Gesualdo - Death for Five Voices

Rating:
Summary: ONE OF HERZOG'S FUNNIEST & A GREAT INTRO TO THE MUSIC
Review: I almost can't believe that GESUALDO is out on DVD. This is one of Herzog's funniest documentaries. I'd never heard of Gesualdo before, but the film made me a huge fan of his music. He led a crazy life and made some hauntingly beautiful polyphony--all of it is shown with the expected immediacy and weird humor by master filmmaker Werner Herzog.

Rating:
Summary: has its moments, but....
Review: it is pretty stupid. I would have been inclined to give it 4 stars if the music performance were good, but they are so-so, and the sound quality of the music is also mediocre.

Rating:
Summary: Gesualdo..........gesUALdo.........GESUALDO!!
Review: This DVD is wonderful in all its wonderfulness. Gesualdo, was perhaps the greatest musician to ever live. Not only did he compose wonderfulness, he was multi-talented in the areas of gardening (he chopped a measly country-side in a matter of 2 to 3 months), cooking (he prepared a meal for over 1000 people with 125 courses of quail), and murder. His music foreshadows the likes of such greats as Wagner, Jacopo Peri, Ignatz Stotmeiker, Stravinsky, and Charles Burney. We see the tortured soul of Gesualdo having an effect on present day pyschopaths. There is even a retarded boy riding a horse, and a young child being chained and flying through the air while forced to wear women's clothing.

In short, Gesualdo is the most imortant (besides Franz Tunder, Walter Von de Vogelwiede, and Busnois) who ever graced God's green Earth (which, incidently, is less green because of Gesualdo's wacking).

If I could give this 23 stars I would give it 17 and a half, but that's still more than the five I gave it here.