Charles Aznavour & Liza Minnelli Au Palais De Congres De Paris

It hardly needs to be noted that Aznavour and Minelli are two of the greatest live performers to ever grace a stage. Both have had long, extremely successful careers, and while it is a stretch to claim either is at his/her peak here, neither had lost much by the time of this concert. Although both have cabaret backgrounds, their styles are rather dissimilar, with Aznavour a rather soft crooner and Minelli an explosion of energy. Their styles meet, even if not always perfectly, with genuine pleasure on the part of the singers. It is a bit odd seeing the French audience showing less enthusiasm than an American one would, but that is more due to cultural restraint than anything else. I have no idea whether Minelli is fluent in French or not, but there is a slightly awkward bit about her not wanting to sing in French. All in all, a delightful and mostly successful blending of the two signature styles of two great performers.

Filmed at the Palais Des Congrés in 1992, this concert is pure magic; both singers also being actors adds a dimension to each song, and they give us terrific, often moving renditions from their repertoires. Aznavour and Liza open the show with three numbers (I love when they use signing while singing "Mon Emouvant Amour"), and then the following 11 songs are performed by Aznavour, who is one of the world's most brilliant singer/songwriters; with his expressive face and gestures, his music is captivating, and he sings a few of his big hits, like "Tu T'laisses Aller" and "La Boheme," and my favorite, "Comme Ils Disent." Aznavour is one of the few singer/songwriters in the world that I would label "genius," and his talent has been enchanting us for over 40 years.The second half of the show starts with Aznavour and Liza singing with pianist/arranger/singer Billy Stritch, in "Pour Faire un Jam," and then it's Liza's turn to shine: Whether belting out at full volume or singing tenderly, she is an amazing performer to watch and listen to; perhaps the most stunning number is Aznavour's "Sailor Boys" (I have yet to see this without tears welling up in my eyes), but other outstanding songs are "I Love a Piano," "New York, New York," and "Losing My Mind." She does a marvelous tap dance in "Stepping Out," from the film she starred in, and very leggy and svelte, she has a lot of sensual grace, and looks absolutely fabulous.The final set is the prize of the evening, with Liza and Aznavour singing a medley of classic American love songs ("Our Love is Here to Stay"/"The Song is You"/"Old Devil Moon"/"How High in the Sky"/"Let's Fall in Love"/"I've Got You Under My Skin"/"Dream"/"Unforgettable"/"I've Grown Accustomed to Her Face"/"These Foolish Things"/"Just a Dream Ago"/"How High the Moon"/"Just in Time") with a finale of Aznavour's "Le Temps." There is a depth of intimacy and friendship flowing though both of them that is palpable, as if they are making love with music, with such gentle affection, and the warmth of the moment envelops the audience as well.I also have the CD of this concert which is great, but this DVD is phenomenal. The audio and visual clarity is exceptional, the lighting, camera angles, and editing about the best I've ever seen for a live performance film.The musicianship is top notch, with Bill Lavorgna leading the orchestra, and Aldo Frank as Aznavour's pianist, and Russell Kassoff as Liza's.This concert should be required viewing by anyone contemplating a career in any facet of the theater, because this is theatrical entertainment at its finest. Total playing time is 146 stupendous, riveting minutes.

I have always enjoyed Charles Aznavour and simply adore Liza Minnelli. Neither artists disappointed me on this DVD - they are both magnificent. I don't speak French and although I was caught up with Aznavour's charm, talent and music I so wished I knew what he was saying so that I could also cry and laugh with him. I've added 'Learn French' to my life-list.Liza always lifts my spirits and find myself grinning from ear-to-ear. The song I liked the least was 'God bless the child' and I can't explain why. My favourite was "I love a Piano". Liza is superb in this one!!! The reason why I enjoy Liza is because she gives her all in every song. How can one not love her when her 'all' is absolute talent that thrills one through and through.The medley is a joy because, not only are the songs wonderful, but the love and respect between the two artists just shines through and lifted my heart as it will do yours.Bravo my friends.

anything with liza deserves a five star rating. needless to say the best parts of this dvd are those with liza and they are wonderful. when I watch it now I just fast forward pass the aznavour section and go right to liza. and there segment together near the end is outstanding.

Everything that is good about Minnelli is evidenced here. Her dance during Steppin' Out, though a bit clunky and less smooth than the movie version, is pulled off because of her remarkable charisma and showmanship, the sheer joy in performing that she conveys. A special delight is her bluesy, gut-wrenching version of I Love a Piano. She nails this number like nobody has, and does the whole thing reclining on an easy chair! This DVD captures the beauty and sex appeal that Minnelli radiates, despite her unconventional looks (dig her great legs!). Like her mother, the power of talent and personality transcends the form (though her mother was more conventionally attractive). Sadly, like her mother, she seems to be buckling under the pressures of life's circumstance. Fortunately, we have videos like this that capture the glory of her great moments--I hope there are more in the future of this uniquely gifted woman.

Oh my, "New York, New York" is to die for, highly recommend this DVD. For me Liza is in her prime at the stage of this video! I've never seen Aznavour, he is totally amazing. This is a must for anyone who loves Liza Minnelli and a plus is her superb showmanship & Paris love's this concert... she is totally captivating!

I won't write a long review, I just want to save someone the trouble I ran into here. Notice that this is in PAL format. It says "All Regions" but all DVD players see it as region 2 (in my experience.) The NTSC is what you'll likely want unless you have a multi region DVD player or can unlock the regional limitations of your DVD-ROM. The NTSC version has been, I believe, discontinued by the manufacturer. If you want it you'll have to find it used if you can.That said, the show was excellent if you enjoy both Aznavour and Minnelli. There are enough reviews of this elsewhere that I don't need to be any wordier than that.

Very nice concert.

I bought this for my wife, who is an Aznavour fan. Liza Minelli is good, but is just too American! Charles Aznavour is ... well Charles Aznavour, he can do no wrong in our book.It's a great show, a little less Broadway and a bit more France would be even better.

This is a wonderful DVD. To have Aznavour and Minnelli singing together is amazing. Mostly it is made up of Charles Aznavour singing on his own.But I would definitely recommend this DVD. I am thoroughly enjoying it and am so pleased I ordered it.

Superbe cd d'excellent ARTISTES ! Liza Minnelli et Charles Aznavour combinaison parfaite tous les deux avec des enchainement de chanson harmonieuse beau moment musical 5 étoiles et une qualité d'image et sonore !! très satisfaits .

Alles bestens, vielen Dank!

Un concerto della durata di due ore e mezza circa, con una grande musica e grandi interpretazioni sia di Charles Aznavour insieme a Liza Minnelli.Vivete un grande spettacolo di musica e spettacolo.... grande spettacolo!!!