Sarah Brightman Symphony: Live in Vienna

Sarah Brightman. Sometimes, I just don't know which way I'm going. If I'm I'm going away from Sarah, she drags me back. Maybe, I just can't go away from Sarah. Maybe, deep down inside, I don't want to. But even if I try, she keeps bringing me back again. Such is the case with her SYMPHONY LIVE IN VIENNA release. (What do I have now, about 4 of these, bewtween the CD and the DVD)? Is 4 enough? I don't know. Maybe not, with Sarah. This incredibly, unbelievably talented lady takes you on an emotional rollercoaster ride with her music. One minute you are peaceful, serene, listening to "LET IT RAIN". The next minute, you are 10 miles high, screaming along with the powerhouse "RUNNING". "THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA" will amaze you and enchant you. And one of MY favorites will always be the number "SYMPHONY". I'm not really sure of how to describe Sarah. Or her music. It's a mix I guess. Some Opera. Some hard-driving Rock. Some Pop. Some Orchestral music. Symphony. Choral. Chamber music. Take that and put it all in a blender and presto ... SARAH BRIGHTMAN. But ya know what? No matter what you want to call this, it has become one of my favorite 'types' of music. Sarah has a magical touch. Actually, she could just stand there. Nothing else. Just stand there, on stage, and you will love her. It's tough to tear myself away from Sarah. And her music. I find that, once I put one of her discs in, it's in for quite some time. Days. Even weeks. Before I replace it with something else. So, what am I saying here? I'm saying this: if you think you might like some Opera. Or, some Symphony. Or, some choral. Or, some hard-driving Rock ... all mixed together into some phenomenally remarkable music ... better check Sarah out.

Sarah opens this gorgeous evening with "Pie Jesu," from the Reqiuem Mass. She faces the altar and the tones and notes resonate so beautifully from her toward the altar. When "Fleurs Du Mal" begins with its electric instrumentation and choral accents, Sarah grabs the hem of her scarlet gown and dramatically floats down the aisle. She is a vision in red, seemingly moving away from a malicious force to the altar for comfort. At this point, you know that you are in for a treat! ...and, my oh my, are you! As is her specialty, modern musical accents blend with the classic works of yore, and Sarah Brightman is a capable vehicle for it all. She never lets up. Her vocals are impeccable throughout. Among the highlights of the concert (which are innumerable) are: "Sarai Qui," "Running," "Let It Rain," and an unforgettable performance of "Phantom of the Opera" with Chris Thompson. If you are a Sarah Brightman fan, a fan of music, or looking for classy and timeless entertainment, then this concert and the audio recording of the evening will delight you again and again! BRAVO SARAH!

I first saw this concert on a six-hour flight to Europe as part of the entertainment package offered by the airline. I kept repeating my favorite songs and began looking forward to seeing it again on my flight back home. I was thrilled to see it offered as a CD/DVD package at Amazon. The audio and production quality of this collection is outstanding. The lighting, location, song arrangement, and cinematography are combined to create the correct amount of dramatic effect. Sarah Brightman is both stunning and graceful. The selection of songs definitely suit the Gothic location. The first time that I heard the voice of Allesandro Safina, it brought tears to my eyes. Sarah Brightman's rendition of Lisa Gerrard's "Sanvean" is a beautiful interpretation, but Lisa Gerard is still the master "vocables". Overall, this is a concert of timeless classics that one will never get tired of listening to.

The most incredible CD/DVD ever! Sarah Brightman has no limits in what she can do. The range and beauty of songs is unbelievable. The additional behind-the-scenes tracks are illuminating and inspiring. She is a genius at her craft. The photography of the cathedral, of her, and the audience leaves you breathless! The word "beautiful" has been elevated to a new meaning with this CD/DVD. She literally transports you into the cathedral in Vienna! You are there with her, with the audience. It is mesmerizing. I cherish this experience with her as none other. What a gift she has given us. Give one to yourself and those you love. I have... Namaste

If you are a Sarah Brightman fan this is a must have DVD. The setting is exquisite, the lighting and special effects would rival a Pink Floyd Concert, the guest performers are top notch, and , of course, Sarah is magnificent as usual. The video quality is quite good, especially since it was filmed in a dark cathedral. The sound quality is, for the most part, excellent. In several numbers Sarah's breathing between the phrases was a little too evident. I showed the concert to a group of discerning friends and they all gave it 2 enthusiastic thumbs up! They especially liked the rendition of "Phantom of the Opera" theme song with the organist really hamming it up while only playing five notes. To sum it all up, buy it, you'll love it!

I've loved Sarah Brightman since the beginning. (Hoping not to show my age). I at first had a hard time liking the Symphony CD because I was so used to her "theme" recordings like Eden and La Luna. But I must say, when I purchased this combination CD/DVD from Amazon...the DVD blew me totally away. The surroundings make each piece she sings so meaningful to me and the production value is ultra fine. The two duets with Alessandro Safina are spectacular and he is probably a better singer than Bocelli in my point of view. A very fine addition to Sarah's portolio of music. Marty Collica

