Original subtitles

I'm not too sure about old Ludwig.

But then, I face him.

And I find myself nose-to-nose with his magnitude

and inevitability.

Come on, Max. Indulge me.

Let's allow Bach a similar gaze.

[playing piano]

Sit.

Now, this is all filigree, right?

I mean, it could be a first-year piano student.

♪ Or Schroeder playing for Lucy P

Or Glenn Gould, for that matter.

[playing notes precisely]

Now, it's not until it changes...

you get inside it, that you hear what it really is.

It's a question.

And an answer.

Which begs another question.

There's a humility in Bach.

He's not pretending he's certain about anything.

'Cause he knows that it's always the question that involves the listener.

It's never the answer, right?

Now, the big question for you...

[growling] ...is what do you think, Max?

[groans] You play really well.

But nowadays, white, male, cis composers, just not my thing.

Don't be so eager to be offended.

The narcissism of small differences leads to the most boring conformity.

I guess Edgard Varése is okay.

I mean, I like Arcana, anyway.

Oh, well. Then you must be aware that Varese once famously stated

that jazz was "a Negro product exploited by the Jews."

Didn't stop Jerry Goldsmith from ripping him off

for Ms Planet of the Apes score.

It's kind of a perfect insult, don't you think?

But you see,

the problem with enrolling yourself as an ultrasonic epistemic dissident

is that if Bach's talent can be reduced to his gender, birth country,

religion, sexuality and so on, then so can yours.

Now, someday, Max, when you go out into the world

and you guest conduct for a major or minor orchestra,

you may notice that the players

have more than light bulbs and music on their stands.

They will also have been handed rating sheets,

the purpose of which is to rate you.

Now, what kind of criteria would you hope that they would use to do this?

Your score reading and stick technique, or something else?

All right, everyone, using Max's criteria, let's consider Max's thing.

In this case, Anna Thorvaldsdéttir.

Now, can we agree on two pieces of observation?

One, that Anna was born in Iceland.

And two, that she is, in a Waldorf teacher kinda way, a superhot young woman!

Show of hands.

All right, now let's turn our gaze back to the piano bench up there,

and see if we can square how any of those things

possibly relate to the person we see seated before us.

Where are you going?

You're a fucking bitch.

And you are a robot.

I mean, unfortunately, the architect of your soul appears to be social media.

You wanna dance the mask, you must service the composer.

You gotta sublimate yourself, your ego and, yes, your identity.

You must, in fact, stand in front of the public and God

and obliterate yourself.

All right.

[interviewer] During the lockdown, you did something I thought remarkable.

You made music for free.

Anyone at all could stream Berlin performances without ever paying a dime.

[Lydia] Well, that was a democratically made decision by the players.

And though I wish I could claim the idea was mine,

it really did spring from the heart of Sharon Goodnow.

Sharon is your partner. You have a child together.

And she's also the concert master for Berlin.

-Does that ever complicate things for you? -[Lydia] Yes, that’s right.

Your work getting into your home or the other way--

[Francesca] Jake said he was certain you'd be happy with the drape of the seat.

I Will be

if I can keep the fat off until next month.

[Francesca] You never gain weight.

Your mother texted me.

She knows you're busy, but is hoping to drop by.

Next trip.

What are you thinking for dinner?

Uh, no.

No, I'm gonna stay in and put this piano to good use.

I'm suspicious of the E natural in the cello line.

Doesn't it sound like warmed-over Charles Ives to you?

[Francesca] Not at all.

But don't worry, I'll call Houston. They'll be flexible.

You must have some New Haven friends you want to see tonight?

No. Not really.

Should I stop by later for notes?

No, that won't be necessary.

-[Lydia playing piano] -Okay.

Oh, I-- I almost forgot, but...

this was left for you at the front desk.

By who?

They didn't say.

What, no card?

No.

Okay, just leave it over there. Thanks.

[piano continues]

Good night.

Night.

[radio host] You are listening to All Things Considered from NPR news.

All Things Considered is brought to you

by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.

[Lydia] Public broadcasting.

[radio host] leaz‘ ears. Feeding the discerning listener since 2008.

[Lydia] 2008. I eat ears. And you should too...

[radio host] And now more from NPR.

