DVD Videos

On the day of the 150th anniversary of Antonín Dvorák’s birth and in the year of the bicentenary of Mozart’s death, the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra dedicated a concert to both composers in the magnificent Spanish Hall of Prague Castle in September 1991.

Color, stereo, 57 minutes. Playable in all regions.

Two illustrious Czech artists with unique musical connections to two of the composers on the program: Firkušný studied composition with Leoš Janácek, and Josef Suk is the great-grandson of Antonín Dvorák.

Color, stereo, 74 min.

Definitive interpretations of the Cello Concerto in B minor and the Piano Concerto in G minor, performed by acclaimed cellist Gustav Rivinius, and the legendary pianist Rudolf Firkušný. The Czech Philharmonic Orchestra is led by two of its most esteemed past music directors: Václav Neumann (director from 1968-1990) in the Cello Concerto and Jirí Belohlávek (director from 1990-1992) in the Piano Concerto. Color, stereo, 84 minutes. Playable in all regions.

Music by Smetana & Dvorak

The works of the quintessentially Czech composer Antonín Dvorák are, above all, enjoyable and perennial favourites of the Romantic repertoire. This six-part series of concerts is performed by the Prague Symphony Orchestra and Chorus and the Prague Philharmonic Choir, with the leading Czech conductor on the podium: Petr Altrichter, Jirí Belohlávek and Libor Pešek. Guest soloists include soprano Lucia Popp, alto Eva Randová, tenor Josef Protschka, bass Peter Mikulas, pianist Igor Ardasev, violinist Ivan Zenaty and cellist Mischa Maisky, who plays one of Dvorák’s finest works, the Cello Concerto. VOLUME V includes the world’s famous Stabat Mater. The first English performance, in London’s Royal Albert Hall in 1883 was such a sensational success that Dvorák was asked to conduct his Stabat Mater himself the following year. The last hurdle to a world career had been cleared.

The music of the quintessentially Czech composer Dvorák is, above all, enjoyable and is a perennial favourite in the Romantic repertoire. This series of concerts is performed by the Prague Symphony Orchestra and Chorus and the Prague Philharmonic Choir, with three leading Czech conductors on the podium: Petr Altrichter, Jirí Belohlávek and Libor Pesek. Guest soloists include soprano Lucia Popp, alto Eva Randová, tenor Josef Protschka, bass Peter Mikulás, pianist Igor Ardasev, violinist Ivan Zenaty and cellist Mischa Maisky, who plays Dvorák‘s Cello Concerto, one of his finest works.

Subtitles: English, French, Italian

The Waldbühne in Berlin, one of the most appealing outdoor amphitheatres on the European continent, is the home of the Berliner Philharmoniker’s summer concerts. With over 20,000 attendances, these are some of the most popular classical music concerts in the world.

This year the Berliner Philharmoniker play under the baton of Ion Marin, one of the most exciting conductors on today’s musical scene. They welcome "America's Beautiful Voice", Grammy Award winning soprano Renée Fleming, who has a devoted international following wherever she appears. Her career has been built on success across a wide range of musical styles, but she is best-known for her excellence in opera worldwide.

The device of the evening was “Night of Love”- the most beautiful Opera Arias in combination with atmospheric instrumental pieces.

Picture format DVD: NTSC 16:9

Sounds formats DVD: PCM Stereo, DD 5.1, DTS 5.1

Region code: 0

Booklet notes: English, German, French

Subtitles: English, German, French

Running time: 130 mins

FSK: 0

Director Henry-Georges Clouzot

The first Karajan Blu-ray ever! Karajan is the classical music star!

Karajan/Menuhin first time on DVD and Blu-ray (no CD recording exists too)

Filmed in 1966 on 35 mm by film director H.–G. Clouzot, the creator of classic "films noirs" such as "Quai des Orfèvres" and "Wages of Fear"

Mozart violin concerto and Dvorák Symphony No. 9 are very popular works.

Total: 107 minutes

Violin Concerto 29´

Symphony 40´

24 minutes rehearsal Mozart violin concerto No. 5

15 minutes rehearsal Dvorák Symphony No. 9

Booklet English, German, French

The idiom of his Bohemian musical origins was something he was neither able nor wanted to disown. A trained violinist and viola player and a member of the Czech Philharmonic, Václav Neumann (1920–1995) always built the orchestra he conducted around its string tone – around authentic tonal sensuality. He was regarded internationally as a specialist in the classic works of his homeland, of Smetana, Dvorák, Janácek, but also of avant-gardists such as Josef Suk and Bohuslav Martinů. At the same time he was an artist with a broad musical background and a comprehensive repertoire, which he sought to expand wherever he worked. Dvořák’s position as his country’s leading composer was taken over upon his death by Leoš Janáček. His highly fresh and original late works even reveal links with the avant-garde currents of the subsequent generation. The magnifi cent Glagolitic Mass which uses the appropriate sections of the Ordinary in Old Church Slavonic is foremost a national declaration, a commitment to the ancient Slavonic language.

Sound Format: PCM Stereo, DD 5.1, DTS 5.1

Format: 4:3

DVD Format: DVD 9, NTSC

Audio Language: Ancient Slavonic (Janáček)

Running Time: 99 mins

FSK: 0