Käbi Laretei
Encyclopedia
Käbi Alma Laretei is an Estonia
n-born Swedish
concert pianist.
Her father was a diplomat
in the service of the Republic of Estonia
; when the Soviet Union
invaded the country he and his family fled to Sweden
. Laretei has had a long and distinguished career as a pianist and in the 1960s. She has played to packed halls in the United Kingdom
, Sweden, West Germany
and the United States
; she is also known for her marriage to and professional collaborations with film
director Ingmar Bergman
. They met in the late 1950s, were married in 1959 and divorced in 1969, though the marriage was effectively over by 1966. His 1961 film Through a Glass Darkly
is dedicated to Laretei. They had a son, Daniel Bergman
, who is also a film director.
Laretei has continued to play in concert and give musical consultation on the set of some of her former husband's films and even appears playing the piano in a scene of Fanny and Alexander
. She took an early interest in the TV medium, has hosted many programmes on literature and music on Swedish TV and since En bit jord (1976; "A lump of earth") has published a number of books on life and music
, the latest being Såsom i en översättning (2004; "As in a translation", the title being a paraphrase on "Through a Glass Darkly" (Såsom i en spegel)).
Estonia
Estonia , officially the Republic of Estonia , is a state in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea, to the south by Latvia , and to the east by Lake Peipsi and the Russian Federation . Across the Baltic Sea lies...
n-born Swedish
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
concert pianist.
Her father was a diplomat
Diplomacy
Diplomacy is the art and practice of conducting negotiations between representatives of groups or states...
in the service of the Republic of Estonia
Estonia
Estonia , officially the Republic of Estonia , is a state in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea, to the south by Latvia , and to the east by Lake Peipsi and the Russian Federation . Across the Baltic Sea lies...
; when the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
invaded the country he and his family fled to Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
. Laretei has had a long and distinguished career as a pianist and in the 1960s. She has played to packed halls in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, Sweden, West Germany
West Germany
West Germany is the common English, but not official, name for the Federal Republic of Germany or FRG in the period between its creation in May 1949 to German reunification on 3 October 1990....
and the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
; she is also known for her marriage to and professional collaborations with film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
director Ingmar Bergman
Ingmar Bergman
Ernst Ingmar Bergman was a Swedish director, writer and producer for film, stage and television. Described by Woody Allen as "probably the greatest film artist, all things considered, since the invention of the motion picture camera", he is recognized as one of the most accomplished and...
. They met in the late 1950s, were married in 1959 and divorced in 1969, though the marriage was effectively over by 1966. His 1961 film Through a Glass Darkly
Through a Glass Darkly (film)
Through a Glass Darkly is a 1961 Swedish film written and directed by Ingmar Bergman, and produced by Allan Ekelund. The film is a three-act "chamber film", in which four family members act as mirrors for each other. It is the first of many Bergman films to be shot on the island of Fårö...
is dedicated to Laretei. They had a son, Daniel Bergman
Daniel Bergman
Daniel Sebastian Bergman , born 7 September 1962, is a Swedish film director. He is the son of Ingmar Bergman and Käbi Laretei. He also directed an episode on the Swedish horror series CHOCK, with Ernst-Hugo Järegård.-Selected filmography:* 1987 - Ägget...
, who is also a film director.
Laretei has continued to play in concert and give musical consultation on the set of some of her former husband's films and even appears playing the piano in a scene of Fanny and Alexander
Fanny and Alexander
Fanny and Alexander is a 1982 Swedish fantasy drama film written and directed by Ingmar Bergman. It was originally conceived as a four-part TV movie and cut in that version, spanning 312 minutes. A 188-minute version was created later for cinematic release, although this version was in fact the...
. She took an early interest in the TV medium, has hosted many programmes on literature and music on Swedish TV and since En bit jord (1976; "A lump of earth") has published a number of books on life and music
Music
Music is an art form whose medium is sound and silence. Its common elements are pitch , rhythm , dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture...
, the latest being Såsom i en översättning (2004; "As in a translation", the title being a paraphrase on "Through a Glass Darkly" (Såsom i en spegel)).