Great Performances | PBS

10/22/2009 :: 05:26:05 PM
Mary Daniels Says:

last night i watched the performance of dudamel. after the broadcast there was a number to call to order a dvd, i believe. i would like to order one but didn’t get the number! can you help me? thanks. mary

10/22/2009 :: 06:08:08 PM
John Howell Says:

How do I order the DVD of the Dudamel and LA Philharmonic? Thank you.

10/23/2009 :: 02:08:17 AM
Lois Jeffrey Says:

Andy Garcia was a poor interviewer and the videographer kept showing his face (he was saying nothing) instead of just showing Dudamel. However, since Dudamel did most of the talking it ended up being fine. Next time have someone who knows something about the music conduct the interview. Otherwise, the program was marvelous.

10/23/2009 :: 01:41:35 PM
Peter Cattano Says:

Dudamel is to classic music what Arnold Palmer was to golf and Pavarotti was to opera. Maybe our youngsters will learn that there is another mujsical world beside “rap”

10/23/2009 :: 01:42:57 PM
Peter Cattano Says:

Dudamel is to classic music what Arnold Palmer was to golf and Pavarotti was to opera. Maybe our youngsters will learn that there is another musical world out there beside “hip-hop!”

10/23/2009 :: 10:29:26 PM
Pedro Carvajal Says:

Bravo Gustavo! And greetings from New York from another fellow Venezuelan.

10/24/2009 :: 05:35:39 AM
Dave Says:

I think Andy is a good host. He is a musican himself, in case you don’t know.

10/24/2009 :: 01:13:00 PM
MacDonald Says:

I truly wish Gustavo well but…I thought the concert was a complete snooze. Terribly disappointed. Not surprised there are so few comments about it because most viewers weren’t moved by the performance, other that to switch channels. Hate to be Mr. Negative about Dudamel’s opening, but this IS PBS and honest appraisal should be paramount. Thanks.

10/25/2009 :: 12:30:44 AM
Tyler Says:

Mary and John, if you come back to this looking for answers, there is a link above the video thats says, Can be purchased here. If ordering online isn’t your cup of tea, the website has a number to order over the phone: 888-625-5360 Hope that helps!

I agree Peter! Did you see all those people sitting outside the Disney center watching? Hoping it expands some minds. Helps that he’s relatively young and looks even younger.

As to Andy Garcia, perhaps they could have gotten someone a little better at interviews. My opinion.

But other than that I thought the concert was Great! I didn’t think it was snooze at all, and Mahler’s No. 1 just gets me every time I hear it. Such a big finish! Ah, I was very pleased.

10/25/2009 :: 09:17:31 AM
Casey Wood Says:

I simply cannot think of a better piece of music to open for the Inaugural than Mahler’s First. It is without a doubt, one of the finest pieces ever composed, and a very fitting opening considering it’s modernity and motion-picture attributes. Dudamel and the Los Angeles Philharmonic did a fine job with the piece, although I felt that the tempo was a little fast at times. Other than that, it was very good and I thoroughly enjoyed it; highly recommended.

10/25/2009 :: 11:46:53 AM
Tom Lento Says:

Great concert, insulting presentation. What donut hole in Thirteen’s marketing department chose to run an intrusive, annoying, distracting crawl across the bottom of the screen plugging the Thirteen Arts web site? Probably the same dodo who leaves his/her Blackberry on in the concert hall so listeners can be disturbed by a ring tone featuring the greatest hits of Madison Avenue ad jingles. Highly disrespectful to performers & music, too.

10/25/2009 :: 11:02:03 PM
MV Says:

Fantastic performance. I have seen that the DVD will be available for purchase from Amazon in December.

10/26/2009 :: 02:45:42 AM
Wilson Says:

The maximum sound level on this online video is not high enough. I’m assuming the DVD won’t have a similar limitation.

