Where are all the classical music DVDs? (1 Viewer)

[Brian Perry]

It must be that there's no market for Beethoven and Mozart anymore. Despite a vast catalog of CDs, there are hardly any DVDs featuring classical music performances. A search through DVD Empire yielded practically nothing. Am I looking in the wrong places? (I'm referring to DVD-video.)
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Home Theater Pictures
[Edited last by Brian Perry on September 08, 2001 at 04:47 PM]

 

[andrew markworthy]

There's quite a few classical DVD (video) coming out or out in R2. Certainly I saw four or five DVDs of Karajan conducting on www.play247.com when I was last looking at R2 new releases. It may be scant consolation if you have a R1-only player, but you could try www.amazon.co.uk I haven't looked there, but they usually have an exhaustive list of R2 DVDs.

 

[Anthony Hom]

It's ironic that there are very few classical DVD-A. When CDs came out in the early 80's the reception was lukewarm, but it wasn't until classical recordings were made on CD that they started to take off. If the recording studios want DVD-A to work, they sould start putting the classical material on them, since that music is considered timeless, instead of the trendy stuff which may come and go.
The problem is they may not take advantage of the increased storage space and charge double the price. Most likely, the RCs do not know how to market the new DVD and to come up with a reasonable amount of content and price per disc.

 

[YANG]

Most of the "purist" audiophiles prefer the tradditional 2ch stereo,CD releases,this explains why there are more CD releases over DVD releases.
Most of the DVD releases are live recording of concert performances,which is mostly from old concert performances.With some minor new exceptions of vocal performances by new generation singers such as SARAH BRIGHTMAN and that little BRITISH girl(err...whats her name again?).

 

[andrew markworthy]

It's Charlotte Church. I think it's fair to say that neither she nor Sarah Brightman are exactly considered 'serious' classical artists in the UK, more sort of mainstream entertainment (and none the worse for that, before anyone flames me!).
I think part of the reason why classical music may not take off on DVD is the same reason as for the paucity of classical music VHS cassettes. Sure, ballet and opera are readily available (and are coming onto DVD at a reasonable rate) but other performances are pretty rare. I think a large part of the reason is that musicians performing without benefit of costumes, scenery, etc, are generally a boring bunch. You could get round this by showing pretty pictures instead of the musicians (as in a pop video), but these would be expensive to produce, and a lot of purists would probably hate it.

 

[YANG]

"If the recording studios want DVD-A to work, they sould start putting the classical material on them, since that music is considered timeless, instead of the trendy stuff which may come and go."
Right now,DVD-A is still under development stage.Hardwares are still very expensive and worst of all...there is a major flaw with every DVD-A players of the first generation,the bass management.
Ooops,am i talking about SACD?

 

[Stefan A]

I think a large part of the reason is that musicians performing without benefit of costumes, scenery, etc, are generally a boring bunch.

I guess it's this kind of thinking that are causing US orchestras to fold. I love watching orchestras perform - live or on video. To see the intesity in their faces and body movement. To see how they respond to the conductor. To see the conductor. To see their instruments. To see their technique. To see the instrumentation of a piece - especially some of those huge pieces like R. Strauss, Mahler, or Bruckner. All this is fasinating to me.
Of course, listening to it without the benifit of seeing is just as enjoyable to me.
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Stefan Antwarg
My DVD Collection
The Regal Brass Quintet Not HT related