The Piano

Starring:Holly Hunter, Harvey Keitel, Sam Neill, Anna Paquin, Kerry Walker, GeneviÃ¨ve Lemon, Tungia Baker, Ian Mune, Peter Dennett, Te Whatanui Skipwith, Pete Smith (III), Bruce Allpress, Cliff Curtis, Carla Rupuha, Mahina Tunui, Hori Ahipene, Gordon Hatfield, Mere Boynton, Kirsten Batley, Tania Burney
Director: Jane Campion
Studio: Lions Gate
Product Type: DVD

Amazon.com

Zach Galifianakis' stand-up comedy DVD spoofs the classic recorded stand-up performance film format by interjecting road trip footage of Zach and buddy in their red VW bus, and fake interviews with Zach's fake brother, "Seth," between his live stage bits. The splintered, slackerish feel that this editing lends the film reinforces Galifianakis's cool, enigmatic stage presence. Galifianakis' self-deprecating, sensitive guy-persona suits his love of deadpan one-liners in the tradition of Steven Wright. Sketches of the forgetful vegan who accidentally eats meat, or the pretentious illiterate who indignantly proclaims that he can't read, satirically poke fun at the self-righteous. Cut to a shot of the comedian's bus broken down off the freeway, then back to stage, where Zach riffs on his failed efforts to barter jokes for a fixed vehicle. Some segments, such as when Seth confesses his brother's affinity for making homemade ecstasy, are funnier than the Purple Onion performance. Like those on the Chappelle Show, these pre-taped skits rescue slow moments and elevate the stage act into more heavily crafted commentary. Graced with a dry wit, Zach Galifianakis, the self-professed "man who is bored by everything," won't bore lovers of good sarcasm. --Trinie Dalton

Description

Zach Galifianakis started his so-called career in back of a hamburger joint in New York. Well-known and loved by the Comedy Central crowd, he is one of the Comedians of Comedy, played director Alan Finger in the series Dog Bites Man and wowed the critics with his acclaimed VH1 show, Late World With Zach.

A master of the one-liner, with an absurd rambling style, Zach's sharp, resonating humor makes his show at the famed Purple Onion in San Francisco one of the funniest performances in recent comedy.

Off-stage, you will meet Seth Galifianakis, Zach's "twin brother." In an emotional interview with Brian Unger, he sheds some light on his "brother" Zach, revealing how he came to be who he is today.

Extras:
The Awkward Slapping Bit (outtake)
Zach Shaves
Outtakes From Brian Unger's Interview With Seth Galifianakis
More...

Performance recorded June 9 and 10, 2005 at The Purple Onion in San Francisco, CA

Customer Reviews:

Good comedy, cool cinematics.......2007-06-09

The stand-up portion of this DVD was funny, I wouldn't quite rate it 5/5 partially because of a rather unsuspecting use of cursing in contrast with his Comedy Central Presents shows. Still Zach is a very unique comedian that deserves some acclaim. There were also other segments to this DVD that gave it almost a documentary feel, the interview with his twin brother Seth which was hilarious and the road adventures with his friend Joe was also great. Overall I think this is a great product for somebody looking for a breath of fresh air in stand-up, as long as a little bit of cursing doesn't bother you.

Not as good as other shows!.......2007-05-13

I have been a fan of Zach Galifianakis for a long time. Zach is one of my favorite comedians, and every other special of his I have seen I always have laughed uncontrolably. But with this DVD there were some really funny parts, but the rest of the DVD is not very funny at all. I would recomend that you save your money and not by this DVD, the laughs you get are not worth the money spent.

kinda rambling, kinda brilliant.......2007-05-13

Zach Galifianakis is one of those comedians who thrives in loose, intimate atmospheres, and Live at the Purple Onion is an excellent example of his art. I am familiar with his thing, as it were, and if you haven't heard of him, give this DVD a try, or cruise YouTube for some of his (fantastic) clips. Extra features on this concert DVD are highly entertaining, as well. A final aspect of Live at the Purple Onion I found rewarding is the insight to Zach's past, family, and hometown, and how those elements influenced his approach to comedy. Good stuff.

classic zach.......2007-04-10

if you're a fan of zach galifianakis, then you know to expect his absurd one liners. if you haven't seen any live shows of his besides his comedy central special, then you may not be familiar with zach's hilarious habit of abandoning his routine and fully engaging the audience. both of these talents are on display in his first dvd. also are hilarious fake documentary footage of zach's "twin" brother seth. Those interviews and the behind the scenes footage are great, but sometimes can be jarring when inserted into the standup footage. that's why i gave this dvd 4 instead of 5 stars. it was done by the same people who made the comedians of comedy, which was awesome as well but suffered from the same problem. all in all though, the dvd is incredibly funny and definitely worth it if you're a fan of zach's. hopefully we'll get a zach stand-up cd soon also!

Paul Giamatti meets Chris Elliot.......2007-04-06

Enjoyable set from Zach G. A bit self-indulgent and lazy, but hey - he'd be the first to admit to that! Funny pop culture writer. There's also an ongoing segment with his "twin brother" Seth, who seems to be channeling Christopher Guest.
Overall, 3 & 1/2 stars.

Average customer rating:

A Major Disappointment
Not for me
"...I just want to watch..."
See How Good A Movie Can Be?
A break with the tragic, the Gothic and the sentimental...

The Piano
Starring: Holly Hunter , Harvey Keitel , Sam Neill , Anna Paquin , and Kerry Walker
Director: Jane Campion
Manufacturer: Lions Gate
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: 0784011176
Release Date: 1998-01-20

Amazon.com

Jane Campion's The Piano struck a deep chord (if you'll excuse the expression) with audiences in 1993, who were mesmerized by the film's rich, dreamlike imagery. It is the story of a Scottish woman named Ada (Holly Hunter), who has been mute since age 6 because she simply chose not to speak. Ada travels with her daughter Flora (Anna Paquin) and her beloved piano to a remote spot on the coast of New Zealand for an arranged marriage to a farmer (Sam Neill). She gives piano lessons to a gruff neighbor (Harvey Keitel) who has Maori tattoos on his face, and, well, things develop from there. The picture takes on a powerful dream logic that simply defies synopsis. It's a breathtakingly beautiful and original achievement from Campion, a unique stylist. The Piano won the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival and Oscars for Hunt, Paquin, and Campion's screenplay. --Jim Emerson

Customer Reviews:

A Major Disappointment.......2007-05-11

This movie chronicles a somewhat trite story, surrounding an adulturous relationship. It does, however have a few redeeming qualities, such as the beautiful music and very beautiful scenery, for the setting. Unfortunately, I don't feel inclined to recommend the purchase of this DVD, since it lacks substance...

Not for me.......2007-05-10

I first saw this movie around 1994. Generally, I love moody, period pieces, but I disliked this film initially and disliked it again when I decided to give it a second try in 2007.

I find the film pretentious and offputting. The only semi-sympathetic character is Sam Neill's. And I find the notion of non-con sex that blossoms into "love" not only disturbing but repugnant. My daughter watched it with me this time and as soon as the piano lessons began, she commented: "I'm officially checking out."

