Amadeus Blu ray Book Blu ray
April 10, 2009 by Classical Music · Leave a Comment
Abrahams salieri declares war against the heavens for speaking through the genius of wolfgang amadeus mozart played by hulce. Flashbacks illuminate the mad energetic brilliance of mozart and salieris struggle with his own mediocrity. Studio: Warner Home Video Release Date: 02/10/2009 Starring: F Murray Abraham Jeffery Jones Run time: 180 minutes Rating: Pg Director: Milos Forman
User Ratings and Reviews
1 Star Mozart was not like this
I am aware that sometimes a movie take liberties about the subject they depict but in the case of Amadeus we are not talking about liberties, but about complete and utterly false distortions of who Mozart was, and about his life and history.
Had this movie been about a fictional character, I would have judged it as very good. But since it claims to be about Mozart, than lets get some facts straight (I wont even touch the subject of Mozart’s genius - suffice to say he was the greatest composer who ever lived, and every composer who lived after him recognised this)
- Mozart never signed any composition with the name Amadeus - but with Amade. Mozart’s name was actually Teophillus or Gottlieb - which in latin would translate to Amadeus, but he never used the latin name, instead he used the french translation - Amade.
- Mozart was NOT a poor guy, whose talent was unappreciated by his contemporaries. In fact Joseph Haydn, one of Mozart closest friends - and of course not shown in this picture - has said, in 1785, to Mozarts father Leopold, during Leopold’s visit in Viena : “Your son is the greatest composer known to me either in person or by name” (in the movie Salieri is credited with this line). Mozart was the first free-lance composer the world has ever know, and he was making A LOT of money. He lived in a house in central Vienna, had servants and a carriage (big thing in those days). He was probably the best dressed in all Vienna, and everybody who knew his recognized that Mozart had a sublime and perfect taste in everything he did.
- The myth of Mozart poverty comes from two facts. Nr. 1 - he was buryied in the common grave. Of course, it’s never mentioned that 90% of Viena’s population at that time was buryied in the same way, since there was an imperial edict forbidding individual graves to anybody but the aristocracy. Nr. 2 - he borrowed money once or twice from a friend in 1788. Well, Austria was at war those days, the economy was in shambles, and Mozart, as a freelance composer, whitout a patron to support him, had to adjust. But at his death he was not a poor man, 1791 was a great year for him, as he made quite a little fortune with ZauberFlote and La Clementa di Tito, as well and some other works that he publised.
- Mozart seldom drank. He probably enjoyed a glass of wine once in a while, but he was NOT the alcoholic shown in the movie.
- Mozart never cheated on his wife - if fact he was one of the most straitforward of all composers, probably as much as Bach. He loved Constanze with all his heart, and she loved him back the same way. There are hundreds of letter that survie to prove this. Constanze never cheated on him either, she gave birth to six children, of who only 2 survied to adulthood. She never dumped Mozart - but due to health problem she went to Baden a couple of times (which was not cheap, and Mozart paid for it)
- Salieri and Mozart never had any problems or dispute, in fact they even were on the same stage a some point. Leopold - who was a conspiracy theory addict - claimed that there was a cabala of italians that conjured against him and Wolfgang, but later on, when Mozart broke away from his father, he realized that this was not true. In fact, later on, Constantze trusted the musical education of her two surviving sons (not one, as depicted in the movie) to Salieri. Whould a mother have trusted her sons to the man who murdered their father?
- Salieri was a great composer, one of the best of his time. His music is not in the repertoire anymore, but lets remember that at that time there were hundreds of composers, who wrote tons of music, since in a time with no TV, CD, iPOD, cinema, etc, music was all there was. The fact only two names from that era are still performed today, Mozart and Haydn, is a testament to their great genius, and not a proof that the others were bad, or mediocre. Salieri was one of the best composers around at that time, and this is why Beethoven chose to select his as his canto teacher in the 1790’s. He was also a very generous man, who helped a lot o people in his life. It is claimed that later in his life, in 1822, when he was in a mental hospital, he admited to poisoning Mozart, but this is denied by the two servants that cared for him (those two depicted at the beginning of the movie), who declared under oath that he never said that.
- Mozart was not a vulgar man. There are hundreds of leters surviving him to prove this. He used some foul language sometimes, but in a clever way, not in the grotesque way depicted in the movie.
