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View from Space with Heavenly Music, A (HD DVD)
Concert Hot Spot // Unrated // June 6, 2006 // Region 0
List Price: $29.98 [Buy now and save at Amazon]
A View from Space with Heavenly Music represents a number of firsts for HD DVD. It's the first disc from an independent studio and is the first non-narrative release for the format. This is the first title to have been shot on video rather than film, and it's also the first HD DVD to be encoded using MPEG-2 rather than Microsoft's VC-1 codec.
A View from Space with Heavenly Music's title sums up this HD DVD well enough -- it's an hour of high-definition video recorded from the Endeavour space shuttle, and one of a number of classical soundtracks can be selected to play in the background. There are eight hour-long soundtracks in total on this disc, most of which are themed around a particular composer. They include:
A View from Space with Heavenly Music is just that -- imagery and music -- and nothing else. I would've liked to have seen more. Aside from the fact that this footage was shot on the Endeavour, there are no details on the particulars of this mission that I could easily find on the disc -- not even a year. An optional subtitle track describing what's appearing on-screen would have been appreciated. As it is, it's just a series of images without any context, and although I can understand the appeal of that, I'd like to know what it is I'm looking at, exactly. Since this is an hour of footage with eight possible soundtracks, the video obviously has not been edited with the accompaniment of a particular selection in mind; I enjoyed the visuals and the music, but the two are disparate enough that the combination isn't as engaging as I would have hoped. I like the concept of A View from Space with Heavenly Music, but the execution -- particularly the way this high-definition footage has been compressed -- leaves something to be desired.
Video: The codec of choice to date for HD DVD has been Microsoft's VC-1, but A View from Space with Heavenly Music was encoded using MPEG-2. Despite the fact that MPEG-2 is a much more established codec with more mature authoring tools available, the compression on this disc is fairly disappointing. If it's a factor of the way this footage was originally recorded or solely the authoring of this HD DVD, I really couldn't say, but the compression is clumsy enough that the constant artifacting gives the image a shimmering, sometimes blocky, and not altogether stable appearance. A point of reference that should be familiar to most high-definition enthusiasts is a PBS station that throttles the bandwidth available to its HD channel by multicasting heavily. Some of its other shortcomings are more understandable since there wasn't a camera crew meticulously lighting and framing each shot; smudges and reflections are visible at times, and large patches of white often look blown out. This is undoubtedly a high definition image, but the level of detail isn't as dazzling as I was expecting. I was hoping to be deeply impressed with the visuals on this HD DVD, but A View from Space with Heavenly Music is much closer to what I'm used to seeing on cable than what I'd expect from a masterfully authored HD DVD.
Audio: The audio is wonderful, though, with each of the disc's eight soundtracks presented in Dolby Digital Plus 5.1. I didn't have eight hours to devote to listening to each individual track, but I listened to two selections in full and sampled the rest. The music robustly roars from each speaker with impressive clarity, and the instruments are distributed well across the five primary channels. It's also worth noting that most of the bass is correctly directed towards the main speakers, although the LFE channel isn't completely ignored. The concerns I stumbled upon are fairly minor, such as a small pop or two and background hiss in one selection that I couldn't hear until it was fading out.
Supplements: None.
Conclusion: A View from Space with Heavenly Music is a welcomed alternative to the couple dozen movies that make up the rest of HD DVD's current library of titles, but the heavily-compressed appearance of the video makes it difficult to recommend with much enthusiasm.
A View from Space with Heavenly Music's title sums up this HD DVD well enough -- it's an hour of high-definition video recorded from the Endeavour space shuttle, and one of a number of classical soundtracks can be selected to play in the background. There are eight hour-long soundtracks in total on this disc, most of which are themed around a particular composer. They include:
- Wagner - Ride of the Valkyries from "The Valkyrie" · Pachelbel - Canon in D · Bach - Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring · Ravel - Bolero · Vivaldi - Spring Allegro · Beethoven - Introduction from "Also Sprach Zarathustra"; Fur Elise · Mozart - Allegro from "Eine Kleine Nachtmusik" · Grieg - Dawn from "Peer Gynt" · Tchaikovsky - Waltz of the Flowers from "The Nutcracker" · Handel - Hornpipe from The Water Music suite · Bizet - Habanera from "Carmen" · Schubert - Allegro from Symphony No. 5 · Mendelssohn - Introduction from Symphony No. 4 "Italian" · Bach - Air on the G String · Boccherini - Minuet from String Quartet in E Major, Op. 13, No. 5
- Beethoven -- Symphony No. 6 · Awakening of Cheerful Feeling on Arriving in the Country: Allegro Ma Non Troppo · Scene by the Brook: Andante Molto Mosso · Merry Gathering of Country Folk: Allegro · Thunderstorm; Tempest: Allegro · Shepherd's Song; Happy, Thankful Feelings After the Storm: Allegretto · Symphony No. 5 · Allegro Con Brio · Andante Con Moto