10/26/2009 :: 03:11:07 AM
Jacquie Says:

Living in LA, I heard/read a lot about Dudamel but did not purchase any tickets yet to see him (heard that all concerts of the year were sold out at the Disney Hall??!). I put the tv on by curiosity, especially being a big Mahler fan. I have not heard Mahler performed like that for a long long time! It touched me so much. BRAVO!!!!!! and Thanks PBS for letting us see it! now I indeed want to see live that young Maestro, with his charming curls. I liked how he stood among the musicians at the final applause.

10/26/2009 :: 06:01:25 AM
Maggie Says:

Most exciting performance and conducting I’ve seen in aeons. The degree to which Dudamel “feels” the music and what the composer intended is inspiring.. movements of his left hand are elegant and telling.. his curls express the inner resonance.
I don’t think MacDonald (#8) has ever played an instrument or has a clue to what it takes to conduct.

10/26/2009 :: 02:00:07 PM
Norma Iudica Says:

Andy Garcia? really bad! this was about the extraordinary Dudamel, not about Garcia! Bad interviewer, bad, bad! better choice next time please!!!!! The concert was EXCELLENT!

10/26/2009 :: 02:57:51 PM
kenneth flanz Says:

how do I order a DVD of the concert,My wife and I thought it was excellent

10/26/2009 :: 04:46:23 PM
christine Says:

Please tell me, who was that unbelievable sax player? Never seen anything so brilliant.

10/29/2009 :: 03:29:03 AM
Ron Hess Says:

To Brian Large, director of the broadcast: Whoever directed the actual camera angles and movements needs an admonishment or possible change of scenery. From the Mahler alone, it took until midway through the the third movement for your cameras to find the principal bassoonist and the HANDS of the tubist during their brief solos. But it was criminal to overlook the whole trombone section in all but 2 measures in the first movement, 2 in the second, and the ENTIRETY of the final movement, one so pregnant with exposed parts that it is a common favorite with them. Does your score reader only react to the word “solo?” I defy you to get the requisite “standing O” out of the Mahler if the low brass only contributes what you managed to get on camera. Your job is not just to entertain their eyes, but also to subtilely educate the viewers about the intricacies of the orchestra, ALL of it.

And to Maggie (#15): Having done both (playing and conducting), I can see that Mr Dudamel may occasionally have expended a bit more energy than was absolutely necessary on the podium (which, like too much of anything, can be visually tiring.) but he has plenty of time and the raw materials to grow and settle into the perfect balance.

11/01/2009 :: 07:34:29 PM
Marilyn Griffin Says:

I too wish to order the DVD — Maybe you could offer as a premium during a fund raiser. I was transfixed when I chanced to tune in – have never heard such an exquisite performance. So can we have the order info?

11/07/2009 :: 04:14:14 PM
MauSh Says:

Why does the sound on the European version of this concert seem noticeably better?:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2i_YEYFkIJE

If my ears aren’t playing tricks on me, than the engineering or technical crew of Great Performances that adjusted the sound for their broadcast needs to take some refresher courses on how to get the best audio possible.

11/10/2009 :: 09:52:45 PM
HerbR Says:

Say what you will about Andy Garcia’s interviewing skills, but he at least knew how to pronounce Gustavo’s last name correctly: Du-da-MEL. So many of the other commentators didn’t.
I heartily agree with Ron Hess about the poor camera work. There were way too many shots of the new principal oboist, even when what we were hearing was some really great brass playing. A thought: Have the assistant conductor assist the director on where to point the cameras.
Last Sunday we heard a wonderful performance of Verdi’s Requiem, led by Dudamel. My sister came up from O.C. to hear him – she’s sung the work several times with the SF Symphony Chorus, and loves it – and couldn’t find enough good things to say about it. Interestingly, he was much less flamboyant in this work – appropriately so, IMHO.
We have season tix, and I’m hoping to live a few more years to hear more of his conducting. Esa-Pekka has left him a great instrument to play.