"...I just want to watch...".......2007-04-04

I'll stay mute for this...and rapt as well, who would have thought Harvey Keitel could be sooo seductive; the entire film is hauntingly enchanting and provocative like its heroine played by Holly Hunter. A must own.

See How Good A Movie Can Be?.......2007-02-27

Since the storylines of this fourteen-year-old film must surely be well-known, let me say that The Piano, one of my favorite movies, is a unique production whose makers went out of their way to truly give it the appearance of the mid-nineteenth-century. It strolls forward with an anti-modern slowness in order to accentuate the unspoiled scenery of New Zealand, and successfully bring certain moments to prominence with a pace that matches that of the pre-electronic era in which it is set. The quality of the visuals is heightened by the performances given by Holly Hunter, Sam Neill, Harvey Keitel, and most especially Anna Paquin, whose skillful portrayal here won her an Oscar at the tender age of eleven. The plot of The Piano is highly unusual, even unique. For filmmakers to have accomplished the release of a tale concerning a woman of the 1800's, who went from Scotland to the most remote of British colonies in order to marry a stranger, for this woman to be one whose self-imposed muteness is compensated by her lovely playing of a piano...I'm daunted by the courage of those who brought The Piano into reality. For the wealth of feeling in its story, for its setting, for its cast and for its sheer brave inimitability, it is a fine motion picture.

A break with the tragic, the Gothic and the sentimental..........2007-01-11

Director-screenwriter Jane Campion started at the movies in the early 1980s at the Australian School of Film and Television... She clearly emerged from her cultural heritage to become one of the world's premiere female directors...

Campion's films typically have a treacherous terrain of searing emotional intensity... We recognize ourselves in the ways her characters think and behave... Her work signifies a break with the tragic, the Gothic and the sentimental...

Her exquisite film which won three Academy Awards including one for Campion's screenplay, is not about sex, but about passion...

Jane challenges the viewer on many levels... Her film (literary inspired from 'Wuthering Heights') explores new territory in the delicious handling of female sexuality and pleasure with the ecstasy of a loving relationship...

In one scene Ada, with tears of anger, hits Baines hard across the face, as if she has spoken words of love... With each new breath, with every moment that their eyes remain locked together, the promise of intimacy is confirmed and reconfirmed and detailed... Only their feelings and emotions guide their instincts...

No woman artist had approached sex in such a direct and liberating manner... Campion's scenes shows Baines' face crumpling with the exquisite pain of his pleasure... Ada moving his head to her chest, and Baines struggling through her dress anxious to touch her skin...

Nominated for eight Academy Awards, the film tells the story of Ada, a strong willful 19th-century Scotswoman who hasn't spoken, since she was six years old... Ada has been set up in an arranged marriage to a British emigrant in New Zealand...

The film opens with Ada who is carried to shore on the shoulders of five seamen to meet her husband Stewart, a landowner who is without much emotion or real love... Her large Victorian skirt spreads across the men's arms and backs... On her head a black bonnet... Around her neck her pad and pen...

Campion manages to chose a cast to suit her purpose and style... Ada is not any easy role and Holly Hunter plays her without vanity... Her face is alight with facial expression, sometimes tender, sometimes sad, sometimes humorous, sometimes soft, while her hands and fingers are quick and neat...

Ada speaks through sign-language translated by her young daughter Flora, and through her beloved piano which happens to be the prime source of her expression... She takes great delight in feeling her fingers on her piano's keys... But in the way she eyes the illiterate, uncultured Baines, there is an insolence and lack of respect... We watch her stopping abruptly, indignantly, as he touches her neck...

Harvey Kietel plays the lonely neighbor George Baines, a depressive man who is everything Stewart is not... He has never seen a graceful woman behave with so much abandon... Ada moves to the piano... She wants to touch it, but she is torn by her feelings, wanting it, but not owning it... Baines views Ada totally absorbed in her piano music... He seems satisfied to watch... He finds himself edging irresistibly closer, magnetically drawn to the spectacle...

Baines enjoys her fingers moving on the keys and the small details of motion on her face... Twice he closes his eyes and breathes deeply... He is experiencing a strange sense of appreciation and lust... He feels powerless... He is desperate and romantic... He no longer admires her absorption with the piano... He is jealous of it... His attention finally focuses on her neck as it bends further or closer to the piano... Ada's long white neck proves irresistible... Baines comes across the room, kisses her, and asks: 'Do you know how to bargain, nod if you do. There's a way you can have your piano back.'

Anna Paquin has been proclaimed one of the best child acting roles ever... She gives a subtle and complex performance as the very cute little girl torn between her mother and stepfather... She looks over at the house suddenly aware that the piano playing has stopped suddenly... She investigates the mystery peeping through the various cracks and holes in the loosely built hut... Her venture is one of challenge and curiosity... Her complex portrayal of Flora won her the Best Supporting Actress...

Sam Neill plays the intense, moralistic and very-Victorian husband Alistair Stewart, who never understands his woman's nature... He surveys Baines' hut suspiciously... There are sounds inside which are worrying him... By wondering around the hut, he finds a hole where he can see the two lovers kissing, and undressing... He reels back angry, but just as we might expect him to burst through, he steps up to look again...

Jane Campion creates an unusual film, poetic and lyrical, complimented by a beautiful cinematography of the haunting woods, which by many critics has been named as a masterpiece... She is the first female director to win the Palme d'Or at Cannes...

Piano Lessons: Learning the Piano Keyboard, how to play piano instructional DVD

Average customer rating:

Pete Sears teaches piano
Best DVD out there
Great insruction; adequate DVD layout
not for beginner
Outstanding Instruction

Piano Lessons: Learning the Piano Keyboard, how to play piano instructional DVD
Starring: Pete Sears
Manufacturer: Music Star Productions
ProductGroup: DVD
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Release Date: 2005-11-17

Description

Multi-Platinum recording artist Pete Sears provides step by step instructions showing chords, scales, modes Progressions and music theory, providing users with a solid foundation for their journey into playing the piano. In Pete Sears 41 years as a professional musician, Pete has played Keyboards, Bass Guitar, or both with a large variety of artists including playing piano on the classic Rod Stewart albums, "Gasoline alley", "Every Picture Tells a Story", "Never a Dull Moment" and "Smiler", as well as the singles "Reason To Believe" and "Maggie May". Pete also played both Bass and Keyboards as a member of Jefferson Starship from 1974 to 1987.

Customer Reviews:

Pete Sears teaches piano.......2007-03-22

The dvd is a joy to watch and listen to. Mr. Sears is going to give you musical concepts that you will have to practice with and develop to create your own personal expressions. The tools he gives are the ones that artists who play "by ear" use. Mr. Sears love for music and the joy he feels as he expresses himself on the piano and his desire to share his path with us comes warmly through. The emphasis is on the blues. You will not learn individual songs here, but rather the ideas that go into blues and improvisational playing. This DVD is just a starting point. But a good one.

