André Previn: The Kindness of Strangers

André Previn is the ultimate multi-tasker, inhabiting many roles over the course of his illustrious career, including jazz interpreter; composer, soloist, and conductor of classical music; and Academy Award-winner. Chosen by the Tennessee Williams estate to fulfill a commission by the San Francisco Opera for a 1998 production of A Streetcar Named Desire (also available on DVD from Image Entertainment), this program offers an inside view of the opera's premiere, from first rehearsal to the final curtain call. All facets of the production are covered, conveying a genuine sense of what it is to “make music,” while throughout we're treated to clips from the opera featuring superb performances by Renée Fleming and Elizabeth Futral, as well as glimpses of Previn's performance career, and details of his life. Like a great symphony, the various parts enrich and illuminate each other, gathering together into a harmonious whole, and while the opera itself has become a qualified success, there should be no reservations about purchasing this first rate documentary, presented in Dolby Digital 5.1 sound. Highly recommended. Aud: H, C, P. (J. Reed)