- Tchaikovsky - Finale from the 1812 Overture · Bach - Violin Concerto in E Major: Allegro · Tchaikovsky - Swan Lake, Op. 20: Enchanted Lake · Debussy - Clair de Lune · Mendelssohn - Allegretto Non Troppo; Allegro Molto Vivace from Violin Concerto · Satie - Lent et Douloureux from "Trois Gymnopedies" · Handel - Allegro from "Royal Fireworks Music"; Arrival of the Queen of Sheba from "Solomon" · Marcello - Adagio from Oboe Concerto · Bach - Brandenburg Concerto No. 5; Largo Ma Non Tanto from Concerto for Two Violins and Orchestra
- Mozart -- Serenade for Orchestra #13 in G, K 525,
"Eine kleine Mozart - The Greatest Hits" · Piano Concerto #21 in C Major, K 467, "Elvira Madigan" - Andante · Clarinet Concerto in A, K 622 - Adagio Clarinet Concerto · Symphony #35 in D, K 385, "Haffner" - Allegro con spirito · Horn Concerto #2 in E Flat, K 417 - Rondo · Piano Concerto #20 in D Minor, K 466 - Romance · La Clemenza di Tito, K 621 - Overture · Clarinet Concerto, Allegro
(Image courtesy of NASA) - Vivaldi -- Op. 8, No. 1 Allegro · Op. 8, No. 1 Largo e pianissimo sempre · Op. 8, No. 1 Danza pastorale Allegro · Op. 8, No. 2 Allegro non molto · Op. 8, No. 2 Adagio · Op. 8, No. 2 Presto · Op. 8, No. 3 Allegro · Op.8, No. 3 Adagio · Op 8, No. 3 Allegro · Op. 8, No. 4 Allegro non molto · Op. 8, No. 4 Largo · Op. 8, No. 4 Allegro · Mendelssohn: A Midsummer Night's Dream - Overture · Mendelssohn: A Midsummer Night's Dream - Scherzo
- Bach -- Toccata and Fugue · Brandenburg Concerto No. 5 - Allegro · Air for the G String · Orchestral Suite No. 2 - Minuet · Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring · Brandenburg Concerto No. 2 - Allegro · Concerto for Two Violins and Orchestra, "Double" · Arioso for Brass · Prelude and Fugue in C Major · Violin Concerto in E Major - Allegro · Brandenburg Concerto No. 6 - Allegro
- Rossini - Finale from "William Tell" · Dvorak - How Great Thou Art; Swedish folk medley; Largo from Symphony No. 9, "From The New World" · Mussorg - Promenade from "Pictures at an Exhibition" · Beethoven - Piano Concerto No. 1 Adagio; Piano Concerto No. 1: Rondo; Allegro non troppo; Adagio Sostenuto from "Moonlight" sonata · Brahms - From the 21 Hungarian Dances - No. 4 in F Sharp Minor; Walt in C Sharp minor, Op. 64, No. 2; Mazurka, Op. 59, No. 1
- Tchaikovsky -- The Nutcracker Suite: Miniature Overture · The Nutcracker Suite: March · Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy · Russian Dance: Trepak · Arabian Dance · Chinese Dance · Dance of the Mirlitions · Waltz of the Flowers · Serenade for Strings: Andante con troppo; Allegro Moderato (Mvt. 1) · Romeo and Juliet Overture · Swan Lake Op. 20, Waltz
A View from Space with Heavenly Music is just that -- imagery and music -- and nothing else. I would've liked to have seen more. Aside from the fact that this footage was shot on the Endeavour, there are no details on the particulars of this mission that I could easily find on the disc -- not even a year. An optional subtitle track describing what's appearing on-screen would have been appreciated. As it is, it's just a series of images without any context, and although I can understand the appeal of that, I'd like to know what it is I'm looking at, exactly. Since this is an hour of footage with eight possible soundtracks, the video obviously has not been edited with the accompaniment of a particular selection in mind; I enjoyed the visuals and the music, but the two are disparate enough that the combination isn't as engaging as I would have hoped. I like the concept of A View from Space with Heavenly Music, but the execution -- particularly the way this high-definition footage has been compressed -- leaves something to be desired.
Video: The codec of choice to date for HD DVD has been Microsoft's VC-1, but A View from Space with Heavenly Music was encoded using MPEG-2. Despite the fact that MPEG-2 is a much more established codec with more mature authoring tools available, the compression on this disc is fairly disappointing. If it's a factor of the way this footage was originally recorded or solely the authoring of this HD DVD, I really couldn't say, but the compression is clumsy enough that the constant artifacting gives the image a shimmering, sometimes blocky, and not altogether stable appearance. A point of reference that should be familiar to most high-definition enthusiasts is a PBS station that throttles the bandwidth available to its HD channel by multicasting heavily. Some of its other shortcomings are more understandable since there wasn't a camera crew meticulously lighting and framing each shot; smudges and reflections are visible at times, and large patches of white often look blown out. This is undoubtedly a high definition image, but the level of detail isn't as dazzling as I was expecting. I was hoping to be deeply impressed with the visuals on this HD DVD, but A View from Space with Heavenly Music is much closer to what I'm used to seeing on cable than what I'd expect from a masterfully authored HD DVD.
Audio: The audio is wonderful, though, with each of the disc's eight soundtracks presented in Dolby Digital Plus 5.1. I didn't have eight hours to devote to listening to each individual track, but I listened to two selections in full and sampled the rest. The music robustly roars from each speaker with impressive clarity, and the instruments are distributed well across the five primary channels. It's also worth noting that most of the bass is correctly directed towards the main speakers, although the LFE channel isn't completely ignored. The concerns I stumbled upon are fairly minor, such as a small pop or two and background hiss in one selection that I couldn't hear until it was fading out.
Supplements: None.
Conclusion: A View from Space with Heavenly Music is a welcomed alternative to the couple dozen movies that make up the rest of HD DVD's current library of titles, but the heavily-compressed appearance of the video makes it difficult to recommend with much enthusiasm.
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