Best DVD out there.......2007-02-15

I am brand new player, This DVD is right on target. It covers everything from Half steps, to chords to reading music. I can't understand someone saying this isnt for beginners. He even tells you what kind of CHair to buy. If you are going to spend money, this is the best money to spend. Granted he does jump around, and some of it might seem confusing. Watch the whole DVD and you will understand. If you are looking for music theory and learning for real look here, if you are looking for mary has a little lamb, or twinkle twinkle look else where. I rented almost all the DVDs out there on this subject, and this one is the best hands down so far. About 10 times more useful information on it, and I can't believe the DVD is only 17$.

Great insruction; adequate DVD layout.......2006-11-20

Like the other reviewers, I am a beginning adult piano student. And like most of us, I'm going through a plethora of books and DVDs to find the "right" one. Pete Sears' DVD comes pretty darn close. He has a very conversational style that would almost make you think he's a little "spacey", but that is far from the case. He provides a very solid (and I believe) very classical approach to piano instruction. However, the DVD is a long lecture - not sub-divided into specific topics. I found it very cumbersome to go back to a paritcular point. I strongly suggest that you go to his website and download the script to the DVD (I use the script as a textbook when I'm practicing his exercises). Its all there and its a "must" if you really want to get the most out of his very good approach to piano instruction.

not for beginner.......2006-10-13

I bought this DVD hoping to learn how to play chords on piano or keyboard. With three years of piano lessons I was able to kind of follow the instructor. It's definitely not for beginner. I learned some new music theory. Each topic would be better if the instructor includes familiar songs to demonstrate or examplify. Overall I would not recommend this to eager learner or those who are looking for introductory or systematic instructions to learning piano or keyboard.

Outstanding Instruction.......2006-09-20

I am indebted to Mr. Sears for sharing his expertise in this DVD. It represents three hours of very well presented instructional material. His presentation style is a delight, and it is joy to a count this top professional among my teachers. I've reviewed a large number of piano instructional DVD's and this one stands out as my all time favorite. It is also very reasonably priced. If you are a beginner expect to review this DVD more than once.

His ending dialog on music appreciation is in itself almost worth the price of the DVD.

Again, thank you Mr. Sears. I hope you will one day do another.

WPFleming
Gallup, New Mexico

Average customer rating:

My dog loves this movie
Under the Cherry BOMB!
Stylistic!
Quirky?
terrible

Under the Cherry Moon
Starring: Jean Allaz , Francesca Annis , Jerome Benton , Steven Berkoff , and Guy Cuevas
Director: Prince
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
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ASIN: B0002CTSV8
Release Date: 2004-08-24

Amazon.com

Kristin Scott Thomas (The English Patient) made her film debut swapping spit with Prince in this vanity piece directed by the rock legend himself. Prince plays a self-styled gigolo and musician in the south of France, and unlike his interesting grimness in Purple Rain, his character's affect is like one big, walking smirk here. Shot in black and white, the film is handsome enough to look upon for awhile. But even for people who admire Prince for his prodigious musical talents, the Song of Myself stuff in the movie is overwhelming. --Tom Keogh

Customer Reviews:

My dog loves this movie.......2007-06-20

I have pug named Captain Greasefire and there are very few movie he will sit all the way through without wanting to eat some kibbles and bit or going to the bathroom, but he loves this movie and always sits all the way through it. That should mean something if Captain Greasefire thinks your movie is better than kibbles and bits. Good job Prince!

Under the Cherry BOMB!.......2007-06-03

This movie failed for a number of reasons:

1.) Prince totally misjudged his fans and their expectations of him.

2.) While Prince is a genius in the music world, he is not in the movie world. Its one thing to play yourself (Purple Rain) but its another thing when you begin to think you are ready for the "leading male" status and director after only two films.

3.) The script of rich-girl-meets-bad-boy-who-shows-her-a-good-time is so redundant and boring.

4.) Some of the other actors looked embarrassed. Some like the wonderful Kristen Scott Thomas will publicly distance themselves from this movie.

5.) Some of the scenes made me giggle. For example, the scene when Prince meets Kristen (his leading lady) for the first time and the 'look' he gives her from a distance. I also giggled during the night scene when Prince is holding/kissing Kristen passionately in front of a car. Classic!

6.) The confusing relationship of Prince and Jerome characters.

I can't really knock this film totally because I understand what Prince were trying to do. He wanted to expand his fans minds by giving us a taste of old Hollywood glamour. The trouble is, this movie is kinda wacky (even by 80s standards).

Get the movie if you are a Prince fan and save it for the memory. On a better note, the soundtrack is great and is a MUST! I give this movie 2.5 stars.

Stylistic!.......2007-04-05

Considering the actors in this movie are well "not actors" or just in the beginning stages of their career, they do a pretty damn good job. I felt the same way about the movie, Purple Rain. I have followed and paid close attention to everything Prince has done in his career, and I have to say that there is no other artist like him and there never will be. People who lambash him for the times his music doesn't make the charts are idiots. The only competition that Prince has in the music industry, is himself.
Once again Prince comes up with something very original and stylistic that is unfortunately overlooked by most. This movie to me is in some ways better than Purple Rain. What I like the most of course is the background music/music score. Not just the tracks from the Parade album, but also the symphonic and piano pieces that you here only in this movie. It's all very brilliant, beautiful, soulful, and melodic. He is definitely a modern day genius. Mozart, Sammi Davis Jr, James Brown, Sly Stone, Jimi Hendrix, and a touch of the Beatles and Frank Zappa...all rolled up into 1 short skinny eccentric mo'fo!

Quirky?.......2007-04-03

Prince is at his quirky best in this movie. Jerome Benton is a side man for Prince. Overall very entertaining and funny in some spots. Any Prince fan will have this in their collection. DVD also has live concert footage as an added bonus,"NEEDANOTHERLOVER" off the hook. Prince is wearing this cool, yellow suit with a white tie, dancing all over the place. Just buy the DVD for the live concert footage. It is worth it!

terrible.......2007-02-25

I was a die-hard prince fan in the 80's and when I first saw it I though it was good(but I was a kid). I saw it on tv the other day and couldn't believe how stupid this movie really was! He is a terrible actor as were the other cast in the movie. The story line was stupid and he was just too dramatic and feminine in the movie. What woman would want a man walking around in high heel boots and lacey clothes with his back out? The soundtrack is good but prince either needs to take some acting lessons before he does another movie or he needs to stick to singing

Average customer rating:

Tedious and difficult
Mechanical automata, life, and desire -- in this strange but lovely film by the Brothers Quay

The Piano Tuner of Earthquakes
Starring: Amira Casar , Gottfried John , Assumpta Serna , César Saracho , and Ljubisa Gruicic
Director: Timothy Quay , and Stephen Quay
Manufacturer: Zeitgeist Films
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ASIN: B000N2G3YC
Release Date: 2007-04-24

Description

THE PIANO TUNER OF EARTHQUAKES is the breathtakingly beautiful and long-awaited second feature film from the Quay Brothers. On the eve of her wedding, the beautiful opera singer Malvina (Amira Casar, ANATOMY OF HELL) is mysteriously "killed" and abducted by the malevolent Dr. Droz (Gottfried John, THE MARRIAGE OF MARIA BRAUN). Felisberto (Cesar Sarachu, INSTITUTE BENJAMENTA), an innocent piano tuner, is summoned to Droz's secluded villa to service his strange musical automatons. Little by little Felisberto learns of the doctor's plans to stage a "diabolical opera" -- and of Malvina's fate. He secretly conspires to rescue her, only to become trapped himself in the web of Droz's perverse universe.

