Hugo Niebeling
Hugo Niebeling (born February 2, 1931 in Düsseldorf ; † July 9, 2016 ) was a German director and filmmaker. He was one of the most important innovators in business and industrial film as well as music and ballet film. His experimental camera and editing style is credited with making a major contribution to the emergence of the modern music video aesthetic. The documentary film Alvorada , which he directed, was nominated for an Oscar in 1962 . Niebeling lived in Hilden .
life and work
“My idea what art is? (...) especially condensed life (...), brought into a form. Art, born out of the conflict of feelings, cleared by the mind, redeemed in form, mirroring the whole in a limited form. Released into the form because the creative process is painful. "
Youth and education
Hugo Niebeling grew up in a Catholic family in Düsseldorf. When he returned home from a children's country deportation camp after the war , his parents' music shop and apartment had been destroyed by bombs. Niebeling found new support in his preoccupation with modern art, classical music and the theater. He could not fulfill his wish to study acting, so he began a commercial apprenticeship with the Düsseldorfer Mannesmann Group. Parallel to his commercial training, Niebeling took private acting lessons from Otto Ströhlin , an actor from the Düsseldorf theater who had many students. Niebeling's role model was Gustaf Gründgens . After a short interlude as an actor at the Augsburg theater, Niebeling switched to directing.
Experimental industrial films
In 1956, Niebeling made his first film on behalf of the Mannesmann Group, the industrial film Steel Veins ; for his first work, which is heavily inspired by the German film director and experimental filmmaker Walter Ruttmann , he received the Federal Film Prize in gold. After this film, Niebeling made numerous experimental industrial films, especially in the 1960s. They combine stylized camera work with a completely new application of image editing, as well as sound collages created synchronously with the image editing, which were developed by Oskar Sala . The short film Steel - Theme with Variations from 1960 is a good example of this, as it mixes images and sounds without any narrative comment to create an audiovisual report on steel production.
In 1962 he created the Oscar- nominated documentary and industrial film Alvorada - Awakening in Brazil, which has won numerous film awards . This artistically demanding film is not an industrial film in the classical sense, but gives an overview of the people and landscapes of Brazil, its modern cities and old colonial settlements as well as its art and culture. Alvorada was followed by numerous other business and industrial films - such as the film “Petrol, Carburant, Fuel” produced in 1965 for Aral AG in Bochum, which was the most award-winning business film ever. It was the only West German contribution to the Cannes Film Festival in 1965.
The documentary with light writing , which shows the production and development of photo cameras and film material at Agfa , is a philosophical look at the connection between photography and reality. He uses many different visual styles in conjunction with very experimental camera work and editing. The combination of image and music in petrol led to the fact that Niebeling was offered the work on the music film Pastorale . Niebeling himself called Alvorada his first music film, and the editing of his industrial films in general was often very musical. In them, the camera often moves to match the music, and cuts are made to the rhythm of the music. Although Niebeling turned more and more to music film after Pastorale , he continued to work on experimental industrial films later during his career, such as Allegro (1970) and The Order that We Remain in 1984.
"No technology, no perspective, no type of camera movement was left unused, resulting in an exciting and beautiful kaleidoscope of images."
“Hugo Niebeling created a radical, Oscar-nominated editing style that anticipated, influenced and taught the experimental, undeground and psychedelic cinema of the 1960s. He helped create the modern music video. "
Beethoven films
Since the late 1960s, Niebeling was particularly active in the genre of music and dance films with great and lasting success. Among these films, three very influential and acclaimed films are versions of Beethoven symphonies. All three are considered revolutionary in terms of the combination of image and music, and many cinematic techniques that were used for the first time in these films set trends for the following decades:
Pastoral
In 1967 he directed Beethoven's “Pastorale” with the Berliner Philharmoniker under the direction of Herbert von Karajan , where he used experimental camera, editing and lighting techniques to translate the music into images. It was filmed in a studio using numerous takes to show the performance and individual instruments in many different ways. The film uses cinematic techniques that are otherwise very unusual for music films: Among other things, the camera sometimes moves in sync with the music; the lighting changes to match the music, and images are superimposed to create a surrealistic, stylized effect. With this film, Niebeling revolutionized the technology and visual language of concert recordings in the then still young medium of television.
