Product Details

• Actors: Maxim Vengerov, Daniel Barenboim
• Directors: Simon Broughton
• 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: KULTUR VIDEO
• DVD Release Date: May 27, 2008
• Run Time: 100 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B0015U0QQ2
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #53,378 in Movies & TV (See Bestsellers in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

PLAYING BY HEART
Russian-born Maxim Vengerov is one of the greatest violinists of his generation. He has already performed with the world's leading orchestras and conductors, including Barenboim, Gergiev, Giulini, Maazel, Menuhin and Rostropovich, and has received a host of awards and nominations. This profile explores his musical artistry, at work with Daniel Barenboim and with students of the Royal Academy in London. He believes that his music holds great potential for others, and in 1997 he became an Honorary Envoy for Music for UNICEF. This film also gives a private glimpse of the man off-duty , away from his professional responsibilities.

MASTERCLASS
In this masterclass, from the historic concert hall in Blackheath, London, Maxim Vengerov reveals his approach to visualising music and performing to four exceptional students. The participants are musicians at various stages in their careers. Alexander Sitkovetsky, then 15 and a pupil at the Menuhin School of Music, performs the Rondeau from Mozart s Violin concerto in D minor. Chloë Hanslip, who at 11 years old was already following in Maxim's footsteps, works on the Caprice Basque by Sarasate. A graduate from the Menuhin School, Corina Belcea, then 23, performs the first movement from Tchaikovsky's Violin Concerto and Philipp Schöttle, then 20, performs the unaccompanied third Sonata by Ysaÿe. With vivid anecdotes and lots of fun, Maxim gives the students and audience an insight into what can make music so magical and far-reaching.

Mozart: Violin Concerto No 4 Rondeau with Alexander Sitkovetsky
Sarasate: Caprice Basque with Chloë Hanslip
Tchaikovsky: Violin Concerto 1st Movement with Corina Belcea
Ysaÿe: Sonata No 3 Ballade with Philipp Schöttle

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars You can have so much from this !!!, June 20, 2008

By	Lily Hamsah (Bandung, Jawa Barat Indonesia) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I watched clips of Playing by Heart and Master Class first in youtube and wished there will be the DVD one day soon. Watching this DVD was far more exciting and I feel lucky because I will never have the opportunity to watch him playing live not because he is focussing to other things right now but because the opportunity of his concert in my country is very very small. We could see the real Maxim Vengerov and his thoughts too. The way he played and interpreted the repertoires were wonderful. The way he told the students of MasterClass how to play was the important thing a violinists and music' players need to know that you are allowed to play and must plays with your imagination. He could change the common perceptions that violin and classical music are not the boring thing.

The musicality of Maxim Vengerov is the unbelievable thing along with perfect technique which is rare, you can see it all in this DVD. Everytime after heared or watched Vengerov, I always get some kind of new insight. Honesty is everyone can see in his playing and inspiration every artists wished to have.. Hope there will be many Mr Vengerov's DVD to produce because it always been a precious knowledges. This DVD can changes our perceptions toward classical music and how we plays our violin. Really Mr Vengerov is the best !!!

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Max is the man!, June 6, 2008

By	teva_man "teva_man" (United States) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This DVD is excellent. If you've heard any of Vengerov's recordings, you will appreciate this candid glimpse into his life as a virtuoso. The documentary itself is a nice life/career overview (narrated by Andrew Sachs, who will forever be immortalized as Manuel on "Fawlty Towers"!) Of course it's been 10 years now since it was done and he's done a lot since then, so "Living the Dream" DVD is also essential viewing. Needless to say, Maxim Vengerov is a great talent and a most interesting artist. He left Russia many years ago and what little time he is not concertizing, he spends in Amsterdam. His style is not wholly individual as that of some others is, but his interpretations of the great works are of high caliber. But most importantly, this DVD shows him to be a generous artist and obviously a very kind person, as evidenced in Part 2 of this DVD (a master class he gave sometime around 1998, which included Chloe Hanslip playing the Sarasate "Caprice Basque" quite well - and she has gone on to an international career.)

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The violin master, November 2, 2008

By	S. Liang "A string instrument lover" (Hayward, CA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Amazon Verified Purchase

If you love violin music or playing, you have to have this DVD. And if you love Maxim Vengerov, do not hesitate, just buy it. Watching Maxim play violin is very joyful, and his master class is also very interesting and educated to classical music lovers.
The video and sound are both good.