DVD Videos

Salvatore Accardo is considered to be one of today’s most celebrated violinists.

Dynamic presents the first in a series of DVD master classes held by Salvatore Accardo in Cremona (the world capital of Violin Making). These classes are dedicated to several of the most famous pieces of the violin repertoire (both chamber and virtuosic music). For example, this DVD features two considerably different compositions in character and content: Beethoven’s Sonata No.3 Op.12 in E flat major and Sarasate’s Carmen Fantasy Op.25.

Picture Format: 16:9

Subtitles: English, Japanese, Chinese, Korean

Running Time: 72 minutes

Booklet Notes: Italian, English

Available Worldwide

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.

Bonus feature: Ida Haendel in conversation with Giselle Brodsky, Founder and Artistic Director of the Miami International Piano Festival. Color, stereo, 4:3, 66 mins. (recital) plus 59 mins. (bonus), all regions.

Concert Magic, which premiered in San Francisco in 1947, was the first motion picture concert in film history (Concert Magic Item No. 2054158). In addition, many short films were made to fill the space between the traditional double features. They were also often used as encores when enthusiastic audiences demanded them. Among these encores is an especially valuable rarity, the violin concerto of Felix Mendelssohn. The length (ca. 25 minutes) prevented it from inclusion in the film. This footage shows Menuhin’s very first recorded performance of Mendelssohn`s violin concerto and other encores. Even music specialists are unaware of the existence of this previously unreleased material!

Bonus: A Violinist in Hollywood + On the Encores – Yehudi Menuhin in conversation with Humphrey Burton. Exactly 50 years after the creation of the film in 1997, Yehudi Menuhin and Humphrey Burton, director of a number of Bernstein concerts and an expert on and biographer of Menuhin, view the film in front of cameras. Menuhin comments on his playing technique, speaks about the origin of the film and reminisces about events which transpired at the time of the film. His reactions and comments about the pieces are very personal.

NTSC 4:3, PCM Stereo

Region code: 0

Booklet notes: English, German, French

Languages (Bonus): English, German, French

Running time: 44 mins (Performance) +57 mins (Bonus)

FSK: 0

Student: Mengla Huang

Maxim Vengerov is recognised as one of the world's most exciting and brilliant violinists. His exceptional talent emerged when he was very young. He gave his first recital at the age of five and went on to win First Prize in the Junior Wieniawski Competition when he was ten years old, confirming his promise as a violinist of rare talent. Still in his mid-thirties he is now acknowledged throughout the world as one of the great musicians of our time.He is also an outstanding teacher and is Professor of Violin at the Royal Academy of Music in London. Perceptive, entertaining and always sensitive to the individual personality and ability of his pupils, he has an extraordinary ability to convey his insights into the music and inspire his students.

In this masterclass, he works on Sarasate's virtuoso showpiece, The Carmen Fantasy.

The vitality of Spain comes alive in Viva Espana!--a journey to the country's most beautiful sites. Explore the stunning regions of Toledo and Cordoba, set to Edouard Lalo's famed "Syphonie Espagnole" and evocative music by Sarasate and Saint-Saens. From magnificent castles at La Mancha to the winding waters of the River Tagus; from the lush gardens of Alcazar to the astonishing wonder of the Mosque of Cordoba. Visit the El Greco museum for an intimate view of the painter's masterworks or revel in the splendor of the Viana Palace. "Viva Espana!" is an unforgettable trip to a land whose splendor inspired some of the world's greatest composers.