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At the edge of the earth where the land meets the sea, and the sea meets the sky on the distant horizon a string quartet appears on a beach. During 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 Beethovens singular String Quartet no. 14 in C♯ minor, Opus 131,'Adagio ma non troppo e molto espressivo’. Beethoven's favourite piece of the late quartets and composed when he was almost completely deaf, is considered one of his most profound and elusive works. The quartet dutifully performs amongst the elements and as the music engulfs us our attention is drawn to the passage of time and we slip into an atemporal space of rich contemplation. Recorded in 16mm film and hand developed by the artist, the tactile and time consuming process also becomes part of the work, the black and white images with imperfection resonating with the raw and uncompromising splendour of one of Beethoven’s final works.
LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN String Quartet no. 14 in C♯ minor, Opus 131 | Movement 1: Adagio ma non troppo e molto espressivo Filmed in 2021, using 16mm film on Sunny Sands beach, Folkestone, Kent, UK, during Kate Beaugié's artist's residency with the Sacconi Quartet. Manifesting in the event BEETHOVEN ON THE BEACH and BEETHOVEN ON THE BEACH | REVISITED @ The Grand, where the film was shown as an installation on the stage in The Ballroom.
