DVD Videos

Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli (1920-1995) was, paradoxically, one of the most celebrated and one of the most reclusive pianists of his time. His fabled technique and peerless musicianship earned him attention early on as the undisputed winner of the 1939 Geneva International Music Competition. One of the jury members was Alfred Cortot, who announced "A new Liszt is born!". To the frustration of his public, Michelangeli’s studio recordings were few and his concert appearances sporadic: his brief recital for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (taped in the Toronto studios, 1970) was appropriately titled "A Most Rare Event". It features a sterling performance of Beethoven’s Piano Sonata No. 3 in C Major, Op. 2, No. 3.

Sviatoslav Richter (1915–1997) was a pianist in the Great Tradition, yet there was nothing traditional about this collosus of the keyboard. Few pianists have had the technical, emotional, and intellectual range that Richter brought to his performances. In 1964, Richter was invited to the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation’s Toronto studios for a videotaping of a recital program. The main work of the program, Prokofiev’s Second Piano Sonata in D minor, is a perfect vehicle for a demonstration of Richter’s art, combining, as it does, passages of thrilling virtuosity contrasted with some of Prokofiev’s most lyrical pages. The Sonata is flanked by Brahms’s lovely E minor Intermezzo and two contrasting works by Ravel: the shimmering impressionistic tapestry of Jeux d’eau and the brilliant Spanish-flavored Alborado del Gracioso.

Gala performance from the National Arts Centre, Ottawa, from the video archives of the CBC, Toronto. Four fully staged operatic scenes showcase the tenor's towering interpretations of Handel's Samson, Beethoven's Florestan (Fidelio), Britten's Peter Grimes, and Verdi's Otello. A magnificent testament to one of the opera world's most extraordinary singing actors.

Telecasts of 10th & 17th December 1961

The legendary conductor directs the CBC Festival Orchestra in a rehearsal segment and complete performance of Beethoven’s 7th Symphony, with the CBC "Festival" Orchestra. Historic April 1, 1963 telecast from the archives of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. Also includes a complete live concert from the archives of the CBC, Toronto, features the interpretive brilliance of maestro Karl Böhm and the profound artistry of tenor Jon Vickers.

Joseph Szigeti's reputation was particularly exalted among his fellow violinists. Eschewing virtuosity for the sake of virtuosity, Szigeti was always completely at the service of the music. Szigeti visited CBC's Montreal studios on three separate occasions and those performances are gathered on this DVD release. Though Szigeti was already in his 60s when these performances were filmed, the qualities in his playing so cherished by his admirers are readily apparent.

Format: Black & White, Classical, 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: Video Artists International

DVD Release Date: March 30, 2004

Running Time: 72 minutes

This 1966 program from the archives of the Bell Telephone Hour series profiles Szell and his relationship with the Cleveland Orchestra. Among the highlights are segments showing Szell rehearsing the Orchestra in works of Brahms (Academic Festival Overture), Berg (Violin Concerto, with the Orchestra’s concertmaster, Rafael Druian, as soloist), and Beethoven (Symphony No. 5). In another segment, Szell coaches three “apprentice conductors”, among them a young James Levine at the threshold of his illustrious conducting career. The program ends jubilantly with footage of Szell and the Orchestra in actual performance, playing the final movement of Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony.

Format: Classical, NTSC

Region: All Regions

Number of discs: 1

Rating: Unrated

DVD Release Date: March 9, 2004

Running Time: 55 minutes