Summaries

Synopsis

Escaping the Civil War in Spain, the Catalan music prodigy Pau Casals escapes to France to end up engulfed in the vicissitudes of the collaborationist Vichy regime. Brave enough to refuse to play for Hitler, the end of the war feeds the hope that maybe Franco's regime may be at an end in Spain.While in England for a live play for the BBC, Pau Casals pleads for the help of the Allies to liberate Spain and his Catalan republic from the fascist. Real politics and a Great Britain tired of war frustrate Casals's wish, so he makes a public vow on BBC: it will be his last public concert until Spain is free.While living in a modest house in Prades, away from his wealthy seaside family home, he lives off the fees of music students that he picks according to his whim. Comes a young violoncellist Pierre Fermat, a protegee of Antoine Giraud, former Casals's colleague and friend. Giraud was a fan of German culture who mistook Hitler for a savior of Europe. Casals would never forgive him for that.After a minor mishap with Fermat, the old teacher welcomes him in his house for music lessons at ten o'clock, "not ten past ten!" A friendship evolves between the two, as the young violoncellist tries to understand why Casals has refused both to speak to Giraud or to play in public. But the teacher forbids him to ever touch those subjects.One day, the violinist and loved pupil of Casals, Alexander Schneider, comes to visit, and the next day its Casals's brother that visits. In the United States, a concert to celebrate Bach will unite the best musicians in the world, and Casals is selected but... he's a man of his word, so he rejects the offer.After a month, Fermat finishes his classes with the master and returns a more mature man and musician to France, but on his way to the train station, he sees everybody in Prades running toward Casals house.Scheneider had come back with a new piano for Casals and, in return, Casals fulfills his promise of playing some music. With Casals on the cello, Schneider on the violin, and a young man on the piano, the music attracts the attention of the mailman who then calls on other people in Prades. A small public gathers on the small yard of the house to hear the old master.But... did Casals not promise to never play in public? Casals explains to Schneider that he wasn't, he was playing at home, it was the public who came to him. So Schneider makes him an offer he could not refuse: he will bring the public and the musicians to Prades to play with the master. Casals agrees, but he will only be the maestro.The first concert at Prades is prepared at the local church, and the musicians agree to play for free, for the experience to share the stage with the great Pau Casals. Despite the threats of the Spanish government and the lack of cooperation of the Church, the concert gathers kings and presidents, exilees and politicians at the same spot. After a surprise from Giraud, that apologizes to Casals for all he did, the old master surprises everybody climbing on stage carrying his huge cello - and breaks his promise of silence in a concert to celebrate freedom and democracy.