Customer Reviews:

Tedious and difficult.......2007-06-08

The film, The Piano Tuner of Earthquakes is too murky to follow. Murky as to plot and scene. It is dark, obscure and one of those pretentious films critics love to tell the public merits intellectual energy and veiwer attention.

Mechanical automata, life, and desire -- in this strange but lovely film by the Brothers Quay.......2007-02-17

The second full length feature by the inimitable Brothers Quay, "Piano Tuner of Earthquakes" defies summary or comparison with other films. It was, I believe, shot on HD but the look in many shots is as delicate and textured as film -- and has live action combined with their trademark puppet based animation. Perhaps the easiest way to suggest the feel and approach of the film is to describe it as operating according to a "dream logic" -- and there is even a great line in the film when the piano tuner is discussing dreams with the doctor's assistant; she says, basically, that to think you can understand the meaning of a dream by interpreting its objects as symbols is like believing you can tell the contents of a letter from the sound of the postman's knock -- with the added qualification that you may in fact decipher something from how loud and how long and how urgently he knocks. Still, this is a direct hint from the filmmakers that there are no simple meanings here. The basic plot can be described with relative ease (and to tell it doesn't give anything away because the film is not really about plot but about textures, rhythms, sounds and movement): a famous opera singer is abducted and murdered on the night before her wedding by the "evil" Dr. Droz, a maker of living mechanical automata, who plans to bring her back to life and incorporate her into his ultimate and final automata, one that will recreate her abduction and death; as collaborators and participants in his project he has several apparently insane gardeners, a jealous assistant who resembles an older version of the opera singer, and a skilled but naive piano tuner who resembles the fiance of the opera singer. What such a "synopsis" fails to capture is the strange ambience and style of the film throughout, and doesn't shed much light on "what it all means." Is the Doctor a kind of god? Or is he like the filmmakers themselves? Is the beginning of the film already part of the automaton? Are the filmmakers comparing the film itself to a kind of self-contained automatic world? What is the meaning of a strange story the Doctor tells about ants and spores, a story whose components figure later in the film? To what extent are we all, insofar as we find ourselves inexplicably driven by passions we didn't choose, like the ants in the story (don't ask, if you watch the film you'll see what I mean)? What is the significance of the final scenes? Lots of questions, and you can certainly come up with some interesting answers if that is your thing -- but if you like your answers hard and fast, or if you like your films straightforward and easy to follow, or if you want to know what is going on at all times, or if you'd be bugged by all the characters for whom English is a second language speaking slowly almost as if under hypnosis themselves, and if you can't just succumb to a film as if it were a strange dream (which is what this film most resembles) and let it wash over you and think about it later (as you would have to do with films by David Lynch or Peter Greenaway or others who work in a similar vein) then this is not the movie for you. Otherwise, and especially if you like the films of those I just mentioned, or works by filmmakers like Bunuel or Svankmajer or even Matthew Barney, then this one is definitely worth a look. Just don't expect it all to make sense at once.

Average customer rating:

Unleashed
Jet Li: From Canine to Human
Great Movie
Willingly suspend your disbelief...PLEASE!
I loved this movie 5/5 stars

Unleashed (Unrated Widescreen Edition)
Starring: Jet Li , Morgan Freeman , Bob Hoskins , Kerry Condon , and Vincent Regan
Director: Louis Leterrier
Manufacturer: Universal Studios Home Entertainment
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000A2IPQY
Release Date: 2005-10-11

Amazon.com

Luc Besson wrote and directed the stylish thrillers La Femme Nikita and The Professional; though he didn't direct Unleashed, the script has his trademark fusion of outrageous sentimentality and over-the-top violence. Hong Kong action superstar Jet Li (Romeo Must Die, Hero) stars as Danny, a man raised to be a brutal attack dog by a nasty gangster named Bart (Bob Hoskins, Mona Lisa)--when Bart removes Danny's collar, Danny pulverizes everyone in the room. But a chance encounter with a blind piano tuner (Morgan Freeman, Million Dollar Baby) reveals to Danny the possibility of a less brutal life, and when a retaliation attack gives him the chance to escape, he does--but Bart won't let him go that easily. The fighting in Unleashed is effectively jolting; Li and fight choreographer Yuen Wo Ping (The Matrix) have purposefully stripped away the smoothness of most movie combat (especially with a genuine martial artist like Li) with raw, unnerving results, especially when juxtaposed with the sweet and earnest scenes of Li regaining his humanity with Freeman and his step-daughter (Kerry Condon). This freewheeling cocktail of bloody noses and ice-cream cones isn't for everyone, but fans of both Besson and Li will leave satisfied. --Bret Fetzer

Customer Reviews:

Unleashed.......2007-06-10

If I had seen it at the movies I would have asked for my money back! No climax, bad storyline and acting. The initial fight was the only decent fight scene in the whole movie.

Jet Li: From Canine to Human.......2007-05-28

Jet Li's martial arts acting career has shifted from pure martial arts either as the hero or villain to roles that require him to radiate emotion in between the fight scenes. In UNLEASHED, he continues this mid-life metamorphosis as Danny, a very confused mob muscle enforcer who wears a dog collar when not carrying out his boss's lethal orders. Bob Hoskins is Bart, the evil boss whose frequent ruminations about the philosophical underpinnings of evil bring to mind a similar role from MONA LISA. Here, he takes off Danny's collar as a symbolic unleashing of the brute canine desire to rend that he is sure lies just beneath the surface. And for the first half of the film, we are as sure as Bart that Danny is exactly as Bart sees him. Danny shows no emotion as he quickly dispatches hordes of flunkies who suffer the great misfortune to be late on their mob loans. He shows even less emotion as he seems adjusted to living in the human dog cage that he calls home. But little by little, Danny begins to shed his canine surface. Indeed, for a while we are not even sure if Danny can speak. When Danny meets a blind piano tuner Sam (Morgan Freeman), we can sense that the bullying that Danny has endured at the hands of Bart will be replaced by the infinitely wiser and gentler hands of Sam, who sees in Danny a young man who can help him in that now Sam has a reason to teach the intricate art of piano tuning to a worthy student. It is when Danny escapes his collar that he becomes fully human, and when he confronts an unwilling Bart who attempts to reconnect Danny to his canine roots, we can see that Danny has made the light years long jump from unthinking dog to thinking man.

