DVD Videos

A film by Peter Rosen

Written by Bill van Horn and Solomon Volkov

This film is about the life of Khachaturian - a composer creating in the darkness of a tragic era. As we will see, like most Soviet citizens, he hid a complex private life behind a mask of Communist loyalty. Khachaturian was the President of the powerful Composer’s Union of the Soviet Union, and as a communist party functionary wielded great influence over the course of Russian music. However, he was also a comrade and personal friend to the dissident composers of the time – Shostakovich, Prokofiev, and others. This documentary shows the fine line a man had to tread between being a loyal party functionary on the one hand, and a fighter for artistic freedom on the other.

Bonus:

1) Mstislav Rostropovich playing Concerto-Rhapsody for Cello and Orchestra (24 mins)

2) Documentary: Making "Khachaturian" (17 mins)

3) Khachaturian: Piano Concerto - Third Movement (9 mins)

Picture format DVD: NTSC 4:3

Sounds formats DVD: PCM Stereo

Region code: 0

Booklet notes: English, German, French

Original Languages: English, Russian

Subtitles: English, Russian, Deutsch, Français, Japanese

Running time: 83 mins (+ Bonus: 24 mins, 17 mins, 9 mins)

The new DVD featuring the violin virtuoso Pavel Šporcl captures one of his two unique open-air concerts at the Smetana Litomyšl festival with the Slovak Roma cimbalom band Romano Stilo that took place in the middle of June 2010 in the castle courtyard.

The concerts were truly extraordinary events for Pavel owing to the unusual repertoire and the special atmosphere both on the stage and among the audience.

While Pavel Šporcl regularly steps out from the domain of classical music to embrace zestfully other genres, Romano Stilo cannot be considered an orthodox cimbalom band either. In addition to Gypsy, Russian, Hungarian and Romanian folk music, they performed compositions by Pablo Sarasate, Johannes Brahms and Aram Khachaturian, as well as the film themes from Schindler’s List and The Fiddler on the Roof, all of them spiced with a soupçon of jazz... Pavel plays a repertoire that seems to be the natural domain of musicians with Gypsy blood with such mastery and abandon that one feels tempted to look into his family tree – and Romano Stilo are a wonderful partner to him. It was a true joy to be there – and this DVD affords you the unique opportunity to savour their splendid performance.

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

Directed by Brian Large.

Being the typically “Berliner” events they are, the annual summer concerts of the Berliner Philharmoniker at the Berlin Waldbühne far surpass the usual in open-air shows and are generally sold out months in advance. A traditional part of these concerts involves the early arrival of the guests who, laden with the requisite picnic paraphernalia, take their seats with a view to enjoying the hours until “their” Philharmonic gala is ready to begin. While there is little likelihood of finding the majority of these concert-goers at a “regular” performance of the Berliner Philharmoniker, the unique atmosphere of the Waldbühne – one of the most attractive amphitheatres in Europe – is irresistibly appealing and has long been the Mecca of many classical music fans.

The world-famous conductor, Seiji Ozawa, joined the Berliner Philharmoniker at the Waldbühne for the “Russian Night”, which naturally focused on music by great Russian composers. The outstanding Overture from Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Symphony, whose battle noise and canon fire are reminiscent of the Russian victory over the Napoleonic invaders, was just one of the items on the programme. With an orchestra as fabulous as the Berliner Philharmoniker plus a conductor as passionate as Seiji Ozawa, the success of the concert was a foregone conclusion.

Sound Format: PCM STEREO, DD 5.1

Picture Format: 4:3

DVD Format: DVD 9, PAL

Running Time: 98 mins

FSK: 0

The ballet Masquerade is a rarity. The Armenian composer Aram Khachaturian (1903-1978) originally conceived the evocative score as incidental music for a 1941 production of Mikhail Lermontov’s play of the same name. The ballet, following Lermontov’s drama, tells the tragic tale of a bracelet lost at a masked ball which leads Arbenin to wrongly accuse his wife Nina of infidelity. Despite her protestations of innocence, Arbenin poisons her, only to learn that she was guiltless.

The 1985 filmed production presented here makes full use of cinematic techniques to convey the ambiguity of sinister stratagems lurking at the fringes of a swirling masquerade ball, while Khachaturian’s music – in particular the famous Waltz and the wistful Nocturne – provides the perfect accompaniment to the inventive choreography.

63 minutes, colour, mono, 4:3.

Choreography: Yuri Grigorovich

Scenario: Nikolai Volkov

Scenography, Set and Costume Design: Simon Virsaladz

Lighting Design: Mikhail Sokolov

A production of State Academic Bolshoi Theatre of Russia

Co-produced by Bel Air Media, Bolshoi Theatre of Russia In association with France 2, BBC and Decca Music Group with the support of Centre National de la Cinematographie

The world's greatest male dancer, Carlos Acosta, dances the greatest male ballet lead Spartacus, in Grigorovich's famous Soviet ballet, created for the Bolshoi to Khachaturian's famous score. Following sensational performances in Moscow and London in 2007, the Bolshoi's production was re-staged and filmed in January 2008 in the Paris Opera's Palais Garnier, especially for Carlos.

Captured in HD widescreen, this is the first major DVD/video of Spartacus since the Bolshoi's own performances from the 70s.

This is the first DVD marking the signing of Carlos Acosta to the Decca label as an exclusive artist, and the next DVD release is expected to be the Royal Ballet's production of Romeo & Juliet, starring Acosta and Tamara Rojo.

Extras: The DVD will also include a 30 min extra film, featuring interviews with Carlos and choreographer Yuri Grigorovich.

The powerful Rome of the 1st century BC conquers new territories and peoples. Having seized great amount of spoils of war and slaves, with another victory, the legions of the Roman Consul Crassus are returning to Rome. Among the enchained slaves are the Thracian king Spartacus and his wife Phrygia. The gently loving married couple is separated. Horrible lot is prepared for them.

Phrygia, turned to slavery, has to become one of Crassus’s concubines; Spartacus has to become one of gladiators in order to die in life-death fight, amusing the Roman nobles. Rebellious and freedom-loving Spartacus calls up the slaves for uprising.

On the occasion of victory Crassus has invited in his palace the Roman patricians. The guests are amusing themselves, enjoying the atrocious scenes of gladiators' fights, who have to fight blindfold. Has the arena been hardly cleared from dead bodies, it fills with slave-dancers. Among them is Phrygia. When the orgy reaches the climax, all of a sudden Spartacus, leading a group of rebels, bursts into the palace. In panic Crassus and his guests escape, running away they swear to take revenge. The insurgent people are exulting! They won back the long-awaited freedom.

Having gathered considerable forces, Crassus pursues the rebellious slaves. The troops of Spartacus, weakened by defeats in unequal battles, by inner discords and betrayals, can't stand up against well-equipped Roman army. The Revolt is doomed to a failure, but faithful brothers-in-arms stay with Spartacus till the very tragic end, choosing death over slavery.