|
| Tocar y Luchar (To Play and To Fight) | 
 enlarge | Director: Alberto Arvelo
Studio: Explorart Films
Category: DVD
Buy New: $22.95
Avg. Customer Rating:  13 reviews
Sales Rank: 18160
Format: Dolby, Ntsc, Subtitled, Widescreen
Languages: Spanish (Unknown), English (Unknown), English (Subtitled), Spanish (Subtitled), Italian (Subtitled)
Rating: Unrated
Running Time: 70
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.5
Dimensions (in): 7.5 x 5.2 x 0.6
UPC: 689076624770
EAN: 0689076624770
ASIN: B000UHAGNO
Theatrical Release Date: 2006
Publication Date: 2006
Shipping: Eligible for Super Saver Shipping
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
|
| Features:
| • | Subtitles: English, Spanish, Italian | | • | Format: NTSC Anamorphic 16:9 | | • | Year: 2006 | | • | Rating: This film has not been rated | | • | Running Time: 70 minutes |
|
| Similar Items:
|
| Editorial Reviews:
Product Description
The winner of the audience award at the Miami International Film Festival, To Play and To Fight presents the captivating story of the Venezuelan Youth Orchestra System - an incredible network of hundreds of orchestras formed within most of Venezuelas towns and villages.Once a modest program designed to expose rural children to the wonders of music, the system has become one of the most important and beautiful music phenomena in modern history. To Play and To Fight presents interviews and performances by many of the worlds most renowned musicians including the great tenor Placido Domingo, Claudio Abbado, Sir Simon Rattle, Guiseppe Sinopoli, and Eduardo Mata, as they reflect on the impact of such a far-reaching social project.The documentary also presents the inspirational stories of world class musicians who have been trained by the Venezuelan system, including The Berlin Philharmonics youngest player Edicson Ruiz and world class conductor Gustavo Dudamel.
|
| Customer Reviews: Read 8 more reviews...
A Miracle The World Should Heed! November 22, 2007
121 out of 124 found this review helpful
Something has been happening in Venezuela for the past thirty years, something that should sound a reveille around the world. This excellent film written and directed by Alberto Arvelo Mendoza with Carlos Diaz may at first seem like a propaganda film from Venezuela, but within moments of the opening aqueous credits the audience is poised for discovery.
TOCAR Y LUCHAR ('To Play and To Fight') is a documentary about the National Youth Orchestras of Venezuela, an organization now headed by Jose Antonio Abreu that focuses on providing instruments, musical training, and the experience of becoming part of a classical music orchestra to the children of Venezuela. The result is the truly superb Simon Bolivar Youth Orchestra of Venezuela that has been touring the world under the leadership of principal conductor Gustavo Dudamel providing inspiration not only to young people who long for something meaningful in their lives, something like the majesty that classical music offers, but also bringing audiences in Berlin, Munich, Italy, and throughout the United States to their feet. This superb DVD explains how this happens, and the success of the film is the radiant faces of the thousands of young students who are becoming leading musicians of world-class quality.
Yes, there are live performances conducted by Dudamel as well as Claudio Abbado, Simon Rattle, and Giuseppe Sinopoli and there are moments of tribute from these conductors as well as from singers such as Placido Domingo and from commentators. But the real magic of the DVD lies in the expressions and the interviews with the members of the orchestra. This is a success story we should all heed: perhaps the salvation of our young people is here in this concept of providing opportunity and inspiration through classical music training. The film is not only a fulfilling visual and aural experience, it is also a beacon of hope whose light hopefully will be shared by all countries of the globe. Highly recommended not only for music educators but also for everyone who cares about the future of music and our children! Grady Harp, November 07
The final outcome of a delirious and even utopic idea in those Fifties! December 4, 2007
15 out of 15 found this review helpful
To understand plainly the status place of Gustavo Dudamel at front of one of the top Orchestras around the world like Los Angeles Philharmonic since 2009, we should date us back to the middle Fifties (1954, to be exact) when Caracas was witness about the historical debut of Wilhelm Furtwangler in March 1954. After that successful event, the idea of inaugurating a Latin American Festival was totally accepted, by then. I really would remark the only Symphonic Orchestra in those ages was the OSV (Orquesta Sinfonica de Venezuela, founded in 1930).
Caracas was an exceptional witness of soloists of the level of Andres Segovia, Agustin Barrios Mangore, Narciso Yepes, Nicanor Zabaleta, Gyorgy Sandor (who visited us for the first time in 1944), Wilhem Kempff (1953, 1964 and 1968) Paul Badura Skoda, Ginette Neveu, Janos Starker., William Kapell (1947 and 1949) , Pablo Casals, Ivry Gitlis, Pierre Fournier, Ruggiero Ricci, Aaron Rosand, Jean Pierre Rampal, Eugene Istomin, Eugene Ormandy, Marta Argerich, Claudio Arrau, Lazar Berman, Horacio Gutierrez and notable orchestras such the Gewandhaus, VPO, Cameratta of Salzburg,Pittsburgh among others.
