"Actor: Stephen Gunzenhauser"

• Italy (Italy: Verona & Romeo & Julet/ Florence/ Naples) | DVD | (18/03/2010) from £11.16   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

• Grieg: Folk And Dance Melodies / Piano Concerto In A Minor | DVD | (26/02/2001) from £12.94   |  Saving you £-2.95 (-29.50%)   |  RRP £9.99

  The haunting Scandinavian terrain; cascading waterfalls; cliffs towering above fjords below; majestic mountains; the tranquil countryside... these are the sights of inspiration for Norway's greatest and most famed composer Edvard Grieg. This volume of the Naxos Musical Jorney takes us floating over the awe-inspiring Norwegian natural landscape; to the bustling fish-market town of Bergen; through the concert halls and monuments that echo with the history of Grieg's native music; to an

• Russian Fireworks | DVD | (02/12/2002) from £16.16   |  Saving you £-6.17 (-61.80%)   |  RRP £9.99

  This Russian Fireworks instalment of the "Naxos Musical Journey" series focuses on the wide geographical and cultural diversity of a vast country, from winter forest scenes near St Petersburg to the holiday resort of Yalta on the Black Sea, complemented by music drawn from a range of Russian composers linking the musical history of their homeland. The film opens with the Procession of the Sardar by Ippolitov-Ivanov with pictures of lakes and mountains in Uzbeksitan. Lyadovs charming Russian Folksongs begins east of Moscow in Suzdal, in the 13th-century cathedral. Rubinsteins Dance of the Bayaderes No. 2 takes us to Yalta, the lake resort where Chekov recovered from tuberculosis. A Galop by Kabalevsky underscores pedestrians running up and down the Potemkin steps in Odessa; while Mussorgsky accompanies scenes of the rich farm land round Kiev, Uzbekistan and oases on the silk-road to Samarkand. Lyadovs Baba Yaga is set in woods round St Petersburg, evoking the witch of Russian folk lore, and Kilimora, set in the same location, depicts a snowy landscape. The Enchanted Lake shows the Valday Heights, where the Volga rises. All these pieces are well played by the Slovak Philharmonic, following one another with very short breaks. On the DVD: Russian Fireworks comes with travel notes as a guide to each location in the filming. There are also brief composer biographies, and trailers for more "Musical Journeys". The picture and sound quality leave nothing to be desired. --Adrian Edwards

• Vivaldi: The Four Seasons / Concerto In B Minor | DVD | (13/11/2000) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £9.99

  This instalment of the Naxos Musical Journey series pairs the scenery of various European locations with Vivaldi's evocative Four Seasons. "Spring" in Austria is a time of flitting birds, grazing sheep, and a flower festival. "Summer" in Germany features hayfields and summer storms. "Autumn" in Italy highlights the grape harvest, fog-engulfed valleys, wildlife, and famous paintings depicting the hunt. "Winter" in Switzerland offers breathtaking views of snow-filled trees, meandering streams and horse-drawn sledges at twilight. In addition, Vivaldi's Concerto in D minor is accompanied by the healing waters, candle-lit churches, and hillside vistas of the spa town of Montecatini Terme in Tuscany. Solo violinist Takako Nishizaki gives an adroit performance with the Capella Istropolitana, and the crystal-clear picture and robust Dolby 5.1 or DTS sound options make for an immensely enjoyable musical and visual experience. --Tami Horiuchi

• Beethoven - Symphony No 3 / Coriolanus Overture | DVD | (02/04/2002) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £9.99

  Two of Beethoven's most powerful orchestral works, the third symphony ("Eroica") and the Coriolanus Overture, get vigorous, refined performances from the Czech and Slovak orchestras, but music is only part of this package. More important is the splendid panorama of Paris and Versailles presented for nearly an hour. While the orchestras play Beethoven's musical essays on heroism, the camera wanders from the Eiffel Tower to Notre Dame, Sacré Coeur, Les Invalides, the Bibliothèque Nationale, and the Arc de Triomphe; it browses the city's open-air markets and bookstalls, views the Seine's bridges and busy boat traffic, the city's wonderful variety of parks and fountains, its drivers and pedestrians. The pictures' flow seems correlated to the music's mood, pace, and dynamics. The "Eroica" is a logical choice for a musical journey through Paris because the Symphony No. 3 was inspired by Napoleon, who shows up in portraits and memorabilia during the slow movement. --Joe McLellan