Ingmar Bergman: The music goes on
mainThe formidable Swedish director would have been 100 years old tomorrow.
His influence on film and theatre is limitless: without Bergman, there is no Woody Allen or Stephen Sondheim.
Bergman had a vast knowledge of music and was forever quoting snatches in his scripts.
He filmed an unforgettable Magic Flute in 1975 and staged a number of operas at the Royal Opera in Stockholm.
For an assessment of music in his life and works, start here.
Wouldn’t you just die without…….
https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2z53la
Wouldn’t you just die without……
https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2z53la
Thank you so much for the link to the essay. Fascinating! Mildly annoyed that Google blocked my emailing it to a friend – security issue, I gather.
Bergman certainly had a thing for Bach’s cello suites. The 5th one in C minor in particular, I think, though not sure. Anyway, his deployment of great music in his films was fundamental to their greatness. And I agree there would be no Woody Allen without Bergman.
In ’Sarabande’, Ingmar Bergman’s last film (2003), there are lots of references to Bach’s cello suites, not least in the title.
His Oscar winning movie “Cries and Whispers” used the 5th Bach suite sarabande to a moving effect. I also loved how the movie featured the a-minor Chopin mazurka in the outdoor scenes.
Bergman was a fan of Celibidache. After all, there are many that argue that Celi’s “Swedish period” was the best of his career. I am not sure I agree 100% but IMO there’s no finer Sibelius 5th than Celi’s and the “Emperor” with Michelangeli – much better than the better known version with the ORTF Prchestra – is something for the ages.
Of course I meant “orchestra”.