Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #15730 in DVD
• Released on: 2003-02-11
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Formats: Classical, Color, DVD, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 59 minutes

Amazon.com
It would be difficult, perhaps impossible, to assemble a better group of musicians to perform Beethoven's Triple Concerto and Choral Fantasy. Daniel Barenboim has been so busy conducting the world's top orchestras and opera companies that there is a danger of forgetting what an excellent pianist he is. He conducts both of these works from the keyboard, as Beethoven would have expected, engaging in chamber music-like dialogue in the concerto and creating a sense of impromptu in the Fantasy's long piano solo, which Beethoven wrote for himself and partly improvised at the first performance. Itzhak Perlman and Yo-Yo Ma are sensitive, alert, and technically superb partners.

The music is not Beethoven's most familiar, but it is absolutely charming. The concerto is appealing in its melodic material and the intricate interactions among the soloists and orchestra. The Choral Fantasy features a long piano solo that Beethoven wrote for himself, plus a choral melody that sounds like a preliminary sketch for the last movement of his Ninth Symphony. Both works pose unusual balance challenges, to which Barenboim and the recording engineers rise impressively. --Joe McLellan

Customer Reviews

The Triple Concerto...magnificent in audio, video & emotion
A fabulous DVD!

This disc was recorded in 1995 and features Yo-Yo Ma, Itzhak Perlman, Daniel Barenboim (on piano and orchestra conductor) with the Berlin Philharmonic.

I became interested in this music because I'd heard the Choral Fantasy while listening to CBC radio 2 (Canada). When I looked up the Choral Fantasy on Amazon.com I found that it was available on DVD and it also contained Beethoven's Triple Concerto. It was a pleasant surprise to find both these magnificent works on one disc.

There were many things I liked about this disc...to mention a few.

-while the Choral Fantasy is awesome on its own (with Daniel Barenboim giving a virtuoso performance), it is the Triple Concerto that is the spectacular focal point on this disc. Its infectious melody is performed with such pace and intensity that I sensed that all participants were totally absorbed in giving what could only be described, at least to me, as a performance of a lifetime.

-this disc is the perfect example of why classical music such as this should be on DVD as well as CD. The video of this performance does so much to enhance the enjoyment of the music; the camera work and film editing for the entire disc make this DVD a superior product. There were close ups of fingers and instruments, as well as shots of individuals and some panoramic views of the orchestra. The camera switching was done with impeccable timing and with great effect; for instance, there is one point in the 3rd movement of the Triple Concerto that you could see the perspiration glistening on Yo-Yo Ma's brow as rivulets of sweat ran down his cheek. Just great camera work!

-the emotional impact of the music on Ma , Perlman and Barenboim during this performance cannot be overstated; the intensity and concentration on the faces, as well as the animated body language of the principals could be clearly seen and appreciated.

-and finally, it appeared that all three featured performers, as well as the orchestra and chorus were elated with the way this performance continued to progress during the evening; a sense of joyous accomplishment seemed to permeate the orchestral stage... What a thrill it must have been to have witnessed live.

Highlight of the disc:
So many to consider, but I think my favorite part of this entire disc is Yo-Yo Ma's beginning of the beautiful Largo (2nd movement); He is totally absorbed in his work, every note played with the utmost tenderness and feeling. Stirring to watch.

All in all, a 5 star performance in audio, video and most importantly emotional content. It's just hard to imagine finding a better Triple Concerto or Choral Fantasy anywhere.

P.S. The only thing I found odd about this performance was the delayed audience response at the end of the Triple Concerto. (one of the other reviewers mentioned this as well) I got the feeling from the way the audience finally responded, that they weren't quite sure it was over (that no one wanted to be the first to clap or cheer); the only other explanations would be that they didn't like it (unlikely) or were so enraptured with the music they simply forget when it was finished.

Fantastic concerto
This is a fantastic performance by some of the best performers in our era. The beauty of this piece is that the trio need to work tremendously well together. They haven't disappointed. Adding that Berlin Phil gives first class performance as usual, it is simply quite amazing.

It is live recording so you can see the artist at work in the most brilliant fashion. One might not be there live, but surely the DVD quality is close in re-living in the actual concert hall.

In the CD review, people complain about audience clapping. There are no real problems there, except the audience are a bit slow to applause. Don't know why. To me, the performance deserves a standing ovation and a passionate praise.

The Chorus Fantasy is a pretty unusually piece, I should think. The Choir has to wait about 15 mins before they can sing their first chore. I buy the DVD because of the Tripo, never-or-less, I am sure I will enjoy it when I watch it more.

I think this is the best music DVD I have bought so far. I have bought in a HK shop as a cut price DVD for about US$ 18. I surely think it is an absolute bargain.

I have also bought the early 80's CD version of Yo-Yo Ma, A-S Mutter and Zeltser with Von Karajan and the Berlin Philharmonic. It is also worth buying in terms of pure music enjoyment.

Barenboim in excelsis
I first heard Daniel Barenboim when I was a teenager. The performance was of Mozart's d minor piano concerto, with the Orchestre National de Paris. I had heard other versions of the d minor concerto previously -- Uchida's, probably -- but this one was different. The words that come to mind are "virile," "masculine", almost "clangorous" or "metallic", like the sounds of an army invading, shields and armor rattling. Then I went through a major Glenn Gould phase in college, and kind of forgot about Barenboim.

This DVD, however, was all I needed to remind me. While the disc, as a whole, is masterful -- tremendous program played by tremendous players -- there is one moment, later in the "Choral Fantasia" which made it worth the price of purchase. It is the variation where Beethoven has the piano converse with the wind choir.

Barenboim, conducting as well as playing, suddenly begins lifting his hands really high from the keyboard, in between beats. At first, I am puzzled by what looks like some over-acting at the keyboard. Then it hits me; he's showing the wind-players his hands to let them see where his rhythmic accents are falling.

When I think about the difficulty implicit in this -- playing a Beethoven solo piano passage, and simultaneously cueing players on the other side of the auditorium to lock into the parts of the rhythm not played by the piano -- my mind boggles.

Barenboim is a genius on the order of the old nineteenth century virtuosi like Rubinstein, Liszt, or Henselt.