The fight scenes are of course well done and Jet Li's fans will find no fault with them. But for those recent fans who have become used to a Jet Li who can command center stage with a flick of the eye rather than a deadly kick, UNLEASHED is an action film that adds just enough human drama to showcase him as an actor who can fight rather than a fighter who can act.

Great Movie.......2007-05-13

I've always been a fan of fighting movies. I'm a guy i can't help it. This one is different. Not only does it have great action scenes, it also has some compelling drama scenes as well. Jet Li did an incredible acting job on this movie. I was amazed at how well he performed this roll and with an actor like Morgan Freeman as well this movie was bound to be great. I was really moved be the story line of this movie.

Willingly suspend your disbelief...PLEASE!.......2007-04-28

This was an interesting movie to watch because of Jet Li's amazing martial-arts skills. He truly is gifted. Unfortunately, Jet Li alone can't keep this from being unbelievable and silly. I was hoping it was going to be more along the lines of LA FEMME NIKITA and LEON: THE PROFESSIONAL, two very good movies, but I was wrong. They both had better scripts and plots that were well-developed. This movie seemed to be ad-libbed as the camera rolled. It was just too hard for me to suspend disbelief willingly. For example, at the end of the movie, after Jet Li fights a small army of goons half-destroying an aprtment building in the process while beating most of them up, a handfull of gun toting bad guys shoot hundreds of bullets through windows and doors and then vanish. Danny (Jet Li) confronts his master Bart (Bob Hoskins) and pummels him before Sam (Morgan Freeman) smashes a flower pot over Bart's head to knock him cold, preventing Danny from killing him and thereby saving Danny from reverting back to his previous trained attack-dog nature. What happened to the other members of the gang? Where were the police during the battle? Why, in the next scene, do we see Danny and Sam in tuxes at Sam's step-daughter's piano recital? Was the connecting scene left on the cutting room floor? I guess you'd have to really like martial-arts action to enjoy it. The movie just didn't work for me.

I loved this movie 5/5 stars.......2007-04-23

One of the best martial arts movie and best actors. Danny (jet li) who was adopted and raised by the ruthless mob leader bart (bob hoskins) is trained very well how to fight as an expert of martial arts and as an unbeatable weapon against barts mob of enimies with the release of dannys leash. Then a blind piano player (morgan freeman) takes danny into his life to start a new life and a new family which danny loves the most and can see what it's like to be treated like a human instead of an abused animal in slavory that makes danny a very kind person who doesn't want to hurt people anymore. I thought bob hoskins played the perfect bad guy he's one of the best actors for this movie and he's one of my favorite actors too.

Grieg, Chopin & Saint Saens Piano Concertos / Previn, Rubinstein, London Symphony Orchestra

Average customer rating:

Rubinstein tired
Amazing performance
REGAL CLOSE OF A COLOSSAL REIGN
It's nice to see this film again

Grieg, Chopin & Saint Saens Piano Concertos / Previn, Rubinstein, London Symphony Orchestra
Starring: Artur Rubinstein , London Symphony Orchestra , and Andre Previn
Manufacturer: Deutsche Grammophon
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B000FVRACK
Release Date: 2006-09-12

Customer Reviews:

Rubinstein tired.......2007-03-10

Rubinstein played very good but he seems to be tired. He was very old when he made this recording.

Amazing performance.......2007-01-09

I am not a classical music aficionado, but I do love classical music, particularly piano. This DVD is simply amazing. To think that Rubinstein was 88 years old when he recorded this. It's an incredible feat of musicianship as well as physical stamina. To my amateur ear, I was blown away at the beauty of this performance. This is not just a curiosity, this is a concert that is worthy of a great master like Rubinstein. The quality of the sound and the picture is also fantastic. I loved this DVD, if you like Rubinstein and classical music, I can't imagine you wouldn't feel that same.

REGAL CLOSE OF A COLOSSAL REIGN.......2006-09-23

Rubinstein was the ultimate concert pianist. He played 100-plus engagements a year for some seven decades. Even as an old man he had ten recital programs and twenty concertos at his fingertips. For half a century he maintained a busy recording schedule, ranging from Mozart to Villa-Lobos and including a full dose of chamber music. He was the Caruso of the keyboard, the Babe Ruth of the 88s.

Sure enough, back in the early 1940s American critic/composer Virgil Thomson headlined him as the "King of Pianists," and Rubinstein wore that crown for the next 35 years. Other big names made periodic splashes (Gilels, Richter, Cliburn, Gould) or emerged briefly from hiding (Horowitz, Michelangeli), but when the dust settled Rubinstein still sat on the throne. "Nobody will put up much of an argument," the N.Y. Times' Harold C. Schonberg once wrote, "when he's called the greatest living pianist." Yet in his day he was such a familiar and accessible commodity, listeners seldom pondered exactly where his superiority lay.

It was simple enough. As Lauritz Melchior was the greatest of heldentenors, Rubinstein was the preeminent "heldenpianist." Boasting both an enormous dynamic range and phenomenal stamina, he could play not only long seasons but heavy heroic programs (e.g., both Brahms concertos at one sitting). He was renowned for his deep full tone, his cataclysmic volume, his velvet cantilenas, his huge declamatory octaves. Rubinstein came honestly by it all: after a youthful brush with repetitive stress syndrome, he adopted a temperate practice regimen and developed one of the most efficient virtuoso mechanisms in the history of his instrument. Its foundation was a centered posture, participation of the entire torso, and exceptional lateral mobility; working strictly with moderate-action instruments, he could dig deep into the keys.

It's significant, then, that the end came for him not from fading fingers but failing eyesight--macular degeneration. His frontal vision suddenly went, and it was enough to take the edge off his accuracy and reliability. He prudently retired. At age 89.

Luckily the present video (three Rubinstein blockbusters--the Grieg concerto, Chopin's Concerto No. 2, Saint-Saens' Concerto No. 2) had been taped some months earlier on April 22-24, 1975. Of the assorted Rubinstein DVDs currently on the market, this is easily the most cherishable. Not surprisingly, picture and sound are far superior to the 1990 VHS release, and by any criteria this is first-rate analog stereo--though the piano is appreciably forward, sometimes upstaging the string tremolos in the Chopin middle movement. As for the picture, it's in plush technicolor: the camera favors both left and right profiles as Rubinstein digs in, close-ups of his hands ditto, head shots are framed by the piano lid. Previn and individual deskmen enjoy occasional close-ups as well, but the full orchestra is on view only from the rear of the hall.

With Previn and the LSO providing elegantly phrased backup, the performances themselves are invaluable. These, literally, are Rubinstein's final thoughts on a trio of audience favorites he'd performed over many decades (three-quarters of a century in the case of the Saint-Saens). Even at 88 he's easily equal to the stiff technical demands (cleaner and firmer with Chopin's passagework than in his Philadelphia recording seven years before). Unforgettable moments abound in each of these performances: tempos are generally more spacious than earlier, with the expected gains in precision and clarity; he's more economical, too, with half tints and pedal washes in cantabile passages, but the arching phrases and tapered cadences are as eloquent as ever. Astonishingly, his fortissimos are still colossal in the big Grieg cadenza, and the old man can still burn up the tracks in the finale of the Saint-Saens.

