Speak
The Music: Robert Mann & The Mysteries Of Chamber Music
(2013/First Run DVD)
Picture:
C Sound: B- Extras: D Documentary: B+
Allan
Miller's new documentary Speak
The Music: Robert Mann & The Mysteries Of Chamber Music
(2013) is an interview with violinist Robert Mann, a founding member
of violinist of the Julliard String Quartet, how he became violinist
and his influence in bring back classical music with a modern
passion. Along with other world class string performers and
composers they talk and show on what brings a music piece alive, this
program includes footage with aspiring young Julliard string
performers, showing how Robert Mann teaches, influences and instructs
the future of string players and music.
Mann
is the first violinist of Julliard and has been performing for over
52 years. He has performed in front of Presidents, concerts and
considered one of the finest violinist of our times. Along with
other musicians they strive to bring back old music as if they were
written yesterday, and treat new music as if they were classical
pieces. He and other Julliard teachers, come together to talk on
what nuances make a piece into a master piece.
While
I know music, this film is about one man's passion for string music.
I respect it and the musicians who practice and perform. With modern
technology, you can feed the score into any computer and have it
played perfectly, but only a human can still make a piece sound
alive, give it a personal touch. It is the like the difference
between listening to a CD and going to a live performance, and this
is what Mr. Mann tries to show and teach others.
The
anamorphically enhanced 1.78 X 1 is a mixed bag of old (often analog
video) footage and new footage, but the lossy Dolby Digital 2.0 mix
is much better, but there are no extras.
-
Ricky Chiang
