| Descrizione | Various Artists - Verbier Festival Highlights 2007 (2009) [DVD9 NTSC]
Actors: Martha Argerich, Joshua Bell, Renaud Capucon, Nelson Freire, Helene Grimaud
Format: Classical, Color, DVD, NTSC, Widescreen
Language: English (PCM)
Subtitles: French, English, Spanish
Region: All Regions
Aspect Ratio: 1.77:1
Number of discs: 1
Studio: IDEALE AUDIENCE INTL
DVD Release Date: January 27, 2009
Run Time: 90 minutes
For those of you who don't know, the Verbier Festival is one of the premier summer music festivals in Europe. For two weeks every July and August some of the world's greatest musicians gather to make music with each other, often with instrumentalists and singers they've never worked with before. There is also an academy for young musicians who then make up the various orchestras that play for the festival. This disc is a highlights DVD from the 2007 Festival and like most such discs it includes mostly movements but not full works -- with some exceptions -- and showcases such stars as pianists Martha Argerich, HÈlËne Grimaud, Nelson Freire, Evgeny Kissin, Lars Vogt and Gabriela Montero, violinists Joshua Bell and Renaud CapuÁon, cellist Mischa Maisky, baritone Thomas Quasthoff, and conductor Sir Andrew Davis.
It begins with Lutoslawski's scintillating two-piano Variations on a Theme by Paganini (yes, THAT theme) with Argerich and Montero. Then comes three lieder from Schumann's Dichterliebe, with Quasthoff accompanied by Grimaud. Lars Vogt plays Schubert's C Major Klavierst¸ck, D946, No. 3. (It must have been broiling hot on the day he played even in the Alps; he's really sweating!) Then come movements II and III from Schumann's Piano Quintet, with Grimaud, Maisky, CapuÁon, violinist Syaka Shoji and violist Lars Anders Tomter. This is an over the top, extremely expressive performance and one I immediately played again. Some might object to its flamboyance but I loved it.
Nelson Freire then plays the entire Children's Corner Suite of Debussy. My goodness, I hadn't heard him play since he and I were both young men. I had always admired his playing immensely but somehow he had, for me at least, dropped out of sight. This is a performance that is masterly, and both charming and invigorating.
Two violin sonata movements, both played by CapuÁon: the fierce finale of BartÛk's Sonata, with Argerich; and the gentle and lovely Allegretto movement from Ravel's Sonata, with Grimaud. I don't think I've ever heard the BartÛk with more fire. And Grimaud, whom I've not been a particular fan of before, covered herself with glory here and in her earlier accompaniment of Quasthoff and in the Schumann Quintet. What a lovely player!
Then we get two encores -- the end-of-concert flowers are already on the piano! -- by Evgeny Kissin: a brilliantly evocative Liszt Liebestraum No. 3 (the famous one) and Horowitz's Carmen Variations, even more brilliant. Kissin is one child prodigy who has grown into a mature and valuable artist.
The last track is Joshua Bell playing the bejeezus out of the finale of the Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto with Davis conducting a superb student orchestra. A stirring performance.
In 2007 the internet presence, www.medici.tv, webcast all the concerts of the Festival. So, if you're interested you might check that website, or the website of the Festival itself -- www.verbierfestival.com -- when this year's festival begins on July 17, 2009, and you will be able to hear the concerts as they happen. THAT is what the web is for, at least for us classical music lovers! |
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