[classical music]
♪ ♪
- [screams]
"Ms. Windsor of the Board Chair cum interim CEO
"of the orchestra has spent over $750,000
on renovations for her private office."
- Yeah, yeah, not good.
- They neglect to say that I spent my own money!
- Right, Gloria, and we're really gonna try
and definitely get that in there, you know.
- Oh, really? In a retraction on page 23 of the Metro section?
- I am so sorry, Gloria, about the "New York Post" thing
and the Biben thing
and the whole semi-betrayal thing.
- You know what, Craig?
You're gonna have to learn
how to bet on the right horse, okay?
And I want to know who did this.
- God, I don't know how he has so much energy.
- It's just so much easier with a real baby, yes.
Thank you for agreeing.
- Oh, are you kidding?
Virgil, Christophe, I am so,
so honored to be the godfather, really, really.
That's why I wanted to bring this in person.
Pavel, what's going on?
- Almost done.
- Hey. - Ta-da.
- Hey. - You want to hold him?
- Oh, please.
Yes.
- [humming] - Okay, there we go.
[all talking at once]
- [sniffles] - Hey.
Maybe you're more tired than you think, sweetie, hm?
- No, no, it's, um--
I love the New York Symphony, I do.
It's our home.
I don't want anything bad to happen to it.
- Of course not.
No, no, no, no, no, we'll do everything, right?
Everything we need to do to keep the orchestra going.
Look at that.
You know, it's nice that we're talking again.
I kind of missed you, eh, Sharon?
- Yes, it seems like a million years ago
since we were sucking face in the wings of the symphony hall.
- Sucking face, that's just such a horrible way to say it.
I mean, what, am I a fish with no feelings, or what?
Why do you talk to me like that?
- Edward's this way.
- So how long have you been working with the Biben?
- The Biben? - Mm.
- Longer than I worked for you.
He's an incredible man. - Yeah, incredible.
Incredible at what?
- He's incredible at being incredible.
- Say it again. Say it again into my eyes.
Go on.
- He's incredible at being incredible.
- Where's Mr. Incredible? Where is he?
- Sharon, how hot's it gonna be in Beijing Thursday night?
- High of 79, low of 58 in the evening.
- Am I still on for the Newfoundland meeting?
- Yes, we leave for Tetterboro in 15 minutes.
- It's Teterboro. - Teterboro.
- I've told you that before, right?
Oh, Rodrigo, good.
Grab a harness, and clip in. Patrick'll lift you up.
- You have 14 minutes. You can use his harness.
- Give me 15, Sharon?
Ay.
- I hate doing meetings up there.
- Yeah, I can tell, yeah.
- AÁndale, papi. AÁndale. - Okay, oui, oui.
- You with me? - Yes.
- Wow, that's not a great idea, climbing without a harness,
unless you're a master climber, which I happen to be,
but even I'm wearing a harness
'cause my potassium level's low today.
- Well, I'm not a master climber at all.
- Really? - Yes.
- Managed to climb to the top of your profession.
- It's not the top of my profession,
the New York Symphony, okay?
It's not, but it's the thing I love most.
- Really? - Yes.
- You know, you got a funny way of showing that.
You spit in the face of the people who pay for it.
- The people-- I never treated bad the people.
- Oh, right, right, corporations aren't people.
Well, you know what?
People aren't people.
- Okay, I don't understand,
but I know that the orchestra is what matters right now most.
So you want me out? I resign.
I resign only if-- - If?
- If you give the orchestra what they want:
a new five-year contract.
- And then you'll resign? - Yes.
You vote for the contract, I quit, no strike.
- Wow, okay.
Would you be willing to sign a three-year non-compete clause?
'Cause I don't want you signing up with another orchestra
and making me look bad.
- Argh.
Okay, two years and nine months?
- Fine.
- Good. - Good.
- Yeah, good.
- Yeah, you want to wash my car? - That's too much.
- I'm just messing with you, hermano.
You got yourself a deal. - Yes, Biben, yes.
- Good. - Good.
Yeah, good. [high-pitched ringing]
- You all right? [high-pitched ringing]
What are you doing? [high-pitched ringing]
Aah! Whoa!
- Maestro? - I told you to wear a harness!
Damn it. Gunter, on belay. - Maestro?
- Ay, Sharon?
- No, Sharon, don't move him.
- Sharon?
- I love you.
- Sharon? - Yes?
- It is so much easier to go up than to come down.
- Yes. Don't move your head.
- [singing in Spanish]
- He's delirious.
- How does that sound?