- Mozart did not died alone. He was surounded by his whole family, and his final ilness span over 6 weeks. It is not sure what it was, but the final blow that led to his death was the medical treatment he was submitted to. As his wife’s sister recalls - he was severly bled that night (blood letting was the miracle cure for everything in those days), after which he never regained consciousness, and died the following morning. The treatment was applied by one of the best doctors of the time - another proof that Mozart was not a poor guy. Sophie Weber claimed that the procedure seemed to have made Mozart worse, but that he would have died anyway. Let me have some serious doubts on this.
- Magic Flute was premiered some 3 month before Mozart death. In fact Mozart had time to write quite a few things inbetween, including the opera La Clemenza di Tito. The Magic Flute was extremely succesfull, and was preformed almost every other night at Shickaneder’s theatre, bringing a lot of cash to Mozart. In 1892 it already reached 100 performances.
- Don Giovanni was actually comissioned by the Opera in Prague, where it was a great succes. It was comissioned after the huge succes of Le Nozze di Figaro. Mozart was venerated like a god in Prague.
- Although Mozart was tidyer than other composers, Beethoven for instance, he was not pouring out music dictated by god with the only duty to write it down. He worked very hard for his composition, and he was not afraid to cut and throw away what he was not satisfied with.
- Reqviem was comisioned not by Salieri, but by count Franz von Walsegg, who had the habit of comissioning works from different composers and then publish them as his own. Mozart knew who he was composing the reqviem for. He was working on it when he died, and left it unfinished.
And the list goes on, like for instance the King not being able to play well the piano - Joseph II was in fact a skilled piano player and sometimes even played on stage; or Mozart composing Noze di Figaro without the king knowing about it - the opposite is actually true, the king knew and first approved of the text of Da Ponte, and then Mozart started working on it.
Mozart was a great man. A great musical genius, but also a nice and considerate person, who has almost never iritated and morose, a nice guy who almost never spoke a bad word about anybody. He was perfectly aware of his genius - but what genius is not?
He deserves a lot more than the parody he is given in this movie.
5 Stars Absolutely the best depiction
of Mozart and the era he lived in. The music is superb, the costumes, the acting, the settings are exceptionally well done. But most of all, the pace that carries the viewer through the emotions and keeps it up till the end is outstanding. It’s not at all often that one connects to a high level to the character’s lives. If I could own only one DVD, this would be the one.
3 Stars DIRECTOR’S CUT DOESNT DELIVER
Like Wolfgan Amadeus sais in the movie, too many notes! How can can you re-write what’s already perfect ???…the original movie is GREAT…Directors cut gives scenes that mislead the characters personalities already established….TOO MANY NOTES!!!
Also I am maaad with Amazone because when I bought the blu ray never says it’s the directors cut which I already have and hate!
GET THE THEATRICAL VERSION IN BLU RAY!!!
4 Stars Very good piece of work
The movie is a classic , beautiful photography and narration , great performances , and sound!!!
In Blu Ray is even better!!!
5 Stars This movie will make anyone an instant classical music fan
This is a must see movie. The acting, directing, costumes and, of course the music are stellar. The directers cut is longer then the original but it is just more of a great thing. Also the short section on the making of the film is worth veiwing.
This movie is rated as on of the top 100 films by the AFI and you can see why.
At the Coliseum
April 10, 2009 by Classical Music · Leave a Comment
Studio: Sony Music Release Date: 01/27/2009
User Ratings and Reviews
4 Stars Beautiful music!
This DVD concert is an experience in hearing impressive music sung by 4 gorgeous men in a beautiful historic setting. How can you beat that? I do wish there were more songs on DVD! I especially loved “Amazing Grace”.
1 Star Il Divo DVD
This item was purchased 2/20/09, seller was paid 2/20/09.. email told me I would get this item between 2/27/09 and 03/16/09.. Today is April 2nd, I have yet to receive this item.. After 3 tries at trying to reach the seller, I finally heard from them and was told they would send a replacement or if they couldn’t they would send the payment back… I have emailed 3 more times, begging to be told whether they are replacing it or what.. still no answer.. I gave one star but only because I had to give one, if I could do it, I would give this seller a minus 5 stars.. I am an 82 year old recent widow, and could have gotten a lot of enjoyment out of this DVD.. cannot afford to buy another as long as my money is tied up in this sale…How much more do I have to beg to get some action out of this seller… at least 6 emails sent and only one answer.. This is good business..?????Jane S. Melberg
5 Stars Amazing Grace
My parents loved the video of Amazing Grace at the Pula Colliseum when they saw it, so when I saw it listed I got this DVD for them. Il Divo is a talented group and songs like Amazing Grace, Alelujiaj, Ava Maria (not on this one), Adagio, etc., really suit them. The locations also add a lot to the overall wow factor. They can do without covering some of the pop songs which I do not think do justice for their style (just my opinion).
