Bjork - Royal Opera House [DVD] [2001]

Playing alongside gay electronica duo Matmos, contemporary harpist Zeena Parkins, an 11-piece Inuit choir, conductor Simon Lee and a 56-piece orchestra, Bjork's gorgeous soundscapes and melodies have never sounded so full of life and vitality before. The first half is dominated with songs from her 2001 masterwork "Vespertine", which saw her combine minimalist beats with swoony orchestrations and music boxes. In her eskimo boots and white dress, watching her perform "All Is Full Of Love" and "Hidden Place" is a joy to behold. The second half sees a costume change into a red thrush-style dress with bells jingling as she moves, signifying the uptempo nature of the second act. Here classics such as "Hyperballad" and "Possibly Maybe" are given more blood by the contributions from her players ... but "Human Behaviour" is the showstopper, with the heartbreaking "Joga" a close second.

Bjork's savvy also lies in her selection of cohorts for her tour; she was ably supported by the likes of Talvin Singh and Guy Sigsworth for her "Debut" days, and her collaboration with the Icelandic String Octet and Mark Bell on "Homogenic" secured a monumental string of performances all over the world (see "Cambridge 1998" DVD). But here the Icelander really outdoes herself ... Matmos' beats are subtle and off-key in their arrangements and production (see "Cocoon"), the choir are adorable in their Christmas bauble-style costumes and sing adorably too (see "Unison") and Zeena is a revelation, taking multiple duties of harp, celeste and accordian (the duet with Bjork, "Generous Palmstroke", offers the concert's sole mid-song ovation from the audience). And Simon and the orchestra duly supply the crushing string sections so predominant in Bjork's compositions (see "Joga"). All in all, a wonderful film!

DVD also comes with 40-minute documentary about the travails of touring the world with such a weighty duty and gangs of players; brown-nosing aplenty but, if you've seen the concert, it's more than wholly justified!

I would have loved to have been there that special evening. Apparently it was the first time that a contemporary artist had been allowed to perform in the Royal Opera House: Covent Garden - London.

Lets begin: The full-scale orchestra, Matmos, the choir from Greenland and the mesmerising Bjork. I put on this DVD; in a darkend room, with surround sound and had an amzing one and a half hours of my life. What a performance!

I'm a huge Bjork fan anyway but to see the fusion of live classical orchestra, choir and Bjork was spellbinding. I don't find Bjork physically attractive, but she oozes something which just turns me to jelly, the voice, the accent, her facial movements, her performance. I tempt anyone even if they are not Bjork fans, to watch this DVD (uninterupted) and not be impressed by the musical talent before them.

The set-list is just what I would have wanted. I do know however that she did perform 'Play Dead' that evening but it has not been included on the DVD - shame, but there is more than enough to make up for it:

1 Frosti
2 Overture
3 All Is Full Of Love
4 Aurora
5 Undo
6 Palmstroke
7 An Echo, A Stain
8 Hidden Place
9 Cocoon
10 Unison
11 Harm Of Will
12 It's Not Up To You
13 Pagan Poetry
14 Possibly Maybe
15 Isobel
16 Hyperballad
17 Human Behaviour
18 Jóga
19 It's In Our Hands

The first half mainly focusses on the excellent Vespertine - and the second half being a mix of Debut, Post, Homegenic and Vespertine.

I have been to many concerts and live performances, as well as owning an array of music DVDs. This blows them all out of the water!

If you know, and like Bjork - Buy this. If you don't know her, or think you don't like her music - take a gamble and buy this DVD on the basis of a music fan's opinion - you will not regret it!