The Life, Times And Music Of Peter Ilich Tchaikovsky

Multimedia may well prove to be one of the next great processing and cataloging challenges (particularly when it's not all incorporated onto a CD-ROM disc). Combining a video and a compact disc, this new entry in the "Music Maestro" series, is hosted by conductor and musicologist David Palmer. Introductory comments about Tchaikovsky's (1840-1893) unhappy personal life, contrasted with his achievements as a musical genius, set the stage for the Moscow Symphony Orchestra's renditions of highlights from Tchaikovsky's great ballets Swan Lake and The Nutcracker, as well as his classic "1812 Overture" and the haunting "Piano Concerto No. 1." The video cuts between scenes of the orchestra playing, clips from such Russian films as War & Peace, Peter the Great, and A Cruel Romance, and famous Romantic paintings from the period. Onscreen text comments about Tchaikovsky's life and work are nicely highlighted at the bottom of the screen. Overall, the program serves as a good introduction to both the man and his music. The compact disc, however, which has 10 cuts played by the same Moscow Symphony Orchestra, was often tinny--particularly during the brass sections, and lacked the full-bodied sound of my own Tchaikovsky CD's. Although the same music is used in the video, the television is a much less demanding acoustical medium than is the CD, and the flaws are not noticeable on video. Although the package would need a little altering, both the video and the CD stand alone. Recommended. Other entries in the series include Beethoven, Mozart, Vivaldi, Schubert, Chopin, Bach, and Grieg. (Available from: Library Video Company, P.O. Box 1110, Bala Cynwyd, PA 19004; (800) 843-3620; and Baker & Taylor Video.)