"Never again achieved perfection in the translation of music into images."
“The Pastorale - a highlight of the filmed music. But that was not Karajan's achievement, but Niebeling's achievement. "
"At this level, technology returns to what it originally meant in Greek: art ... Today I WATCH music."
Eroica and Seventh Symphony
In 1972 Niebeling filmed two more Beethoven symphonies: the third Eroica and the seventh, again with the same line-up as the Pastorale . In both films, the orchestra sits on three wedges, reminiscent of the audience in a Greek amphitheater, with the conductor in the middle in front of the wedges. Both films were recut against Niebeling's will at Karajan's request in order to make their style more conventional and to remove many experimental elements. Niebeling himself was not involved in editing the versions that first appeared in the 1970s. In the 2010s, however, he managed to publish his editing version of both symphonies:
Niebeling's “Director's Cut” of Eroica was published in 2010 and received very positive reviews. In 1972 he was able to keep a black and white working copy of his version, which he restored for it. Niebeling saw the resulting black and white aesthetic of the “Director's Cut” as more appropriate to the film. Niebeling's “Director's Cut” of the seventh symphony, entitled B 7 (Beethoven Seven) , premiered in 2016 on German television. Niebeling edited the film based on his original script from 1972 and combined ballet and music. Based on the last sentence, Niebeling also created the short film Apotheosis of Dance in 2015 , which was awarded the title “particularly valuable” by the film evaluation.
"An expressionist work of art that transports the power of music and the intense effect of images equally."
"The (...) music clip aesthetic conveys in its perfection a rousing rhythm and a sensual fusion of music and dance."
Ninth symphony
In the 1970s, Niebeling had also planned a film with Beethoven's Ninth Symphony. This should have combined orchestra, dance and singers. Niebeling created a detailed script for this film, but it was never implemented.
Ballet films
Giselle , Niebeling's first ballet film with Carla Fracci , Erik Bruhn and the American Ballet Theater premiered in 1969 at Lincoln Center in New York City. The patron was Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis . The film received numerous positive reviews for its innovative style, which complements the choreography with camera work, editing technology and lighting. Since the early 1970s, Niebeling worked frequently in New York, where he mainly made ballet films with the choreographer George Balanchine . Niebeling has also received numerous national and international awards for his outstanding ballet and music films.
Another popular success that Niebeling has had with the audience for two decades was the adaptation of Bach's "St. John Passion", which he was able to realize in 1990 in Speyer Cathedral - based on the original sound recording by Bach conductor Karl Richter from 1964. Niebeling planned this film for over 30 years For years, and he sees it as one of his major works himself.
2000s: Retrospectives and New Projects
Retrospectives
In 2013, the Zeughauskino dedicated a retrospective to Hugo Niebeling, at which he was personally present and films from his entire career were shown. In 2015 Niebeling received the “Award of Excellence” for artistic innovation from the Hollywood Reel Independent Film Festival . In a related retrospective, Niebeling's works from the 1960s were shown, some of which were premiered in the US.
Restoration of previous films
Since the early 2000s, Niebeling had many of his earlier films scanned, color corrected and restored from a 35 mm negative in 2k or 4k resolution under his supervision. All of his films from the 1960s have already been scanned and restored, as have some later works such as The Order That Us Remains (1984) or St. John Passion (1991).
Current projects: Chaconne
Niebeling recently planned various new projects. Among them was a 30-minute film which should implement Bach's Chaconne in the picture and which should visually merge the nature of the Urdenbacher Kämpe with the church architecture of the Altenberg Cathedral . In addition, dancers should underline the music with a coordinated choreography.
Industrial films
- Steel veins, the lifelines of our time , 1956
- Federal Film Award 1957, Gold Film Volume, Category: Best Full-Length Cultural and Documentary Film ( Mannesmann AG )
- Happy colors, good mood (BASF, 1957)
- is Niebeling's second directorial work. Niebeling took action on behalf of Bavaria Film .
