Verdi – Messa da Requiem(1967)

Rigoletto - Semperoper Dresden(it)

Both Florez and Diana Damrau brought their bel canto expertise and superb vocalism to the service of Verdi's music. The Rigoletto, Zeljko Lucic, ran the gamut from tenderness with his Gilda to thundering fury with everyone else. I also liked the production. At first, when Rigoletto was putting on his grease paint during the overture, I was afraid that it might be a typical "Euro-trash" production, with a bit of warmed over I Pagliacci. But the sets and dramatic action really served the music and libretto. I would have to say that I came to a deeper understanding and appreciation of the story and characters as a result of seeing this performance.

Right to Die(en)

Emily Bauer (Raquel Welch) is a successful psychologist with a happy home life who is suddenly stricken with the dreaded neurological affliction ALS (aka "Lou Gehrig's Disease"). At first, she is determined to fight for her life, but as her conditions deteriorates and she becomes more of a human vegetable, Ms. Welch begs her husband (Michael Gross) to help her die.

The Phantom Warrior(en)

The origin story of the masked vigilante, Nemesis Knight. A new breed of superhero for a changing world. From young feral orphan to deadly crusader, balancing the equilibrium between good and evil. She wears the Mask of Dionysus, given to her as a gift by The God of The Underworld, Hades as she rides her black horse named Zeus, armed with her trusted rifle and sidearm strapped to her leg, ferociously sending criminals to the other side!

La Miseria(es)

Little Bird(ko)

Doo-yeong, the eldest son of the family is planning to go to the police force this time. However, after coming to Seoul from the province, going with his younger brother Doo-yeop to a cram school is not too smooth. His romance with Ji-yeong makes it also harder. Doo-yeong meets a lot of people and worries amidst his longing for success and love in Seoul.

Goblin(en)

Filmmaker Luke Eadie documents his uncle Glen and acquaintance Cheech on their quest to find the end of the rainbow - and the riches that come with it.

When Mousehood Was in Flower(en)

The Black Knight overwhelms his competitors in a jousting tournament until an operetta-singing Mighty Mouse comes to save the day.

Who Is Saving Whom?(de)

„Who is saving whom?“ is not just another bank rescue and Euro rescue film. It reveals much more what it is that all the “rescues” hide, right up to the present day tragedy of Greece. The radical alteration of society in Europe. The transformation of private debt into public debt which has been papered over and presented as a “rescue” has not only driven democracy to absurdity. It has shaken societies which consider themselves socialist societies with rule of law to their foundations. No one formulates this better in the film than Mario Draghi, who as a one time vice president of Goldman Sachs and present president of he ECB steers the economies in the Euro area: “The European social model is history”. “Saving the Euro will cost a lot of money. That means we will have to take leave of the European social model”. For seven years now the rescue is taking place with the help of hundreds of Billions of public money.

Hostile Forces(en)

After discovering a fortune in stolen contraband, a military veteran and his family must run from a hit squad in a desperate fight for survival.

Scarface Renacido(es)

To be a great in the mafia, you have to have the best escort, this is the work of Commander Antrax, who supported by a command of skulls and an infallible alloy is responsible for removing the blots.

Raid(de)

Shortages in postwar Berlin have created a blooming black market, and the goods rounded up during a major police raid all seem to come from the same source. The trail leads Commissioner Naumann to the Alibaba Cabarett, but he is unable to find conclusive evidence to convict its owner Goll.

Tired and Feathered(en)

Wile E. Coyote's latest misbegotten Road Runner-catching schemes include a propeller-powered backpack...

Shot Through the Heart(en)

The horrors of war are examined from the view points of lifelong friends (Linus Roache, Vincent Perez), who end up on opposing sides in the civil war in Sarajevo. One is an expert marksman, who trains the snipers used to terrify the city and the other becomes a freedom fighter, who rejects his friend's offer to gain an escape from the city. As might be expected, the two eventually have to face-off against one another.

Janma Janma(ne)

Janma Janma is a Nepali film that delves into love, dreams, and the cycle of life. The story follows Amar and Praya, a couple deeply in love. Praya is haunted by recurring dreams of someone trying to kill her, which leave her anxious and fearful. Amar, along with her parents, reassures her that the dreams aren’t real and encourages her to move forward. Praya eventually finds a new beginning, embracing a fresh life. However, she discovers that her old friends didn’t get the same chance at renewal. She shares this realization with Amar, urging him to cherish love and life. The story concludes with Amar reflecting on her words, highlighting the fleeting yet profound beauty of existence. Janma Janma is directed by Sital Nepal and written by Yubraj Lama. It weaves an emotional narrative of second chances, dreams, and the power of love to overcome life’s uncertainties.

