Great review of the Newport Music Festival DVDS

The 2007 Newport Music Festival
Written by Mike Restaino
Wednesday, 02 July 2008
Acorn Media / 2008 / 900 Minutes / Unrated
Street Date: July 1, 2008

I requested this title to review as a kind of self-imposed history lesson. At one point in my bizarre life I was well versed in the minutiae of classical music; I was a classically-trained pianist until I left for college and gave up piano concertos for the lure of flickering cinema. But, to be honest, I’ve had a rock n’ roll heart the last decade or two, so I was ready to re-open my mind and soul to the rigors and majesty of symphonic music.

And let me tell you, this 2007 Newport Music Festival DVD set did the trick. Comprised of ten hefty discs, each one chock-full of material, I was able to sit back and really soak in the music and the feeling of this legendary festival (an addendum to the New York Metropolitan Opera season). This is what I soaked up:

Disc one offers an insanely energetic concert by 20-year-old pianist Adam Golka that runs the gamut from note-heavy Schubert sonatas to Chopin mazurkas. But it’s not just the guy’s finger gymnastics that impress; in an almost Glenn Gould-like capacity, he’s able to infuse his recital with undeniable verve and, somehow, uniqueness.

Disc two brings us Jean-Philippe Collard and Henri Demarquette up front, showcasing their piano (Collard) and cello (Demarquette) prowess. They start with Chopin Sonata in B Minor, and then move into some Schubert, all the while keeping up a lovely sense of mood. These French prodigies really dig deep into this music.

Disc three is titled Lisztening Post (boy, those classical music guys sure have a funny bone), and while this session – featuring pianist Kevin Fitzgerald – begins with Mozart Ave Verum, it quickly turns to Lizst-arranged versions of Schumann and Verdi before careening to a finale with Lizst’s own Spanish Rhapsody.

Disc four is probably my favorite of this collection. It showcases the inimitable talents of The Colorado Quartet, an all-female group that blasts through Haydn, Beethoven, and more before stunning with Dvorak String Quartet No. 14. And not only does this group turn in a fantastic performance, they offer some information about their playing styles and the pieces they’re covering. Fascinating.

Disc five lets some singers contribute, and its… intriguing. The vocal/piano duo of Valerie Wilson Morris and John Bayless is occasionally fascinating – Bayless’ euphoric take on Mozart Piano Sonata No. 7 is mesmerizing – but the only time this disc really takes off is during Bayless’ “comedy” bit in which he presents modern pieces of music as if they were written by the greats (and vice versa). Whether it’s the idea of Beethoven channeling Judy Garland or Dave Brubeck heading to the Blue Danube, it’s a totally smart and inviting set.

Disc six offers more eclectic pieces – from composers such as Joseph Holbrooke and Theodore Dubois, as well as some fella named Mozart – as performed on violin, piano, and horn. It’s wonderful to see some contemporary material fused with the gold standards, but even with this disc’s unique line-up, I found my mind wandering fairly often.

Disc seven is chock-full of octets. We get some ethereal performances of Herold, Moscheles, and Bruch (among others) with piano-led fireworks of immense talent.

Disc eight showcases pianist Eduardus Halim as he performs selected Schumann pieces. Able to juxtapose butterfly-flutter dynamism and bold, broad-stroked emotion in his playing, Halim really gets these pieces going. Of all the pianists on this collection, he really gives Schumann a new life of his own.

Disc nine focuses on chamber pieces, and for this writer, it really didn’t have the kind of panoramic intrigue as other discs in this release. There are moments of punchy bravura – a piece by composer Henri Wienlawski is particularly evocative – but for the most part, this one kind of passed me by.

My reaction to the ho-hum nature of disc nine is balanced out by a killer tenth disc. Labelled as Best of the Fest, this compilation of lovely double-piano performances (featuring virtuoso Pedja Muzijevic, among others), dives into well-known material (Bach, Chopin) as well as more out-of-left-field choices (Gottschalk). It showcases the wide-ranging aesthetic aims of the festival, and it’s a fantastic way to close out the collection.

After spending hours and hours with this DVD set, this writer walks away with his appreciation for classical music newly energized. It should come as no surprise that I even got out some of my old Glenn Gould records after the last DVD was finished, even though this 10-disc set wasn’t air-tight and consistently engaging. But despite a handful of selections that won’t terribly impress, The 2007 Newport Music Festival is a real goldmine for classical music lovers. It’s not like actually being there, but I’ll be damned if it wasn’t a real eye-opener, nonetheless.

The Video: How Does The Disc Look?

These 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen transfers are hit and miss. The outdoor performances are a mess. Whether it’s lighting issues, difficulties with contrast or inconsistent black levels, these sequences are iffy at best. Indoors is a different story; with clean transfers, lovely finely grained detail and impressive color accuracy, these sequences complement their sound tracks with lovely presence.

The Audio: How Does The Disc Sound?

If the visual components of these discs are merely so-so, the Dolby Digital 5.1 tracks are anything but. The music on these DVDs comes through with such dynamism and finesse that it is often mind-blowing. Both low- and high-ends are presented with impeccable fidelity. There’s hardly a washed-out aural moment to mention. Even the raucous sounds of audience applause come through brilliantly. Surrounds are given a helluva workout, which seals the deal. These are fantastic mixes.

Supplements: What Goodies Are There?

First, we get a series of bonus performances. Disc one presents a recital of Rachmaninoff Trio Eligiaque No.2 in D Minor for cello, violin and piano; disc two has an astonishing performance from kiddies Eugen Tichindeleanu and Daniel del Pino (on violin and piano, respectively) as they blaze through Schubert Faintaisie in C Major. On disc three, we have a performance of Korngold Piano Trio in D Major Op. 1. Disc four gives us a bonus show from the Colorado Quartet as they pummel through Dvorak String Quartet No. 12 in F Major. Disc five showcases Alain Jacquon and Grigorios Zampara as they perform the insanely difficult Rachmaninoff Symphonic Dances. Disc six gives us Granados Trio for Violin, Cello and Piano with the same folks who contribute the bulk of the performance on the rest of the disc. Disc seven offers a performance of Villa-Lobos Piano trio No.1 in C Minor. Disc eight gives us a Halim performance of Liszt Transcendental Etudes. Disc nine showcases Litloff Grand Trio For Piano, Violin and Cello. And disc ten gives us a Pedja Muzijevic performance of Schubert Piano Sonata in A Minor.

In addition to those extras, we have a series of interviews with festival director Mark Malkovich that offer interesting background on the concerts and those participating in them.

Exclusive DVD-ROM Features: What happens when you pop the disc into your PC?

There are no DVD-ROM features on these DVDs.

Final Thoughts

This isn’t exactly the type of title that flies off the shelf, but for classical music lovers looking for an audio/video presentation of some wonderfully-performed pieces, The 2007 Newport Music Festival is definitely worth a peek. The 10-DVD set’s sound tracks are glorious, and there are a few solid bonuses. So even if the video quality of this release isn’t air-tight, it’s hard to hold a grudge. Watch out for the list price, though; as intriguing as this title may be, its $100+ price tag may not make it completely worth your while. But it’s definitely worth a rental (at least a few of the discs) for discerning classical music aficionados.