Further, and maybe even more affecting, Rubinstein was still reconsidering, still revising, still working on things. Here, for instance, you'll find the most intensely operatic of all his readings of the Chopin Larghetto--sharply phrased, stinging in the filigree, downright ferocious in the central recitative, ultimately turning gentle and nocturnal in the recap.

Finally there's a splendid bonus: a 29-minute conversation with PBS newscaster Bob MacNeil, recorded in the late 1970s after Rubinstein's retirement. The pianist tackles a range of material with humor and shrewdness: communicating with popular audiences, producing his famous sound, his concept of God, life after death. It's easily the most articulate and stimulating interview I've heard him give.

So this DVD paints the regal close of a colossal reign: as indicated, the bonus is a delight, and you'll never hear more opulent, more exhilarating performances of these three pet concertos. Heartily recommended for all viewers. Including folks who normally avoid classical music.

It's nice to see this film again.......2006-08-22

I watched this 1975 film presentation of Artur Rubinstein playing the Grieg A minor, Chopin F minor (No. 2) and Saint Saens G minor (No. 2) Piano concertos with Andre Previn and the London Symphony on PBS television in 1978. DG's release of this on DVD is cause for rejoicing, as the picture and sound are both restored using the near miracles 2006 technology can perform on 30+ year old film and audio soundtracks.

The sound is rich and full, and beautifully balanced between pianist Rubinstein and the great London orchestra. This was recorded without audience present in Croydon, England, and the effect is rather intimate, despite the large orchestral forces required for these three concertos.

Camera work is likewise excellent and serves the music: when a passage is played by a solo flute, oboe, french horn, etc. the camera shows the given soloist within the orchestra, or Mr. Rubinstein himself. There are enough shots of Andre Previn conducting, who is in sync with Rubinstein at every turn. Previn's conducting style is graceful, but never demonstrative, and he does not call attention to himself. The camera work is never a distraction from the performance.

If you are an Artur Rubinstein fan, get this. These recordings were made in 1975, when Mr. Rubinstein was 88 years old. His technique and musicianship remained rock solid, even 2 years short of age 90.

There is a valuable 30 minute interview with Robert MacNeil, filmed at Rubinstein's Paris home in 1975. Rubinstein candidly answers questions about his life and career; the Grieg, Chopin and Saint-Saens Concertos; talks about Ravel, and what nonsense it is to call him or anyone else "the greatest pianist of the 20th century", as well as death, eternal life, and the visual arts. "My God is not an old man with a beard" says Rubinstein: food for thought! This interview is very fascinating, and I've watched it several times in the past two weeks. Each time I hear Mr. Rubinstein speak, I get a different perspective, and hear something new!

Enthusiastically recommended!

Silk Stalkings - The Complete First Season

Average customer rating:

cheesy season
Great
Top Cop Pairs
"Rich, sexy and decadent"
Early 90's Cable TV nostagia at it's best

Silk Stalkings - The Complete First Season
Starring: Mitzi Kapture , and Rob Estes
Director: Rachel Feldman , Don Edmonds , Harvey S. Laidman , Charles Siebert , and Ron Ames
Manufacturer: Starz / Anchor Bay
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B0002F6B0G
Release Date: 2004-09-28

Amazon.com

Created by Stephen J. Cannell (The Rockford Files, 21 Jump Street, among others), the USA Network's Silk Stalkings was about as sexy as non-premium cable TV got in the early 1990s. Palm Beach homicide detectives Rita Lee Lance (Mitzi Kapture) and Chris Lorenzo (Rob Estes) investigate crimes they call "silk stalkings," murders that expose the seamy--and steamy--side of high society. Rita and Chris investigate the crimes, frequently by going undercover (so to speak) to expose macho men or their beautiful women companions, who tend to lounge about in swimwear or lingerie. During the first season, the detectives face ghosts from their pasts and push the edge of their profession (Ben Vereen plays their exasperated captain, a role later filled by Charlie Brill), all the while swapping sexual innuendo but dating other people with disappointing results. The platonic-partners schtick is nothing The X-Files or Moonlighting didn't do with more style, but the stars did have a chemistry that in later years their replacements were never able to re-Kapture.

In addition to the 22 episodes, the DVD set features 39 minutes of interviews with Cannell, an almost unrecognizable Estes, a straight-haired Kapture (both stars talk about each other, their departures, and other cast members), and a nostalgic Vereen, plus a joint reminiscence between Cannell and Vereen. --David Horiuchi

Customer Reviews:

cheesy season.......2007-03-07

This was the cheesy season, but I still got hooked. You can tell it was low budget. It still worked and I still love it.

Great.......2007-02-21

My hubby is a groupie for this series, so he is thrilled with it. Good quality, basic packaging, but full of everything he wanted.

Top Cop Pairs.......2007-01-03

Crime solving among the rich and famous, with only hints of sex is a perfect setup for a Sunday afternoon DVD.This is not about credibility, its not about gore, its about a couple of detectives or a detective couple having fun.

"Rich, sexy and decadent".......2006-09-29

I watched "Silk Stalkings" when it first aired and I never missed an episode. It is a crime drama set in Palm Beach, Florida. Palm Beach, a place where the rich and beautiful have a different set of rules and if you like provocative and fun, you'd enjoy this show.

The show is like "chocolate". It is sweet, delicious and decadent; you know it is probably bad for you but you keep endulging.

I have purchased all five seasons of "Silk Stalkings" for my library and I recommend this series. Keep in mind that season 5 has dramatic surprises and changes.

For a show that takes you to a world of the rich, sexy and dangerous-it is another winner created by Stephen J. Cannell. You can't go wrong by paying a visit.

Early 90's Cable TV nostagia at it's best .......2006-06-12

Okay..okay.....
One must overlook the stange unrealistic sets and odd exaggerated use of color (NEVER is there a scene without pink or purple either in clothing, buildings, room colors, etc...)

One must overlook the sometimes cheesy predictable plots, stiff dialogues and cornball humor.

Okay.. one must also overlook the fact that this looks NOTHING like West Palm Beach Florida............

One must also overlook the tight budget and fast shooting schedules that makes the plots predictable and sometimes even illogical with gaping holes....

BUT despite all this... a chemisty in the show works to make it one of the 90's most entertaining and enjoyable "cop duo" partner shows around.

It's like chocolate cake....... not full of nutrition or good quality calories, but enjoyable just the same !

Average customer rating:

Classic Dramatic Hardcore
Still Holds Up
i expected to see ambrose bierce walk onto the set ...
Classic Sam Peckinpah!
Alfredo garcia

Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia
Starring: Warren Oates , Isela Vega , Robert Webber , Gig Young , and Helmut Dantine
Director: Sam Peckinpah
Manufacturer: MGM (Video & DVD)
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B0006TPDPM
Release Date: 2005-03-22

Amazon.com

Sam Peckinpah knew he couldn't call a movie Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia and get away with it. That's why he did it. When he undertook this nakedly personal project, in self-exile in Mexico, the director was a deeply bitter man out of favor with critics, the media, and the Hollywood establishment, which had just released his Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid in a mutilated version. "Bring Me the Head..." sounded like the parody title of an ultraviolent Sam Peckinpah movie, and he flung it in our faces just as his onscreen surrogate tosses the titular object at the camera.

