F-0008

Title:

Mein Name ist Bach
My Name is Bach

Category:

Movie about J.S.Bach's Life

Produced:

2003

Country:

France / Germany / Switzerland

Released:

Film: Apr 2004 (Germany)
DVD: Mar 2006

Director:

Dominique de Rivaz

Writer:

Jean-Luc Bourgeois, Dominique de Rivaz, Leo Raat

Actors:

Vadim Glowna (J.S. Bach); Jürgen Vogel (Frederick II of Prussia); Karoline Herfurth (Prinzessin Amalie); Anatole Taubman (Friedemann Bach); Paul Herwig (Emanuel Bach); Antje Westermann (Johanna Bach); Detlev Buck (customs-officer)
Michel Cassagne (Voltaire); Bernard Liègme (Lakai Stumm); Gilles Tschudi (Sekretär Goltz); Philippe Vuilleumier (Professor Quantz)

Description:

J.S. Bach is introduced to King Frederick II of Prussia in 1747. The aging composer and the young monarch clash and a battle of egos ensues.

Frederick II the Great of Prussia had a court that glittered with great minds, yet life with this King was anything but idyllic. He seems to have behaved imperiously with everyone, even his sister Amalie (at one point he slams the piano lid down on her hand, a rather brutal way of making his wishes known). All the fun of this film comes from the stratagems worked out by Bach to avoid falling under the control of Frederick. The King leads Bach to his new pianoforte: Bach pronounces the instrument unsuited for his music, and not even in tune. Score one for the Leipzig master composer!... The royal theme, to be treated as a fugue with six voices, is played lovingly many times, as well as Friedemann's passionate yet empty-sounding piano works.
Vadim Glowna is very sly and moving as Bach, and Juergen Vogel does a terrific job as Frederick, the ruler with a lot of emotional issues. Anatole Taubman plays the lusty and dishonest Friedemann very well. (That Melody, IMDB)

Language:

German

TT:

97 min (Film, France) / 94 min (DVD)

J.S. Bach's Music:

Format:

Film: Color
DVD: (Dolby, PAL, Surround Sound, Region 2)

Company:

Film: CAB Productions; Pandora Filmproduktion; Télévision Suisse-Romande (TSR); Westdeutscher Rundfunk (WDR); Twenty Twenty Vision Filmproduktion GmbH; arte France Cinéma
DVD: Alive - Vertrieb und Marketing

Comments:

See: Bach Movie - Mein Name ist Bach - Discussions

Watch selections:

Buy movie at:

DVD: Amazon.de

Source/Links: Amazon.de | Discussion in BCML | 2004 Swiss Film Prize Award | KODAK: Mein Name ist Bach | IMDB
Contributor: Aryeh Oron (October 2007)

Bach Movies: Bach's Life & Documentaries: Index by Title | Index by Year
Filmed Performances: Index by Work | Index by Main Performer
Bach's Music in Soundtracks: Index by Title | Index by Year
General: Index by Number | Discussions of Movies on Bach

Introduction | Cantatas | Other Vocal | Non-Vocal | Performers | General Topics | Articles | Books | Movies
Biographies | Texts & Translations | Scores | References | Commentary | Music | Concerts | Bach Tour | Memorabilia
Chorale Texts | Chorale Melodies | Lutheran Church Year | Readings | Poets & Composers | Transcriptions
Search Website | Search Works/Movements | Terms & Abbreviations | Copyright Notice | How to contribute | Links