BMG Interactive Entertainment and Montparnasse Multimedia offer a digital tour inside "Le Louvre -- The Palace & its Paintings"; France's best-selling CD-ROM, the only CD-ROM of the Louvre, comes to America.

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 24, 1995--Through the magic of interactive multimedia and digital imaging, treasures from the greatest museum in history have been brought to America with the release of "Le Louvre -- The Palace & its Paintings," from BMG Interactive Entertainment, French-based Montparnasse Multimedia and the Reunion des Musees Nationaux.

Everyone, from students learning about the Louvre for the first time to those with even a basic interest in the arts, to the most sophisticated art expert, can explore and study such renowned classics as da Vinci's Mona Lisa, Gericault's The Raft of Medusa and Ingres' The Turkish Baths from a PC with remarkable color, clarity and ease.

This award-winning CD-ROM is the only Louvre multimedia project endorsed by the museum.

"`Le Louvre -- The Palace & its Paintings' is an amazing interactive journey inside the world's most famous museum," explained Jay Moses, BMG Interactive Entertainment senior vice president and general manager. "This is an entertaining and compelling way for everyone to experience the artistic wonders of the Louvre right at home. We're thrilled to brings the best-selling CD-ROM in France to America."

"In the past, the world had to travel to the Louvre to visit Mona Lisa. Now we can bring all the magnificent treasures of the Louvre to your computer with the interactive CD-ROM `Le Louvre.' `Le Louvre' is the ideal CD-ROM for people everywhere, whether you have already toured the museum and want to relive the memories or if you are `seeing' it for the first time," said Pierre Raiman, president and chief executive officer, Montparnasse Multimedia.

With the click of a mouse, users step inside the legendary palace and embark on a comprehensive, in-depth "virtual" tour showcasing eight centuries of history featuring 100 of the museum's most celebrated paintings complete with more than two hours of narration and sound commentary and 20 minutes of music.

Users may select from two different tour options which could take up to three days to tour. Architecture buffs will not want to miss "The Palace," which transports users inside the museum for a walking tour through its incredible hallways, sections and rooms. Art lovers and history buffs are sure to enjoy "The Collections," where users select and view individual paintings by title, origin, creator or historical period.

A click of "The Palace" icon starts a tour through the Louvre's rich history and magnificent architecture. A vivid series of models and blueprints bring it to life, charting the development of the Grand Louvre from its beginnings as a medieval fortress, through the Renaissance, up to the present day. As users explore the various sections of the palace and the paintings they house, a "virtual tour guide" provides in-depth descriptions and historical insight.

Using "The Collections" icon, users may view selected works directly by choosing a particular school or time period with the help of easy-to-use timelines. Vivid digital photographs of each painting are displayed full screen with a unique color pattern designed to show the works in all their splendor.

For even closer viewing, users can click on the magnifying glass icon to zoom in on a particular section, or let the "tour guide" describe the work in detail as it scans key portions up close. While visitors in France must wait in line and view the Mona Lisa through protective glass from behind a velvet rope, interactive visitors can get close enough to literally see the brush strokes that comprise her mysterious smile.

As this is happening, the guide explains the composition of the work, describes its construction lines and points out intricacies and details which may never have been noticed. A scale-made icon shows users the size and scale of each painting in relation to humans as well as other works.

"Le Louvre" also offers a convenient general index, allowing users to access paintings directly by clicking a painting's title or artist's name.

"Le Louvre -- The Palace & its Paintings" will be available on a PC and Macintosh-compatible CD-ROM in September at a suggested retail price of $49.95.

BMG Interactive Entertainment is the multimedia and new technologies division of BMG Entertainment, the $5.1 billion entertainment arm of Bertelsmann AG, the $13.6 billion worldwide media enterprise. Operating in 42 countries, BMG Entertainment also owns numerous record labels including Arista, Ariola and RCA Records and has significant European television interests. -0-

AWARDS RECEIVED BY

"LE LOUVRE -- THE PALACE & ITS PAINTINGS"

-- Golden Award for Art and Culture at MILIA, 1995

-- Moebius winning award of the public, 1994

-- Winning award "Best Reference Title" at MIM 1995 (Montreal)

-- Winning award "Best Multimedia Product of the Year" at MIM 1995

(Montreal)

-- Finalist of the ZIFF-DAVIS European Awards, "Best Consumer

Product"

CONTACT: Manning, Selvage & Lee, Universal City, Calif.

Christopher Kingry, 818/509-1840