Sarah Brightman Symphony: Live in Vienna (CD & DVD)
List Price:
Our Price: $12.10
You Save: $12.88 (52%)
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Buy Used: from $12.07 (click here)
Category: DVD
See more DVD details
Buy this DVD movie at online store in your country
Canada
Canada
DVD details
Artist: Sarah BrightmanDVD: Region Code 0
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language)
Format: Color, DVD, NTSC
Picture Format: 1.33:1
Running Time: 75 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2009-03-10
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: Manhattan Records
Product features:
- BRIGHTMAN SARAH SYMPHONY LIVE IN VIENA (CD+DVD)
DVD Reviews of Sarah Brightman Symphony: Live in Vienna (CD & DVD)
DVD Review: "Symphony": Not as bad as I thought it would be.
Summary: 4 Stars
As much as I love Sarah Brightman and her work, I stayed away from this DVD for a while because of the loud, bombastic, Goth-rock theme. Only recently I decided to take the leap and watch it.
I surprised myself by liking this concert immensely, and aside from a few songs (Fleurs du Mal, Sanvean, I Will Be With You) and several brief moments here and there, I found it rather enjoyable. I'm not a big fan of rock music, and probably wouldn't have bought this if not for the classical pieces included. The title song "Symphony" seems like one that she's really got a good hold of, and one that has a great classical-pop crossover feel. "Running" is probably my favorite out of all of them, with Sarah's rich, operatic soprano really taking control at the beginning and end. It reminded me a lot of "A Question Of Honor". "Attesa", "Storia D'Amore", and "Pie Jesu" are amazing, though not quite as well-executed as the original recordings; but nothing can compare with "Ave Maria", which Sarah uses to close the concert. Her performance is nothing less than angelic.
As far as vocals, Sarah's voice doesn't seem as strong as it was in the "Harem" concert during some of the pieces, and occasionally goes a bit sharp and shrieky. I had read that Sarah had recently recovered from a severe illness before starting the concert, so this may be a consequence of that. Even so, I was a bit surprised to hear her voice so strained on some pieces; every once and a while, it came close to hurting my ears. All I can say is I hope that her voice has recovered since then and has returned to normal.
Even with these impediments, Sarah still remains a great singer, but she sure isn't a rock singer. Most of the pieces that I thought she didn't sound as good on were the rock ballads, which just shows that her voice just isn't as well suited to the rougher, less lyrical pieces as she is to the more classical, operatic ones.
The concert's setting, inside a beautiful old Gothic church in Vienna, fits marvelously with the songs she has chosen. Audio and visual are a lot clearer than on Harem, and the camera work is done splendidly, panning over the marvelous Gothic ceiling and architecture of the church, not to mention the gorgeous carvings; and then zooming in on Sarah at just the right moments while she sings. The lighting is also very dramatic, with bright, vivid colors and great use of shadows and effects. It looks great on film.
Sarah is as pretty as always, with a new hairstyle and less makeup than on "Harem", though her gowns for this concert seem a little too low cut, especially the white number she wears during the last few songs, but that's just me. I personally thought her outfits in Eden and Harem were a lot better.
Apart from her solo performances, she also has no less than five duets with numerous partners. Alessandro Safina has a fine voice and makes a good stand-in for Andrea Bocelli, who sang "Canto Della Terra" with her on the studio album. He also does a nice job on "Sarai Qui". Fernando Lima has a sweet counter-tenor voice, which is a little ticklish on the ears, but is all right. The only thing I didn't like about him was his bedraggled appearance. With his long, unkempt hair, he doesn't fit at all with Brightman's queenly appearance, but looks aren't a big deal as long as he can sing, which he can.
"The Phantom of the Opera" was exciting, if not done at a little too fast a tempo, but it could have been absolutely electrifying if the guy playing the Phantom actually had a good voice. (It's Chris Thompson, who sounds like nails on a chalkboard; he's as bad as Steve Harley was on the 1985 music video, with absolutely no chemistry between him and Sarah at all). Sarah is amazing, but unfortunately, the heavy rock beat and hum of electric guitars drowns out her voice almost completely and makes this one hard to listen to, even at a moderate volume. As much as I am glad she included this one, the overpowering rock thread makes it less enjoyable than it should have been.
"Sanvean" was the only classical piece I didn't enjoy, partly for the fact that it is just vocalizing and no words, and that it seemed a little whispery.
