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David Oistrakh - Artist Of The People? - A Film By Bruno Monsaingeon [DVD] [1994]

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David Oistrakh - Artist Of The People? - A Film By Bruno Monsaingeon [DVD] [1994]

DVD ~ Gidon Kremer

4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (4 customer reviews)

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	56% buy the item featured on this page: David Oistrakh - Artist Of The People? - A Film By Bruno Monsaingeon [DVD] [1994] 4.5 out of 5 stars (4) �19.59
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Product details

Actors: Gidon Kremer, Yehudi Menuhin, David Oistrakh, Igor Oistrakh, Mstislav Rostropovich
Directors: Bruno Monsaingeon
Format: Full Screen, PAL
Language English
Subtitles: English, Spanish, German, French, Italian
Region: Region 2 (This DVD may not be viewable outside Europe. Read more about DVD formats.)
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
Number of discs: 1
Classification: Exempt
Studio: Warner Music Vision
DVD Release Date: 26 Aug 2002
Run Time: 75 minutes

Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (4 customer reviews)

ASIN: B000069D4N
Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 61,977 in DVD (See Bestsellers in DVD)

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Reviews

Amazon.co.uk Review

Bruno Monsaingeon's David Oistrakh: Artist of the People? is a probing portrait of perhaps the most thought-provoking of modern violin virtuosi, and a good companion to his similarly revealing documentary on pianist Sviatoslav Richter. Although conversation with the man himself is minimal (Oistrakh died in 1974), Monsaingeon is able to draw upon the priceless reminiscences of those who worked with him, including his son Igor, conductor Gennady Rozhdestvensky, cellist Mstislav Rostropovich, protegé Gidon Kremer, and the late Yehudi Menuhin: their frank and sincere comments on Soviet society make for sobering listening. Equally important, the range of Oistrakh's repertoire is covered, from Bach to Shostakovich, in footage covering half a century of performance. The musicianship and humanity of a life dedicated to music in the face of an often ruthless establishment is powerfully and movingly evoked. This is a documentary that no-one interested in great music-making or 20th-century culture should miss.

On the DVD: David Oistrakh: Artist of the People? reproduces its disparate sources with remarkable consistency in a 4:3 picture, and if the high level transfer of the musical extracts gives a harder edge to Oistrakh's sound than was the case, the Linear PCM Stereo itself is fine. There are subtitles in five European languages, and a useful background article by Monsaingeon, similarly translated, in the booklet. --Richard Whitehouse

DVD Description

Languages and Audio Content:
Russian and English Linear PCM Stereo
Subtitles: English, French, German, Spanish, Italian
Black and White and Colour
Pal 4:3
Region Code: 2, 3 ,4 , 5 ,6

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4 Reviews

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4.5 out of 5 stars (4 customer reviews)

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14 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Political midget, musical giant., 27 Jun 2003

By	Plaza Marcelino (Caracas Venezuela) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER) (REAL NAME)

Monsaingeon's Oistrakh film is indeed puzzling. Likewise the companion Richter and Fischer-Dieskau "bios", the musical contents of this TV-derived programme presents the viewer with stunning performances (excerpts only, though), both of chamber and of symphonic music, that amply secure Oistrakh's place amongst the really key violinists of the 20th century. Yet more so than in the Richter programme, Monsaingeon also opts for stressing the man's lack of fortitude before the USSR's communist bosses, picturing him as a weak character who hid behind his music-making and looked the other way whilst enjoying the favourable status his condition as "Artist of the People of the USSR" gave him during much of the Stalin reign, one of the darkest periods of European history, and those of his successors, much like what has amply been discussed regarding similar stances in musicians like Wilhelm Furtw�ngler, Herbert von Karajan, Karl B�hm or Richard Strauss during the nazi regime in Germany, or of other artists who cynically profited from a favoured position in totalitarian states in order to advance in their life (Dal�'s flirtations with the Franco regime in Spain comes to mind, as well as Respighi's with the Mussolini Government). Oistrakh's lack of political courage, or perhaps his failure to defect to the West as commented by Menuhin in one of the programme's interviews, may well be deservedly criticisable, as well as his meek acceptance of the exploitation of which he was the subject by his government, be it economical (as the lion's share of his income from tours to the West was snatched from him by the Soviet authorities), political (as a sample of the Soviet regime's purported superiority in catering to the spiritual needs of its citizens) or as a propaganda vehicle (as in one of the film's initial sequences, probably one of the corniest ever filmed anywhere, the cr�me de la cr�me of soviet string players gather in an early Technicolour-washed strings-only adaptation of one of Rachmaninov's pr�ludes from his Op.23), but I'd say that Monsaingeon's exaggerate concentration on that sad facet of this giant of a musician's personality ultimaltely proves the weak spot of the film. David Oistrakh may have been something of a midget politically speaking, but when he died in an Amsterdam hotel in 1974 the world lost a giant of a musician, and it is precisely his musical legacy what in the end solidly keeps him in a privileged place in our memory and not anything else.

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7 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Angels on Earth, 10 Mar 2003

By A Customer

I am so glad that I have bought this DVD. It is very obvious that the whole team who produced this biographical work, know their music well and have presented it well.

The most glorious footage can be soon of eg Yehudi Menuhin and Oistrakh playing Bach's Concerto for two violins (D minor), Second Movement. The humility and love and respect between these two virtuosos must be one of those moments that make life worth living. (I keep thinking though, that millions of people must be cursing that person in the audience who coughs during the performance.)
I wish this recording existed on CD.
Another heavenly moment is watching Oistrakh (viola) and his son (violin) playing the Third movement of Mozart's Sinfonia Concertante (K364), with Yehudi Menuhin conducting. Again this is not available on CD, but a recording of father and son playing together with Kirill Kondrashin conducting does exist. Being a musician must be the most beautiful life to live. But then to play with ones own son must be pure heaven?

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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Throughly worthwhile documentary, 6 May 2008

By	H. A. James "Hywel James" (Devon, United Kingdom) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This documentary offers just sufficient extracts from Oistrakh's playing to encourage one to go to the many audio recordings available so that you can hear just what a wonderful musician he was. The commentaries by Oistrakh's son, Igor, and his friends and fellow musicians, including Menuhin, Rozhdestvensky and Rostropovich, demonstrate that, despite his tacit support for the Soviet regime (which he believed had given him the opportunity to develop his talent) Oistrakh was a deeply sincere and lovable man, and a musician of genius.

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5.0 out of 5 stars greatest violinist of all times
David Oistrakh was one the few really great violinists of our time. This film by Bruno Monsaingeon is an excellent musical journey through his life and musical career. Read more

Published 1 month ago by F. Filiz Ali

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