A Late Quartet Page #7

Shame on you.

(SLOW, SORROWFUL

STRING QUARTET MUSIC PLAYING)

PETER:
If you look at these pictures

in a certain way,

it's as if they open up.

One might go inside

and meet these people.

They've been here watching, listening.

Miriam felt that one might

exchange thoughts with them.

She liked this one in particular.

And what does Rembrandt

say to you today?

PETER:
"I'm the boss. I'm the king of

painters. I'm very great and I know it.

I'm getting old, but still,

I'm at the height of my power."

Look at the gaze from

the shadow, he's strong.

He's a bit silly, in his gold dress

and all, he knows that,

but still, his body and mind

have not betrayed him. Not yet.

It's inspiring.

My own body and mind

is a different story.

The drugs I'm taking aren't going

to work for all that much longer.

In time, they'll make me anxious,

I'll begin to imagine things,

and after that I'll be dependent

on other people

to feed me, dress me, bathe me.

These days

I think about how to avoid that.

- I'm being a burden.

- Peter, you'll never be a burden.

I want to take care of you.

You have the quartet.

You have Robert and Alexandra to look

after, guide them, take care of them.

So please, keep the quartet together.

Make me happy.

OK?

(SNIFFLES)

I was born in New York City, in 1963.

My mother, Frangoise Reynaud, played in

the Hudson String Quartet with Peter.

He was her closest friend.

And my mother died,

and the quartet broke up.

She died while in childbirth with me.

I studied with Gil Breton,

until was 16,

when Peter arranged for me to study

at Juilliard, under scholarship,

and then I moved here, he and Miriam

invited me to live with them.

Happily, they became my family.

But truly, everything in my life

that was good

happened as a result

of their incredible love for me.

We formed the Fugue,

and then I met Robert.

And then we had a daughter, a baby girl.

Alexandra.

I think the truly gifted

one in the family...

(DOOR OPENS)

you'll hear, I'm sure,

see for yourself soon enough.

I've spent most of those years

traveling, but it's a very demanding...

- You OK?

- Mm-hm.

OK.

Open it.

It's for you.

Dad said this went for 25 grand.

I can't accept it.

Oh, no, don't worry about it.

It belongs to a friend

who owes me a favor.

You can use it

for as long as you wish.

And this one,

I made especially for you.

Try it.

Daniel, can I talk to you for a sec?

Uh... Yeah. Sure.

What?

You're an amazing man.

You're brilliant.

- I admire you, and I think...

- (SIGHS)

...you're a dream for any girl

who can handle a man like you.

I don't think I can be that girl now.

It's your parents, right?

- No. No.

- It's your parents. It's your dad.

This is my decision.

Not going to let them

come between us.

It's the Fugue, Daniel.

L-Hm?'?

It's the Fugue.

The Fugue?

You want to end what we have

because of the quartet, this is crazy.

Alex, you understand, it's insane.

One doesn't have to be

at the expense of the other.

Yeah, but it will be.

You know, I could never forgive myself

for that, and neither would you.

- You can't...

- Alex, Alex, relax. All right? Relax.

It's OK, it's gonna be fine.

- I'm going to take care of it.

- No, you're not listening to me.

I'm going to have a very

serious talk with your parents.

If they're not going to accept

what we have,

I have no interest in playing with these

people. You understand me?

We'll form a new quartet.

New one.

You and I, Alex. You and I.

- We have Nina.

- Daniel, this is it.

I'm trying to talk to you,

I'm trying to tell you

that this is done now,

for me. It's done.

(SOFT, FORLORN

ORCHESTRAL MUSIC PLAYS)

Go away.

Just, uh... go away.

(SNIFFLES)

Daniel?

Daniel...

(WATER RUNNING)

(STRINGS PLAYING

SLOW, GENTLE MELODY)

(WOMAN SINGING PLAINTIVE ARIA

IN GERMAN)

(ARIA ECHOES, FADES)

(SLOW, YEARNFUL

ORCHESTRAL MUSIC PLAYING)

(DOOR OPENS)

(MAN COUGHS SOFTLY)

- (FOOTSTEPS ECHOING)

- (LOUD APPLAUSE)

(APPLAUSE FADES)

(PLAYING SLOW,

MELANCHOLY MELODY)

(ROBERT JOINS IN)

(PLAYING LIVELY, ANIMATED MELODY)

(PLAYING MEDIUM TEMPO,

WARM MELODY)

(PLAYING FAST, PLAYFUL MELODY)

(PLAYING LUSH, SOULFUL MELODY)

(PLAYING BRISK, LIVELY MELODY)

(MUSIC STOPS)

(SIGHS SOFTLY)

(SIGHS QUIETLY)

Huh...

(FOOTSTEPS ECHOING)

PETER:

Ladies and gentlemen, I have to stop.

My friends are playing

way too fast, I can't keep up.

It's Beethoven's fault,

insisting we play...

...Opus 131 attacca,

without pause.

I need a pause. Nina Lee.

(APPLAUSE)

PETER:
Wonderful cellist...

...friend of the Fugue...

...will replace me for the remainder

of tonight's program,

and, hopefully,

for much longer than that.

Nina, please.

It has been my pleasure

to play for you through the years...

...together with

Robert, Daniel, Juliette.

Thank you. Thank you.

And for Miriam...

My wife, is out there somewhere...

...I thank you,

I miss you, I think of you.

(CELLO PLAYING

HEAVY, SOMBER MELODY)

I'll be seeing you.

(THUNDEROUS APPLAUSE)

(CHEERING)

(APPLAUSE CONTINUING)

(APPLAUSE CONTINUING)

(APPLAUSE CONTINUING)

DANIEL:
The seventh movement.

These movements are all connected.

You can't ride

the wild horses of the seventh

without mounting them

during the sixth.

So with your indulgence, ladies and

gentlemen, we'll go a few bars back.

Thank you.

Four bars back?

(HEAVY, SOMBER

ORCHESTRAL MUSIC PLAYING)

(SOMBER MUSIC CONTINUING)

(SOMBER MUSIC FADES)

(PLAYING LUSH, SOULFUL MELODY)

(PLAYING BRISK, LIVELY MELODY)

(BRISK, LIVELY MELODY CONTINUING)

(BEETHOVEN'S

OPUS 131 CONTINUING)

(OPUS 131 CONTINUING)

(OPUS 131 ENDS)

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