The present DVD is directed by Bob Coles, and we have imaginative camera work and superb sound to enhance our pleasure, incidentally shared by the vast audience sitting or standing all around the stage.

The concert is made up solely of pieces of music (popular and not so popular) which have been played as encores. This DVD is similar in nature to the CD released on EMI a few years ago by Mariss Jansons conducting the Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra. The repertoire is similar although there is not a total overlap. This is an example of the superiority of the DVD medium for preserving this kind of event. The visual impact is substantial, with orchestra, soloist and conductor all thoroughly enjoying themselves.

The last five items are all Jansons favourites, and I have heard these played in London at various times as actual encores to concerts by him and his Norwegian orchestra. Jansons has the ability to invest tremendous zest in these pieces. He is aided and abetted by Vadim Repin and the Berlin Philharmonic at their most lusty; anyone purchasing this disc is in for a treat.

The Berlin Philharmonic plays superbly for Mariss Jansons, and the total artistry of Vadim Repin only adds to the total effect. This is the first Waldbuhne concert where the effect of the Berliner Luft (the German equivalent of our Pomp and Circumstance March No. 1 at the Proms) makes less impact than I was expecting. This is primarily because of what has gone before – sheer magic!. Repin’s playing of the Paganini has to be watched to be believed, and the audience, quite justifiably, go wild at the end, causing him to repeat the piece, this time modified for even greater effect, enchanting all present including orchestra and conductor.

The audience is extremely well behaved, with none of the drunken rowdiness which occasionally mars functions like this in Britain. Like the Proms, the audience appears to be extremely well behaved until the last piece is reached, when sparklers are lit and waved about in the dark. If the repertoire attracts you, then go out and buy this disc – I guarantee you will enjoy it, and with such good sound, notes and production, it is a winner. I wish TDK every success with this issue. Based on these performances, we should be in for some more superb music-making in Amsterdam later this year, when Jansons takes over the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra. Come on TDK, how about recording some concerts there.

-- John Phillips, MusicWeb International

Region: 0 (All)
Picture Format: PAL, 16:9 anamorphic
Sound Format: PCM stereo, Dolby Digital 5.1, DTS 5.1
Running Time: 116 Minutes
Booklet Languages: English, French, German
Recording Date: 23 June 2002