ANGELICA

“Angelica” also tells a story of female empowerment. It is based on Arthur Phillips’ book of the same name, published in 2007, and adapted for the screen by Lichtenstein. Set in the Victorian age in England, Phillips and Lichtenstein describe the trials and tribulations of Constance (played by Jena Malone), a young woman who falls in love with a successful scientist. Their romance blossoms and leads to marriage. Eventually, a child is born, a girl they name Angelica. The birth is grueling, and Constance nearly loses her life. For her, everything changes in an instant: she is told in no uncertain terms by her doctor that she is to refrain from engaging in vaginal sex (and therefore become a “hortus conclusus”) – otherwise she will risk her health and quite possibly leave her daughter motherless. From this moment Constance goes into a downward-spiral.

Zbigniew Preisner’s music pays tribute to the elegant romanticism of the 19th century, while at the same time weaving more experimental elements into it. The composer decided against creating specific leitmotifs for the individual characters. Instead, his music follows the story as it progresses. Hence, Preisner developed variations on the themes as demanded by the story. For example, there is no theme for Constance per se. Preisner follows her journey with various motifs and themes, divided into what the composer calls the “courtly” and the “modern.”

The 38th CD-release of Caldera Records – a world premiere – features a detailed booklet-text by Stephan Eicke and elegant artwork by Luis Miguel Rojas. The CD was mastered by Leszek Kaminski and produced by Stephan Eicke and John Elborg.