ArmanArman, Howard - Barockstar

Gorgeous photography, superb Baroque singers and instrumentalists, lots of information about various buildings, close-ups of Baroque instruments including great organs -- but where's Waldo -- I mean, Handel.I gave this DVD four stars for what it does offer, but if I were to grade it exclusively on its biographical information I would have to give it only one star. Perhaps my low grading on the biographical value of Barockstar is due to the fact that I was (and am still) looking for a chronology of Handel's musical accomplishments. His operas, for example, are barely touched on in this DVD.Perhaps we could call this production "Handel Lite". Buy it by all means; I cannot fault the musical presentations -- and that's primarily what Handel is all about. However, you (and I, alas, as I need an introductory piece to a series of explorations of Handel's place in the Baroque era) will have to look elsewhere for solid information about his musical progress.As a side: after my disappointment in Barockstar, I bought God Rot Tunbridge Wells. Don't. The singers and instrumentalists are fantastic, but the DVD is more about the director than it is about Handel. Let's call this one Handel Noir. If you read this review before January 2012, and know of a DVD that will meet my specifications, please comment.

I learned a lot from this DVD; the combination of splendid visuals and great musical excerpts worked well. The interviewees were a bit of a mixed bag...musicians, conductors and historians, of some of the latter of whom looked like they'd been trapped in Baroque archives since childhood. Nonetheless they all added to the picture, and it was very enjoyable. Recommended.

Great!

A wonderful DVD of the great master George Friedrich Handel.Good quality in both picture and sound.This DVD is highly recommended.

ok

This film has substance and frames it beautifully. The team steers clear of two common problems with art-historical documentaries. One is the tendency to make them cheap: to say a few generalities, bounce around a bit, and count on the goodwill of the interested viewer. Here, thankfully, the cinematography is first-rate and the production design is solid, especially in the Italian sequences. The visuals frame the communicative power of Handel's art well. The second slip avoided here is to make a film like this by and for musicologists only. The approach is intelligent but accessible and it captures the broad resonance of Handel's music. There is lots of context: filming on locations, excerpts from rehearsals, and interviews with musicians. Yes, it would have been good to include more information on Handel himself, but the film still makes for a pleasurable and informative viewing for music-lovers and casual listeners alike. Don't let the bland cover discourage you.

Il est évidemment impossible de résumer en une heure la vie de Georg Friedrich Haendel, un homme «grand comme le monde» selon Franz Liszt. Ce dvd pédagogique sorti en 2009 à l'occasion du 250ème de la disparition du musicien nous convie à un grand voyage ponctué de témoignages et d'intermèdes musicaux. De Halle à Hambourg, de l'Italie à l'Angleterre..., ce documentaire permet de survoler une existence artistique européenne fascinante.Même si le commentaire comporte quelques imperfections, d'inévitables raccourcis et des lieux communs, on ne boude pas son plaisir; accordons 4 étoiles à un exercice difficile en souhaitant peut-être un jour un grand film sur celui que Ludwig van Beethoven considérait comme le plus grand compositeur ayant jamais existé.Précisons également que ce dvd comporte une vingtaine de minutes de bonus.

Kurz und kurzweilig. Natürlich nicht allumfassend, wer sich aber einen kurzen Überblick verschaffen will, hat hier genau das Richtige zum Thema Händel

....TOLLE MUSIKEINLAGEN, WUNDERBARE BILDER DERORIGINALSCHAUPLÄTZE: FÜR JEDEN HÄNDEL- UND KLASSIK-FREUND EINE ABSOLUTE EMPFEHLUNG !