Thing is, the movie is a masterpiece--raw, shocking, beautiful, and brave--in which Peckinpah confronts his enemies and his own demons. Warren Oates plays a gringo piano-player stuck in Mexico who hears that some powerful men are willing to pay a bounty on a guy he knows. They don't know the guy is already dead, killed in a car accident. It'll be easy to exhume the trophy and collect the money--except that it will cost our seedy hero everything he has and ever wanted.

John Huston's Treasure of the Sierra Madre had always been a key legend for Peckinpah; this film is a subterranean re-imagining of it, with Oates as both the son of Fred C. Dobbs and the carnival-mirror reflection of Peckinpah himself. And Isela Vega's performance as the sainted whore Elita--bruised and worldly one minute, radiant and clear-skinned as a child the next--is an act of grace. --Richard T. Jameson

Description

Some people will do anything for a million dollars even if it means killing anyone who gets in their way! Written and directed by OscarÂ(r) nominee* Sam Peckinpah and starring Academy AwardÂ(r) winner** Gig Young, Warren Oates, Robert Webber, Kris Kristofferson and the seductively beautiful Isela Vega, Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia is a gritty classic that vibrates with explosive action and nail-biting tension. When a Mexican land baron puts a million dollars on the head of the man who seduced his daughter, two money-hungry men (Young and Webber) recruita small-town bartender (Oates) to help them do their dirty work. But their tequila-fueled trek across the desolate Mexican frontier grows more intense, gruesome and bloody with every savage murder they leave in their wake! *1969: Original Screenplay, The Wild Bunch (With Walon Greenand Roy N. Sickner) **1969: Supporting Actor, They Shoot Horses, Don't They?

Customer Reviews:

Classic Dramatic Hardcore.......2007-06-03

This Title says it all and for $1,000,000 Cash the action and suspense fills this movie. Gritty, Intense, VIOLENT, DARK HUMOR! This movie was ahead of it's time. So was Director Sam Peckinpah.

Still Holds Up.......2007-05-26

I watched this movie 2 days ago, and as usual it had a lasting effect on me. I would have to almost go out on a limb and say this may be Peckinpah's most complex and brilliant work; The storyline starts as a basic premise, then gets a little more complicated mid-way through. For a film made in the early '70's, the dialog still stands strong, the desert-like landscapes are captured perfectly, the acting/characters are are both commanding and quirky, which was something you did not see done alot in early '70's films, let alone done well. Most of the action comes to a boil in the last half hour or so, but I didn't really care. Oates takes control as the lead, which is nice to see; He is a charismatic leading tough guy type, and here he gets his moment; The German guys are quite amusing, esp. at the end when their relationship becomes a little more defined in a strange way. This is probably as close to a Tarantino movie as Peckinpah ever got, and it's just as worthy. 'The Getaway' was a good movie, but this one is soooo much better. On par with 'Straw Dogs' and 'The Wild Bunch', yet different.

i expected to see ambrose bierce walk onto the set ..........2007-04-26

while i recently called "ballad of cable hogue" my favorite sam peckinpah movie, this outre take on revenge is undoubtedly his best, and imho one of the best of the 1970s. for those who havent seen it, the setup is the daughter of (presumably) mexican land tycoon has been impregnated by one alfredo garcia; the angry dad offers a huge reward to whomever delivers to him the severed head of alfredo, and down on his luck bum warren oates (think a seedier version of bogart in "sierra madre") is hired by a pair of "entrepeneurs" (gig young and robert webber) to do the dirty work. the irony: alfredo is already dead in a car accident. and that is the setup for where the movie really takes off in a spin of revenge, justice, betrayals, love, &c -- all against the sight and smell of the deteriorating severed head rotting in 100 degree plus heat. oates was always an underappreciated actor, but here he gives his best performance, matched by mexican actress isela vega as his doomed girlfriend. not a movie you want to watch frequently, but it is a masterpiece.

Classic Sam Peckinpah!.......2007-01-30

It's been 30 years since I've seen this film on cable. I decided to re-visit this obscure film and see if I missed anything in the initial viewing. As it turned out, I didn't miss anything. It's pretty much the same, routine Sam Peckinpah film, filled with lots of blood, guts, bullets and slow-motion action. It's also a long, tedious film that is not one of his best, but will satisfy those who enjoy ultra-violence in their movies.

Alfredo garcia.......2007-01-23

Movie way ahead of its time. The violence is cuttiing edge for its time, a peckinpaw trait, but is tame by today's standard. First rate movie I think and very underated. I like warren oates and the support acting roles are well done. I think well worth the money.--5 stars

A Piano Evening with Martha Argerich [DVD Video]

Average customer rating:

Let's be honest
Another Outstanding Argerich Performance
Why she is the greatest of the age, and perhaps of all time...

A Piano Evening with Martha Argerich [DVD Video]

Manufacturer: Tdk DVD Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

Modern & 20th Century | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

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Schumann & Martha Argerich
Barenboim on Beethoven - The Complete Piano Sonatas Live from Berlin
Kissin in Tokyo - Yevgeny Kissin
Volodos Plays Liszt
Haydn: Piano Works [DVD Video]

ASIN: B000NOIWV2
Release Date: 2007-04-24

Customer Reviews:

Let's be honest.......2007-05-24

I'll get right to the point. The orchestra is so atrocious as to make this DVD almost unlistenable. If you want to see a performance of the Schumann sonata, perhaps this is for you. But be warned. If you can get through the Triple Concerto without cringing, you are a better man than I. The Prokofiev? A student work by a second-rate composer, performed by a third-rate orchestra. Gee, does it get any better than that? Even the redoubtable Argerich can't rescue this disaster.

Another Outstanding Argerich Performance.......2007-05-22

While I agree with the previous reviewer (M.G.) that this is a marvelous DVD, I had some trouble getting past all his hagiographic gushing about Martha Argerich, larded as it is with superlatives. Admittedly she is an amazingly talented pianist, certainly among the greatest of our age, but his claims for her abilities -- 'perhaps (the greatest) of all time' -- seems over the top. Has he ever heard Liszt, Alkan, Thalberg, Busoni, or Godowsky, or whoever play? One notices also that in his review he doesn't mention either the conductor, Argerich's long-time collaborator both as conductor and duo-pianist, Alexandre Rabinovitch (or Rabinovitch-Barakovsky as he's called here), or the young and enthusiastic Flanders Sympnony Orchestra. He is so focused on Argerich that he doesn't mention the one piece not involving the piano, the concert's opening work, the invigorating Classical Symphony of Prokofiev. Nor does he mention that this is an outdoor concert, although it must be said that from an audio point of view, one would never have known it; the audio is just fine, as is the camera work.

