Bach | Film: The Alpha and Omega of Music

September 28, 2007

Opening the Festival of Old Music – Italia Mia (September 29 to October 7), which is being put on by Radio Österreich 1, the Film Museum and Österreich 1 will present a special evening with film and live music focusing on Johann Sebastian Bach.

Jean-Marie Straub and Danièle Huillet's film Chronik der Anna Magdalena Bach/The Chronicle of Anna Magdalena Bach from 1967 is a key work for both film and music history. The harpsichordist Gustav Leonhardt plays Bach; Nikolaus Harnoncourt and his Concentus Musicus Vienna are also participants in the film.

"We started off with the idea of attempting a film in which music wasn't to be used merely as accompaniment or commentary, but as aesthetic material. We endeavoured to bring music to the screen, to show music to people who were going to the cinema." (Jean-Marie Straub)

In the second part of the evening's programme, Thomas Fheodoroff, who is active with both Concentus Musicus and the Vienna Philharmonic, will play two works for solo violin by Johann Sebastian Bach: the Sonata in C (BWV 1005) and the Partita in D Minor (BWV 1004).