.

When Mehta's hands are shown, they usually disappear after 1 to 1 1/2 seconds and this showing in itself is rare indeed. Besides Mehta's face, one can witness cheap photographic effects with the slide trombones and filming the horn section from below quite a few times. Does one want to see this? To what end? The horns are shown an inordinate number of times even when they don't have any important thematic part to play.
The contrabassoon has a prominent role to play on the DVD as well. I'd like to know to what end.

There is some musical analysis presented. Yeah, we know that there's development in Till. We also know there are 2 themes. What we're not shown is how Mehta expresses this with his hands.

This DVD is recommended for music lovers and amateurs. For the student and professional who is after conducting technical clues it's definitely and emphatically NOT.