Product Description

Co-produced by Pioneer Entertainment, this program was recorded last month in honor of Johann Sebastian Bach's 250th anniversary. It has been recorded in video with 96K / 24bit multi-track audio on the Trost-Organ in Waltershausen, Germany. This organ was selected for its incredible sound and suitability for Bach music. Additionally, Bach himself actually played this particular organ during his lifetime.

The performance is by renowned organist and Bach specialist Hans-Andre Stamm.

Includes Johann Sebastian Bach Favorites:

•Toccata and Fugue d minor BWV 565 •Präludium and Fugue E flat major BWV 552 •Passacaglia and Fugue c minor BWV 582 •Various Choral Preludes

DVD Features:

•96K / 24 bit Non compressed stereo audio •Dolby Digital 5.1 audio •Music Analysis / Subtitles •Performer Profiles •Historical Timeline •Liner Notes •Glossary

Amazon.com

Glorious. Splendid. Awe-inspiring. How else to describe the experience of hearing J.S. Bach's greatest organ music, played by a virtuoso on an instrument that's nearly 300 years old and then delivered via state-of-the-art digital audio? Playing the Trost Organ in Waltershausen, Germany, Hans-André Stamm makes his way through nine different pieces, from thunderous fugues (including the familiar Toccata and Fugue in D Minor) to stately hymns and delicate pastorales. The 80-minute program is impressive, as are the bonus DVD features that accompany it. Among the latter are a bio of the organist; a timeline tracing political, cultural, and biographical events in Bach's world during the early 18th century; "Thuringia Impression," an extra musical selection set to filmed scenes of the green, rolling, German countryside; and an extensive "liner notes" section with notes on the compositions, a description of the organ (it has 2,806 pipes and was reputedly played by Bach himself), and display options for viewing titles, harmonic analysis of the music, or details of the organ's many stops and registrations (i.e., levers and knobs used to achieve its wondrous sounds).

If there's one flaw, it's the surfeit of close-ups on Stamm's hands and feet as he works the keys and pedals (not to mention the odd angles on his face as he studies the music), and the relative lack of longer, wider shots of the magnificent organ and the church in which it's located. On the other hand, one can simply turn off the picture and use the disc like an audio CD, and the power and majesty of Bach's genius will still come through loud and clear. --Sam Graham

• MPAA rating ‏ : ‎ NR (Not Rated)
• Product Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 7.6 x 5.3 x 0.6 inches; 3.2 ounces
• Media Format ‏ : ‎ NTSC, Dolby, DVD, Color, Classical
• Run time ‏ : ‎ 1 hour and 20 minutes
• Release date ‏ : ‎ December 12, 2000
• Actors ‏ : ‎ Hans-Andre Stamm
• Studio ‏ : ‎ Geneon [Pioneer]
• Number of discs ‏ : ‎ 1