The 1985 Song Festival performance highlights the expressions of the chief conductors at various stages of the event, allowing us to experience the emotional nuances through the perfect combination of visuals and soundtrack, without any behind-the-scenes commentary.

Documentary about sixteen great conductors of the 20th century.

Furtwängler, E.Fischer, Walter, Strauss, Lehar, Hindemith, Celibidache, Kleiber, Blech, Klemperer, Schmidt-Isserstedt, Georgescu, Knappertsbusch, Elmendorff 這是名單，不是簡介，但是，看完名單，還需要簡介嗎？

本DVD中精心而严谨的记录了20世纪中15位震鑠乐坛的指挥巨匠的轨迹：福特万格勒与柏林爱乐的华格纳、布拉姆斯与舒伯特，德奥传承的脉动在即兴的大师指尖脱出极具个人化标记的唯一图腾。 托斯卡尼尼在纽约的威尔第与雷史碧基詮释，则是迥然不同的呈示这一位维繫传统的巨人忠於绵密细节的完美主义表徵。华尔特的莫札特与布拉姆斯，让我们见证何谓流畅如水的自然，涌现的是不拘泥於既有架构的呼吸法则。史托考夫斯基的狂放恣意，卡拉扬的壮阔及唯美，伯恩斯坦如现代诗作的贴近时代律动，莱纳的精确驾驭及一丝不苟等，均在珍贵的影音史料中衝击观听者的前所未有体验。

「黄金绝响」呈示了20世纪后半指挥大师罗列的辉煌场景的忠实纪录，可喜而可歌的现象是许多前所未见的瑰藏影音史料纷纷掘现出土，得力於现代数位科技的点石成金力量，以往爱乐者仅能在魂縈梦牵的追忆中深切憧憬的传说得以历历在目的具体呈现。 卡拉扬与柏林爱乐的无懈可击组合在战后打造了乐坛的帝王传奇，1969年理查史特劳斯的英雄的生涯演奏中我们已可从亲炙的观听中一窥端倪，而尤值一书的是长年领军列宁格勒爱乐管絃乐团的俄国一代宗师穆拉汶斯基，在脱去北国的神秘面纱后，有缘使我们得以体验其专擅而无可朋比的柴可夫斯基与萧士塔高维契的精彩演詮，柴利比达克是另一位极具神秘色彩的传奇人物，录音曲目稀少而宝贵，本辑中破冰搜纳其贝多芬「艾格蒙序曲」、德弗札克「新世界」等标準曲目，大师的特立才情终得以见。 老克莱巴的鉅细靡遗在庙堂之作贝多芬第九的排练过程中如灌顶般引人迴响，孟许调製的波士顿之音至今已成美学典范，辑中大块收入其引为标竿的法国印象大师拉威尔、德布西等人之作，唯美至极。黄金年代的指挥巨人雄伟身影，从此不再遥不可及。

GREAT CONDUCTORS OF THE THIRD REICH includes stunning newsreel footage showing that Böhm, Furtwängler, Karajan, Knappertsbusch and Krauss, among others, turned themselves and their art into Nazi propaganda. The Nazis wanted to be perceived as men of culture, so they crowned many of their victories with concerts, which they sometimes filmed. "We are bringing the world the greatest art," was their message. On this DVD a newsreel presents panzers parading down the Champs-Elysées juxtaposed with Karajan conducting the Prussian Staatskapelle in occupied Paris. Other footage includes Furtwängler conducting in celebration of Hitler's birthday, also Hitler at Bayreuth. When women see Hitler they weep with joy. The performances are glorious, spiritual even--the greatest art in the service of the greatest evil.--Stefan Zucker