As much as I love Sarah Brightman and her work, I stayed away from this DVD for a while because of the loud, bombastic, Goth-rock theme. Only recently I decided to take the leap and watch it. I surprised myself by liking this concert immensely, and aside from a few songs (Fleurs du Mal, Sanvean, I Will Be With You) and several brief moments here and there, I found it rather enjoyable. I'm not a big fan of rock music, and probably wouldn't have bought this if not for the classical pieces included. The title song "Symphony" seems like one that she's really got a good hold of, and one that has a great classical-pop crossover feel. "Running" is probably my favorite out of all of them, with Sarah's rich, operatic soprano really taking control at the beginning and end. It reminded me a lot of "A Question Of Honor". "Attesa", "Storia D'Amore", and "Pie Jesu" are amazing, though not quite as well-executed as the original recordings; but nothing can compare with "Ave Maria", which Sarah uses to close the concert. Her performance is nothing less than angelic. As far as vocals, Sarah's voice doesn't seem as strong as it was in the "Harem" concert during some of the pieces, and occasionally goes a bit sharp and shrieky. I had read that Sarah had recently recovered from a severe illness before starting the concert, so this may be a consequence of that. Even so, I was a bit surprised to hear her voice so strained on some pieces; every once and a while, it came close to hurting my ears. All I can say is I hope that her voice has recovered since then and has returned to normal. Even with these impediments, Sarah still remains a great singer, but she sure isn't a rock singer. Most of the pieces that I thought she didn't sound as good on were the rock ballads, which just shows that her voice just isn't as well suited to the rougher, less lyrical pieces as she is to the more classical, operatic ones. The concert's setting, inside a beautiful old Gothic church in Vienna, fits marvelously with the songs she has chosen. Audio and visual are a lot clearer than on Harem, and the camera work is done splendidly, panning over the marvelous Gothic ceiling and architecture of the church, not to mention the gorgeous carvings; and then zooming in on Sarah at just the right moments while she sings. The lighting is also very dramatic, with bright, vivid colors and great use of shadows and effects. It looks great on film. Sarah is as pretty as always, with a new hairstyle and less makeup than on "Harem", though her gowns for this concert seem a little too low cut, especially the white number she wears during the last few songs, but that's just me. I personally thought her outfits in Eden and Harem were a lot better. Apart from her solo performances, she also has no less than five duets with numerous partners. Alessandro Safina has a fine voice and makes a good stand-in for Andrea Bocelli, who sang "Canto Della Terra" with her on the studio album. He also does a nice job on "Sarai Qui". Fernando Lima has a sweet counter-tenor voice, which is a little ticklish on the ears, but is all right. The only thing I didn't like about him was his bedraggled appearance. With his long, unkempt hair, he doesn't fit at all with Brightman's queenly appearance, but looks aren't a big deal as long as he can sing, which he can. "The Phantom of the Opera" was exciting, if not done at a little too fast a tempo, but it could have been absolutely electrifying if the guy playing the Phantom actually had a good voice. (It's Chris Thompson, who sounds like nails on a chalkboard; he's as bad as Steve Harley was on the 1985 music video, with absolutely no chemistry between him and Sarah at all). Sarah is amazing, but unfortunately, the heavy rock beat and hum of electric guitars drowns out her voice almost completely and makes this one hard to listen to, even at a moderate volume. As much as I am glad she included this one, the overpowering rock thread makes it less enjoyable than it should have been. "Sanvean" was the only classical piece I didn't enjoy, partly for the fact that it is just vocalizing and no words, and that it seemed a little whispery. This package includes everything the $15 live CD package has as far as music and video extras go, but this also includes the full DVD of the live concert in Vienna. The extra features themselves are nice, with two interviews with Sarah about the songs and the whole "Symphony" album, and two more with experts on the church the concert was filmed in. Finally, the included audio CD has all the tracks from the DVD,live, plus an extra studio track "Vide Cor Meum", which was nice choice to end the album on a gentle note. All in all, I don't think this is one of Sarah Brightman's best artistic endeavors (I hope next time she'll go a little closer to her roots), but at the same time it made me glad that I finally decided to go ahead and watch it.

Wow! I have been a Sarah Brightman fan....from afar. However, I began watching clips from this concert on You Tube and, after seeing/hearing Sarah and Alessandro Safina singing together (Canto Della Terra), I was hooked. Purchased this set and I have been nothing but impressed with the music, the setting, the arrangements, the singing, the camera work. Of course, I've gotten hold of this 2009 concert a little later than most; no matter, I listen to it all the time.....all the time! There is good music, and there is GREAT music. This concert, in my opinion, rises just a little higher than the latter!

Maravilhoso

Un cadre somptueux,un orchestre classique accompagné de musiciens pop rock ,une qualité d images parfaites et un son DTS 5.1 parfait , et la DIVINE SARAH BRIGHTMAN visitant le répertoire classique et pop rock de sa voix sublime vous laissant songeur dans votre fauteuil . A VOIR ET REVOIR ON NE SANS LASSE PAS

Je crois que c`est probablement le meilleur DVD (live in concert) qu`elle a produit et c`est aussi le plus récent. Ce concert enregistré dans une cathédrale est à caractère plus classique, respectant le côté sacré de l`endroit. Les décors sont de toute beauté; à l`image d`une des plus belle cathédrale au monde: cierges, statues, murailles, tableaux etc..., un décor divin. Et que dire des lumières; elles sont absolument superbes. Il y a du rouge, beaucoup de bleu et même du violet. Sarah Brightman nous livre son concert les deux pieds sur terre, cette fois-ci, contrairement à des concerts plus acrobatique qu`elle a présentée dans le passé. Sa prestation est extraordinaire et à l`image de se qu`on s`attend. Elle chante en duo avec trois chanteurs durant le concert, et ils livrent tous les trois de très bonnes performances. Sarah Brightman nous montre qu`elle n`a rien perdu de sa voix angélique. Une voix que je qualifirais de limpide. Un morceau retient mon attention. La version de "The Phantom of the opera" que l`on retrouve sur ce DVD est à couper le souffle! Elle termine ce morceau avec une intensité et une note finale incroyable. On dirait que les fenêtres vont casser! C`est vraiment un concert de classe....de la grande classe. Je crois que je n`avais rien vu de tel encore. Les bras nous en tombent, on n`a qu`à se taire! Qu`elle voix merveilleuse! Qu`elle femme incroyable....et jolie en plus!!

Immer wieder schön anzuhören bzw, anzusehen