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 S E A R C H    D V D B e a v e r

(aka "The Silence Before Bach")

 

Directed by Pere Portabella
Spain 2007

 

In these two works by the radical Catalan filmmaker Pere Portabella, music, art and architecture take a pivotal role in fragmenting and unraveling the substance of history to comment on our modern world. The acclaimed, surreal documentary The Silence Before Bach (Die Stille vor Bach) comprises a series of filmed vignettes, united by the music of Johann Sebastian Bach. Portabella's opulent reverie leads us through the centuries, investigating the profound, complex relationship between image and music. Mudanza quietly records the removal of furniture and objects from the home of poet Federico García Lorca, allowing visitors and viewers - to move freely amongst its empty spaces, and to contemplate what is lost. 2007 Barcelona Film Awards/ Winner: Audiovisual prize 2007 Gijón International Film Festival / Winner: Special Jury Award.

 

"A work shaped by correlation, metaphor and metonymy, by beautiful images and fragments of ideas, a work that locates the music in the twitching of a dogs ears, in the curve of a woman's belly, a child's song and an adults reverie. Like the music it celebrates, this is a film made in glory of the world."

 Manohla Dargis, New York Times

 

***

This latest feature from the eccentrically experimental Catalan director Portabella is a beautiful, sometimes faintly bonkers celebration and contemplation of the role Bach's music plays in the world today. Blending historical reconstruction with very loosely linked dramatic scenes and documentary sequences, the film constitutes a playful, painterly sequence of variations on the argument that Johann Sebastian changed the way the world hears thanks to his extraordinary ear for harmony.

Posters

Theatrical Release: September 5th, 2007 (Venice Film Festival)

Reviews                                                                                                       More Reviews                                                                                       DVD Reviews

 

Review: Second Run - Region FREE - Blu-ray

Box Cover

CLICK to order from:
Distribution Second Run - Region FREE - Blu-ray
Runtime 1:41:17.875        
Video

1.85:1 1080P Dual-layered Blu-ray

Disc Size: 38,078,064,896 bytes

Feature: 26,631,794,688 bytes

Video Bitrate: 29.59 Mbps

Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video

NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes.
Bitrate Blu-ray:

Audio

DTS-HD Master Audio German 1821 kbps 5.1 / 48 kHz / 1821 kbps / 16-bit (DTS Core: 5.1 / 48 kHz / 1509 kbps / 16-bit)
LPCM Audio German 1536 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1536 kbps / 16-bits
Subtitles English, None
Features Release Information:
Studio: Second Run

 

1.85:1 1080P Dual-layered Blu-ray

Disc Size: 38,078,064,896 bytes

Feature: 26,631,794,688 bytes

Video Bitrate: 29.59 Mbps

Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video

 

Edition Details:

• An in-depth 2010 interview with Pere Portabella from the Catalan tv arts show Sala 33 discussing The Silence Before Bach and Mudanza. (25:28)
 • Booklet featuring new writing on the films.


 Blu-ray Release Date: May 24th, 2021
 Transparent Blu-ray Case

Chapters 12

 

 

Comments:

NOTE: The below Blu-ray captures were taken directly from the Blu-ray disc.

ADDITION: Second Run Blu-ray (May 2011): Second Run have transferred Pere Portabella's The Silence Before Bach and Mudanza to Blu-ray. It is cited as being from a "New High Definition, director-approved presentations of the of the films.". We can assume then that IMDb may be wrong that the The Silence Before Bach was composed in 2.35:1 and shot in 35mm. This looks suspiciously like video to me and 1.85:1 looks proper considering the composition. It's waxy, soft and clunky like early video cameras. There are what appear to be compression artifacts. So, while not demo for the 1080P format - it still created a wonderful film experience and less noticeable in-motion. the 21-minute Mudanza looks better - see HERE. 

On their Blu-ray, Second Run, for The Silence Before Bach, use a DTS-HD Master 5.1 surround track (16-bit) in the original French, Italian, Spanish, and German languages. It is DTS 2.0 for Mudanza. It is another advancement in the film's music is beautiful in the lossless. Almost exclusively J. S. Bach we get wonderful renditions of The Goldberg Variations, BWV 988 - Theme, and Variation #1, Prelude, from Prelude and Fugue in A minor, BWV 543, Goldberg Variations, BWV 988 - Variation #23, Prelude No. 1 in C major, from The Well Temper Clavier, Book I, BWV 846, Fugue, from Fantasia & Fugue in G Minor, BWV 542
and more, played on many instruments from play-piano to harpsichord, harmonica, chorus with orchestra and brass. Second Run offer optional English subtitles on their Region FREE Blu-ray.

The Second Run Blu-ray offers a revealing 26-minute in-depth interview with Pere Portabella from the Catalan TV arts show Sala 33, originally broadcast February 27th, 2010, discussing The Silence Before Bach and Mudanza. He discusses the importance of the music in Silence and creating the images as a sequence of the scores. There is also a 20-page liner notes booklet featuring new writing on the films and photos.

I enjoyed both of Portabella's films, but found The Silence Before Bach exceptionally brilliant and beautiful. As Jim Hoberman of The Village Voice says: "At once cerebral film essay and unsweetened ear candy... its a high-toned experimental feature that eschews narrative and ponders the social history of music, creating a dialectic between sound and image." It created a fabulous experience watching via the Second Run Blu-ray. Bach is my favorite classical composer and I felt I could have watched these sequences all day. Absolutely recommended!

Gary Tooze

 

Menus / Extras

 

CLICK EACH BLU-RAY CAPTURE TO SEE ALL IMAGES IN FULL 1920X1080 RESOLUTION

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

Box Cover

CLICK to order from:
Distribution Second Run - Region FREE - Blu-ray


 


 

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