Over the next few weeks,

you'll be hearing poems from four finalists

for the National Youth Poet Laureate award.

[Lydia] When were you informed of this?

[Francesca] Just this morning.

Mr. Kaplan was very apologetic.

I was able to get us on the 7:00 am. you like, through Munich.

The connection’s short, but Special Services are standing by.

Where are things with DG?

Please tell me they've finally woken up to see the wisdom

of honest-to-God LPs for this release?

No movement there yet.

Have you looked at the email I drafted for you?

-Sent it last night. -Well, just forward me their response.

What's your take on The New Yorkertalk?

It went well, I thought.

Oh. You're hedging.

I was garrulous.

[chuckles] No.

No, not at all. You were fabulous.

[laughs] Francesca!

If you have any real interest in conducting,

you need to be able to speak your mind.

Okay. Perhaps you could've made less of the relationship with--

Lenny?

No, I was thinking about Mahler and Alma's.

You implied that she betrayed him. I'm not sure I agree with that.

Oh, really?

Alma was a composer too. But he insisted she stop writing music.

He said there was only room for...

-One asshole in the house? -...one asshole in the house. Yes.

And she agreed to those rules. No one made that decision for her.

#RulesOfl'heGame.

[in French]

[blows raspberry] Okay?

[breathes deeply]

How was your evening?

Yeah, was uneventful.

Are there any of Sharon's pills left?

No, but Dr. Korovin called these in.

Ah. Thanks.

I received another weird email from Krista.

Mmm?

How should I reply?

Don't.

This one felt especially desperate.

[in German]

[sighs]

[exhales deeply]

Do you have some kind of profit-sharing deal with the utility company

that I'm unaware of?

The flutter's back.

It's... It's racing.

I can't find my metoprolol anywhere.

[quietly] Fuck.

[breathing shakily]

[pills rattling]

[water runs]

Uh, I found this lying loose in the drawer.

Is this the right one?

Yeah.

Thank you.

Is that a new bag?

Oh, it's just a gift from Eliot.

-You want it? -No.

Suits you.

[Lydia] Let's...

slow this down to 60 beats a minute.

[clicks]

[quiet jazz playing]

[both exhale deeply]

Actually, it's 64 beats.

[chuckles]

Tried calling you on your mobile last night.

Mmm.

And again at the hotel.

Must've been asleep.

You never sleep that deeply.

Don't be a scold.

J” Fee/in’a fee/in’J’

♪ Somethin' there ain’t too much of D

I'm worried about Petra.

She's starting to disappear into herself.

Be specific.

She keeps coming home with bruises on her shins.

And then when I ask her about it, she gets quiet.

I mean, I hope it's just playground football

and not some Biodeuz‘sche thing.

We talked about this.

But maybe we just need to put more effort into finding her a friend.

Last year was really hard

to be locked up alone with two old ladies like us.

She's old enough to learn piano.

I'll teach her.

Yeah.

That might be good.

How's your heart?

Better now.

[classical music playing]

Knock, knock. Who's there?

Lenny?

Walter?

Oh, it's you, MTT.

Why do you insist on holding things up like that?

Your business here is rejoicing, not screaming like a fucking porn star.

[radio host] . -. Michael 77/30/7 Thomas. -.

[toothbrush buzzing]

Hello, Petra.

Why are you lurking, hmm?

Tell me and I'll help.

-[Lydia] Sharon? -Mmm?

Uh, I'm taking Petra to school.

Oh, okay.

-[Lydia] Come on. -[Sharon] Tschiiss.

[Lydia] "Who'll bear the pall?"

"We," said the Wren.

-"Both the cock and the hen." -[Lydia] “The hen."

"I'll.. [blows raspberry]

[both] "We'll bear the pall.“

"And who'll sing a psalm?“

[Petra] "I' said the thrush as she sat on a bush.

'I'll Sing a song.”

[Lydia] "Who'll to” the bell?"

"'I' said the Bull, 'because I can pull.

I'll toll the bell.”

[both] "All the birds of the air fell a-sighing and a-sobbing

when they heard the bell toll for poor Cock Robin!"

[Lydia] It's gonna be okay.

All right. Okay, which one is she?

The red one.

