Windham Hill Collection (2001)
Film:
DVD:

Directed by Stanley Dorfman
Featuring the Music of Mark Isham, Philip Aaberg, Will Ackerman, Scott Cossu, Alex de Grassi, Eugene Friesen, Interior, Micheal O Domhnaill, Bill Oskay, Schonerz and Scott, Shadowfax, Ira Stein, Liz Story, Tim Story & Russel Walder

Features:

• Isham commentary on "Tibet"
  

Anamorphic: N/A, appears in its original 1.33:1 format.

My Advice: Borrow It.

Back in the 80's, Windham Hill decided to get into the video business, taking some of the works of their artists and using them to score films of nature, society, and whatnot. This boxed set contains: two complete sets, "China" and "Tibet," both of which feature the titular geographic locales; and "Seasons," a compilation of four other Windham Hill videos.

I was introduced to Windham Hill through one of their acts, which at the time was Tuck & Patti. Since then, I've been present at numerous Windham Hill events (if they do a concert of multiple acts of theirs in your area, don't miss it) and enjoyed every single one.

Now, the trick to this collection is whether or not you like the music. Because in all honesty, that's what you're getting here. The images that are presented with the music are eminently forgettable and, as a film, the collection's only worth perhaps a single serious, sit-down viewing. The rest of the time, it would be perfect for background at a party or something--but the music is key. In fact, the best way to enjoy this collection for repeat viewings is just stick it in your sound system and keep the TV off.

That's not to say that it's not worth watching at all--some of the images are rather intriguing. But the first disc, "Tibet," is very strange. First of all, the Isham original score would not have been my pick. It's reptitious and droning, and easy to tune out. Second, it doesn't seem to have any relation to anything that's going on on-screen. Granted, I'm not expecting "Tibetan music" to go along with the Tibetan sights, but still--there wasn't even any editing done to make the scenes sync up in any nature with the music at hand. Isham's commentary is even more baffling when you consider that he talks about the great pains to which he and the filmmakers and editors went to be on the same page. He talks about the four different movements that comprise the piece, and even with him pointing them out, it was hard for me to follow them. The images simply aren't very striking. Granted, like the box says it does provide me with "a look at the place called the 'Roof of the World,'" but it gives no context. Without context, the seemingly thirty minute long sequence of people doing religious calisthenics has no meaning--and coupled with the music it's just perplexing.

A much better disc, and my favorite from the set--is "China." Here, we get some actual editing to bring the music and images into some semblance of order. Some good examples of this are track six, with Ackerman's "Lago de Montanas" set against a man painting Chinese ideograms onto paper. The sequences with teeming masses of Chinese travelling about on bicycle set against Tim Story's "The Lure of Silence" is interesting as well. It's an alien vision to those of us in the Western Hemisphere: flocks of bicycles. Regardless, the music is varied and works well with the images.

Lastly, "Seasons" contains bits from "Water's Path," "Autumn Portrait," "Winter," and "Western Light." While it's worth, again, a single watching for the imagery, some of which works (multicolored reflections in windows or on the surface of water)--but most of the imagery consists of wandering through nature or abandoned buildings--and it's easy to zone out on the video and just listen to the audio.

Of note is that the DVD menus (which normally I don't really care about, "Whoopee! Stuff moves!" and all that) are actually quite elegantly done.

All in all, if you are a lover of nature and seeing the subject set against really good music sounds like a great idea--then this is the boxed set for you. For the rest of us, I'd recommend that you buy a compilation of Windham Hill artists on CD rather than this. Such a CD (and there are several available) make for great background/working music. As for the videos, I think, on the whole, they do a disservice to the music--because that's what most people are there for anyway.