BACH & more friends

Production on hold while seeking funding

Many people have been touched by BACH & friends and often in very personal and spiritual ways. Yet the film only explored a part of Bach's enormous body of work. I am making a companion film to expand for my audience a larger vision of Bach's greatest masterpieces - especially the vocal and ensemble music.

As in BACH & friends, only the highest level of Bach playing will be featured; and the goal is to make BACH & more friends as entertaining and accessible to a wide audience as the initial production. The new film will be a mixture of world class soloists, vocal works and ensemble music as well as Bach performed on unexpected instruments. In addition, I envision performances on period instruments as well as jazz interpretations. There are many cinematic challenges to find new and exciting ways to film this expanded number of on-camera musicians and singers.

The final shape of the film will mostly be determined by my success in attracting donations that will support a greatly expanded plan for location filming. So many of the top Bach performers that I have approached are spread out across the nation and in Europe.

Though there are no commitments yet, I have made initial contact with John Eliot Gardiner, Joshua Rifkin, Ton Koopman, Jordi Savall, Leon Fleisher, Yo-Yo Ma, Itzhak Perlman, James Galway as well as Wynton Marsalis. Jacques Loussier, and Dave Brubeck.

I have many new wonderful Bach players - famous and not so well known lining up for the sequel. The film will include Bach played on a wide variety of instruments: saxophone, mandolin cello, marimba, double necked tap guitar, pan-flute, guitar quartet and toy instruments as well as traditional classical instruments. Renowned composer and silent film accompanist Donald Sosin will improvise Bach to a silent film classic.

Recently, I was a guest at a Johns Hopkins Brain Mind Institute conference on the arts and I was convinced there is a place in the new film for more insights into Bach and the brain. Marvin Minsky, who is also a Bach player, will help us understand these new discoveries.

Returning from BACH & friends will be host Michael Hawley with many new stories and insights into Bach as well as his wonderful Bach playing. Simone Dinnerstein and Richard Stoltzman will play a Da Gamba Sonata and Joao Carlos Martins will conduct Bachiana Filarmonica in Bach's Orchestra Suite No. 3.

The biggest missing element in BACH & friends was the B Minor Mass. The first film ended with Art of Fugue and the new film will conclude with Bach's other great final masterpiece. I am very fortunate to have Garrett Brown shoot the ending section of the film with excerpts from the Mass. His recent invention - the Tango Steadycam will be utilized for filming the B Minor Mass and throughout BACH & more friends. We will shoot the singers and players in a church and then transition into a Chroma Keyed cosmic environment with Michael Benson's Visions of the Interplanetary Probes in the background. Drew Berry, a biomedical animator has allowed me to use his cell animation in this concluding section which will revisit the idea of the micro and macro in Bach's music. Also Carl Schoonover will provide his wonderful images of the brain to this climax of BACH & more friends.

I have lots of new ideas and am very excited about the many wonderful possibilities to further explore Bach's music. I will film throughout 2011 and finish the film in 2012.

The realization of BACH & more friends is totally dependent on the generous support of Bach lovers around the world. Please spread the word. The prestigious San Francisco Classical Voice will serve as the non-profit 501 (c)(3) fiscal sponsor.

I look forward to making BACH & more friends and hopefully with the addition of this companion film I will have made my statement on Bach.

The adventure begins again!

On Board for BACH & more friends

Turtle Island Quartet

Mike Hawley

Pianist and Bach Storyteller Extraordinaire

Donald Sosin

Pianist, Composer, Improviser for Silent Film

Sharen Isbin

Guitarist, Rosalyn Tureck Student

Mika Yoshida

Jazz Marimbist

Andrew Schulman

Bach in The Beth Israel Medical Center's
Intensive Care Unit

Tiempo Libre

Afro-Cuban Jazz - Bach in Havana

The Los Angeles Guitar Quartet

Simone Dinnerstein and Richard Stoltzman

Clarinet and Piano Duet

Marvin Minsky

Bach and the Brain

Mike Marshall and Caterina Lichtenber

Mandolin and Mandolincello Duets

Dave Camwell & Oasis

Saxophone Quartet - Bach-Centric

Joao Carlos Martins conducts Bachiana Filarmonica

Bach's Orchestra Suite No. 3

Mads Vinding and Poul Rosenbaum

Danish jazz musicians - Bach to Bach

Adam Fulara

Double Necked Tap-Guitarist

Donald Sosin - Sxip Shirey - Adam Matta

Bach played for young children on Toy Instruments

Collaborators

Garrett Brown

Cinematographer and inventor of the Steadicam

Garrett's Steadicam Tango will be used extensively
for BACH & more friends

Michael Benson

Astrophotographer

Drew Berry

Biomedical Animator

Jos Leys

Creator of Mathematical images and animation

NOW ON HOLD
NOT ACCEPTING DONATIONS

WHY I AM MAKING

Comments on
BACH & friends

"You have absolutely opened another world for me. Thank you!"
Edward

"It has transformed me as an individual for the better. Thank you Mr Lawrence for making this film."
Santana