Deltangi(en)

Iranian short film on the topic of virtualization of schools during the outbreak of the Corona virus and the important concern of students and teachers from the perspective of a student in her daily life during the Corona virus and her problems.

Eedo Rakam Aado Rakam(te)

What happens when the lives of two friends take an unexpected turn? A whole lot of confusion follows! Will they be able to get out of the mess? That forms the crux of the story.

Sentimental Destinies(fr)

In late nineteenth century Charante, Protestant minister Jean Barnery causes local disquiet when he arranges a separation from his obsessive wife. He and his lover keep their love strong as the world changes around them.

The Lady and the Bandit(en)

Highwayman Dick Turpin rides 200 miles to save his wife from the gallows in 18th-century England.

Bartoli in Italy(en)

In the awe-inspiring Teatro Olimpico,Vicenza, Cecilia Bartoli, recognised as one of the best singers of our time, gives the most outstanding recital of work from a variety of composers such as Caccini, Schubert, Handel, Vivaldi, Bellini, Donizetti,Mozart, Rossini, Viardot and Bizet.

London Symphony Orchestra: The Young Debussy(en)

The evocative music of Claude Debussy has been described as the foundation of modern music. But how did the composer come to develop his unique style? On this video, maestro Francois-Xavier Roth and the London Symphony Orchestra present the UK premiere of a previously lost work by the young Debussy, alongside some of his earliest inspirations. Debussy's newly discovered Premiére Suite gives a rare insight into the mind of a young composer on the cusp of innovation. It's a work filled with Romantic and Eastern influences and glimpses of the unexpected harmonies that came to define Debussy's work. Paired alongside the composer's role models - from Wagner's powerful intertwining motifs, the abundant Spanish influences in Lalo's rarely-heard Cello Concerto performed here by Edgar Moreau, and Massenet's majestic Le Cid - Francois-Xavier Roth gives a fresh perspective on the much-loved composer.

George Carlin: Life Is Worth Losing(en)

Carlin returns to the stage in his 13th live comedy stand-up special, performed at the Beacon Theatre in New York City for HBO®. His spot-on observations on the deterioration of human behavior include Americans’ obsession with their two favorite addictions - shopping and eating; his creative idea for The All-Suicide Channel, a new reality TV network; and the glorious rebirth of the planet to its original pristine condition - once the fires and floods destroy life as we know it.

Steve Martin's Best Show Ever(en)

Steve Martin's fourth NBC special was in the spirit of his previous association with Saturday Night Live. It was broadcast live from Studio 8H, produced by Lorne Michaels and featured some original cast members of the show.

Summer Night Concert: 2014 - Vienna Philharmonic(en)

The renowned orchestra presents the world's biggest annual classical open air concert live from their hometown Vienna, Austria on Thursday, May 29th, 2014. The Summer Night Concert with the Vienna Philharmonic is an annual open-air event that takes place in the magical setting of the Schönbrunn Palace Park in Vienna with the palace as a magnificent backdrop. Everyone is invited to come to this unique occasion with free admission. Each year up to 100,000 people can take up the invitation, or enjoy on radio and TV in over 60 countries.

Fox Wars(en)

Love them or hate them, there are 33,000 urban foxes roaming Britain's suburbia. For the residents of the Copse in Sutton-in-Ashfield, Nottinghamshire - as for so many other suburbanites - the urban fox provides evenings of enchantment. A cul-de-sac of neighbours compete to offer the tastiest snacks for their bushy-tailed visitors, with one couple even setting up their own CCTV system to provide happy evenings of Fox TV.

The Cheryl Ladd Special(en)

A TV musical special starring Cheryl Ladd and her guest stars in various musical numbers and vignettes.

The Brady Bunch 35th Anniversary Reunion Special: Still Brady After All These Years(en)

A TV Land special reuniting the living cast members of The Brady Bunch who share their recollections from the series. Hosted by Jenny McCarthy.

Verdi: Requiem(la)

Live performance of Verdi's Missa da Requiem at the Edinburgh Festival in 1982. An all-star quartet of soloists under the baton of Claudio Abbado, recorded in high definition audio.

George Carlin: What Am I Doing in New Jersey?(en)

George Carlin changes his act by bringing politics into the act, but also talks about the People he can do without, Keeping People Alert, and Cars and Driving part 2.

Karajan Brahms Ein Deutsches Requiem(en)

This unique document from the 1978 Salzburg Festival has fortunately been released on DVD and is a magical interpretation, prodigiously realized with a sublime fusion of timbres, a cohesion and ultimately, a simplicity that are truly unequalled. Listen as this great conductor produces musical nuisances that are unique to his art and how he accompanies the soloists with understanding and rapport. I have no hesitation in claiming this is one of the great recordings of the century.

