November 1986 - No.21 K 467 [Dir. Ponnelle] Musical Pointers is increasingly tending towards a preference for DVD over CDs. Musical performance is physical, and this is my favourite of Barenboim in Mozart, despite obvious signs of its age and different set-ups with three pre-digital film directors. The best known of those is J-P Ponnelle for No 21. All were filmed in a white with gold stripes 18 C room at the Siemens-Villa, Berlin. More information about dates etc of these studio recordings would have been welcome Some of the concertos were filmed with the chamber orchestra and cameras on the flat; others with one camera above and ramps at the back (I wonder when that practice started?). Some concertos are filmed with excellent colour balance, others look rather "washed out" - that doesn't matter at all, though - you get used to it immediately. Balance and tone quality is superb and Barenboim's musicality in his double role is miraculous. It all sounds spontaneous as well as flawless; how many "takes" might have been needed, one wonders? Thes performances on modern instruments and Steinway piano put thoughts about the Authentic Movement's period approach right into the background. I
agree with Amazon customers that this is a fine and generous historical issue in a satisfyingly good filming for its period. These recordings were made in widescreen format on 35mm film, which was far superior to television recordings of the time. Peter Grahame Woolf
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