Long story short, if you’ve seen the any of the songs performed at the Pula Colliseum online or on tv and enjoyed the performance, I think this DVD is worth the price.
4 Stars Very good, but…
This is a great DVD, worth the money just for the Amazing Grace track, but the buyer should be aware that only the video was recorded at the Coliseum. The music and voices were recorded elsewhere. The result is that there is a perceived disconnect between the visual and the audio. The tone of the voices doesn’t match what it would sound like if recorded live and the lips don’t synch very well with the sung words. It is a little disconcerting, but one gets used to it.
5 Stars Powerful visuals to accompany powerful music
If you’re an Il Divo fan, this video is a must. To see them perform adds a whole new dimension to their work. Every song is a winner and amazingly well-done.
Symphony Live in Vienna CD and DVD Amaray
April 10, 2009 by Classical Music · Leave a Comment
Symphony Live in Vienna CD and DVD Amaray
In January 2008, Sarah Brightman recorded and filmed Symphony — Live in Vienna within the mystical walls of Stephansdome Cathedral in the heart of where classical music evolved — Vienna, Austria. Renowned for its awe-inspiring Gothic architecture, the cathedral was the perfect setting to enter the magical world of Symphony lead by the voice of the beautiful, gothic-angel. The concert includes repertoire from her album Symphony and some of her most popular songs (”Phantom of the Opera,” “Time to Say Goodbye”).
COMBO PACKAGES TRACKLISTING*
1. Pie Jesu
2. Fleurs du Mal
3. Symphony
4. Sanvean
5. Canto della Terra (duet w/Alessandro Safina)
6. Sarai Qui (duet w/Alessandro Safina)
7. Attesa
8. I Will Be with You (Where the Lost Ones Go) (duet w/Chris Thompson)
9. Storia d’Amore
10. Pasi
Amadeus
April 10, 2009 by Classical Music · Leave a Comment
The satirical sensibilities of writer Peter Shaffer and director Milos Forman (One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest) were ideally matched in this Oscar-winning movie adaptation of Shaffer’s hit play about the rivalry between two composers in the court of Austrian Emperor Joseph II–official royal composer Antonio Salieri (F. Murray Abraham), and the younger but superior prodigy Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (Tom Hulce). The conceit is absolutely delicious: Salieri secretly loathes Mozart’s crude and bratty personality, but is astounded by the beauty of his music. That’s the heart of Salieri’s torment–although he’s in a unique position to recognize and cultivate both Mozart’s talent and career, he’s also consumed with envy and insecurity in the face of such genius. That such magnificent music should come from such a vulgar little creature strikes Salieri as one of God’s cruelest jokes, and it drives him insane. Amadeus creates peculiar and delightful contrasts between the impeccably re-created details of its lavish period setting and the jarring (but humorously refreshing and unstuffy) modern tone of its dialogue and performances–all of which serve to remind us that these were people before they became enshrined in historical and artistic legend. Jeffrey Jones, best-known as Ferris Bueller’s principal, is particularly wonderful as the bumbling emperor (with the voice of a modern midlevel businessman). The film’s eight Oscars include statuettes for Best Director Forman, Best Actor Abraham (Hulce was also nominated), Best Screenplay, and Best Picture. –Jim Emerson
User Ratings and Reviews
1 Star Mozart was not like this
I am aware that sometimes a movie take liberties about the subject they depict but in the case of Amadeus we are not talking about liberties, but about complete and utterly false distortions of who Mozart was, and about his life and history.
Had this movie been about a fictional character, I would have judged it as very good. But since it claims to be about Mozart, than lets get some facts straight (I wont even touch the subject of Mozart’s genius - suffice to say he was the greatest composer who ever lived, and every composer who lived after him recognised this)
- Mozart never signed any composition with the name Amadeus - but with Amade. Mozart’s name was actually Teophillus or Gottlieb - which in latin would translate to Amadeus, but he never used the latin name, instead he used the french translation - Amade.
