Bach-Violin Concertos/Double Concerto/Air on the G String (2000) (NTSC)

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General		Extras
Category	Classical	Main Menu Audio Notes-Credits DVD Credits Biographies-Crew-J. S. Bach Biography Notes-Travel Notes Trailer-12
Rating
Year Of Production	2000
Running Time	54:13 (Case: 56)
RSDL / Flipper	No/No	Cast & Crew
Start Up	Programme
Region Coding	1,2,3,4,5,6	Directed By	G. Gachot
Studio Distributor	Select Audio-Visual Distrib	Starring	Takako Nishizaki Alexander Jablokov Capella Istropolitana Oliver Dohnanyi
Case	Amaray Claw
RPI	$24.95	Music	Johann Sebastian Bach

• Violin Concerto in E Major, BWV 1042
• Violin Concerto in A Minor, BWV 1041
• Double Violin Concerto in D Minor, BWV 1043

   Sadly, the current issue of the "bible" - The Penguin Guide To Compact Discs - is a little bit silent on these performances. However, earlier versions certainly indicate that whilst the performances are not amongst the very best recordings available, they are nonetheless quite decent efforts. Certainly I have few complaints about the equivalent compact disc that is in my collection, even though it is not my favourite recording of the main works. Funnily enough, listening to the music here makes me think that they are better than I recall on the compact disc, and they are certainly enjoyable enough even if lacking the extra something to make them more distinctively memorable.

    The visual accompaniment to the music is again quite decent. BWV 1042 is accompanied by scenes from the Villa Mansi in Lucca (including the rather wonderful gardens), Hadrian's Villa in Tivoli and around Arezzo. BWV 1041 is accompanied by landscapes taken from the Cinque Terre region near Genoa and the Chianti district near Florence. The Cinque Terre region comprises the five small towns of Monterosso Al Mare, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola and Riomaggiore and is quite an attractive area. BWV 1043 is accompanied by scenery from the Lake Bolsena area and around Civita village in Tuscany. Air on the G String returns us to the Chianti district. Another quite diverse collection of images and one that certainly is worthwhile watching.

    This is another pleasant enough way to spend just under an hour listening to some excellent music with some nice images of Italy. If you are familiar with the series so far, there is not much here that would be unfamiliar to you.

Video

    In keeping with the general trend of the series, these are again very nice video transfers: generally very sharp with plenty of detail to be found. Whilst there is the odd lapse here and there with the sharpness, there is nothing that comes close to causing qualms at all. Shadow detail is generally very good, although it is fair to say that in general the video has been shot in order to minimize the affects of shadows. There does not seem to be any serious issue with grain in the transfer and the overall impression is a very clear transfer throughout. There does not seem to be much of an issue with low level noise in the transfer either, although minor occurrences do seem to raise their heads at times.

    The colours are again very well handled, being generally bright and vibrant with a eminently watchable look to them. There is no hint of oversaturation here at all. There is nothing approaching colour bleed in the transfer.

    There generally are not any significant MPEG artefacts in the transfers. The ever-present problem of aliasing that is a hallmark of the series is once again present. However, it has to be said that this transfer is slightly less prone to the problem than other DVDs in the series. I continue to question how much of this is inherent in the NTSC format and how much is a result of mastering. There is nothing much in the way of film artefacts to worry about here at all.

Video Ratings Summary

Sharpness
Shadow Detail
Colour
Grain/Pixelization
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Film Artefacts
Overall

Audio

    The Dolby Digital 2.0 soundtrack is a fairly uncomplicated effort presenting some nice bright sound that suits the Baroque music well. Obviously lacking the power of the 5.1 soundtracks, it nonetheless would be a most pleasing choice for some decent background music for a meal. As far as I could tell, there was nothing wrong with what it offered, and it seemed a better sound than on the compact disc equivalent.

    The Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack is a much more vigorous-sounding effort, although slightly blemished by a rather more "bitey" bass sound than is perhaps apt for the style of music. At times, it also had a somewhat over-resonant bass sound too, which certainly detracts from the music somewhat. The surround channel usage is decent if not especially memorable. Had the bass channel been a lot more naturally balanced within the soundscape, this would have rated a lot better in the listenability stakes.

    The DTS soundtrack provides a nice, all encompassing sound, with just a tad too much bass effect for the style of music. However, it seemed to be less afflicted by bass resonance, which makes this an overall more pleasurable listen than the Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack. The rear surround channels did not feature a whole heap of action, but what was there was quite effective, as was the overall soundscape on offer.

Audio Ratings Summary

Dialogue
Audio Sync
Clicks/Pops/Dropouts
Surround Channel Use
Subwoofer
Overall

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Preview Trailers (12)

Notes - Credits

Travel Notes

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