So that expected project was simply extraordinary. Directors of the artistic height of Celibidache, Horenstein, Adrian Boult, Stanislav Wisloscki, Igor Stravinsky, Penderecki and Villalobos among other important figures of the baton. The main soloists in those ages just included two dozens of brilliant artists such as Alirio Diaz (guitarist) Judith Jaimes, Eva Maria Zuk (pianists) Maurice Hasson, Francisco del Castillo (violinists) .
On the other hand, the presence of Aldemaro Romero (1928-2997) a self didactical musician (creator of the New wave- a rhythm that blended Bossa Nova and jazz) emigrated to New York in the fifties to expand his knowledge; and that factor was determinant, because he founded in 1977 The Caracas Philharmonic Orchestra, and creating small nucleus of musical learning and being the same soloists of that famed the professors of this ambitious project. Even Astor Piazzolla was invited to give master classes
"To play and fight" was the final overcome, the sum of those infinitesimal but dedicated efforts, that day after day, since the early eighties, a countless number of people aimed to shape.
Jose Antonio Abreu was named as titular Director of a bunch of young and humble students who just had a visceral enthusiasm but ignited passion for doing the task today better than yesterday.
But it would be absolutely unfair to forget names of the level of Eric Landerer, Beatriz Klein, Moniqyue Duphil, Florian Ebersberg, among others remarkable teachers who dedicated a good part of their lives to enhance this febrile enthusiasm.
So the Nineties meant a sort of inevitable effervescence through the whole country. Edith Pena (who studied with Susan Star) Gabriela Montero was part of that enormous outburst of energy and Dionysian passion.
But when Sandor Vegh came to Caracas in 1992 , he affirmed he had never seen such effluvium, good vibrations and enraptured devotion for the music in any other place of the world. This statement was the cherry of the cake, a formal acknowledge of a boiling expansion
What you will watch in this epic documental is the final stage of a patient number of silent hours and untiring and disinteresting efforts which at last were absolutely fruitful.
The creation of musical nucleus around every state of the country, was supported by government and private entities, so as exceptional witness of this brilliant result as Venezuelan citizen I may give a rotund testimony about this exceptional and glamorous artistic triumph.
Don't miss it!
The truth about Venezuela November 2, 2007
14 out of 14 found this review helpful
This film is not just about the most important development of classical music currently happening in the world, is about how to overcome the social problems of the third world.
You will see Placido Domingo, Simon Rattle and Claudio Abbado brought to tears by the performances of this young orchestra. You will hear touching words from "Maestro" Abreu himself, and also from the new classical music superstar Gustavo Dudamel.
I will recommend it for all art lovers and specially for Venezuelan people that sometimes forget that there is still many good things happening in the Country.
"Music will sow in the child and the young a spirit of accomplishment, excellence, a cult for the beautifull, the fair, the just, the noble; and will transforms his personality"
Jose Antonio Abreu.
"La musica siembra en el nino y en el joven un espiritu de superacion, excelencia, un culto a lo bello, a lo bueno, a lo justo, a lo noble y transforma su personalidad".
Jose Antonio Abreu.
Bring it here!! November 4, 2007
11 out of 11 found this review helpful
I've just finished watching this DVD for the third time. Bought 6 copies. Every child in the world deserves a similar opportunity, every society the uplifting benefits. It's my goal to create something like this where I live, and this video is a wonderful way to convince others to join in the effort.
Creating something out of nothing... January 2, 2008
5 out of 5 found this review helpful
I've already written Explorart to tell them how deeply affected I've been by this remarkable, outstanding film, and I've little to add to the already wonderful reviews on these pages. I'm about to purchase my third copy from Amazon, the ONLY place the film is available. I live in Guanajuato,Mexico, in a city of classical musicians, who pass around the one edition of "Tocar y Luchar" that someone managed to buy on-line in Venezuela. Why, oh why, is this miraculous work so hard to find? Why, I ask myself - especially as I manage a string quintet - can't Mexico follow the example of Venezuela?
Music is the only art that creates something out of "nothing" - out of air - sound...the music of the spheres, if you like. Only through music can the hearts of every man, woman and child be touched without words, even, as the project reveals, for those who can't hear. I believe that "Tocar y Luchar" can open up those hearts in the same way.
On witnessing the spiritual vision of Antonio Jose Abreu, so beautifully understood and captured by Alberto Arvelo, I felt, for the first time in years, a stirring of real hope for this world. The founders of the project were equally stirred, and the entire project is finally, after 30 years, being talked about here. BUT, without this award-winning film, I believe it would have passed the country by. Not even MixUp Mexico can find it. And those poor souls who complained of its "technical flaws" on the IMDB have completely missed the point.
If I had the ability to help, I'd jump on the next plane to Caracas to help the cause!
If Claudio Abbado, the world's most sensitive and loving conductor, who understands the energy of young musicians, can be so deeply moved as to support the project whole-heartedly; if Sir Simon Rattle can be so articulate with his praise; if Placido Domingo, along with Abbado, can't stifle his tears, then why isn't this film in every town, every pueblo, every country? Director Arvelo has done the world a great service in making this documentary, and the ripple-effect can only continue if more places make it available to a hungry population of music lovers.
Indeed, Mahler would have been proud. Thank you, a million times over, Exploart and Amazon, for at least making this work available to a few.
|
|
|
Powered by Associate-O-Matic
| |
