Abbado Conducts Simon Bolivar Youth Orch Venezuela

While the sounds of this incredible orchestra were thrilling, the pathos displayed from the visual added to an excellent concert recording. The Prokofiev, Berg, and Mozart were great but the Tchaikovsky was superlative. The orchestra "got it" and the emotion and physical rhythm was intense. Having experienced this recording I am a better person for it. Thank you!

The young musicians are wonderful, even though I was doubtful given all the hype they have received. Abbado does a terrific job getting the best they have to give. The soloist does an effortless job of the terrifying role of Lulu in the the LULU SUITE.Disappointments were lightening. I felt I was watching a youngster with a new toy playing around to see what he could do. The poor Lulu soloist looked like she was white faced as in the old vaudeville days. Lighting unnecessarily changes within the PATHETIQUE. The sound is less excellent that it should be. There are no translations in the liner notes or on the DVD of the LULU text. There should be. It's not readily available.This is one of the initial releases on the new Accentus label produced by Paul Smaczny who has done a wonderful job with the Lucerne Festival and Abbado dvds in the past. I'd hoped for the same high quality. It's not here.The music and musicians are so good, I'd still recommend it.

This is no second rate orchestra. I've heard plenty of worse playing from so-called name bands.For me the Tchaikovsky was the winner here. Abbado knows how to coax the right phrasing out of these young people. The tempi were good for me, not too frantic as per Karajan, and not boring as per Ozawa.The finale was particularly moving. If you only want one Pathetique, this is it.The Prokofiev is fun, if a bit lightweight. Playing is very good indeed.I'm not fond of Berg, so I may not be the best judge of this Lulu set. Prohaska sings her one aria plus a violent scream towards the end, which actually made me jump! I liked her much better in the Mozart aria, which was beatifully done.I thought the sound quality to be very good, using dts with center channel depressed 2db.This label looks like a spin-off from EuroArts.(Accentus).

Life and death. Tchaikovsky probably sensing death, Abbado knowing his end is nigh and the orchestra young and invincible. I listen to music for the emotion weaved into a learned interpretation. Bernstein and Levine are my kind of conductors. Here Abbado gets sounds in this familiar symphony that I have not heard before. While the orchestra does not sway like a wheat field in a tempest a la Dudamel, Abbado does accept some real body movement as the players put there all into it. I don't think there has been such a unique interpretation of this symphony since Ferenc Fricsay - every collection should have them both.

This Venezuela Youth Orchestra is a group to be reckoned with. Under the direction of maestro Abbado they give 3 stellar performances from Prokofiev and Berg to a beautiful rendition of the Pathetique symphony. The complexities of the two 20th century pieces were handled with ease by the group. The Tchaikowsky showed their virtuoso abilities in handling the many moods of the wonderful work.. All in all a disc to be enjoyed at every playing.

I bought this DVD for many reasons not least of all because Claudio Abbado is directing an orchestra which has virtuoso players on every desk but because Tchaikovsky's 6th Symphony is one of the masterpieces of the genre. The playing throughout this disc is beyond reproach and whilst I am no great fan of the music of Alban Berg, I can always skip that bit.

It is wonderful to watch Abbado enjoying conducting this superbly talented orchestra from Venezuela. The performance of the Tchaikovsky alone makes this disc worth every penny. The music world misses him so much. I remember very vividly the few times i have attended his concerts and i am so grateful that there are so many great dvd's of his performances, the beethoven cycle paticularly but also the mahler nine from luzern. This disc has a very special feel to it as well.

Je suis de l'époque du son, moins de l'image, et je possède une très belle version de la symphonie N°6 "Pathétique" de Tchaikovski par Mravinsky; mais le besoin urgent de vibrer encore avec le regard, l'humilité et la générosité du Maestro ABBADO, m'a fait acquérir ce DVD! Quel bonheur de voir cette performance de l'Orchestre du Venezuela au festival de Lucerne! Quelle émotion!E.Gaulin.