Firebird / Rite of Spring [Blu-ray]

Don't be fooled by the dtsHD sound designation. This is made for TV.
What a great disapointment. This blu-ray disc touts sound that they label as "dts HD" surround sound. But sadly, this is completely irrelevant. This is a made-for-TV production and is recorded in dynamically compressed sound, just like what you hear on broadcast PBS. Thus the softs are boosted and the louds are severely compressed, making everything just about the same volume. So it doesn't matter if it's mastered in dts HD, dolby digital, dolby surround or good old fashioned stereo. I knew instantly something was amiss at the very opening of the Firebird Suite: the pianissimo bass drum roll and pizzicato basses thundered into my room; and sure enough, a few moments later, at the first crescendo, the sound grew no louder than it was at the pianissimo opening. I had to turn the volume WAY up during the Infernal Dance to get any kind of impact. Such a pity. The performances are good, the orchestra plays great and the picture is fantastic, with mostly excellent camera work. But without...

Stravinsky Masterpieces on DVD
Stravinsky's The Firebird is a favorite piece of music for my spouse and me, and like The Rite of Spring, we have it in several modes of media, as well as enjoying the occasional live performance. The visual accompaniment of Stravinsky's music is well-done here, with excellent camera edits that emphasize the changes in mood and theme in the three pieces presented. I got so swept up in the orchestra visual, I even stopped flashing on the memory of the powerful animated segment done to The Firebird in Disney's Fantasia 2000. I only fault the choice to include the full extent of all the extensive applause sessions.

The Rite of Spring immediately evoked the ponderous passage of time and the evolution of life depicted using the music as background in the original Disney Fantasia (Special 60th Anniversary Edition) - with this piece, my...

Are all orchestras starting to sound the same?
If I closed my eyes I would have never guessed that this was a French Orchestra. Is this a good thing? The orchestra just sails through the Rite; there's no sense of struggle. Is this also a good thing? The Orchestra looks and sounds good.

Click to Editorial Reviews