Beethoven Symphonies Nos. 4 & 7; Coriolan Overture(en)

From the very first bars of the Coriolan Overture, it is apparent that this is Beethoven at his very best. Vladimir Jurowski and his absolutely brilliant Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment give us a new reading of old favorites that may well blow you out of your chair. There is plenty to discover: sounds and textures never heard before, an orchestral timbre as the composer himself may have envisaged and heard, incredible strength and cohesion and, on the other hand, sensitive nuances that often disappear under a blanket of massed strings in more traditional interpretations.

Bernstein Mahler Rehearsal(en)

"Four Ways to Say Farewell" is a personal introduction to Mahler and his Ninth Symphony, during which Leonard Bernstein is seen and heard rehearsing the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra. Filmed in 1971, this rehearsal was directed by Humphrey Burton,

Beethoven Piano Concertos 1-5(en)

These recordings, filmed in March and April 1974 for the BBC, occurred at the tail end of the old performance era and the very start of the new. Vladimir Ashkenazy was a graduate of the same Soviet school of piano playing that produced Sviatoslav Richter, Emil Gilels, Lazar Berman and a host of others of that era. There are simularities that unite them, including a broad romanticism, a degree of Lisztian showmanship coupled with periods of introspection, powerful technique that occasionally borders on pounding and an intellectual streak that produces some deeply insightful playing. Ashkenazy was younger than the others, more modern in his playing.

Mozart Symphonies Vol. II - Nos. 1,25,31,36,38 and "Eine Kleine Nachtmusik"(en)

In the 1960s Karl Böhm (1894–1981) had made his mark as interpreter of Mozart with the the Berlin Philharmonic. Yet his recordings with the Vienna Symphony demonstrate a mutual sympathy and deep love for this timeless music. The musicians are razor-sharp in attack, harmony, and release. Böhm's style is minimalist: a firm downbeat, a ruffled hand here and there, a slight sway, no mugging. Occasionally, when quite excited, he gives a little hop but immediately pulls himself on a tight leash.

Mozart Symphonies Vol. I - Nos. 29,34,35,40,41 and Minuet K.409(en)

There are only a couple of DVD recordings of Mozart's Symphony No. 40. Fortunately, this one by Karl Bohm, recorded live in Vienna's Musikvereinssaal, is excellent, as are the other Mozart symphonies on this DVD. Since this disc offers three of the big six last symphonies of Mozart, Nos. 35 (Haffner), 40, and 41 (Jupiter), plus two more, it is an outstanding value. Despite the age of the recordings (1973-74), both the sound and the video are quite good.

Mozart Symphonies Vol. III - Nos. 28, 33, 39, "Serenata Notturna" and Karl Böhm documentary(en)

Almost any recording of a Mozart symphony by Austrian conductor Karl Bohm (1894-1981) is a sure thing: excellent sound, and sensible, solid, non-sentimental interpretation. This DVD has 3 Mozart Symphonies, all conducted by Bohm: Nos. 33 and 39 with the Vienna Symphony, recorded in Studio-Wien in 1969, and a live 1970 performance of Symphony 28 with the Vienna Philharmonic, filmed in the Musikvereinsalle in Vienna. All 3 symphonies have excellent film quality and sound, although some viewers may prefer Symphony 28, as the presence of a live audience really brings out the best in the Vienna Philharmonic.

Mahler - Symphonies Nos. 7 & 8(en)

Leonard Bernstein made these recordings during his wonderfully productive collaboration with the Wiener Philharmoniker in the mid-1970s when he was at the peak of his career. Humphrey Burton's direction is, as always, very fine, giving the viewer/listener both the larger picture and highlighting individual soloists, players or groups of musicians and, of course, the maestro. The video and audio tracks show their age, but are quite acceptable even for today's standards. Bernstein's Seventh is everything one could desire: dark and spooky, highly sensual, but also structurally strong and assertive where needed. Bernstein's reading does not gloss over breakdowns in tonality and the foreshadowing of later musical developments.

Verdi Requiem(en)

The production itself is quite beautiful: recorded in the Basilica di San Marco in Venice in November 2007, it highlights the cathedral's splendor, the reverent audience, the soloists, orchestra and chorus with near-perfect cinematography. The soundtrack is also acceptable, which may have been quite a task to achieve, given the Basilica's over-reverberant acoustics. Alas, the performance itself does not rise to the occasion. Despite the occasional minor insecurity in ensemble and a visible lack of joy, the Symphonica Toscanini musicians play well, the Coro del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino members sing equally well, and the soloists are more than adequate, almost tangibly trying to excel.

Karajan in Rehearsal(en)

Karajan conducts rehearsal and performance of Schubert's Symphony No. 4 with the Vienna Symphony in Vienna, Nov. 1965, and Beethoven's Symphony No. 5 with the Berlin Philharmonic, January 1966. Henri-Georges Clouzot directs.