- Mozart was NOT a poor guy, whose talent was unappreciated by his contemporaries. In fact Joseph Haydn, one of Mozart closest friends - and of course not shown in this picture - has said, in 1785, to Mozarts father Leopold, during Leopold’s visit in Viena : “Your son is the greatest composer known to me either in person or by name” (in the movie Salieri is credited with this line). Mozart was the first free-lance composer the world has ever know, and he was making A LOT of money. He lived in a house in central Vienna, had servants and a carriage (big thing in those days). He was probably the best dressed in all Vienna, and everybody who knew his recognized that Mozart had a sublime and perfect taste in everything he did.
- The myth of Mozart poverty comes from two facts. Nr. 1 - he was buryied in the common grave. Of course, it’s never mentioned that 90% of Viena’s population at that time was buryied in the same way, since there was an imperial edict forbidding individual graves to anybody but the aristocracy. Nr. 2 - he borrowed money once or twice from a friend in 1788. Well, Austria was at war those days, the economy was in shambles, and Mozart, as a freelance composer, whitout a patron to support him, had to adjust. But at his death he was not a poor man, 1791 was a great year for him, as he made quite a little fortune with ZauberFlote and La Clementa di Tito, as well and some other works that he publised.
- Mozart seldom drank. He probably enjoyed a glass of wine once in a while, but he was NOT the alcoholic shown in the movie.
- Mozart never cheated on his wife - if fact he was one of the most straitforward of all composers, probably as much as Bach. He loved Constanze with all his heart, and she loved him back the same way. There are hundreds of letter that survie to prove this. Constanze never cheated on him either, she gave birth to six children, of who only 2 survied to adulthood. She never dumped Mozart - but due to health problem she went to Baden a couple of times (which was not cheap, and Mozart paid for it)
- Salieri and Mozart never had any problems or dispute, in fact they even were on the same stage a some point. Leopold - who was a conspiracy theory addict - claimed that there was a cabala of italians that conjured against him and Wolfgang, but later on, when Mozart broke away from his father, he realized that this was not true. In fact, later on, Constantze trusted the musical education of her two surviving sons (not one, as depicted in the movie) to Salieri. Whould a mother have trusted her sons to the man who murdered their father?
- Salieri was a great composer, one of the best of his time. His music is not in the repertoire anymore, but lets remember that at that time there were hundreds of composers, who wrote tons of music, since in a time with no TV, CD, iPOD, cinema, etc, music was all there was. The fact only two names from that era are still performed today, Mozart and Haydn, is a testament to their great genius, and not a proof that the others were bad, or mediocre. Salieri was one of the best composers around at that time, and this is why Beethoven chose to select his as his canto teacher in the 1790’s. He was also a very generous man, who helped a lot o people in his life. It is claimed that later in his life, in 1822, when he was in a mental hospital, he admited to poisoning Mozart, but this is denied by the two servants that cared for him (those two depicted at the beginning of the movie), who declared under oath that he never said that.
- Mozart was not a vulgar man. There are hundreds of leters surviving him to prove this. He used some foul language sometimes, but in a clever way, not in the grotesque way depicted in the movie.
- Mozart did not died alone. He was surounded by his whole family, and his final ilness span over 6 weeks. It is not sure what it was, but the final blow that led to his death was the medical treatment he was submitted to. As his wife’s sister recalls - he was severly bled that night (blood letting was the miracle cure for everything in those days), after which he never regained consciousness, and died the following morning. The treatment was applied by one of the best doctors of the time - another proof that Mozart was not a poor guy. Sophie Weber claimed that the procedure seemed to have made Mozart worse, but that he would have died anyway. Let me have some serious doubts on this.
- Magic Flute was premiered some 3 month before Mozart death. In fact Mozart had time to write quite a few things inbetween, including the opera La Clemenza di Tito. The Magic Flute was extremely succesfull, and was preformed almost every other night at Shickaneder’s theatre, bringing a lot of cash to Mozart. In 1892 it already reached 100 performances.
- Don Giovanni was actually comissioned by the Opera in Prague, where it was a great succes. It was comissioned after the huge succes of Le Nozze di Figaro. Mozart was venerated like a god in Prague.
- Although Mozart was tidyer than other composers, Beethoven for instance, he was not pouring out music dictated by god with the only duty to write it down. He worked very hard for his composition, and he was not afraid to cut and throw away what he was not satisfied with.