- Steel subdues atoms, On the construction of the reactor pressure vessel Kahl , 1960
- Steel - Theme with Variations , 1960
- Federal Film Prize 1961, Gold Film Ribbon, Category: Best Other Short Film (Mannesmann AG)
- Grand Prix, International Industrial Film Festival, Rouen 1960
- Gold Grand Prix for “Best Industrial Film of the Past 40 Years”, 1st Prize for “Best Film of the Years 1957–1966”, Industriefilm-Festival, Kassel 1997
- Alvorada - New beginnings in Brazil , 1962
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- Two federal film awards, film tapes in gold, 1963:
- Category: Best Director (Hugo Niebeling)
- Category: Best full-length cultural and documentary film (Mannesmann AG)
- Oscar Nomination , 1962 in the category: "Documentary (long form)" (Feature)
- Federal German contribution to the Cannes Film Festival , 1963
- further prizes at film festivals, including in Edinburgh and Cork
- Petrol, carburant, fuel (Aral AG, 1964/65)
- Federal film award in 1965 as a "film of international standing"
- Federal German contribution to the Cannes International Film Festival, 1965
- Gold medal “Best Public Relations Film”, Cork International Film Festival, 1965
- “Diploma of Merit”, Edinburgh International Film Festival, 1965
- “Diploma d'Onore”, Locarno International Film Festival , 1965
- “Best industrial film director”, photokina award , Cologne 1966
- First prize in the “Cultural Films” category, Vancouver International Film Festival , 1966
- First prize at the International Festival for Motorsport Films, Karlsbad 1966
- Awarded at the German Industrial Film Forum, Düsseldorf 1966
- “Most artistically valuable film”, International Short Film Festival, Buenos Aires 1967
- Diploma from the Wirtschaftsfilmtage, Linz 1967
- First prize “Information Films”, International Festival for Technical Films, Budapest 1967
- Grand Prix, Australian International Film Festival, Melbourne 1967
- Writing with light (Agfa-Gaevert, 1967)
- Cultural film award, international rank, 1967
- German Industrial Film Prize 1968
- Allegro (Aral AG, 1969/70)
- "Particularly valuable" rating , Filmbewertungsstelle Wiesbaden , 1969
- Short Film Award Buenos Aires, 1971
- The mission that remains with us (Bayer AG, 1982/83)
- "Particularly valuable" rating, Filmbewertungsstelle Wiesbaden,
- Economic Film Award 1984
- This closes the circle, 100 years of the employer's liability insurance association (BG Chemie, 1986)
- This socio-politically oriented film ends Niebeling's work for the economic and industrial film.
The most important music and ballet films
- Pastoral
- “Particularly valuable”, Film Evaluation Center Wiesbaden
- Grand Prix, Menton 1971
- Eroica (1972, Director's Cut 2009)
- "Valuable", Film Evaluation Center Wiesbaden
- Percussion for six
- Director's Award, Menton 1971
- Violin concerto
- Federal Film Award, Filmband in Gold 1974, Category: Best Short Film, (Continental Film)
- “Particularly valuable”, Film Evaluation Center Wiesbaden
- Grand Prix, Besançon 1974
- Duo Concertant
- Grand Prix, Besançon 1975
- Serenade, a late romantic memory
- Public Prize, Besançon 1975
- St. John Passion “It would be good that a person were killed for the people”, 1991
- Lament of Ariadne (1993)
- Apotheosis of Dance (2016)
- “Particularly valuable”, Film Evaluation Center Wiesbaden
- B 7 (Beethoven Seven) (1972, Director's Cut 2016)
See also
Footnotes
- ↑ Obituary notice. In: RP Online . July 13, 2016, accessed July 13, 2016 .
- ↑ [1] . Website on the retrospective of the Hollywood Reel Independent Film Festival, with text on Hugo Niebeling and how his style influenced modern music video. Retrieved November 2, 2014.
- ↑ [2] ARD: Article on a broadcast by Alvorada. Accessed November 2, 2014.
- ↑ Video interview on Youtube . Accessed January 1, 2015.