But he is right in saying this is clearly Argerich's show. Following the Prokofiev symphony is his all-too-rarely-played First Piano Concerto in D Flat which, when I hear it, always makes me feel all's right with the world. That long vaulting first melody in the first movement is a creation of genius. Argerich plays the whole thing with panache and grace as well as surpassing virtuosity.

And since this is a 'Piano Night with Martha Argerich' the pattern of most orchestral concerts is broken by the appearance next on the bill of Schumann's First Violin Sonata with Renaud Capuçon and Argerich. Schumann wrote reams of chamber music and most of it gets played a lot, but one rarely hears the violin sonatas for some reason. It's certainly not because the First Sonata is a weak work; indeed, it is a quintessentially Romantic piece which, if one allows it, can sweep one away in a storm of emotion. I particularly liked Capuçon's tender approach to the delectable middle movement and his scampering lightness in the finale. Capuçon is a rising violinist star in the international music world and his playing here makes it clear why. But he is as much as anything else a chamber music player, often with his equally talented brother Gautier, a cellist. So this is not a virtuoso violinist star turn, but a truly collaborative effort and it is not surprising that Argerich is no shrinking violet as an accompanist; this is as it should be. Indeed, the piano is an equal partner to the violin in this sonata.

The concert concludes with Beethoven's Triple Concerto with Argerich, Capuçon and the latter's brother, Gautier, cello. It is often said that the triple concerto has an 'easy' piano part, especially when it is compared with the violin and cello parts. I've never quite understood this notion, as there are some pianistic fireworks that only very good pianists can bring off. Further, the pianist provides much of musical glue for the work just as the piano often does in piano trios. This is fairly typical mid-period Beethoven (1804) coming as it did just before the Fourth Piano Concerto. The performance here is exalted. The frères Capuçon are marvelously matched tonally and musically and Argerich is clearly of one mind with them; her experience as a chamber music player is, of course, well known and that comes in particularly helpful here. The orchestra, for all its enthusiasm, is perhaps a notch or two below world-class. This didn't bother me particularly but it does bear mentioning. Rabinovitch conducts with sensitivity and a freedom of pulse that allows the soloists to breathe.

One notes that Argerich plays from score in the Triple Concerto and I say huzzah to that. I've never quite understood while soloists must play from memory. But a discussion of that is, I suppose, for another day.

A hearty recommendation, and especially for Argerich's legion of fans.

Scott Morrison

Why she is the greatest of the age, and perhaps of all time..........2007-05-04

This is a remarkable DVD, featuring Martha Argerich--arguably the greatest pianist of all time--and two rising musical names: Renaud Capucon, violin, and Gautier Capucon, cello. While the brothers Capucon deliver beautiful and nuanced playing, this is really Argerich's show (as usual). I am constantly amazed at how she manages to elevate the playing of those around her to new heights. She simply has such technical and musical command of her instrument which is really unlike any other pianist, even to the point of paling brilliant contemporary virtuosos like Pollini and Zimerman and past masters like Arrau, Michelangeli, and Richter. Her performances on this DVD exhibit simply jaw-dropping virtuosity (inhuman, really) and incredibly nuanced music-making, intuitive to the core but always fully realized. Watching her hands and arms work, you can't help but think this woman was born to play the piano; and listening to her music making, you realize you are witnessing a truly legendary musician. Her technique is so transcendental that she simply can do anything she likes at the piano, eliciting a million different musical colors and shades, and such rhythmic drive and intensity as to phrase a musical line in infinitely different ways.

The program includes Prokofiev's Piano Concerto No. 1 with Argerich as soloist, Schumann's Sonata for Piano and Violin in a minor with Renaud Capucon and Argerich, and the Beethoven Triple Concerto with all three performers. I want to stress how amazing the camera work is in this DVD: you get shots of the keyboard and Argerich's hands and arms as if you were standing right next to her turning the pages, really giving you an inside look into a staggering technical mechanism. You also get a variety of different shots around the outdoor auditorium, from an audience perspective and orchestral position.

First, the Prokofiev: as you might expect, this performance begins with all-out pyrotechnics, with Argerich tossing off arm-blurring octaves and chords, thirds and sixths, as if she were having her morning coffee. Her scales--in both hands--are tossed-off at light speed and shimmer with a thousand different tones. She really plays this piece as a true chamber musician, always paying strict attention to the orchestral part and solos from the winds and brass. She also looks like she's having the time of her life, smiling before launching into another mind-numbing display of virtuosity. The middle movement is beautifully executed with slow and mysterious phrasing, shades of texture, and remarkable syncopation. The final movement really illustrates Argerich's rhythmic drive, as she simply explodes into one phrase after the next. The camera work is really amazing in this piece (and throughout), showing the rippling scales and propulsive octaves that bring this piece to a triumphant close.

The Schumann sonata introduces Renaud Capucon, who really seems to be a promising violinist. Here Argerich assumes her chamber music role, with such sensitive and musical--yet free-- playing that it seems she's improvising the sonata here on the spot. Capucon really seems on top of this piece, and the two of them seem like they have been playing chamber music for life. The first movement is played in a sweeping, probing, Romantic style (as is appropriate), with a gorgeous second movement that probes meditatively. The final movement is taken at a great clip, with really fleeting passage work by both artists. Argerich's playing again looks completely effortless, but full of musical coloring and rhythmic articulation.

The final piece of the program is the Beethoven Triple concerto, played by Renaud Capucon and Gautier Capucon--violin and cello, respectively--and Argerich on piano. This is a really grand and noble interpretation of this piece. I've always thought that--somewhat paradoxically--Beethoven and Mozart reveal more of Argerich's inhuman technique than the big Romantics and early twentieth-century composers. Scales in her left and right hands just fly away in dazzling arrays; arpeggios fly with mind blowing clarity and scale; and trills, double and in thirds, are tossed with brilliant ease. Here, Argerich can do whatever she wants and with such spontaneity that it's like listening to this work for the first time. This is not to say that her interpretation is somehow not in the Classical style--to the contrary, it is how Beethoven and Mozart would have dreamed to hear it played. All three musicians really deserve credit for a beautiful performance, as they all three are in tune with chamber-music-like exchanges of passages. The orchestra does an admirable job, as well.

In short, anyone who loves great music making, great chamber music playing, and especially the piano should buy this DVD. I've followed Argerich's career and performances for many years now, and each time I am astounded with what I'm witnessing. She really is in a league by herself, and this DVD is yet another documentation--perhaps the best commercially available recording--of her artistic genius. This DVD really makes you agree that calling Argerich the greatest living pianist--and the greatest of all time--is not mere hyperbole; that Mstislav Rostropovich's characterization of her as "A pianist with no limits at all: none whatsoever" is entirely apt; and that surely her only rivals--though from her recordings of both this is even questionable-- could possibly be Liszt and Chopin themselves, for she is more than a great technician: she is an artist, creator, and musician of the highest possible caliber. She redefines the art of piano playing, taking it to a new plane of music-making and virtuosity. You simply must buy this DVD and prepare to be astounded.

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