"It has re-inspired my passion for Bach!"
Chris

"A transformative experience"
Garrett

"I think that tonight was my fifth time watching it completely through. Each time I am more impressed in your choices of instruments, people and how they express their love of this music both with thoughtful words and beautiful playing. Thank you very much for this very special film."
John

"I don’t listen to classical music on a regular basis, but I found this video both inspiring and enriching."
Leonard

"I was overcome with emotion"
Renate

"i love your DVDs almost as much as I love Bach, whom I always think of as my very best friend, the one who can comfort me and remind me that there is goodness and beauty in the universe."
Melissa

"Brought tears to my eyes."
Anthony

"A treasure! Every human being should see it."
Janika

"My wife and I spent an evening of spiritual renewal watching your film. That is, after all, what great art is about. Kudos for a job well done"
Richard

"It is a movie that comes as close to explaining the genius of Bach as anything I have encountered."
Dwight

"What an extraordinarily beautiful and moving film you have made. Bach's music proves to me the existence of God!"
Rebecca

"This film affected me in a very deep way. I sobbed several times through it, and I am not easily or frequently brought to tears. You have given a great gift to all of us."
Joseph

"Absolutely opened another world for me."
Edward

Wow! Absolutely amazing! Your film made me fall in love with Bach's music all over again.
Dago

"What a wonderful and inspiring documentary!"
Paul

"I wasn't really aware of Bach or classical music in general before this - I held that common misconception that the music is boring and stuffy without ever having listened to any - and your video has helped to give me such a great introduction to and admiration for Bach. I'm now pursuing a career in this music."
Charles

"I admire the film greatly. Your work is hugely enriching and important."
David

"Several performances in your movie moved me to tears. Thank you, thank you, thank you, for this wonderful treasure."
Chelsy

Your film made Bach real and human but also gave me a far greater appreciation for his music. Thank you for the awesome documentary.
John

"Thanks for bringing incredible joy!"
Debbie

"It brought tears to my eyes to hear one musician after another express the feelings I've had about Bach since the first time I heard his music."
Howard

"I bought another copy of the Bach and Friends DVD for a friend who loved Bach and was dying of cancer. It gave her consolation in her last weeks of life."
Chris

Great ! Bach rules ! Amadeus can wait !
Alfonse Munoz, M.D.

"I want to thank you very much for sharing Bach's music and humanity with the whole world."
Elizabeth

Blog On BACH & more friends

Dear Mike:
You’re doing such a great job.
Keep it up!
Yours ever, Ward Swingle

Dear Mr. Lawrence,
I am very excited to hear of your new documentary! I loved the first film and am so glad you have decided to pursue a second, follow-up film.
Good luck and best regards, Chance Sanford

I'm looking forward to your next film. I LOVED the first one.
Pauline Thom

Michael.
I purchased Bach & Friends for my mother, a harpist and die-hard fan
of Bach. She loves it! Well done! She's also very excited about Bach &
More Friends.
Matthew

Dear Michael.
Congratulations of the success of the first film (which I was happy to review) and good luck with the next.
Julian MIncham

Dear Mike,
I am so happy for your decision on planning a second Bach DVD. I am, and hope will NEVER be, tired of Bach. Therefore, I am ready to devour whatever you produce on my venerated Master. A Mozart DVD? Yes, it would be fine, but I can wait for that. But for Bach? No way! Please, do not change your mind and continue to go ahead with another Bach movie.
Many thanks to you and your team, Octavio Gutierre

Hello Mike -
Thanks for the DVD. I received it yesterday and watched it last night. It is a great DVD and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Best wishes, Christian Dalzon, ConcertoNet

Dear Mr. Michael Lawrence:
This is Zachary from Pointer's Run Elementary School. I love classical music and have studied piano at the Peabody Preparatory since I was 5. I watched you big hit movie Bach and Friends. I liked all the pieces played in the movie. I enjoyed the interviews of the musicians. I learned very interesting stories about Bach. It was awesome! And I want to watch more. I think you should make a movie about Beethoven as well.
Sincerely, Zachary Zhao

Michael Lawrence Films

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BACH & more friends