-Bye. -Goodbye.

[Lydia] Hal/0, Johanna.

[in German]

[bell tolling]

[Lydia] Hello. Hi.

They're all in the chamber hall?

Yes.

No.

[lock clicks]

[urinating]

Good morning.

[Sebastian] Oh, I'm sorry, Maestro.

We weren't sure you were coming.

We were told there might be a scheduling conflict.

-Would you like me to take notes? -[pen clicking]

No, thank you, Sebastian. That won't be necessary.

Do we all have our rating sheets?

-We narrowed it down to three. -Mm-hmm.

[Lydia] So unless anyone has other business to discuss,

let's bring in number one.

[cello playing]

[cello continues]

[cello continues]

[cello stops]

[footsteps]

[footsteps continue]

[pencil erasing]

Goossens stands, sounds his A.

And, of course, uh, Léon was rather famous

for his rather wide vibrato, huh?

Beecham looks up and says, "Gentlemen, take your pick.“

[both chuckling]

How's the writing going?

Ah, I never know how to answer that question.

Makes it sound like a physical act.

Like, how's the shitting going?

[both laugh]

Okay. How's the thinking going?

Yeah, not so well.

I keep hearing something and getting excited

only to catch myself in pastiche.

It's all pastiche.

We all have the same musical grammar.

Just look at Beethoven Five.

The third movement's theme has the same sequence of intervals

as the opening theme of the final movement of Mozart Forty.

That could've been a coincidence.

No. Not in this case.

If you examine the sketchbooks he used,

29 bars of Mozart's finale appear,

copied out by Beethoven.

Oh, my God. I find that extremely depressing.

I finished reading your manuscript. It's very good, Lydia.

One for the ages.

And, I dare say, will be available long after my book has been forgotten.

Oh, yes, you're right.

The entire first printing will always be available.

Too modest, as usual.

Thank you, Andris.

I'll cherish this.

You may use it.

A blurb for the covers.

Oh, thank you.

I'll send it to the publisher.

Hopefully there's still time.

I'm proud to call you my pupil,

even though there was really nothing I could teach you.

Now, that's not true.

I'd never have the position here were it not for you.

Then you'd be in London, New York.

They're not Berlin.

Besides, I'm not sure what Sharon would do were we ever to leave.

She's so close with her family.

Yes. The Goodnow sisters.

I remember the elder one being an absolute ball-breaker

while she still held sway at DG.

-Heike is a woman of many opinions. -Oh.

And that voice.

I mean, the signal-to-noise ratio, it's unbearable.

[laughs]

I've had to bolt-hole at my old place in town to get any writing done.

[chuckles]

Schopenhauer measured a man's intelligence against his sensitivity to noise.

Didn't he once also throw a woman down a flight of stairs who later sued him?

Yes.

Although it's unclear that this private and personal failing

is at all relevant to his work.

[both chuckling]

You're late.

[driver speaking German]

-Here, give me your stick. -Thank you.

I've got it.

[shushing]

[piano playing]

[piano playing]

[water bubbling]

[bell chiming]

[chiming continues]

[Lydia imitating chiming]

[piano plays imitating bell chiming]

[person screaming in distance]

[siren wailing]

[screaming continues]

[screaming continues]

[bell chiming]

[piano plays imitating bell chiming]

[playing melody]

[orchestra playing]

[speaking German]

But it's also...

It's like we're hearing it from a very, very great distance. 80 it's...

[imitating melody]

S-- Uh-- Sorry.

-[speaks German] -[Harald speaks German]

Harald, I was just wondering if you might, um, quickly rig something up for us?

[trumpet playing fanfare]

[trumpet intensifying]

[orchestra blares]

-[orchestra subdues, stops] -[Lydia speaking German]

-Harald. -[Harald speaks German]

Uh, we'll want the same backstage setup for the live recording.

One, two, one. [inhales]

[orchestra playing]

-[orchestra stops] -[speaks German]

Looks great... [clears throat] ...but we need to hear it.

Okay? It's not...

[imitating melody softly, then loudly]

Hey.

-[players chattering] -[Lydia speaking German]

[imitates gust]

[imitates gunshots]

[orchestra playing]

-[orchestra stops] -[speaking German]

[imitates bang, gust]

It's-- It's much too slow.

