Mark Twain Tonight

Manufacturer: Kultur Video Brand: Kulter

Puccini's bittersweet opera of high-spirited bohemians and the doomed love between Rodolfo, the idealistic poet and Mimi, the consumptive flower-maker, is a beautifully balanced series of tableaux. In 1989 when this production was taped, Luciano Pavarotti and Mirella Freni had already enjoyed long, distinguished careers. In other words, they were considerably older than La Bohème's romantic young couple, Mimi and Rodolfo. If you find this consideration important, it might be wise to skip this Bohème and invest instead in the bright, youthful, and energetic Sydney Opera production or the visually striking 1998 Metropolitan Opera production. So far, La Bohème has fared better on DVD than any other opera, and the San Francisco Bohème faces serious competition. But this is a vintage production deserving attention on its own merits. As a matter of survival, veteran singers learn how to make experience compensate for the loss of youth, and Freni and Pavarotti are outstanding examples of how this can be done. They are aided by a sensitive stage director, a visual treatment responsive to the opera's changing moods, and an expert supporting cast deeply involved with the story and the music. They fit convincingly in roles with which they have been living for decades; both are still in good vocal condition, and the emotions are convincingly conveyed. In the supporting cast, note the excellent performances of Gino Quilico and Nicolai Ghiaurov. --Joe McLellan

Manufacturer: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment Brand: GALLAGHER,PETER Model: 5290

The American Ballet Company is not for the fainthearted, it's for the most gifted and beautiful ballet dancers alive. But you'll need more than mere physical prowess and determination to succeed. You'll need to deliver the goods at CENTER STAGE. Jonathan Reeves (Peter Gallagher, American Beauty), the ballet company's owner is evaluating this young tight-knit group of students as they face the growing pains of their ambitions, romances and heartbreaks which prove to be both invigorating and difficult. The results are a celebration of beauty, bodies, and ballet.

Manufacturer: Deutsche Grammophon Model: 2227898

Opera conducted by James Levine and featuring the Metropolitan Opera Ballet and Orchestra anc Chorus. Stars Dimitri Kavrakos, Dolora Zajick, Aprile Millo, Placido Domingo and Sherill Milnes.

Manufacturer: Sony Legacy Brand: Sony

This compilation features 10 of Michael Jackson's greatest video hits, including "Billie Jean," "The Way You Make Me Feel," "Black or White," "Rock With You" and others. 90 minutes.

Manufacturer: Hudson Music Brand: Hudson Music Model: 320288

small_gsod.jpg small_gsod-back.jpg thumbnail_gsod.jpg thumbnail_gsod-back.jpg Tommy Igoe: Getting Started on Drums Also Available At: Item: HL320288 $19.95 Featuring world-renowned drummer, solo artist, author and educator, Tommy Igoe, Getting Started On Drums is an entertaining and educational way for beginning drummers to learn the right way to play Äî right from the start. Covers all the concepts a new drummer needs, such as Setting Up and Unpacking your new drums, The Bass Drum, The Bass Drum Pedal, Rack Tom-Toms, Floor Tom-Toms, The Snare Drum, The Hi-Hat, The Power Square, Cymbals and Stands, The final Tune-Up, Start Playing! Also covers how to choose, hold and use your sticks, How to control your pedals, a Basic Coordination lesson, Three grooves you can play right now!, Four cool drum fills, Three playalong songs you can jam with, Tips on your next steps, and Tommy playing along to a tune.

Manufacturer: BRAINY BABY Brand: Gaiam

Contains over 50 words including colors, numbers, favorite objects, action words and familiar phrases Introduced by a native-language (Spanish) Narrator Fun music and a nursery rhyme song in Spanish Includes a Vocabulary Review section DVD includes special features such as: Baby Bloopers, Behind The Scenes, Video Sing-Along and an Interactive Activity. 45 minutes Research shows that during the early years, a child's brain is wired to absorb the syntax, sentence structure, and dialect of a second language. Based on the concept of total language immersion, Brainy Baby: Spanish is a commendable tool for those seeking bilingual enrichment for their youngsters. Only Spanish is spoken through 45 minutes of instruction and live-action footage that covers familiar objects, colors, numbers, and phrases. While there are several bilingual videos on the market by notable companies, this one stands out for its superb sound and picture quality, lively footage, and extra DVD features such as a Spanish nursery rhyme, interactive story, and (when kids need a break from language lessons) entertaining bloopers. While not meant to be a child's sole source of bilingual instruction, it's a worthy tool, especially if adults can reinforce the lessons throughout the child's day. The instruction is solid, the picture quality superb, and the interspersed frivolity reminds us that captivating kids is the ultimate goal of education. (Ages 2 to 5) --Lynn Gibson

Manufacturer: Polydor / Umgd Model: 2228105

Conducted by Larry Baird, experience the melodic spell of The Moody Blues backed by a full symphony orchestra with legendary performances of "Tuesday Afternoon," "Lovely to see You," and "Ride My See Saw." Includes 20 tracks in all in a truly outstanding A Night at Red Rocks, taped in Colorado's gorgeous natural amphitheater in 1992, is an ambitious undertaking for these still-stomping rock dinosaurs: the classic Moody Blues lineup playing with the Colorado Symphony Orchestra and no safety net. The band rises to the occasion, giving fans a solid if sentimental survey of its long and prosperous career. The performances and the material vary in quality, but the group comes through where it counts. Hits like "The Voice," "The Story in Your Eyes," and "Nights in White Satin" sound great, as does "Question," the Moodys' greatest contribution to rock music. The Symphony plays well, but the group misses some prime opportunities to use it, adhering to synth parts where an orchestra would have worked nicely (most notably in the rocking "Gemini Dream"). There's no surround mix here, but band leaders Justin Haywood and John Lodge deserve kudos for their able sound mixing. --Michael Mikesell

Manufacturer: Homespun Tapes Brand: Homespun

Here's a lesson that will thrill and inspire mandolinists at all levels. Chris Thile shares his own successful formula for developing right and left hand dexterity, improving speed and accuracy and playing with heightened musicality.

Manufacturer: Rounder / Umgd Brand: RAFFI

Raffi is a unique performer whose material for & with children & their families have been a worldwide success for 20 years. This DVD combines 3 concert videos: "A Young Children's Concert with Raffi," "Raffi in Concert with the Rise and Shine Band" and "