- Like a children's lullaby?
- But in tune?
- Yes, it's in tune. Relax your head, relax.
- That was really nice.
We still have a deal?
- Do you know about-- about curses?
No?
You're it.
[cell phone rings]
- Gloria, I'm so glad you called.
- I called to say one thing,
which is what we talked about is no longer on the table.
- Gloria, don't be hasty.
This article thing wasn't my idea, I promise you.
- I don't give a damn whose idea it was.
I've given the last 20 years of my life to this orchestra.
You think you musicians are the only people
who live and breathe music?
You're not!
- Listen, listen, let's you and I get together.
We'll have a coffee, and we'll figure this out.
- If I had coffee with you right now,
I just may throw it in your face.
Good-bye.
Now I'm gonna start calling the board members.
- Okay.
- Fuck this.
[flute music]
- This Betty Cragsdale beyotch
sounds like she's not messing around.
- No, no fucking kidding.
- I think you could pick up a thing or two from her.
I mean, you know, be ruthless too.
- Yeah, be like, "I will fucking kill you."
- Yeah. - Yeah, right? That was good.
I--fuck it, I'm so nonthreatening in general.
- Well, maybe you should threaten someone,
'cause you're not going to fucking Iowa.
- I know.
There's always Andrew Walsh.
- The cello stud? - Yeah.
I could be part of his ensemble.
- Holy shit.
- Maybe I could, like, become a soloist.
- This could fucking happen.
- But there's only, like, two oboists with solo careers.
It's not like violinists.
It's--it's different. - So you'll be the third one.
You'll just be one of them.
- Sign here, here, and initial here.
- Okay, okay.
Signing papers, that's all I've been doing recently, right?
Yeah.
The deal is I sign this,
and you give the orchestra what they want, right?
- That's what it says.
- Okay, okay. Okay, it is done.
It is done. Now you. Now you.
- Sorry.
- Right there beside my name, yes?
And another one
and the third one with initials, right?
- [sniffling]
- Oh, Jesus Christ, stop blubbering.
Call an emergency meeting of the board negotiating committee.
- Will do.
- Cancel Guangzhou, egg white wild mushroom frittata,
Tabasco, no what?
- No Tapatío.
Good doing business with you, Rodrigo.
- The same, the Biben, the same, the same.
I feel very happy with this negotiation, yes.
So you deliver your part of the bargain, okay?
If not, the deal is off.
- I always deliver.
- Ay, Dios, ay.
What to do?
I don't know.
I guess I'm no longer the conductor
of the New York Symphony.
That's it.
[sniffling]
Sharon.
Sharon, what--what's wrong?
What--why are you crying, Sharon?
- Because it's-- it's just not fair.
- I know it's not fair!
I know it's not fair!
I--it's not fair,
but is it fair that Mozart was Mozart and Salieri Salieri?
Huh? Is it fair that Beethoven lost his ear?
He couldn't hear, Sharon. He couldn't hear.
He couldn't hear his "Ninth Symphony."
I mean, how fucked up is that?
Is it fair that Mahler came to New York to conduct,
and he just died?
He died. He fell ill, and he just died!
- I know.
I just think you were the best conductor for our orchestra.
- Thank you, Sharon.
Yeah, me too, me too.
- So thank you all for coming for this emergency meeting
of the executive contract committee
of the board of New York Symphony.
Gloria, thanks for being here.
- I called the meeting.
- Okay, technically.
Come on in, Gloria. Have a seat.
I'm sorry if the decor in here isn't quite up to snuff.
We'll get to work renovating it ASAP.
[quiet laughter]
- I would like to apologize to my fellow board members
for the article in the "Times."
It misrepresented the facts.
- I'm sorry, what facts?
There were just so many facts in there.
- I never used symphony money to improve my offices.
That was totally all my own money,
and I've donated substantially more to the symphony
than I spent decorating my offices.
- Yeah, you've donated almost, what,
1/8 of what I did last year.
- Hi. - Hey.
- Sorry I'm late.
Flight was delayed getting out of Cuba.
- No problem, good to see you. Have a seat, my man.
So, folks, we need to take a vote.
I believe this recent article changes everything,
as does the news that I have to share with the board.
Gloria, I told you that bringing Rodrigo DeSouza in
was a mistake, and you didn't listen.
Well, now he's submitted his resignation as conductor
and musical director.
- Wait, why?
- Rumor is he's entering rehab.
So, Gloria, this was your big coup,
bringing Rodrigo in, wasn't it?
It failed,
and I'm also saying we should bring back Thomas Pembridge
as conductor and musical director.
