"Actor: Hilary Hahn"

• Birthday Concert For Pope Benedict XVI - Hilary Hahn/Gustavo Dudamel | DVD | (16/07/2007) from £27.99   |  Saving you £-18.00 (N/A%)   |  RRP £9.99

  Filmed at the Vatican on 16 April 2007 this DVD reproduces the concert that formed the centrepiece of Pope Benedict XVI's 80th-birthday celebrations. Also included are the welcoming speeches and the Pope's words of thanks in German and Italian The concert programme in part selected by the music-loving Pontiff himself brings together two of classical music's brightest young stars for their first joint appearance - American violinist Hilary Hahn and Venezuelan firebrand conductor Gustavo Dudamel. Mozart's sparkling G major Violin Concerto and Dvo''''k's stirring 'New World' Symphony are two of classical music's best-loved masterpieces neither of which had been recorded before by these artists.

• The Art Of Violin | DVD | (02/04/2001) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £17.99

  A documentary film by Bruno Monsaingeon devoted to the 20th century's greatest violinists, The Art of Violin really cannot be faulted. The same, incidentally, can also be said of the similar volumes which cover the piano and singing, so there's never been a better time to collect a personal audio-visual archive of some wonderful historical performers. The added dimension provided by the painstakingly collected film material (here featuring no fewer than 20 outstanding soloists) is of course of exceptional value when observing violin technique, and the diversity of approaches presented here in loving detail is in itself a subject for endless comparison. The material mixes archive performance footage, much of which one might never have dreamed existed, with interviews and documentary commentary. However, rather than turn the project into a museum piece, Monsaingeon includes contributions from contemporary figures such as Perlman and, shrewdly, Hilary Hahn--not that there'd be any doubt of the huge relevance of the material to any contemporary player or lover of the repertoire. An absolute must. --Roger Thomas

• Hilary Hahn - A Portrait | DVD | (16/04/2007) from £9.65   |  Saving you £0.34 (3.40%)   |  RRP £9.99

  This film is created in the style of a road movie and delivers a very personal account of this violinist's world following Hilary Hahn's travels from continent to continent and capturing moments unseen by the public: Hahn backstage before and after the show rehearsing sightseeing or showing the cameraman around the Curtis Institute where she studied In addition to the documentary the DVD release is packed with supplementary live material including video excerpts from a recent concert with her recital partner Natalie Zhu as well as the violinist's first recording of the Korngold Violin Concerto with the Deutsche Symphonie-Orchester Berlin and Kent Nagano. Tracklist 1. Backstage at the Philharmonie in Berlin (Hilary Hahn - A Portrait) 2. 1. Moderato nobile (excerpt) 3. At home in Philadelphia (Hilary Hahn - A Portrait) Stereo 4. Playing Bach at Yellow Lounge in Dresden (Hilary Hahn - A Portrait) 5. Recording at Abbey Road Studios in London (Hilary Hahn - A Portrait) 6. 2. Romance (excerpt) 7. Travelling and playing in Hong Kong (Hilary Hahn - A Portrait) 8. 3. Finale: Allegro assai vivace 9. Leaving the Philharmonie in Berlin (Hilary Hahn - A Portrait) 10. 1. Allegro con spirito 11. 2. Allegro 12. 1. Moderato nobile 13. 2. Romance: Andante 14. 3. Finale: Allegro assai vivace

• Last Night Of The Proms 2000 | DVD | (03/09/2001) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £19.99

  Numerous compilations of The Last Night of the Proms have been available in the past. Yet it makes sense to see and hear the event whole, and the 2000 Last Night was among the best of recent years. The range of music is excellent: Bach bizarrely orchestrated by Elgar, Mozart's Fourth Violin Concerto given with classical poise by Hilary Hahn, and Jane Eaglen thrilling in the closing scene from Richard Strauss' opera Salome. In the second half, a scintillating and newly discovered jazz suite by Shostakovich, Percy Grainger's affectionate Tribute to Stephen Foster, and Delius' heartfelt Walk to the Paradise Garden. That it all works so well is a tribute to Sir Andrew Davis, who conducts with conviction and is clearly enjoying himself in the standard items by Elgar, Wood, Arne and Parry. As his last concert at the helm of the BBC Symphony Orchestra, it's fitting that he received a special presentation--following on from his typically enthusiastic Last Night speech.On the DVD: Presentation is excellent, with profiles of the main works and interviews with the artists performing them. Picture quality reproduces the colourful array of flags and festivities with admirable definition and naturalness. Sound quality is good, though recorded levels vary between music and interviews, and may need some volume adjustment during playback. There are 23 access points, and an introduction to the Last Night that sets the scene without pre-empting the occasion. Whether or not you've attended the event in person, you won't get a better sense of the fun, frivolity, and also the musical quality of the Last Night than here. --Richard Whitehouse