The Music of J. S. Bach in the Work of Ingmar Bergman

Main Article Content

Ekaterina A. Kalinina

Abstract

Music presented an important component of the life and work
of Swedish film producer Ingmar Bergman, having played
a tremendous role in his cinematographic and theatrical
productions. He incorporated into films a broad range of
phenomena of world music, however, one of the most important
composers for him turned out to be J.S. Bach. His music frequently
appeared in the producer’s films and theatrical performances,
starting from the 1950s, presenting generalizations to the main
ideas of theatrical or cinematic works, highlighting the most
important culmination moments, and organizing the dramaturgy
of the whole. Most tightly connected with Bach’s music in its
structure, inner conception and title is the producer’s last film
“Sarabande.” The Sarabande from Bach’s Fifth Suite for Cello
in C minor (BWV 1011) is sounded five times during the course
of the film, appearing in various episodes and possessing the
function of a refrain (in its structure) and the symbol of a picture
(in its meaning). It also united the most varied semantic and
plot-related levels not only of this film, but also of Bergman’s
overall life and work.

Keywords: Ingmar Bergman, Johann Sebastian Bach,
movie music, Ingmar Bergman’s film “Sarabande”

Article Details

How to Cite
Kalinina, E. A. (2015). The Music of J. S. Bach in the Work of Ingmar Bergman. Music Scholarship / Problemy Muzykal’noj Nauki, (1), 16–19. https://doi.org/10.17674/1997-0854.2015.1.18.016-019
Section
Music in the System of Culture
Author Biography

Ekaterina A. Kalinina, Maimonides State Classical Academy

Candidate of Arts, Associate Professor, Head of the Department of Music Theory
and Music History Department of World Musical Culture

References

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