- Do you think the maestro would return?
- Yeah, I've chatted with him. I think he's amenable to it,
and with Pembridge back,
we can rebuild the bridges to the corporate sponsors.
Now, given the disastrous press
and the chaos within the administrative
and the creative ranks,
I move that we vote to accept the orchestra's
counterproposal, and then I move
that we vote to begin a search
for a new chairman of the board,
a search that may not take too long.
- Meaning you.
- Well, I--I would be honored to be considered.
- All right, if there are no further comments,
then the seven voting members of the committee may now vote.
- Uh, just one moment, please.
May I say a few brief things?
The first thing is,
Edward, you're a shit.
I should have never have let you onto the board.
The second thing is I know you blackmailed
Rodrigo DeSouza into resigning.
- Okay, well, that's not true, but regardless--
- Regardless, I will say I've been listening to you
over these last few months,
and you've been saying that the orchestra should build
and protect its endowment to secure its financial future.
I've come to agree with you.
I would like to accede to the orchestra's demands,
but not at the cost of the orchestra's future.
This--this is bigger than you and me
or the individual players or the great...
I repeat,
the great Rodrigo DeSouza,
so we must vote now
to reject the orchestra's demands,
and as far as chairmanship of the board,
I'm happy to step down in three years,
after we have successfully navigated our way
through this difficult time.
And I do believe the next board chair is in this room,
but, Edward, it'll be you over my dead body.
So let's vote.
- Let's.
- All right, of the seven voting members,
how many vote to accept the orchestra's counter offer?
One, two, three.
- Hey, Erik, I don't think you heard.
- How many vote to reject the orchestra's demands?
- Uh, you're voting against me?
- Gloria is very persuasive.
- Uh, wait, do you think you're gonna be
the next board chairman?
- Well, I'd be honored to be considered...in three years.
- Erik, what the hell?
I brought you onto this board, you know.
I mean, your dad was my best man.
Christ, you're a kid.
- I'm sorry, Ed.
I just think you're a little too emotional about this.
[classical music]
- Open the damn door, Pavel.
- I am sorry, but this is a lockout, okay?
This is a lockout, okay?
The reason this is a lockout is that you are locked out,
but I will join you in the picket lines
as soon as I can.
- Our stuff is in our lockers, man.
- It's happening. Shit.
- Jesus, it really is happening.
- Those sons of bitches.
- Where's Cynthia? - Where's Nina?
- Yeah, where's Nina? Where's our ass-kicker?
- This is what the board wanted from the get-go.
- Does this mean we don't get paid for this performance?
- Not just this performance, you idiot.
We may not ever get paid again.
- Hey, cut the defeatist talk, all right?
- What are you talking about? - There's no reason to get--
- It's not defeatist.
- We don't have to get--
[all yelling at once]
- Quiet.
I'm as upset about this as you are...
But we all knew this was a possibility, right?
- Tell us something we don't know.
Where the fuck is Nina?
- Hey, leave her alone, Betty.
She's doing the best she can.
Yeah, but where is Nina, though?
- I fired her. - What?
- Without asking us?
- You know, Nina was right about a lot of things,
but she was wrong about one big thing.
She thought we were children,
that we couldn't be trusted to make our own decisions.
We are world-class musicians.
We have chosen this to be our lives.
We have chosen a profession which is hard on relationships,
which is hard on our bodies,
which requires constant practice and dedication,
which practically no one else can understand.
This is a difficult vocation,
but I ask you now,
how many of you would choose a different one?
[all murmuring]
- You know, we're tougher than they think we are.
In there, they think we're a bunch of kooky,
eccentric, weak-kneed musicians,
but we are goddamn warriors,
and we're gonna win this fight by showing them just
how tough we really are.
Follow me.
- Come on.
You heard her, come on.
- Fuck this. I have shit in my locker, God damn it.
- I can't--I'm with you!
- Let's go.
[stirring classical music]
♪ ♪
- My dear orchestra,
I have wanted to be your new conductor
ever since the day I became your old conductor.
Yeah.
What in God's name is going on?
[cell phone buzzing]
- Michel.
- Maestro, the board voted to lock out the orchestra.
- What? The--but the Biben--
- He didn't come through.
The deal's off.
- Wait, wait, wait a minute. Wait a minute. Wait a second.
Wait a second. Okay, I'm on my way.
I'm on my way.
- B, check this out. I edited photos
of the New York Symphony at three-year increments--
- That's awesome, but we got to go.
They got locked out, the orchestra.
