DVD Videos

“The series was one of the last intelligent contributions to classical music by British television and, even by 1996, one suspects that only a musician of Rattle's stature and determination could have got it made… The line is unapologetically deterministic, the content confident enough to challenge: no room here for the second-rate or 'shamefully neglected'. The Tristan chord leads to the chromaticism of Elektra and inevitably to 12-tone music.” Gramophone Magazine, December 2005

“…readers will enjoy Conducting Mahler, filmed during the 1995 Mahler Festival in Amsterdam. Its cast includes all the great Mahler maestros of our time, Scheffer's footage cleverly chosen to illustrate their preoccupations.” Gramophone Magazine, December 2005

“It's a long time since we've had such satisfying accounts of either work, free of any idiosyncra- sies, adeptly paced and in a clear, warm acoustic.
The oboe(s), clarinet(s) and horns make outstanding contributions. Visually, Hans Hadulla (director) and Lothar Mattner (editor) are classy and imaginative without being intrusive (except, arguably, at the end of the First Symphony); they make the most of the medium and eschew any gimmickry. Particularly fine are the long steadicam shots that introduce and end each performance.
The documentary on Bychkov also comes highly recommended – international locations, crisply and atmospherically shot, eloquent contributions from the conductor, and a particularly touching sequence as he celebrates the 95th birthday of his teacher, Ilya Musin.” Gramophone Classical Music Guide, 2010

“The filming is very straightforward… one mainly has an ideal view of the Amadeus Quartet, enabling one to see the way in which the musical line is passed from one instrument to another. In Schubert's Quartettsatz, which launched the first recital, the qualities of the Amadeus are highlighted, for good or ill: a rich, luscious sound, with Norbert Brainin not only the leader but very much the dominant personality...” BBC Music Magazine, November 2005 ****

“These first Testament issues present a compelling case for DVDs of four chaps sitting on chairs.” Gramophone Magazine, February 2006

“…the Amadeus is joined by William Pleeth, a great cellist, and the performance is extremely satisfying, and quite wonderful to watch. This is the most painfully beautiful music ever written, and that is how it is played. The two Britten quartets are works of original genius... authoritatively played here...” BBC Music Magazine, November 2005 *****

“These first Testament issues present a compelling case for DVDs of four chaps sitting on chairs.” Gramophone Magazine, February 2006

“Christopher Swann's 1985 film of the sessions for a new recording of West Side Story repays repeated viewing. Bernstein, conducting his musical for the first time, alternates between thunderclouds and sunshine as he whips his top-flight scratch band into shape and exuberantly encourages his unlikely cast of singers to new heights.” Gramophone Magazine, April 2008

“A judiciously edited…intriguing….amusing glimpse of artistic temperaments at work.” New York Times

“The performances of Darcey Bussell as Princess Rose and Jonathan Cope as the Prince are every bit as impressive as we remember them, and Macmillan's choreography is, as always, distinguished by imagination and great musicality.” Penguin Guide, 2011 edition