Thursday, November 18, 2010

The Friday Phonograph

Ingrid Bergman and Liv Ullmann meet Chopin




Our friend Anne French is an obsessive troller through the riches of You Tube's classical music collection. We are adding a feature to LA Opus where Anne will post her favorite pick of the week. Look for the "Friday Phonograph" each week and let it be your musical transition to the weekend. Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome Anne to the LA Opus team. -- Rodney and Joseph.

Today's pick is a scene from Ingmar Bergman's masterful film, "Autumn Sonata," in which Liv Ullman receives a mini-piano lesson from her concert pianist mother, played by Ingrid Bergman. Chopin's Prelude No. 2 is the vehicle for the lesson, which quickly becomes a metaphor for the emotional relationship between the two women. Close-up facial expressions during the dialog result in both breathtaking filmmaking and insightful musical analysis. (Cinematographer Sven Nykvist does his usual impeccable work.) Hope you enjoy it! -- Anne French.

2 comments:

Cheryl Sickel said...
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Anne said...

Thank you so much for your very kind words, Cheryl. I am most gratified if my little "treasures" help to brighten your day