Prélude (2019) - full transcript

PRELUDE

- See you next week.
- Bye!

- Did you arrive safely?
- Yes. Thank you.

- And what are you doing here, David?
- What do you mean?

One should know why one is someplace.

You don't seem very talkative.

What did you bring along?

This one.

And this one.

And these two.

The "Wanderer Fantasy", right?



And the Partita No. 4.

- What else have you rehearsed?
- All of them.

Ambitious. How well can you
remember the first one?

Quite well, I think.

Well then, please go ahead.

Or do you need the sheet music?

Ah, now you're sitting
at my grand piano.

I'm sorry.

If you drag out the sounds,
it can't work, David.

Controlled, but soft keystrokes.

Remember to pay attention
to the minor third.

Don't just play louder. I told you
to pay attention.

And now it's no longer a performance.

The sounds must still breathe.



It should remain in the tempo. Slowly.

It should remain slow,
but not slow down.

Yes, it's very interesting.

In Beethoven's case, sostenuto does not
refer to the deceleration of the tempo,

but this indication refers
only to the phrasing.

- Excuse me, I have a reservation here.
- Yes, please wait.

No, please sit down.

- What's the matter?
- How are you behaving?

The young man has reserved the room.

Apologize!

And you could also introduce yourself.

- Walter Kollmann
- David Berger.

I'm sorry.

Marie von Lilienthal.

Goodbye.

- Professor Matussek?
- Yes.

- Can I ask you something?
- Please go ahead.

I saw that there is an exchange
scholarship for Juilliard School.

And that one can only be
nominated by a professor.

Yes, that's right.

Is there anything else on your mind?

No, thank you.

Fine.

- Hi.
- Hello.

Here, for you.

Thank you. That's kind.

Come in.

How did you find this place?

Some singing student lived here before.

Are you there?

Ah, there's the German wonder boy.

Hello.

Marie.

And what's for dinner?

Zucchini and potato pan.

Little Marie, that is not dinner.

- And no meat with it?
- No.

All right, I'm gonna go
buy meat. David?

- Sausage or something?
- No, no.

You can't eat that sausage.

I'll buy us a good piece of beef.

- Marie?
- No.

Can you please explain to me what
you're trying to accomplish?

Just last week you said my
playing was too stiff.

So you thought that if, on the contrary,
you fidget around uncontrollably,

your goal would be reached?

Make a video of yourself.
You can do all that nowadays.

Would you like to share your
joke with us, Mr. Kollmann?

You're wasting all our
time here right now.

No.

No.

David, would you please
go to the grand piano?

Well, what are you waiting for?
Please go ahead, David.

Thanks a lot.

- Pick a number!
- 47.

Between 1 and 11.

9.

When you are in a foreign country
and meet fellow countrymen,

does it make you homesick or not?

It doesn't.

In your understanding, does the
homeland have a flag?

No.

What could you rather do without:

a) home; b) fatherland; c) abroad?

Home.

You don't believe that
yourself, do you?

Yes, of course.

So you're seriously telling me

you'd rather end up here than at
home if you had to choose?

- And you would rather return home?
- Yes, for sure.

- And you wouldn't care about all this?
- I'm not giving up my home for music.

I don't believe you.

Well then.

Walter always throws up
before his competitions.

Don't!

Let go!

How much money do you want to own?

Enough to live on.

Do you feel sorry for women?

Do you love somebody?

C-o-f-f-e-e. Don't drink
so much coffee.

The Turkish potion is not for children,

it weakens the nerves, makes
you pale and sick.

Don't be a Mussulman

who can't let it be.

Won't you sing something?

Without Little Hans now.

What?

"I wish you the best", her gaze says.

- Something nice.
- Something nice?

"Just be back soon!"

Mr. Kollmann!

- We want to make music.
- Gladly.

Silently my songs plead

through the night to you;

down into the silent grove,

beloved, come to me!

Slender treetops whisper and rustle

in the moonlight;

in the moonlight;

the hostile eavesdropper's ear,

my darling, do not fear,

my darling, do not fear.

