Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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120 of 121 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Miracle The World Should Heed!, November 22, 2007
Something has been happening in Venezuela for the past thirty years, something that should sound a reveille around the world. This excellent film written and directed by Alberto Arvelo Mendoza with Carlos Díaz may at first seem like a propaganda film from Venezuela, but within moments of the opening aqueous credits the audience is poised for discovery.
TOCAR Y LUCHAR ('To Play and To Fight') is a documentary about the National Youth Orchestras of Venezuela, an organization now headed by Jose Antonio Abreu that focuses on providing instruments, musical training, and the experience of becoming part of a classical music orchestra to the children of Venezuela. The result is the truly superb Simón Bolívar Youth Orchestra of Venezuela that has been touring the world under the leadership of principal conductor Gustavo Dudamel providing inspiration not only to young people who long for something meaningful in their lives, something like the majesty that classical music offers, but also bringing audiences in Berlin, Munich, Italy, and throughout the United States to their feet. This superb DVD explains how this happens, and the success of the film is the radiant faces of the thousands of young students who are becoming leading musicians of world-class quality.
Yes, there are live performances conducted by Dudamel as well as Claudio Abbado, Simon Rattle, and Giuseppe Sinopoli and there are moments of tribute from these conductors as well as from singers such as Placido Domingo and from commentators. But the real magic of the DVD lies in the expressions and the interviews with the members of the orchestra. This is a success story we should all heed: perhaps the salvation of our young people is here in this concept of providing opportunity and inspiration through classical music training. The film is not only a fulfilling visual and aural experience, it is also a beacon of hope whose light hopefully will be shared by all countries of the globe. Highly recommended not only for music educators but also for everyone who cares about the future of music and our children! Grady Harp, November 07
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15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The final outcome of a delirious and even utopic idea in those Fifties!, December 4, 2007
To understand plainly the status place of Gustavo Dudamel at front of one of the top Orchestras around the world like Los Angeles Philharmonic since 2009, we should date us back to the middle Fifties (1954, to be exact) when Caracas was witness about the historical debut of Wilhelm Furtwangler in March 1954. After that successful event, the idea of inaugurating a Latin American Festival was totally accepted, by then. I really would remark the only Symphonic Orchestra in those ages was the OSV (Orquesta Sinfonica de Venezuela, founded in 1930).
Caracas was an exceptional witness of soloists of the level of Andres Segovia, Agustin Barrios Mangore, Narciso Yepes, Nicanor Zabaleta, Gyorgy Sandor (who visited us for the first time in 1944), Wilhem Kempff (1953, 1964 and 1968) Paul Badura Skoda, Ginette Neveu, Janos Starker., William Kapell (1947 and 1949) , Pablo Casals, Ivry Gitlis, Pierre Fournier, Ruggiero Ricci, Aaron Rosand, Jean Pierre Rampal, Eugene Istomin, Eugene Ormandy, Marta Argerich, Claudio Arrau, Lazar Berman, Horacio Gutierrez and notable orchestras such the Gewandhaus, VPO, Cameratta of Salzburg,Pittsburgh among others.
So that expected project was simply extraordinary. Directors of the artistic height of Celibidache, Horenstein, Adrian Boult, Stanislav Wisloscki, Igor Stravinsky, Penderecki and Villalobos among other important figures of the baton. The main soloists in those ages just included two dozens of brilliant artists such as Alirio Diaz (guitarist) Judith Jaimes, Eva Maria Zuk (pianists) Maurice Hasson, Francisco del Castillo (violinists) .
On the other hand, the presence of Aldemaro Romero (1928-2007) a self didactical musician (creator of the New wave- a rhythm that blended Bossa Nova and jazz) emigrated to New York in the fifties to expand his knowledge; and that factor was determinant, because he founded in 1977 The Caracas Philharmonic Orchestra, and creating small nucleus of musical learning and being the same soloists of that famed the professors of this ambitious project. Even Astor Piazzolla was invited to give master classes
"To play and fight" was the final overcome, the sum of those infinitesimal but dedicated efforts, that day after day, since the early eighties, a countless number of people aimed to shape.
Jose Antonio Abreu was named as titular Director of a bunch of young and humble students who just had a visceral enthusiasm but ignited passion for doing the task today better than yesterday.
But it would be absolutely unfair to forget names of the level of Eric Landerer, Beatriz Klein, Monique Duphil, Florian Ebersberg, among others remarkable teachers who dedicated a good part of their lives to enhance this febrile enthusiasm.
So the Nineties meant a sort of inevitable effervescence through the whole country. Edith Peña (who studied with Susan Star) Gabriela Montero was part of that enormous outburst of energy and Dionysian passion.
But when Sandor Vegh came to Caracas in 1992 , he affirmed he had never seen such effluvium, good vibrations and enraptured devotion for the music in any other place of the world. This statement was the cherry of the cake, a formal acknowledge of a boiling expansion
What you will watch in this epic documental is the final stage of a patient number of silent hours and untiring and disinteresting efforts which at last were absolutely fruitful.
The creation of musical nucleus around every state of the country, was supported by government and private entities, so as exceptional witness of this brilliant result as Venezuelan citizen I may give a rotund testimony about this exceptional and glamorous artistic triumph.
Don't miss it!
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15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The truth about Venezuela, November 2, 2007
This film is not just about the most important development of classical music currently happening in the world, is about how to overcome the social problems of the third world.
You will see Plácido Domingo, Simón Rattle and Claudio Abbado brought to tears by the performances of this young orchestra. You will hear touching words from "Maestro" Abreu himself, and also from the new classical music superstar Gustavo Dudamel.
I will recommend it for all art lovers and specially for Venezuelan people that sometimes forget that there is still many good things happening in the Country.
"Music will sow in the child and the young a spirit of accomplishment, excellence, a cult for the beautifull, the fair, the just, the noble; and will transforms his personality"
José Antonio Abreu.
"La música siembra en el niño y en el joven un espíritu de superación, excelencia, un culto a lo bello, a lo bueno, a lo justo, a lo noble y transforma su personalidad".
José Antonio Abreu.
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