In the summer months,
the Berlin Philharmonic gives a concert
in the Waldbühne, a large open-air park
in Berlin. I suppose these concerts
are akin to the UKs Kenwood and Leeds
Castle events with the exception that
the current concert uses the Berlin
Philharmonic with an internationally
famous soloist and conductor.
The present DVD is
directed by Bob Coles, and we have imaginative
camera work and superb sound to enhance
our pleasure, incidentally shared by
the vast audience sitting or standing
all around the stage.
The concert is made
up solely of pieces of music (popular
and not so popular) which have been
played as encores. This DVD is similar
in nature to the CD released on EMI
a few years ago by Mariss Jansons conducting
the Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra. The
repertoire is similar although there
is not a total overlap. This is an example
of the superiority of the DVD medium
for preserving this kind of event. The
visual impact is substantial, with orchestra,
soloist and conductor all thoroughly
enjoying themselves.
The last five items
are all Jansons favourites, and I have
heard these played in London at various
times as actual encores to concerts
by him and his Norwegian orchestra.
Jansons has the ability to invest tremendous
zest in these pieces. He is aided and
abetted by Vadim Repin and the Berlin
Philharmonic at their most lusty; anyone
purchasing this disc is in for a treat.
The Berlin Philharmonic
plays superbly for Mariss Jansons, and
the total artistry of Vadim Repin only
adds to the total effect. This is the
first Waldbuhne concert where the effect
of the Berliner Luft (the German
equivalent of our Pomp and Circumstance
March No. 1 at the Proms) makes
less impact than I was expecting. This
is primarily because of what has gone
before sheer magic!. Repins playing
of the Paganini has to be watched to
be believed, and the audience, quite
justifiably, go wild at the end, causing
him to repeat the piece, this time modified
for even greater effect, enchanting
all present including orchestra and
conductor.
The audience is extremely
well behaved, with none of the drunken
rowdiness which occasionally mars functions
like this in Britain. Like the Proms,
the audience appears to be extremely
well behaved until the last piece is
reached, when sparklers are lit and
waved about in the dark. If the repertoire
attracts you, then go out and buy this
disc I guarantee you will enjoy it,
and with such good sound, notes and
production, it is a winner. I wish TDK
every success with this issue. Based
on these performances, we should be
in for some more superb music-making
in Amsterdam later this year, when Jansons
takes over the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra.
Come on TDK, how about recording some
concerts there.
John Phillips
*
Vadim Repin violin
TDK DVD - WBNOE [116 minutes]