Have you been working on it?

- Yes, a lot, actually.
- It's having an effect.

We have an audience today.

Before we start the lesson,
I would like to inform you

that I want to propose you for
the Juilliard Scholarship.

Please consider which piece
you would like to play.

Okay. I'll do that.

Are you well prepared for
tomorrow's master class?

Yes.

Would you like to go over it
with me once more?

No.

Fine. What are we going
to do today?

I have a few questions regarding
the second movement.

I'll start playing it, okay?

David!

I'm cold.

Then put some clothes on.

I'm bored, though.

Raise your arms!

Put your arms down!

The adventure only really began when
they disembarked in Löwenberg.

The long, dark express train rested
under the station's wooden roof.

They walked through a tunnel,
up, into bright sunlight,

where the local train waited, dainty
and prim, as if made of wood.

They climbed aboard.

- "Claire?"
- "Wolfgang?"

"It looks like this train will
be here for a while."

"Should we take a little walk?"

That sounds nice.

"Sit down with your hands in
your lap. It's about to leave."

The train shuddered and lurched its way
past lettuce beds and courtyard walls.

The horizon was a blinding
white shimmer.

Was this landscape a beauty?

I have to go now.

- I wish you success!
- Thank you.

Do you have time tomorrow?

For what?

For my rehearsal.
I told you about it.

What kind of rehearsal?

For my final exam.

What final exam?

At the conservatory.

And how does it work afterwards?

You fuck a chief musical director
and become famous.

Ah, that's exciting. Yes,
then I'm coming.

- Ah, Madam Professor Matussek!
- Yes.

Can I ask you a quick question?

Yes, what is it, David?

I know now what I'm going to play
for the scholarship audition.

Can we talk about it briefly afterwards?

Yes, we can do that. But right now,
you just concentrate on this.

So, we'll continue with David Berger.

What are you going to play?

The prelude from the first Partita,
Sarabande and Gigue.

Very nice.

It all sounds too similar to me.

Do you like porridge?

As a child, I had to eat porridge every
morning. I hated it. You know why?

Because it tastes mushy?

Then we agree.

Now play me your favorite dish.

Tell me where you think
the first phrase ends.

Please.

Here, I think.

Do you want to guess again?

Or maybe you want to use
the audience joker?

I don't know.

Fine. Now calm down first and
then start all over again.

Come on, let me do it.

Come a little closer. I have no
intention of nibbling at you.

Can you tell me what
you were thinking?

You left the impression
of being completely

unfocused and unprepared.

I was prepared, though.

Then I would like to have an explanation

of how this preparation looked like.

You wouldn't play Bach for
me in class anymore.

This is not just about you.

Excuse me, can you give me a light?

Thanks.

Thank you.

I saw you on stage earlier.

- Erwin.
- David.

- Erwin Colé?

- I have your recordings of Schumann.
- Ah, yes?

Yes, I like them a lot.

Thank you.

By the way, I thought it was totally
out of line what Thibault did to you.

I screwed up.

Nonsense. It's just a method.

And do you have a girlfriend?

- Yes.
- What's her name?

Or is that a secret?

- Marie von Lilienthal.
- Oh, really?

Little Miss Lilienthal?

That's funny.

Where did she pick you up?

I picked her up.

Shall we listen to music?

Don't let us interrupt you.

Play it frisky.

Once more.

You're not in the tempo.

And accelerate. Come on.

What have you prepared for today?

The “Hammerklavier” Sonata.

I have already told you my
opinion of Beethoven.

But I want to play it.

I was beginning to think
you were a sneak.

Well then, let me hear it.

I start with the fugue.

Marie!

Then piss off!

Excuse me!

Madam Professor Matussek told me that

you have the second volume
of the Ligeti Études.

And I'm supposed to ask if
you'd like to lend it to me.

Yes, of course.

What do you need it for?

I'm supposed to prepare them
for the Julliard application.

And who else?

