A Late Quartet Page #6

Yeah, I'm really happy here.

Good. Reminds me

of SoHo 20 years ago.

- (GRUNTING)

- (CLATTERING)

I saw Dad on Sunday for dinner.

So I suppose he told you

what was going on between us.

He's very unhappy.

I don't know why you're torturing him.

He told you I was torturing him?

No. No, Dad would never

say a bad word about you.

What your father did, though,

is totally unacceptable to me,

Alexandra, and wrong.

If you treat him like a doormat,

he's gonna start to wonder

what's outside the door.

A doormat? You don't have any idea

about our relationship, Alexandra.

- I know what I see.

- I'll tell you what I see.

Daniel's car... on the street.

What was he doing

at your apartment?

He teaches me.

The violin, I hope,

because your bed is a mess.

I'm not going to lie to you.

Good.

Daniel and I are in love.

You're not in love. That's ridiculous.

You're jealous.

Why are you so angry with me?

What did I do to cause you

to talk to me in this way?

I mean, did we just spoil you

too much, is that what it is?

Do you think I had fun?

Do you think it was fun growing up with

two roving quartet players for parents,

who were gone seven months of the year,

and I was always taking a backseat

to a violin and a viola?

Always, is that fun?

Does that seem fun to you?

You have always been

our first priority.

That is bullshit! That's bullshit,

that's just words. it's nothing.

If that were true, you would have

cut back on the touring.

- We couldn't...

- You would have paid more attention

to what was going on with me.

Not always looking for a perfect

goddamn fingering to a Haydn quartet.

I did the best I could. I tried to be

a good mother to you.

I wanted to be perfect,

but this is a musician's life.

We rehearse and we practice

and we perform.

Unfortunately, that's how it's going

to be for you, too, you'll see.

No, I won't.

Because I would never

raise a child that way.

(SNIFFLES)... I'm sorry.

If I were you,

if I had been you in that position...

...I would've had an abortion.

How can you be so cruel?

I risked everything to have you.

Do you understand?

Do you have any idea

what it feels like, do you?

- Yeah. Yeah.

- No.

I know... I know what it's like

to grow up without a f***ing mother!

(SOBBING)

Oh, my God.

(STRING QUARTET PLAYING

SLOW, LUSH MELODY)

They're f***ing sixteenths,

Steve, stop milking them.

Folks, disagree,

but do it nicely, and please...

...try not to get caught up in mistakes.

When I was your age,

I met the great Pablo Casals.

I was so intimidated

I could barely speak.

He must have sensed this, because...

...instead of a chat,

he asked me to play.

He requested the prelude

to the Fourth Bach suite.

I focused, took a deep breath,

began, the notes started to flow,

the music's in the air, and it was

the worst music I ever made.

(STUDENTS CHUCKLE)

I played so badly,

I got halfway through and had to stop.

"Bravo," he said, "Well done."

Then, he asked me to play the allemande.

"A second chance," I think to myself.

I never played worse.

"Wonderful. Splendid," he praised me.

And when I left that night,

I felt terrible about my performance,

but what really bothered me

wasn't my playing, it was Casals.

The insincerity.

Years later, I met him in Paris

and by then I was professional,

we played together.

We became acquaintances,

and one evening, over a glass of wine...

...I confessed to him what I thought

of his horseshit all those years ago.

(LAUGHTER)

And he got angry. His demeanor changed,

he grabbed his cello,

"Listen," he said.

And he played this phrase.

(PLAYS DYNAMIC, DRAMATIC PHRASE)

"Didn't you play that? Fingering.

You did.

It was novel to me. It was good.

And here, didn't you attack

this passage with an up-bow like this?"

Casals emphasized the good stuff,

the things he enjoyed.

He encouraged. And for the rest,

leave that to the morons,

or whatever it is in Spanish,

who judge by counting faults.

"I can be grateful,

and so must you be," he said,

"for even one singular phrase,

one transcendent moment."

Hmm?

- Wow.

- Yeah, wow. Pablo Casals. Champion.

Once more, with feeling please. Feeling!

(SLOW, LUSH MELODY RESUMES)

JULIETTE:
Hello, you've reached

Robert and Juliette.

Neither one of us is available

to take your call right now,

so please leave a message

after the beep. Thanks.

(MACHINE BEEPS)

PETER:
Jules, Robert...

the medication is working.

I'm OK for now. I can play.

Rehearsal at my place, Tuesday.

I'm calling Daniel. Goodbye.

(SLOW, TENDER

ORCHESTRAL MUSIC PLAYING)

(INHALES)

(PLAYING FAST, PLAYFUL MELODY)

Huh? This is good.

We're getting there. Energy. Umph.

JULIETTE:
I can't figure out

which string crossing I like.

I like very much what you did now.

You should stick to that.

I think she should do

whatever she wants.

- Let's continue.

- Yeah.

All right, let's continue.

Let's continue. Let's move on.

(PLUCKING

"THE BLUE DANUBE WALTZ")

Do you mind, Robert?

(PLUCKS DISSONANT NOTE)

What is going on?

Fill me in.

We've got a concert on Thursday.

I think it would be best

if personal matters waited.

Oh, God, I think it would be best if

you'd just shut the f*** up, you know?

Can you control yourself, Robert?

You mind?

JULIETTE:

You control yourself, Daniel.

You couldn't find somebody else's

daughter to sleep with?

What?

What? What did you do?

(SIGHS)

Alex and I are involved.

It is what it is, Robert.

You slept with her?

We're in love.

Didn't mean for it to happen,

it happened. It is what it is, Robert.

Sit down!

Stop! Don't do that, please.

Not in my house, please.

That's enough.

Out! All of you, stop it.

- Feel better?

- Leave now, please.

- She's not your property.

- I'm your property.

I'm your property.

We are all your f***ing property!

Well, I guess your life is a mess!

For the first time in many years,

I love someone, and you know what?

- This time, I'm not gonna give it up.

- PETER:
Stop it, Daniel. Stop it.

I am sick of the bunch of you. Out.

I'm sorry.

PETER:
You have no respect

for the music.

- You should've told me.

- PETER:
Each other.

- I'm sorry. Robert, wait, please.

- PETER:
Nothing.

I'm going upstairs, when I

come back, I want you gone.

ROBERT:
Don't follow me!

You should've told me!

PETER:
Forget about the concert.

There's no concert. No nothing.

(MUTTERS):
Can't believe this.

(SOFT KNOCK ON DOOR)

(SIGHS)

When you asked me 25 years ago...

to help you form a quartet,

I understood what it meant

to be so much older.

I knew that one day

I'd have to step aside.

I simply never imagined

it would be so difficult.

And to watch the quartet evaporate

in front of me at the same time, it's...

It's not like anything.

It's a nightmare.

It's a nightmare for me, too.

You must end

this relationship right now.

Whatever you think it is,

whatever you think

you're doing... end it.

No.

No, I can't do that.

Then working together

has taught you nothing.

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