- Reqviem was comisioned not by Salieri, but by count Franz von Walsegg, who had the habit of comissioning works from different composers and then publish them as his own. Mozart knew who he was composing the reqviem for. He was working on it when he died, and left it unfinished.
And the list goes on, like for instance the King not being able to play well the piano - Joseph II was in fact a skilled piano player and sometimes even played on stage; or Mozart composing Noze di Figaro without the king knowing about it - the opposite is actually true, the king knew and first approved of the text of Da Ponte, and then Mozart started working on it.
Mozart was a great man. A great musical genius, but also a nice and considerate person, who has almost never iritated and morose, a nice guy who almost never spoke a bad word about anybody. He was perfectly aware of his genius - but what genius is not?
He deserves a lot more than the parody he is given in this movie.
5 Stars Absolutely the best depiction
of Mozart and the era he lived in. The music is superb, the costumes, the acting, the settings are exceptionally well done. But most of all, the pace that carries the viewer through the emotions and keeps it up till the end is outstanding. It’s not at all often that one connects to a high level to the character’s lives. If I could own only one DVD, this would be the one.
3 Stars DIRECTOR’S CUT DOESNT DELIVER
Like Wolfgan Amadeus sais in the movie, too many notes! How can can you re-write what’s already perfect ???…the original movie is GREAT…Directors cut gives scenes that mislead the characters personalities already established….TOO MANY NOTES!!!
Also I am maaad with Amazone because when I bought the blu ray never says it’s the directors cut which I already have and hate!
GET THE THEATRICAL VERSION IN BLU RAY!!!
4 Stars Very good piece of work
The movie is a classic , beautiful photography and narration , great performances , and sound!!!
In Blu Ray is even better!!!
5 Stars This movie will make anyone an instant classical music fan
This is a must see movie. The acting, directing, costumes and, of course the music are stellar. The directers cut is longer then the original but it is just more of a great thing. Also the short section on the making of the film is worth veiwing.
This movie is rated as on of the top 100 films by the AFI and you can see why.
Fantasia Special 60th Anniversary Edition
April 10, 2009 by Classical Music · Leave a Comment
Fantasia Special 60th Anniversary Edition
Groundbreaking on several counts, not the least of which was an innovative use of animation and stereophonic sound, this ambitious Disney feature has lost nothing to time since its release in 1940. Classical music was interpreted by Disney animators, resulting in surreal fantasy and playful escapism. Leopold Stokowski and the Philadelphia Orchestra provided the music for eight segments by the composers Tchaikovsky, Moussorgsky, Stravinsky, Beethoven, Ponchielli, Bach, Dukas, and Schubert. Not all the sequences were created equally, but a few are simply glorious, such as “Night on Bald Mountain,” “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice,” and “The Nutcracker Suite.” The animation ranges from subtly delicate to fiercely bold. The screen bursts with color and action as creatures transmute and convention is thrust aside. The painstaking detail and saturated hues are unique to this film, unmatched even by more advanced technology. –Rochelle O’Gorman
User Ratings and Reviews
5 Stars All-time Favorite
This is a movie for everyone. It is fantastic music combined with the animation and imagination of Disney. I personally liked the Classical music. Since the cutting of musical programs in schools, this is good exposure to the classics for children (and the whole family.) The narration between pieces of music is really good. It is informative and entertaining. This movie should not be missed. It is educational, entertaining, and extremely artistic.
2 Stars Looked Copied
Our Copy of Fantasia was low quality and appeared copied… would not recommend this seller
5 Stars Fantasia DVD
I received this item in excellent condition and faster than I expected! I would definitly order from this vendor again with no reservations! I also feel the price was very reasonable. Thank you.
5 Stars Fantasia DVD
Ordered it - didn’t come. Emailed seller - was told it was lost in PO & sending another. Didn’t come. PO traced - “left 2 notices”. No notices found. Delivery confirm didn’t need signature - PO lied. Finally got it fine as promised by seller.
4 Stars Good Product
I am very satisfied with this product. The only thing that i didn’t like was that the content of the DVD Case was only the DVD itself, I expected to be some kind of documentation. The movie was just as I remembered it, when I saw it, for the first time. This is a colectible item, that’s why I expected to be more content. The shipping was within the estimated time announced by the seller.
