Helene Fischer Live - The Arena Tour - Fan Edition DVD/Blu-ray/CD

Content: When I saw Helene Fischer on stage for the first time, I was still quite at the beginning of my journalistic career. One of the first plays I was allowed to review was Anatevka at the Volkstheater Frankfurt. And here, alongside the main actor Tony Marschall, Helene Fischer was also on stage in a supporting role in 2005. I'd be lying if I said that she particularly caught my eye back then and that I had already guessed that she would celebrate her breakthrough only a short time later. But at least she left such an impression that I recognized her immediately when I saw her again on TV for the first time. And even though I didn't really like her music at the time, which was clearly more pop than her newer songs are, I followed her rapid rise with great interest.

because I've always been impressed by how professional Helene Fischer is. And 13 years after her performance at the Volkstheater, I was able to see it again in January 2018 in the completely sold-out Festhalle. What can I say? The show was breathtaking and the atmosphere was terrific. From my seat in the second tier, however, it didn't look like it before the concert started. Some of the seats sold a bit further next to me were on the side of the stage where the view was miserable to say the least. That some visitors let their displeasure run free, also in view of the not exactly low ticket prices, was absolutely understandable. But then something happened that I have never experienced at a concert before: Immediately with the beginning of the show the mood changed abruptly. Those who couldn't see well simply grabbed their companions and danced in the aisle, singing, laughing and moving a little closer together.

The show, garnished with spectacular acrobatics, showed once again what a professional Helene Fischer is. But her perfectionism was joined by a pleasant looseness, with which she reacted to loud heckling from amorous fans, for example, or emphasised her very special relationship with Frankfurt. The audience, which consisted of young couples as well as older fans, was enthralled by Helene Fischer's performance from the very first second. And that made for an atmosphere that a recording can of course only capture with difficulty.

What this recording did manage to do, however, is to capture the actual show and the effort that was invested on the part of everyone involved in making it run smoothly in really great pictures. Of course: Those who experienced the show live will realize that some things that seemed spontaneous are, like so much, just perfectly rehearsed. This robs a little bit of the illusion with which Helene Fischer manages so perfectly to present herself as an approachable superstar. But that doesn't change much about the effect she has on her fans - no matter if live or "only" on DVD and Blu-ray.

In contrast to the TV broadcast, this home cinema version shows the concert in full length. That's three hours of best live entertainment with terrific show values. For fans who were lucky enough to have been there live on tour, the perfect reminder of a great concert evening. And for all those who couldn't get a ticket, at least the best possible opportunity to recreate this live experience. And that's why this concert recording is definitely worth watching!

Picture + Sound: The picture of the Blu-ray has a very high image sharpness, powerful colors and a decent image depth, which makes it easy to spread the live feeling in the living room at home. This is also helped by the sound mix, which is available in both PCM stereo and as a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 mix. Everyone can choose the right sound for their home cinema system. If you don't have surround speakers, you'll get your money's worth with the very powerful stereo mix. If you have a more sophisticated system, you should switch on the DTS-HD MA track. Very good!

Extras: While the single edition has to do without extras, the edition offers a bonus DVD with the bonus material in addition to 2 CDs, DVD and Blu-ray. The 85-minute tour documentary Helene Fischer - Immer weiter is shown. It shows in detail the elaborate preparations for the tour - from the first rehearsals to the stage construction and the costumes. A very successful documentary, which was seen on TV only in a significantly shortened version.

Conclusion: Helene Fischer Live - The Arena Tour is a must for all fans of the successful artist. The spectacular show is captured in great pictures. And even if the whole thing live was of course a little more intense, the recording also offers three hours of great entertainment, which impressively prove why Helene Fischer is currently the most successful artist in Germany. Absolutely recommendable

An article by Frankfurt-Tipp