This package includes everything the $15 live CD package has as far as music and video extras go, but this also includes the full DVD of the live concert in Vienna. The extra features themselves are nice, with two interviews with Sarah about the songs and the whole "Symphony" album, and two more with experts on the church the concert was filmed in. Finally, the included audio CD has all the tracks from the DVD,live, plus an extra studio track "Vide Cor Meum", which was nice choice to end the album on a gentle note.
All in all, I don't think this is one of Sarah Brightman's best artistic endeavors (I hope next time she'll go a little closer to her roots), but at the same time it made me glad that I finally decided to go ahead and watch it.
Description of Sarah Brightman Symphony: Live in Vienna (CD & DVD)
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. Pasión (duet w/Fernando Lima)
11. Running
12. Let It Rain
13. The Phantom of the Opera (duet w/Chris Thompson)
14. Time to Say Goodbye
15. Ave Maria
16. Vide Cor Meum (*bonus track)
DVD extras:
The Production (interview with Sarah Brightman)
The Songs (interview with Sarah Brightman)
The Location (interview with Father Anthony Faber and historian Elisabeth Lloyd-Davis) Photo Gallery
Extras RT approx. 45 minutes
Total RT for combo pkgs approx. 75 minutes
Pop Music CDs
Bestsellers in Pop Music CDs
Yvette Freeman - Dinah Was (L.A. Theatre Works Audio Theatre Collection)Release date: 2005-04-12; Music CD
Best price: $21.07
Price in other shops:
Twin Sisters Productions - Building Character Music CDTWIN SISTERS PRODUCTIONS; Release date: 2007-01-01; Music CD
Best price: $7.25
Price in other shops:
Bernadette Peters in ConcertDVD
Best price: $129.99
Everything Must Go/ Two Against Natureby Steely Dan
Published: 2003; Music CD
Scattered Ashesby Ihsahn / Emperor
Candlelight Records/Emi; Published: 2009-07-28; Audio CD; Book
Best price: $9.75
Price in other shops:
![Christmas at the Biltmore Estate [VHS] Image](/images/Christmas-at-the-Biltmore-Estate-VHS-076700437X-X.jpg){kind=small}
Christmas at the Biltmore Estate [VHS]A&E Home Video; Release date: 1998-09-04; VHS Tape; VHS Video
Best price: $15.51
Price in other shops:
The Shadow: Rare Radio Gems (Rare Radio Gems)Release date: 2002-09-01; Published: 2002-09-01; Music CD
Best price: $20.00
Price in other shops:
On the Shoulders of Giants, Vol. 1: An Audio & Musical Journey Through the Harlem Renaissanceby Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Release date: 2011-09-06; Published: 2008; Music CD
Best price: $1.98
Price in other shops:
Francis Durbridge, Paul Temple & The Gilbert Case - Radio ShowRelease date: 2003-05-12; Music CD
Best price: $21.49
Price in other shops:
The Serenaders - My One and Only YouRelease date: 2011-05-28; Music CD
Best price: $8.76
Price in other shops:
Similar DVDs, VHS Video, Audio CDs
Sarah Brightman - Time to Say GoodbyeRelease date: 1997-09-23; Music CD
Best price: $6.98
Price in other shops:
Andrew Lloyd Webber - The Royal Albert Hall CelebrationNBC Universal; Release date: 2001-10-30; DVD
Best price: $11.95
Price in other shops:
![Vivere Live in Tuscany [DVD/CD] Image](/images/Vivere-Live-in-Tuscany-DVD-CD-B0010YPTGU-X.jpg)
Vivere Live in Tuscany [DVD/ CD]Uni; Release date: 2008-01-29; DVD
Best price: $18.34
Price in other shops:
Sarah Brightman - Sarah Brightman - Diva: The Video CollectionANGEL RECORDS; Release date: 2006-10-03; DVD
Best price: $10.43
Price in other shops:
Sarah Brightman - One Night in EdenEMI; Release date: 1999-10-05; Published: 1999; DVD
Best price: $9.17
Price in other shops:
Sarah Brightman - A Winter SymphonyRelease date: 2008-11-04; Music CD
Best price: $6.92
Price in other shops:
Vivere: Andrea Bocelli Live In TuscanyUni; Release date: 2008-02-26; DVD
Best price: $12.74
Price in other shops:
ClassicsRelease date: 2001-11-20; Music CD
Best price: $7.25
Price in other shops:
Sarah Brightman - La Luna (Live in Concert)EMI; Release date: 2001-06-05; DVD
Best price: $12.75
Price in other shops:
Sarah Brightman - Live from Las VegasEMI; Release date: 2004-10-19; DVD
Best price: $14.54
Price in other shops: