Inspired by Bach
Encyclopedia
Inspired by Bach, a Sony Classical and Rhombus Media production as part of Sony Classical celebrates Bach series, presents contemporary cellist Yo-Yo Ma
performing the six Suites for Unaccompanied Cello
by Johann Sebastian Bach
in collaboration with artists from different disciplines, in a set of six films, respectively.
The Inspired by Bach films are available on three DVDs, each of which contain various bonus materials.
Volume 2. Falling Down Stairs, directed by Barbara Willis Sweete, shows the cooperation between Ma and American contemporary dance choreographer Mark Morris
and his Dance Group. Morris had never thought to choreograph a dance to a Bach suite (here the 3rd) and his goal was to inspire Ma as a musician with his choreography so the latter could profit musically from the cooperation. Sarabande is a drama movie by Atom Egoyan
featuring Yo-Yo Ma, Egoyan's wife Arsinée Khanjian
and Fame star Lori Singer
.
tapes, or three DVD
s. The music was published as two CDs.
The films are:
Suite #1- The Music Garden, directed by Kevin McMahon
. After explaining how the first Cello Suite always conjures up images of nature, Yo-Yo Ma recruits architect Julie Moir Messervy to help him try and design a garden based on the suite. The Music Garden is pitched to Boston
City Hall, showing interest in the project for City Hall Plaza
as a way to beautifully meet the demands for security. But the demands the film places on the completion of the project turn out to unreasonable for Boston and they pull out of the project. The city of Toronto
expresses interest in the project once Boston steps out and over the remainder of the film work Yo-Yo and Julie to get the project to the point where actual construction of the Garden can begin.
Suite #2- The Sound of the Carceri, directed by François Girard
. Yo-Yo Ma brings the music of the Second Suite together with the etchings of the 18th century Italian architect Giovanni Battista Piranesi
in this film. Working out the church that Piranesi built, Yo-Yo with his sound engineer constructs a reverberant rendition of the Second Suite to fit the computer designed three dimensional version of Piranesi's Carceri d'invenzione (Prisons of the Imagination) that Girard constructs to have Yo-Yo play in over the course of the film. The film explores the connection that music and architecture share as architects and a music historian contribute to the discussion between the performances of the movements.
Suite #3- Falling Down Stairs, directed by Barbara Willis Sweete. Yo-Yo Ma collaborates with Mark Morris
to create a dance for the Third Suite. The film opens with Morris expressing reservation about interpreting the work as choreographer, which he feels is less than the interpretation of a musical performer like Yo-Yo. Yo-Yo assure Morris that his interpretation is valid. Over the course the film Morris works with his troupe and then with Yo-Yo to create a dance. The title, as Morris explains, comes from a dream he had where he saw one of his dancers falling down a flight of stairs in time with the opening scale of the Suite.
Suite #4- Sarabande, directed by Atom Egoyan
. Perhaps the most enigmatic of the films in the series, Sarabande, as Egoyan explains in his interview for the series, came out his meeting Yo-Yo to begin working on the film. Egoyan came to realize the relation that he and Yo-Yo had as listener and performer when Yo-Yo played for him. The film explores the relationships that a limousine driver, a doctor, and a real estate agent have amongst each other and with Yo-Yo as he travels to Canada
to perform the Suites.
Suite #5- Struggle for Hope, directed by Niv Fichman
. Yo-Yo travels to Japan to work with "his favorite Kabuki
actor" Bandō Tamasaburō
to choreograph a dance for the Fifth Suite. The process is not always easy as Bandō finds himself struggling to express emotion while keeping up with the tempo of the suite, especially in the Allemande movement. However, with guidance from Yo-Yo, the completed piece is an exquisite work that takes the viewer through a range of emotions from lamenting to denial and dreaming all through the movements and gestures of a master Kabuki actor and the playing of Yo-Yo Ma.
Suite #6- Six Gestures, directed by Patricia Rozema
. Rozema and Yo-Yo explore the life of Bach when he wrote the Cello Suites with the help of ice dancers Jane Torvill and Christopher Dean
as well as Tom McCamus
, who plays Bach. Each of the movements of the Suite is equated to a gesture. The movements begin with McCamus as Bach narrating events in his life, setting the stage for Torvill and Dean to portray the particular gesture involved on ice. Over the course of the film we see Bach encounter joy at having the freedom to do "music for music's sake", question whether he is growing more isolated from the world-at-large, suffer the waning attentions of his patron, and grieve the loss of a wife.
Yo-Yo Ma
Yo-Yo Ma is an American cellist, virtuoso, and orchestral composer. He has received multiple Grammy Awards, the National Medal of Arts in 2001 and the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2011...
performing the six Suites for Unaccompanied Cello
Cello Suites (Bach)
The Six Suites for Unaccompanied Cello by Johann Sebastian Bach are some of the most performed and recognizable solo compositions ever written for cello...
by Johann Sebastian Bach
Johann Sebastian Bach
Johann Sebastian Bach was a German composer, organist, harpsichordist, violist, and violinist whose sacred and secular works for choir, orchestra, and solo instruments drew together the strands of the Baroque period and brought it to its ultimate maturity...
in collaboration with artists from different disciplines, in a set of six films, respectively.
The Inspired by Bach films are available on three DVDs, each of which contain various bonus materials.
Volume 2. Falling Down Stairs, directed by Barbara Willis Sweete, shows the cooperation between Ma and American contemporary dance choreographer Mark Morris
Mark Morris
Mark William Morris is an American dancer, choreographer and director whose work is acclaimed for its craftsmanship, ingenuity, humor, and at times eclectic musical accompaniments...
and his Dance Group. Morris had never thought to choreograph a dance to a Bach suite (here the 3rd) and his goal was to inspire Ma as a musician with his choreography so the latter could profit musically from the cooperation. Sarabande is a drama movie by Atom Egoyan
Atom Egoyan
Atom Egoyan, OC is a critically acclaimed Armenian-Canadian stage director and film director. Egoyan made his career breakthrough with Exotica...
featuring Yo-Yo Ma, Egoyan's wife Arsinée Khanjian
Arsinée Khanjian
Arsinée Khanjian is an Armenian-Canadian actress and producer. In addition to her independent work and stage roles, she is regularly cast by her husband, Canadian filmmaker Atom Egoyan, in his films...
and Fame star Lori Singer
Lori Singer
Lori Singer is an American actress. She is perhaps best known for her role as Ariel Moore, the female lead in the 1984 feature film Footloose, and as Julie Miller in the television series Fame.-Film and television career:...
.
Formats
Published as six VHSVHS
The Video Home System is a consumer-level analog recording videocassette standard developed by Victor Company of Japan ....
tapes, or three DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
s. The music was published as two CDs.
The films are:
Suite #1- The Music Garden, directed by Kevin McMahon
Kevin McMahon
Kevin Michael McMahon is a musician, singer, and songwriter for the long-standing bands Lucky Pierre and Prick....
. After explaining how the first Cello Suite always conjures up images of nature, Yo-Yo Ma recruits architect Julie Moir Messervy to help him try and design a garden based on the suite. The Music Garden is pitched to Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
City Hall, showing interest in the project for City Hall Plaza
City Hall Plaza (Boston)
City Hall Plaza in Boston, Massachusetts, is a large, open, unadorned public space in the Government Center area of the city. The architectural firm Kallmann McKinnell & Knowles designed the plaza in 1962 to accompany Boston's new City Hall. The multi-level, irregularly-shaped plaza consists of red...
as a way to beautifully meet the demands for security. But the demands the film places on the completion of the project turn out to unreasonable for Boston and they pull out of the project. The city of Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
expresses interest in the project once Boston steps out and over the remainder of the film work Yo-Yo and Julie to get the project to the point where actual construction of the Garden can begin.
Suite #2- The Sound of the Carceri, directed by François Girard
François Girard
François Girard is a French-Canadian director and screenwriter particularly noted for his innovative film Thirty Two Short Films About Glenn Gould. Born in Quebec, Girard's career began on the Montreal art video circuit...
. Yo-Yo Ma brings the music of the Second Suite together with the etchings of the 18th century Italian architect Giovanni Battista Piranesi
Giovanni Battista Piranesi
Giovanni Battista Piranesi was an Italian artist famous for his etchings of Rome and of fictitious and atmospheric "prisons" .-His Life:...
in this film. Working out the church that Piranesi built, Yo-Yo with his sound engineer constructs a reverberant rendition of the Second Suite to fit the computer designed three dimensional version of Piranesi's Carceri d'invenzione (Prisons of the Imagination) that Girard constructs to have Yo-Yo play in over the course of the film. The film explores the connection that music and architecture share as architects and a music historian contribute to the discussion between the performances of the movements.
Suite #3- Falling Down Stairs, directed by Barbara Willis Sweete. Yo-Yo Ma collaborates with Mark Morris
Mark Morris
Mark William Morris is an American dancer, choreographer and director whose work is acclaimed for its craftsmanship, ingenuity, humor, and at times eclectic musical accompaniments...
to create a dance for the Third Suite. The film opens with Morris expressing reservation about interpreting the work as choreographer, which he feels is less than the interpretation of a musical performer like Yo-Yo. Yo-Yo assure Morris that his interpretation is valid. Over the course the film Morris works with his troupe and then with Yo-Yo to create a dance. The title, as Morris explains, comes from a dream he had where he saw one of his dancers falling down a flight of stairs in time with the opening scale of the Suite.
Suite #4- Sarabande, directed by Atom Egoyan
Atom Egoyan
Atom Egoyan, OC is a critically acclaimed Armenian-Canadian stage director and film director. Egoyan made his career breakthrough with Exotica...
. Perhaps the most enigmatic of the films in the series, Sarabande, as Egoyan explains in his interview for the series, came out his meeting Yo-Yo to begin working on the film. Egoyan came to realize the relation that he and Yo-Yo had as listener and performer when Yo-Yo played for him. The film explores the relationships that a limousine driver, a doctor, and a real estate agent have amongst each other and with Yo-Yo as he travels to Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
to perform the Suites.
Suite #5- Struggle for Hope, directed by Niv Fichman
Niv Fichman
-Biography:Some of the films he has produced include Passchendaele , Blindness , Silk and Hobo With a Shotgun.-External links:...
. Yo-Yo travels to Japan to work with "his favorite Kabuki
Kabuki
is classical Japanese dance-drama. Kabuki theatre is known for the stylization of its drama and for the elaborate make-up worn by some of its performers.The individual kanji characters, from left to right, mean sing , dance , and skill...
actor" Bandō Tamasaburō
Bando Tamasaburo
is a stage name taken on by a series of Kabuki actors of the Bandō family. Of the five who have held this name, most were adopted into the lineage. Many members of the Bandō family were also adopted or blood members of the Morita family, who established and ran the Morita-za theatre in...
to choreograph a dance for the Fifth Suite. The process is not always easy as Bandō finds himself struggling to express emotion while keeping up with the tempo of the suite, especially in the Allemande movement. However, with guidance from Yo-Yo, the completed piece is an exquisite work that takes the viewer through a range of emotions from lamenting to denial and dreaming all through the movements and gestures of a master Kabuki actor and the playing of Yo-Yo Ma.
Suite #6- Six Gestures, directed by Patricia Rozema
Patricia Rozema
Patricia Rozema is a Canadian film director and screenwriter.-Life and career:Rozema was born in Kingston, Ontario and raised in Sarnia, Ontario. Her parents, Jacoba Berandina and Jan Rozema, were Dutch Calvinists. Television was severely restricted and she didn’t go to a movie theatre until she...
. Rozema and Yo-Yo explore the life of Bach when he wrote the Cello Suites with the help of ice dancers Jane Torvill and Christopher Dean
Christopher Dean
Christopher Colin Dean, OBE is a famous British ice dancer who won a gold medal at the 1984 Winter Olympics with his skating partner Jayne Torvill...
as well as Tom McCamus
Tom McCamus
Tom McCamus is an award-winning Canadian film and theatre actor who is most widely known for his work on the science-fiction television show Mutant X....
, who plays Bach. Each of the movements of the Suite is equated to a gesture. The movements begin with McCamus as Bach narrating events in his life, setting the stage for Torvill and Dean to portray the particular gesture involved on ice. Over the course of the film we see Bach encounter joy at having the freedom to do "music for music's sake", question whether he is growing more isolated from the world-at-large, suffer the waning attentions of his patron, and grieve the loss of a wife.
Emmy
- Niv Fichman & Patricia Rozema won the Outstanding Classical Music-Dance Program
- Pedro Pires won Outstanding Special Visual Effects for a Series
Gemini
- Niv Fichman & Rudy Buttignol won Best Music, Variety Program or Series
- Yo-Yo Ma won Best Performance in a Performing Arts Program or Series
- Niv Fichman & Rudy Buttignol won Best Performing Arts Program or Series, or Arts Documentary Program
- André Pienaar won Best Photography in a Comedy, Variety or Performing Arts Program or Series
- Mark Willis won Best Photography in an Information/Documentary Program or Series
- Michelle Czukar won Best Picture Editing in a Comedy, Variety or Performing Arts Program or Series
- Paul D. Austerberry won Best Production Design or Art Direction in a Non-Dramatic Program or Series
- Niv Fichman & Rudy Buttignol won Best Short Drama
- David McCallum, Lou Solakofski, Robert Fletcher, & John J. Thomson won Best Sound in an Information/Documentary Program or Series
- Dominic Daigle, Pedro Pires,Stéphane Landry, & Mario Fraser won Best Visual Effects