- ↑ English original: 'No technique, no angle, no method of camera transport has been left unexplored. What results is an exciting and beautiful kaleidoscope of images. '
- ↑ [3] Website of the Melbourne Film Festival, entry on "Alvorada". Accessed November 2, 2014.
- ↑ English original: 'Hugo Niebeling created a radical Oscar-nominated editing style that predated, influenced, and informed the 1960's experimental, underground, and new psychedelic cinema, helping to create the modern music video.'
- ↑ [4] Hollywood Reel Independent Film Festival website: Program Guide 2016. Accessed February 15, 2016.
- ^ [5] Website of the German Historical Museum with information on the Hugo Niebeling retrospective 2013. Accessed on November 2, 2014.
- ^ Website of the German Historical Museum with information about the Hugo Niebeling retrospective 2013 . Accessed November 2, 2014.
- ^ [6] Information sheet from the German Historical Museum with information on the pastoral. Accessed November 2, 2014.
- ^ [7] Website of the German Historical Museum with information about the Hugo Niebeling retrospective 2013. Accessed on November 2, 2014.
- ↑ [8] German Historical Museum: Information on the Eroica.
- ^ FBW: Jury statement on the predicate for "Apotheosis of Dance" . Retrieved January 11, 2016.
- ^ [9] Website of the German Historical Museum with information on the Hugo Niebeling retrospective 2013. Accessed on November 2, 2014.
- ^ [10] Website of the Filmbewertungsstelle Wiesbaden. Accessed February 15, 2015.
- ^ Deutsches Historisches Museum Official website: Information sheet about "Giselle". (PDF) . Accessed December 31, 2014.
- ↑ Thommes 2008, ISBN 978-3-8370-8257-9 , pp. 184-187
- ↑ [11] . Website for the retrospective of the Zeughauskinos. Retrieved August 20, 2013.
- ↑ [12] RP Online: Article on the Hollywood Reel Independent Film Festival. Accessed March 28, 2015.
- ↑ [13] . Website for the retrospective of the Hollywood Reel Independent Film Festival. Retrieved November 2, 2014.
- ↑ [14] . Website for the retrospective of the Zeughauskino, with material on films and screening formats. Retrieved February 15, 2016.
- ↑ Archived copy ( memento of the original from February 15, 2016 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. RP Online: Article about Chaconne. Accessed February 15, 2016.
- ↑ [15] Website of the Wiesbaden film evaluation agency on "Eroica". Accessed November 2, 2014.
- ↑ [16] Website of the Wiesbaden Film Evaluation Center on “Apotheosis of Dance”. Accessed February 15, 2016.
Web links and sources
- [17] Zeughauskino: Detailed material on the 2013 retrospective, with biographical notes and information on the films shown.
- Hediger, Vincent ; Vonderau, Patrick (ed.): Cinematic means, industrial purposes. The work of industrial film. (= Documentary Film Initiative in Filmbüro NRW (ed.): Texts on Documentary Film. Vol. 11), Berlin 2007.
- Hofmann, Paul (arrangement): North Rhine-Westphalian main state archive (ed.): On the trail of film treasures. Directory of historical film stocks in North Rhine-Westphalia. 2nd ext. Edition. Düsseldorf 1997. (= Publications of the State Archives of North Rhine-Westphalia. Series C: Sources and Research. Volume 33)
- Rasch, Manfred u. a. (Ed.): Industriefilm 1948–1959. Films from the economic archives in the Ruhr area. Essen 2003.
- Thommes, Joachim: "I wanted to bring art into each of these films as much as I could." Hugo Niebeling, Mannesmann Filmproduktion and the West German Economic Film 1947–1987, Norderstedt 2008, ISBN 978-3-8370-8257-9 .
- Thommes, Joachim: “As exciting as an adventure film.” Hugo Niebeling's Brazilian epic ALVORADA (1962). In: Filmblatt, Vol. 16, No. 45 Summer 2011, ISSN 1433-2051 , pp. 51–60.
- Contemporary witness journalist office
- Mannesmann archive
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Niebeling, Hugo |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | German director and filmmaker |
| DATE OF BIRTH | February 2, 1931 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Dusseldorf |
| DATE OF DEATH | July 9, 2016 |