Synopsis
At the edge of the earth, where land meets sea and sea meets sky on the distant horizon, a string quartet appears on a beach. In a beautiful performance recorded in situ, we are invited with imagery and music to contemplate the passage of time and the slow turning of the earth with the slow grandeur of the first movement of Beethoven’s singular String Quartet no. 14 in C♯ minor, Opus 131, ‘Adagio ma non troppo e molto espressivo’. Beethoven’s favourite of his later quartets, and composed when he was almost completely deaf, is considered to be one of his most profound and elusive works. The quartet plays dutifully among the elements and as the music engulfs us, our attention is drawn to the passage of time and we slip into a timeless space of rich contemplation. Recorded on 16mm film and hand-developed by the artist, the tactile and time-consuming process is also part of the work, the imperfect black-and-white images resonating with the raw, uncompromising splendour of one of Beethoven’s last works.
