Bruckner Symphony No. 5

 

Bruckner Symphony No. 5 concert. Daniel Barenboim conducts the Staatskapelle Berlin at the Philharmonie Berlin in 2010.  Part of the Bruckner Mature Symphonies series by Accentus. Directed for TV by Tilo Krause; produced by Paul Smaczny. Released 2013, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: NA

Update on 2013-10-06 by Henry McFadyen Jr. Suddenly, the Gramophone reviewers are starting to discuss the importance of picture content in videos of symphony performances. In the September 2013 Gramophone (at page 58) Philip Clark questions the use of too much video of the conductor! This is revolutionary, since a staple of symphony DVDs since the days of Adam and Eve has been to forcefeed the viewer in each recording with 50 to 75 lazy, cheap shots of the conductor waiving his arms and pointing at people. Clark declares that in subject video, "Accentus's fixed camera angles are merely functional, nothing more." It seems Clark would like to see more "creative" use of the video camera. Well, coming up with camera tricks can be more distracting than helpful. And there's nothing in his review to suggest that Clark understands the need to make a HD video differently from a DVD (the sickness called DVDitis). But at least Clark has started thinking about this. (See also the recent Gramophone review of a Bruckner Symphony No. 4 by the Cleveland orchestra where video content was discussed.)

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