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Customer Reviews: Average Rating:  Rating : - The best thing you could ever see!!!
When I first saw this program, it was during a late-night fit of insomnia a year ago. I turned on the TV, flipped through a few channels, and stopped dead when I heard a tidbit of gorgeous, heartwrenching music playing to a program on PBS. It seemed to be a biography...on Gustav Mahler! Now, at the time, I was 18 years old and I had been a classical music fan for just a month or so. But I sat glued to this Mahler program. I learned all about the correlation between his sad, troubled life, and his stormy, tempestuous music. I couldn't have changed the channel if I tried. It was mesmerizing. At the end, when they announced that they would explore the life of Tchaikovsky the next week, I was thrilled. I made a mental note to catch the program, but they must have switched timeslots because I couldn't find the program the week after that. I was pretty let-down about that. But, to my immense joy and complete astonishment, I found the ENTIRE four-tape set at my local library! I took the set home and totally consumed it, hour after hour. It was the most fascinating thing I'd ever watched, and it inspired me beyond measure to soak up all the musical knowledge I could. What makes this set completely astounding is that it utilizes both the music of the composers, and the commentary of expert musicians/conductors/historians to actually put you in the composer's mind! The bits and pieces of music that they showcase are worth the entire price tag in and of themselves. Especially in the Bach program, where a young tenor delivers a STRIKING performance of "Erbarme Dich Mein Gott" from the St. Matthew Passion. It will literally bring tears to your eyes. I really hope that the BBC eventually brings this set to a DVD format. A treasure like this shouldn't be allowed to fade into dust. In closing I'd like to say, this set of tapes changed my life completely. If it can make an 18-year-old classical novice appreciate this music, imagine what it can do for you. ---Barrett + See Full Customer Review |  |