Rating: 
Summary: Better than expected
Review: A very good recent performance (recorded on July 16, 1999) of perhaps my favorite Mozart composition. The performance takes place in the beautiful Salzburg Cathedral. The video is clear, covers everything well, and comes in 16:9 format. Although captions are not available, the sound is very good and can be heard in either PCM stereo or Dolby Digital 5.1. In general, the production was very high quality. In addition to the Requiem, there is also an Aria for Soprano (Betrachte Dies Mein..KV42). I appreciate and enjoy Mozart's powerful Requiem more now that I have this DVD.
Rating: 
Summary: Von Karajan does NOT conduct here! It is a memorial concert
Review: Although this is fine performance of the Mozart Requiem, please note that it a memorial performance from 1999 to von Karajan conducted on the 10th anniversary of his death. The Berlin Philharmonic is conducted by Claudio Abbado and the performance takes place in Salzburg Cathedral. It is straightforward production of the Requiem with the camera on the performers most of the tiime, with a few cut-away shots to the cathederal. There are also two other small pieces on the program (two arias for soprano). Performances are very good here and the event is (as befits it its setting) very solemn. The sound and picture quality are excellent and progran notes are good (though they do not provide text of the pieces!). There are no extra DVD features at all such as sutitles. This is a good "Requiem" to have. I do feel that it behooves Amazon to provide a bit more information about music DVDs -- It would, for example, be good to know that this is NOT a von Karajan performance. Even a picture of the DVD would help!
Rating:
Summary: a review
Review: Claudio Abbado has always been, to me, the greatest interpreter of Mozart's music. He excels at bringing forth the joy and humor of Mozart like none other. Where most other conductors perform Mozart as if he was a silly fool or a jester, Abbado gives him dignity. Mozart's Requiem is his most uncharacteristic work. Being written while he was dieing, it is his most dark, somber, and brooding work. From the opening 'Requiem' to his final written notes in the 'Lacrimosa', you can feel as if someone was dieing. Abbado, being full of energy and life, falls quite short. A piece like this is MUCH more up someone brooding and dark like Karajan. It is performed on current instruments, adding to the heaviness. Abbado's interpretation is quite slow and surprisingly lacking in any forward motion. There are a few fantastic moments, such as the Kyrie, or the Trombone solo in the 'Tuba Mirum', but other than that, one feels this recording plods along like others. In terms of singers, Abbado falls short again. The choice of Bryn Terfel was perhaps his biggest mistake for this production. While Bryn has much to offer in terms of Opera, his chamber singing is horrendous. After a prominent yet light and sweet Trombone entrance, Bryn is almost yelling "TUUUUUUUBAAAAAAAA...". Really quite dissapointing. As for the other singers, they are all out of place. The only fit is Michael Schade, who happens to be a brilliant tenor. Being one who purchased the CD before the DVD, I can say that seeing the whole performance in the Salzburg cathedral is something to be seen. If one doesn't like listening, one can gawk and peer at the beautiful surroundings. All in all, a must have for Abbado fans, but other than that, one would be dissapointed.
Rating:
Summary: Audio is good
Review: Good audio from this DVD. Nice arrangement of the peice. Worth having for your collection.
Rating:
Summary: Audio is good
Review: Good audio from this DVD. Nice arrangement of the peice. Worth having for your collection.
Rating:
Summary: Art Haus quality
Review: I have the excellent Kundun done in German by Art Haus- one of the altogether too few thoughtful language overdubs on DVD..... therefore I was intrigued to see how they treated this great work..... not a disappointment I am happy to say. Good use of 5.1 with not too much from the rear channels - as in so many music recordings where engineers seem to do this just because it's there. Great video quality too. The performance is solemn and technically very very good- if not a touch lacking in real passion- but hey- that would be being churlish about it? A thorough rcommendation for anyone's collection.
Rating:
Summary: Sacred treasure
Review: I have this mass for the death master piece written in 1791 by Mozart on CD and three versions in VHS. I waited for a life time (so it seems) for Amadeus's last work K-626 to be released on dvd with 5.1 channels of digital sound.
While Mozart did not finish Lacrimosa, Sanctus, Beedictus, Agnus Dei and Communio, the score and passages had already been written by him. His widow Constanze convinced friends of Mozart (Eybler and Submyer) to do the orchestration for the final five movements.
This dvd was recorded live in the Salsburg Cathedral in 1999 in the occasion of the 10th anniversary of the death of Von Karajan who conducted the Berlin Philarmonic for a number of years.
I don't know about you, but any time I listen to the Lacrimosa movement, my eyes become teary.
The latin word lacrimosa means precisely that: teary eyes.
This is the best version ever released on dvd.
A must in your library!!!!
Rating:
Summary: A Great DVD Of Mozart's Requiem
Review: I have to say that this performance is great. Even though the DVD itself is bad, the show is wonderful. Mozart's Requiem is one of my favorite pieces of music,it is much greater than any other Requiem. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart is also my favorite composer. So if your a Mozart Requiem fan or just want a taste of good music by one of the masters, this DVD is a must!
Rating:
Summary: Sacred treasure
Review: It seems I waited a life time for this master piece to be released on dvd with 5.1 channels of pure digital sound.
Requiem K-626 was Mozart's last work, which he was comissioned to compose by a count whose wife had died.
While Mozart did not complete the orchestration of the last five movements, he however had already written the score and passages for these movements before he died on December 5th of 1791. Later, two family friends (Eybler and Submayr)completed the orchestartion for Lacrimosa, Sanctus, Benedictus, Agnus Die and Communio.
The sound is perfect as the two rear channel speakers deliver a discrete surround effect. The front and center channel speakers carry most of the load. The picture quality is terrific with the correct number of cameras and angles which depict the beautiful cathedral of Salsburg.
The performance of the two sopranos and the mezzo are overwhelmingly beautiful. The role of the tenor is more significant than the bass baritone, but both are necessary to achieve what other versions have not.
I don't know about you, but when I listen to Lacrimosa (latin word that means: teary eyes), I get precisely that!!
I highly recommend it!!!!!!!
Rating:
Summary: Mozart Requiem-Herbert Von Karajan
Review: Love him or hate him, Herbert on Karajan was the most important conductor of the 20th century. His recordings are not always the most perfect, but they set a standard of interpretation by which so few musicians achieve even today. This recording is at the end of his recording career and is excellent, especially the choir and soloists. Karajan was very familiar with the requiem as he had recorded it 4 complete times in his career. The only disappointment with these Karajan DVDs is the producer should have taken advantage of the multiple angle features so the viewers could have that much more appreciation for the music. Shame on Sony for that. Order it and enjoy.
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