[speaking German]

Mm-hmm. Okay.

[speaking German]

-How are things feeling up here? -Fine, yeah.

Yeah, actually great, but it's a shame we don't record this one direct-to-disk.

Oh, I know. It's criminal, is more like it.

Will you shoot me the MP3s?

Yeah, sure. But don't you want WAV files?

No, just think what people will actually be streaming.

-What about video? -Yes, yes. Uh, stage left, A camera.

-Okay. -All right. Thanks, guys.

-Okay. Bye. You're welcome. -Goodbye.

[both speaking German]

-[Sharon] There. -[Lydia] Yeah.

[Sharon] You want us to come in stronger there?

[Lydia] Here, 'cause the reigning dynamic is forte...

-[Sebastian clears throat] -...which is not good.

[Lydia] Yeah?

Just one small thing, Maestro.

During the scherzo, urn, the clarinet solo's still a bit too loud.

It should really be an accompanying figure to the first violins.

But apart from that, I'd say we're in very good shape.

Thank you, Sebastian.

Thank you. [clears throat]

Accurate assessment?

I don't think so.

The clarinet is marked piano, and we are marked pianissimo.

Sebastian likes to sit in the stalls.

But there's no problem with the balance in the circle.

[Lydia] Mm-hmm.

Something a bit more playful.

Mm-hmm.

Oh, and here's something Tanya and I did with Gustavo.

It's very powerful.

Yes, it's really wonderful work, uh, Karl.

I'm just wondering if we might try something a little less, uh, considered.

Something simple like this? Mmm?

I'm not sure how you would want to light it.

Have Harald dim the house lights to half.

House lights down half, please.

[Karl] We could make it work, but we'd have to bring in some lights.

Mm-hmm.

[Karl] If we wanna do something like this,

uh, we'll have to bring the hot lights next week, Tanya.

Forget about the strobes.

[Lydia] Thank you for waiting.

Of course, Maestro.

How are we feeling about today's rehearsal?

Well, Sebastian thinks your solo in the scherzo is a bit loud.

[chuckles] It's possible.

I don't agree.

Your dynamic marking is higher than that of the first violin.

Yes, that's true.

[sighs] Look. Sebastian's getting old, Knut.

I'm rotating him out.

You're the first to know.

Well... [exhales]

...then I will organize a caucus, and we'll take a vote.

No. No, you won't.

A vote must be taken.

I am familiar with the electoral conclave. [chuckles]

But the appointment of the assistant conductor

is entirely my decision.

[inhales] Yes. [exhales]

So, I can count on your support with the others?

[chuckles] Yes.

Good.

Who will you replace him with?

Oh, I'm considering a few names,

but the main thing is we proceed with this immediately.

[Knut] I understand.

Maestro, uh, the other players would like to know

if you have chosen the companion piece.

Ah!

[in German]

[Knut speaks German]

[rain pattering]

[whistles]

Oh. I--

It's okay.

[speaks German]

[piano playing]

P Changing major to minor P

[clears throat]

Ah, I'm sorry, I knocked.

I knew you wanted your keys back as quickly as possible.

Yes, thanks.

-Did you use the company card? -Yeah.

We can use it for your, um... [clears throat] ...your taxi home.

Yeah. It's all right. You can go.

[exhales] It wasn't just the keys.

I need someone to hold me.

This isn't the place, Francesca.

You're-- That's not about... [sniffles]

I just...

I just got this from someone over at Accordion.

[breathes shakily]

Oh, no.

[exhales]

When did this happen?

Day before yesterday.

That email she sent you, it felt like she was already--

Delete it. And the rest.

There's no reason to get caught up in any intrigue.

[sniffles]

Now, now.

Come on. There's nothing we could have done to stop her.

She wasn't one of us.

[crying]

[sniffles]

I can't stop thinking about our trip up the Ucayali.

[Lydia] Mmm.

The three of us were so close.

Yes, but that was before she started making demands.

No, there was just something not quite right about her.

She had so much promise.

She did.

Yes.

Almost as much as you.

Now, we have to forget about her.

You understand?

-Right? -[sniffles]

-I'm sorry.

-I know you're working. -Oh. ..