Chronik der Anna Magdalena Bach

Chronik der Anna Magdalena Bach rebuts the traditional view of the life of composer Johann Sebastian Bach and his wife Anna Magdalena, which alleges that there is harmony between society and culture. Straub and Huillet confront this propagandist declaration of art, with art as labour and Bach’s music as a way of resisting the Leipzig magistrates.

In the fragments that include music, the camera does not jump back and forth but concentrates at length on details, such as the soloist’s hands. In this way, Bach’s composition remains intact. Straub: “The point of departure for the film was the idea of making a film in which music is neither accompaniment or narration, but is used as aesthetic material.”