- Shit, what? - They're on the move right now.
Let's go. Come on, come on, get the camera.
Let's go, it's real.
♪ ♪
- Elizabeth, this is epic.
This is epic. All right, this is epic.
Elizabeth, you got this? You stay there.
I'm gonna get it on this side, all right? This is epic.
Oh, my gosh.
- Hailey! Hailey Rutledge,
star substitute oboist for the New York Symphony,
how do you feel about the lockout?
- Pissed. Please stop filming.
- All right, what are you doing giving an interview?
Go on, get them. - Bye.
- Knock 'em dead. - I need four over there.
♪ ♪
- Guess this whole strike kind of
throws a wrench in your blackmail plan.
- Does put some spin on it.
Maybe I'll take the Iowa job.
That Reg makes a good omelet.
- Why are you like this?
- You mean, how can I betray my fellow musicians?
Well, how could you take my solo?
- It's not your solo. It's Beethoven's solo,
and you were already injured.
- It's not your fucking call, dearie,
and don't blame Beethoven.
You knew what you were doing.
Just admit it, all right?
- All right, if you admit that you were a shit.
- Deal. I was a shit.
Now get your head in the game. We have a concert.
- Welcome, everyone.
We're gonna do this, I guess, without a conductor,
so, uh, Warren, would you do the honors?
- No one knows what the future brings,
but the excitement is mounting
as the orchestra gathers itself like a bull in the ring
with picador swords stuck in its shoulders--
- Orchestra, hello, my orchestra.
- It's the maestro. I think we got the maestro.
The maestro's coming. - It's the maestro.
- Thank you.
- The maestro is here. - Maestro, any--
Any comments about the lockout? Any comments about the lock--
- Yes, only one comment, only one comment.
- Yes? - This orchestra lives!
- This orchestra lives.
- Thank you so much.
It's lovely out here, right? - Yes.
- We should do this more often.
Sorry, no, okay, well,
there is no wine for sale in the lobby,
but I'm sure that you guys can get some if you want some,
but there is a hot dog man over there if you want, okay?
Friends, family, neighbors, this is your orchestra.
We're musicians.
This orchestra consists of fathers and sons
and grandparents, mothers, brothers, sisters.
I owe you one.
I owe you one, yes,
and you've been there for me a lot.
At least for me, I find myself at home with you.
This is my home.
This is our home. - That's right.
- [speaking Spanish]
Okay, let's--are we ready?
[speaking Spanish]
["Ravel: Daphnis Et Chloe Suite No. 2: Lever Du Jour" plays]
♪ ♪
- He's done it.
He's just fucking well gone and done it.
- And what have I done? I jeopardized everything.
- You did the best you could.
We all did.
- What if I killed the thing I love most?
- You can't kill that, darling.
It was here a long time before us,
and it'll be here a long time after we're gone.
♪ ♪
- "Hai Lai." - Hi.
- Thank you for seeing me. - Of course.
- Are you going somewhere?
- Yeah. - Where are you going?
- Um...
I'm going on tour with Andrew Walsh.
- Andrew Walsh?
- Yeah.
- "Hai Lai," no, no.
Andrew Walsh is not worthy of anything
related to you at all, at all.
Sexually, definitely not, but artistically, even less.
- I'm not going to sleep with him, don't worry.
- He's very persistent, you know?
- I--I think that I could kick his ass.
- Yeah, I'm sure you can, yeah.
You're different, "Hai Lai."
Yeah, like, there's more thorns,
you know, in the rose, but it's still--
still very beautiful.
- You're different too.
- Really?
- I have to go now.
- "Hai Lai," okay, wait, wait.
- I'm not going to Europe just yet, so--
- No?
- Hi. - Hi, Hailey.
Maestro. - Yes.
- Surprised to see you here.
- Yes. - [speaking Spanish]
- Sí, sí. [speaking Spanish]
- This all? - That's all, yeah.
I don't have that much ski gear.
- Yeah, that's all right, no problem.
There's plenty of stuff at the cabin.
- Great.
- Hey, Maestro, I'm sorry about the lockout.
- Yeah, me too.
Were you there when-- when the voting happened?
- Yes, I was.
You know, obviously, I voted for what the orchestra asked for,
but unfortunately, that didn't work out.
You ready? - Yeah, I'm ready.
- Good to see you. - Yeah.
- Good-bye, Rodrigo.
How do I get in? - Okay, you ready for this?
- Yeah.
- Slightly annoying, right?
- No, it's amazing.
[classical music]
♪ ♪
usic]