Amazon.com
This DVD presents the 1997 world premiere of Paul McCartney's Standing Stone, a 75-minute concert work performed by the London Symphony Orchestra and Chorus, coupled with a 50-minute documentary based around the writing and studio recording of the piece. The music was composed as a follow-up to McCartney's Liverpool Oratorio, and is inspired by McCartney's own poem. For this Celtic creation myth, the documentary explains how McCartney worked with computers to develop the score, and also features contributions from John Harle and Sir Richard Rodney Bennett. Revealing a lot of McCartney's personality, the epic-musical fantasia Standing Stone is dynamically filmed in the Royal Albert Hall and shows just how far Sir Paul has come from simple three-chord love songs. There are elements of landscape music from the classic English tradition, passages of high musical drama by way of Stravinsky's Rite of Spring, jazz sensibilities, and sentimental melodies straight out of Hollywood. If the sum is less than the impressive parts, Standing Stone is still a considerable achievement and the LSO performs with fire and eloquence. --Gary S. Dalkin, Amazon.co.uk

Additional features
The DVD's 4:3 image is as sharp as a non-anamorphic picture can be, and the Dolby Digital live sound is clear, dynamic, and detailed. The main bonus feature is the 50-minute documentary, but this well-rounded package also offers Fiona Shaw reading McCartney's "Standing Stone" poem, brief text biographies, artwork, and notes on standing stones. The booklet is well designed and contains art, photographs, the text of the original poem, and detailed program notes. Ironic that it takes a rock star to show how well orchestral music can be presented on DVD. --Gary S. Dalkin, Amazon.co.uk