Vivaldi - The Four Seasons / Von Karajan, Mutter, Berlin Philharmonic

Rating:
Summary: Quantitative Evaluation
Review: Audio Merits:7/10; Video Merits:8/10; Musical Merits:9/10; Artistic Performance:10/10; DVD Extras:7/10; Recording Total Quality:8/10. Professor's Comment: BPO is not appropriate for Baroque!

Rating:
Summary: Forget the music, look at me.
Review: Avoid this DVD if you are interested in the music and not in watching Von Krajan pose and show his "pretty face"

Rating:
Summary: Forget the music, look at me.
Review: Avoid this DVD if you are interested in the music and not in watching Von Krajan pose and show his "pretty face"

Rating:
Summary: too romantic of an interpretation
Review: i love Mutter but too much vibrato, not the way i would like too hear vivaldi, i saw this dvd twice, and the second time only because my viola teacher wanted to watch it, don't waste your money, move on.

Rating:
Summary: Vivaldi and HvK- A beautiful friendship
Review: The 5.1 mix is very lush and smooth. If you enjoy entertaining with background music or just like to "kick it up a notch", you'll really enjoy this disc. For some reason, a lot of the
von Karajan DVD's are not in 5.1, but go ahead and buy this one, you will NOT be disapointed

Rating:
Summary: Vivaldi and HvK- A beautiful friendship
Review: The 5.1 mix is very lush and smooth. If you enjoy entertaining with background music or just like to "kick it up a notch", you'll really enjoy this disc. For some reason, a lot of the
von Karajan DVD's are not in 5.1, but go ahead and buy this one, you will NOT be disapointed

Rating:
Summary: Vivaldi and HvK- A beautiful friendship
Review: The 5.1 mix is very lush and smooth. If you enjoy entertaining with background music or just like to "kick it up a notch", you'll really enjoy this disc. For some reason, a lot of the
von Karajan DVD's are not in 5.1, but go ahead and buy this one, you will NOT be disapointed

Rating:
Summary: Big boned Vivaldi!
Review: This is not a disc for lovers of "authentic" music! Karajan has assembled what seems like the entire string section of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra for this lush romantic version of the Four Seasons. Soloist Anne-Sophie Mutter is in tune with HvK's approach,she is vital even a touch fierce in the more excitable passages but as ever her pure tone,brilliant technique and wilful temperament combine to ensure there is always something interesting occasionally something transcendent at the core of her interpretation. Now that scaled down authentic baroque has become the norm I find it a guilt-free pleasure to look back at this sort of "incorrect" performance and simply enjoy it as an example of fine music making. Picture quality is OK,sound comes in two flavours 2 channel stereo and Dolby Digital 5.1 - I found the 5.1 surround mix the most impressive in conjuring up a realistic concert acoustic.There are no extras to speak of just a written puff piece about Saint Herbert.

Rating:
Summary: Viva Vivaldi!
Review: This performance was taped 17 years ago so the video quality isn't that sharp by today's standards, but the audio is excellent. The new building - The Chamber Music Auditorium of the Berlin Philharmonic - is beautiful and perfect for such a performance. Mutter's playing is up to her usual lofty standards, and of course maestro Herbert Von Karajan (he and Mutter are my reasons for granting the five stars) is larger than life, although he was obviously beginning to weaken at this point and sadly needed assistance in standing. (He passed less than two years after this taping.) Also provided on the DVD are backgrounds on Von Karajan and the new auditorium. Overall an excellent presentation of Vivaldi's masterpiece.

Rating:
Summary: Viva Vivaldi!
Review: This performance was taped 17 years ago so the video quality isn't that sharp by today's standards, but the audio is excellent. The new building - The Chamber Music Auditorium of the Berlin Philharmonic - is beautiful and perfect for such a performance. Mutter's playing is up to her usual lofty standards, and of course maestro Herbert Von Karajan (he and Mutter are my reasons for granting the five stars) is larger than life, although he was obviously beginning to weaken at this point and sadly needed assistance in standing. (He passed less than two years after this taping.) Also provided on the DVD are backgrounds on Von Karajan and the new auditorium. Overall an excellent presentation of Vivaldi's masterpiece.