Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #115221 in DVD
• Released on: 2000-01-18
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Formats: Classical, Color, DVD, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Subtitled in: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 133 minutes

Amazon.com
This DVD presents the 1997 world premiere of Paul McCartney's Standing Stone, a 75-minute concert work performed by the London Symphony Orchestra and Chorus, coupled with a 50-minute documentary based around the writing and studio recording of the piece. The music was composed as a follow-up to McCartney's Liverpool Oratorio, and is inspired by McCartney's own poem. For this Celtic creation myth, the documentary explains how McCartney worked with computers to develop the score, and also features contributions from John Harle and Sir Richard Rodney Bennett. Revealing a lot of McCartney's personality, the epic-musical fantasia Standing Stone is dynamically filmed in the Royal Albert Hall and shows just how far Sir Paul has come from simple three-chord love songs. There are elements of landscape music from the classic English tradition, passages of high musical drama by way of Stravinsky's Rite of Spring, jazz sensibilities, and sentimental melodies straight out of Hollywood. If the sum is less than the impressive parts, Standing Stone is still a considerable achievement and the LSO performs with fire and eloquence. --Gary S. Dalkin, Amazon.co.uk

Additional features
The DVD's 4:3 image is as sharp as a non-anamorphic picture can be, and the Dolby Digital live sound is clear, dynamic, and detailed. The main bonus feature is the 50-minute documentary, but this well-rounded package also offers Fiona Shaw reading McCartney's "Standing Stone" poem, brief text biographies, artwork, and notes on standing stones. The booklet is well designed and contains art, photographs, the text of the original poem, and detailed program notes. Ironic that it takes a rock star to show how well orchestral music can be presented on DVD. --Gary S. Dalkin, Amazon.co.uk

Customer Reviews

Fascinating!
I missed the telecast of this performance on A&E in 1997 when it came out, and it finally came out on DVD! Seems like Paul has a documentary film on everything he does, but this one was the best I've seen. One section shows how he wrote the piece on a computer, without reading music. Mostly though, it shows Standing Stone as a work in progress through subsequent rehearsals, etc, and variations made "on the fly" to the piece. A great documentary fitting to a great, under-appreciated musician who, since Flowers In The Dirt, is undoubtedly a better songwriter and more varied musician then he ever was as a Beatle. Some may disagree, but Flaming Pie gets more listens than Abbey Road around my place. The video of the concert is captivating, and the camera work is fairly active so you dont fall asleep staring at one musician! All else said, this is a great DVD which is packed with alot of good material and is well worth the (price).

Incredible work
I've waited two years for this DVD...and it was well worth it.. an incredible experience of sight and sound. Not only do you get the Albert Hall concert but a documentary on the flip side...and i swear it looks like Steve Miller hanging out beside Paul during the recording session!

BUY IT!

what an enhancement to the enjoyment of this piece of music!
In some cases, enjoyment and appreciation of a work is enhanced by increased knowledge of the work. That is certainly the case with this video. For twenty-some dollars, you get a really insightful documentary of how Standing Stone came to be, rehearsals for the big Albert Hall concert, and the concert itself.

Revelatory - that is the only word.

Plus it's kind of cool to actually have so much material on a DVD that I have to flip it over. I get that retro feeling through my bones!