<< 1 >>
Rating: 
Summary: An Absolute Delight
Review: The editorial review has given us a fair and precise overall picture of this DVD and for what not touched upon has been supplemented by the previous reviewer.In view of the angle of the camera, and the proportion of time between the hands and the face etc, the photography of this DVD is rather good and is indeed very good in comparision to the average films of the same period. The close up of Kempff's face is rare and is unobjectionable. Unlike Richter whose bodily movements is so out of the norm, and unlike Uchida whose facial expressions could be quite distracting, Kempff is almost without motion and expressionless and yet it's graceful. His head is no more than a music note. But some how, his eyes gives the story away: he is deeply involved. And such close-ups serve as a clue to his musical thoughts. Rather, it was until we have come to the film in colour that we realized how much has been lost in the B/W... I'm not sure if technique (or virtuosity) is the right yardstick for masters of this calibre, for technique is but a means to the end (music). Having said that, and as one of Kempff's fans, I confess I don't take delight in all his works. To me, some of them are not as inspiring as others. But there are some revelations in his Schumann here. Some regard him as the authority for Beethoven, yet I'm not too sure if the sonatas here are that authentic, if there is such a thing known as authenticity in music. However, one must say his playing here is immensely pleasurable and should appeal to most viewers as a absolute delight. What puzzles me was: why is Cianiadded here as a bonus? Honestly, I fail to find him close to Kempff at all.
Rating: 
Summary: Great performances, disappointing video quality
Review: This video runs at 112 mintues. The program consists of Schumann's Arabeske, Papillions, and Davidsbundlertanze, and three Beethoven sonatas (numbers 14, 17, and 27). These were filmed at different dates (1961, '63, '68, and '70) at the ORTF in Paris. All are complete performances except the 17th Beethoven sonata, which excludes the first 2 minutes (approx.) of the first movement. The Beethoven sonatas 14 and 27 were filmed in color, and the picture quality is excellent in these pieces. The rest of the program is in a pretty grainy black and white. Throughout these performances, I think the camera focuses too much on Kempff's face, even at critical moments when you wish you could see what was going on with his hands. This is most disappointing in the 17th Beethoven sonata, where probably about 90% of the video is spent close-up on his face. If not for the shortcomings in the camera work, however, I would have given this video 5 stars. The music is excellent, of course, and Kempff's technique is amazing to watch.
<< 1 >>
| 
