Description
Chronicle of Anna Magdalena Bach | 50th Anniversary Restored Edition (DVD)
Product Details
- UPC: 853294007275
- Product Type: DVD (Feature Film + Bonus Content)
- Genre: Musical Biography, Historical Drama, Art Cinema
- Directors: Jean-Marie Straub & Danièle Huillet
- Language: German (with English subtitles)
- Length: Feature film plus bonus features (approx. 94 minutes main feature)
- Release: 50th Anniversary Restored Edition
- Format: Region Free, Digitally Remastered
- Aspect Ratio: Original
- Audio: Restored original soundtrack
Overview
"Chronicle of Anna Magdalena Bach" stands as a revolutionary achievement in the musical biography genre, directed by Jean-Marie Straub and Danièle Huillet. Utilizing authentic correspondences and texts by Johann Sebastian Bach, brought to life by his wife Anna Magdalena, the film offers one of cinema’s most precise and rewarding portraits of a composer’s life.
This immersive experience is shaped by extended musical performances, staged in the very historical locations Bach once walked, with musicians performing on period-accurate instruments and in authentic attire. The result is a transcendent journey that bridges the material and the spiritual, inviting viewers to inhabit Bach’s world as never before. Now immaculately restored for its 50th anniversary, the film beckons new and returning audiences to witness a bygone musical age in unprecedented clarity.
Product Features
- Digitally Restored Master: New high-definition restoration for the 50th anniversary.
- Language: German, with English subtitles for international accessibility.
- Bonus Content:
- “Jean-Marie Straub on Chronicle” at the Swiss Archive (2013, 34 min)
- Interview with actress Christiane Lang-Drewanz (2012)
- Introduction by author Allesa Malone
- "The Bridegroom, the Comedienne, and The Pimp" (1968, 25 min short film by Straub & Huillet featuring Rainer Werner Fassbinder)
- "The Mother" (2011, 20 min, film by Jean-Marie Straub)
- Original theatrical trailers
Interesting Facts
A Filmic Revolution in Musical Biography
Straub and Huillet’s meticulous approach set a new standard for musical biopics, prioritizing historical authenticity and immersive musicality over conventional storytelling. The film’s sequences were shot in spaces Bach himself occupied, using period instruments and historically informed performance practices.
Living the Music
Critics have hailed the film as “not having seen a film, but having lived a real moment, in the presence of monumental music.” (Michael Arkinson) Its immersive power comes from performances that unfold in real time, making viewers feel as though they are present in history.
Spiritual and Material Dimensions
The experience is described as “both transcendent and material,” blending the tangible reality of 18th-century life with the spiritual resonance of Bach’s compositions.
International Legacy
"Chronicle of Anna Magdalena Bach" has influenced generations of filmmakers, musicians, and historians, celebrated for its integrity, artistry, and respect for its subject’s Christian and cultural heritage.
Track Listing (Key Musical Performances)
While the film integrates Bach’s compositions throughout its narrative, notable works featured include:
- Excerpts from the Brandenburg Concertos
- Organ and choral works
- Sacred cantatas
- Selections from the Mass in B Minor and Passions
(Timings and specific order vary due to the film’s unique narrative structure.)
Publishers
Distributed by leading international classic and art cinema publishers.
Restoration and archival support provided by prominent European film archives.
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Hashtags
English:
#AnnaMagdalenaBach #StraubHuillet #MusicalBiography #ClassicCinema #BachFilm #RestoredEdition #HistoricalFilm #GermanCinema #ArtHouseDVD #50thAnniversary
German:
#AnnaMagdalenaBach #StraubHuillet #Musikbiografie #KlassikerKino #BachFilm #RestaurierteAusgabe #Historienfilm #DeutschesKino #ArthouseDVD #50Jahre
