Rating: 
Summary: buy it!
Review: excellent film! unlikely those who first watched the film in public theatres in 1980, I first watched it on a VHS I bought in '89 and it was one of my all time favorities. I managed to loss the tape when I moved several years ago and have been looking up and down for a copy since then. great it is now DVD with better quality.
Rating:
Summary: An inspiring movie!
Review: I had the opportunity to watch this on PBS before it came out on DVD. I'm an elementary music teacher and there is a condensed version of this documentary on VHS in our textbook series. I showed this to my fifth grade class and they were in awe. They had so many questions to ask and were so intrigued. I never had the fine opportunity of seeing or hearing Mr. Stern live, but I strongly live by the quote he says at the end of the documentary. It truly is a touching and moving one.
Rating:
Summary: Highly recommended for young students.
Review: I had the opportunity to watch this on PBS before it came out on DVD. I'm an elementary music teacher and there is a condensed version of this documentary on VHS in our textbook series. I showed this to my fifth grade class and they were in awe. They had so many questions to ask and were so intrigued. I never had the fine opportunity of seeing or hearing Mr. Stern live, but I strongly live by the quote he says at the end of the documentary. It truly is a touching and moving one.
Rating:
Summary: Not just for musicians!
Review: I received this DVD for Christmas (thanks to the wish list!) and I found it to be wonderful on many levels. First of all there is Stern's fine playing but this is only a part. There is also the warm interaction between Stern and the eager people of a newly opened China. Stern's engaging personality itself is also enjoyable and his wisdom about music and people is refreshing. This man obviously enjoys life and is very open to all kinds of people, activities and experiences. The film also provides a glimpse into the culture of China that was enlightening including the cultural revolution. The movie has depth and richness. I think most people seeing this movie would feel it was time well spent.
Rating:
Summary: The Connoisseur & The Indifferent Will Like It, East or West
Review: Indeed, as he said, he used "music as his passport to go to China", and it's not a "concert tour", but a "how-do-you-do-trip". This Maestro's musical power superb, his linguistic power and his power in communication is also superb. For the music students, particularly the beginners, the Maestro's remarks followed by forceful illustrative demonstrations are just invaluable. Here we are shown tricks as how one may combat with the hard violin on one's shoulder; how to hold it best, and the bow too so that you can get a full and colourful sound etc etc... Remarks as weighty as general principles are abundant: music is important to a civilized community; every note in the score has a meaning; the lines are more important than notes; play the music as though you're composing it; there is life in music, not just notes; there are so many ways of playing the same note-- here, express it as though you are saying something special to your lover; play it like how you would sing it; the violinis not important, it's just the means and the end is communication... There are equally abundant remarks and demonstrations on rhythm and phrasings along with other expressions in music, all invaluable to most music students and they are particularly targeted at the Chinese students. Furthermore, we have quite a few invaluable clips of top Chinese musicians, playing 20 years ago when they were small, and then 20 years later when they are matured/maturing, even in the eyes of the world class elites ... In a way, it's a short and concise history of modern China: there are some rare clips of China before and during the Japanese occupation, and some photos of at the turn of the century; and then how China looked like when she first opened up, including some of the most scenic parts of China like the mountains and landscapes in Kweilin and the bridges of Soo Zhou, parks and streets life and in Shanghai etc. And eventually what she looks like now: full of skyscapers decorated with eye-catching neon lights... We also have Chinese performing arts of the HIGHEST ORDER: Chinese musical instruments; Peking opera (including the martial arts as seen on stage); Chinese acrobatics, gymnastics; ping pong players as how they are trained in their early ages; vaudeville ( in particular the minic of sounds of the engine of a train and then various birds etc) etc. These all juxtaposed with and hence giving depth to the training of young musicians of western music in their boarding school life who suffered so much during the Cultural Revolution where the musicians were treated like "criminals", or "animals"... This DVD runs 140 min., but almost every frame is a joy from whatever point of view you see it, and wherever you're from, and whoever you are!
Rating:
Summary: A Fun Journey of Music
Review: Isaac Stern gave his personal music lesson to Chinese twenty years ago on how to present colorful live feelings in music. I personal enjoyed and benefited from it very much, same as my eight years old daughter. Twenty years later, Isaac Stern revisited China. It became very interesting that couple of talented kids in Isaac's first trip became arrogant musicians now. The dialogue was very interesting too. Isaac Stern replied to Chinese conductor about Mozart that "music talent as Mozart had particular nothing to do with capitalism". Twenty years later, Chinese conductor admitted that Mozart's talent had nothing to do with capitalism and his comment was somewhat political. I am sure you will enjoy this DVD very much.
Rating:
Summary: A Fun Journey of Music
Review: Isaac Stern gave his personal music lesson to Chinese twenty years ago on how to present colorful live feelings in music. I personal enjoyed and benefited from it very much, same as my eight years old daughter. Twenty years later, Isaac Stern revisited China. It became very interesting that couple of talented kids in Isaac's first trip became arrogant musicians now. The dialogue was very interesting too. Isaac Stern replied to Chinese conductor about Mozart that "music talent as Mozart had particular nothing to do with capitalism". Twenty years later, Chinese conductor admitted that Mozart's talent had nothing to do with capitalism and his comment was somewhat political. I am sure you will enjoy this DVD very much.
Rating:
Summary: With fond memories
Review: Issac Stern passed away on Sept 22, 2001. We will never
see him again.
Rating:
Summary: A Heart Warmer
Review: One of the most exhilarating and heart warming videos I have seen ! Leaves one with hope and great expectations for future generations. A real upbeat work of art.
Rating:
Summary: An inspiring movie!
Review: This movie has opened my eyes and got a new perspective in playing violin. I'm most inspired by Isaac Stern's saying "there's a life in every note", and he had successfully demonstrated what he meant by that. He made the little girl sang the music out loud for the piece that she was playing, and after that she really played it much better and you could feel a life in it. For all the amateur violinists that don't have a chance to meet with the best violinists in master classes, this is truly a very good teaching material to inspire your playing. It's also very touching to see the 3 musicians joined Isaac after 20 years and see how they have grown in music. I especially like little Jian Wang's performance at the end of the first part of the movie (the part that filmed in 1979).
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