Walter Kollmann.

Bye!

Very nice.

Can I make a suggestion?

What happened to your hand?

Do you have this often?

No.

How many hours a day do you play?

About eight.

That's a lot.

Don't your hands hurt?

No, never, actually.

We'll call it a day.

Try to recover.

Get some fresh air.

Your chances of getting the
scholarship are very high.

Walter!

- Yes?
- What are you doing?

I'm going for a jog.

I'm coming with you.

Fine. Let's go.

What are you doing there?

Where did you get the sheet music?

I bought it.

You stole it from my room.

You thought I was asleep, but I saw it.

What are you, nuts?

Can you please give it back to me now?

Come and get it.

So now what?

Do you want to fight or what?

I just want my sheet music back.

I just want my sheet music back.

Tipi tipi tip tip. That's
how the tap drips.

Tipi tipi tip tip. All the time.

Tipi tipi tip tip. That's
how the tap drips.

It just won't be quiet.

It just won't be quiet.

It was worth the effort.

Now it's only three weeks
until you're gone.

I would like to increase the
number of lessons a little

so that you will arrive in
New York well prepared.

If you don't mind.

No, I'd like that.

You should be happy.

You did very well overall.

Very, very well.

Thanks again.

Hey, congratulations on New York.

Thank you.

Are you happy?

No.

All right. I'll see you outside.

You want a drink?

Hey!

Hey!

Stay still.

Are you real?

You wanted to talk to me?

Yes.

Yes, David.

You have stood in your
own way for so long

that the way has actually
been blocked.

Surely you know I can't send
you to New York like this.

You see,

the childish things you do
with your friend Walter

are none of my business.

Even if they don't reflect well on you.

On neither of you.

But if you're absent from my classes

and your performance drops so much

in a rather short period of time,

I get the impression that
you are not up to it,

and then I have to draw the
consequences, I'm sorry to say.

Look, there's only three weeks
left till the holidays.

Go home and get some rest.

We'll see how it goes next semester.

Don't you have any classes?

No, I got time off.

- Ah.
- I'm already flying in three weeks.

You already get special treatment.

Like a true star pianist.

Are you already excited?

More or less.

But you're happy, right?

You have such tiny little fingers.

Well?

Hey, you little mouse.

- You want to take her?
- Come here.

I'll give her some milk.

Well?

Oh!

What took you so long yesterday?

- I went to see Stella.
- Ah!

How's she doing with the child?

Good.

I'll make us something to eat.
What would you like?

I don't care. I'm going to
lie down again.

The water is still hot.

Can I maybe use your car today?

What do you want to do?

You know, something.

I actually need it later.

You need a ride somewhere?

I just wanted to get
into town for a bit.

But then we could take the opportunity

to look for a new suitcase for you.

Would you like that?

You want to paint the windows?

Yes, I haven't found the time yet.

I can do that for you.

Can you do that?

You think I'm too stupid for that?

Don't be so sensitive.

What happened to you there?

If I were a bird

and had two wings,

I would fly to you.

But because it can't be,

but because it can't be,

I'm staying here.

You want some cake?

- Sure you don't want anything?
- No, thanks.

Okay.

So what kind of job you got now?

Are you starting work at the bookstore?

Yes.

Then what are you going to
do with Emily?

She'll be going to daycare.

Isn't she much too young for that?

It's still half a year away.

Besides, my mom is still there.

Paul's parents are there.

And our siblings. It'll be okay.

Is it actually weird to have
a child at the moment?

Well...

I guess so.

But it's also really nice.

- This is Paul, I'll take it.
- Give him my regards.

- Don't come in here!
- Okay!

Now you can come in.

Oh, that looks beautiful.

Thank you.

Super!

We have to go over it
again, but that's it.

You did great, sweetheart.

I have to go back to the conservatory
tomorrow. I'll be back on Wednesday.

And then we can go on a trip
together or something.

Uh, yeah, sure.

- Can I sleep at your place?
- Of course.

- Cool.
- No problem.