简介：ThemembersoftheGuarneriStringQuartethavebeentogethersince1964,andthatmakesthemunique:theoldestprofessionalstringquartet,withitsoriginalmembership,ontheinternationalscene.Theydidnotreachthislongevitybybeingalwayspolite,kindandconsideratetooneanother,asisshowninanexcellentdocumentaryfilm,"HighFidelity:TheAdventuresoftheGuarneriStringQuartet,"whichopenstodayattheBiograph. "Weprobablyspendmoretimetogetherthanwithourfamilies,"oneofthemobservesnearthebeginningofthemovie.Andwhenevertheyaretogether,exceptintheartificiallypoliteatmosphereofaperformancebeforeanaudience,themembersoftheGuarneriQuartetarearguingaboutsomething,oftentellingoneanotherhowbadtheysound,sometimesevenarguingaboutwhoshouldplaywhatpart. Inrehearsal,theyargueabouttempo,accentsandphrasing,tossingafour-letterwordbackandforthlikearecurringmelodicmotif;ontour,theyargueaboutwhetheragivenconcerthalliscomfortable;inhotels,theyaskforroomsondifferentfloors;inagondolaontheGrandCanalinVenice,twoofthemargueabouttheNewYorkMetswhileathirdarguesaboutthesubjectstheychooseforgondolaconversationandthefourthretreatsintomoodysilence. TheGuarneri'srehearsalargumentsareparticularlyeloquentbecause,whenwordsfailthem,theybeginarguingwiththeirinstruments,makingsoundsmoreeloquent(oratleastlouder,fasterandmorerhythmicallyvivid)thananyavailabletoamerehumanvoice.Watchingthemrehearseisauniquemusicalandpsychologicalexperience.ItisoftenavailableattheUniversityofMaryland,wheretheyareartistsinresidence--infact,performingtonight--but"HighFidelity"makesitavailabletotherestoftheworld. Thefilmopensonaninformaldiscussionsessionwithasmallaudience,andsomeoneasksthequartethowtheyhavemanagedtostaytogethersolong.WhilefirstviolinistArnoldSteinhardt,violistMichaelTreeandcellistDavidSoyersearchforsomethingtosay,secondviolinistJohnDalleycomesupwithanimmediateone-wordanswer:"Money!"Trueenough;theyareinconstantdemandaroundtheworld,limitthemselvestoabout100concertsperyear,andgetrequeststogiveatleasttwicethatmany.Inaworldthatisbeginningtohaveaglutofgoodstringquartets,allexpertsranktheGuarneriamongthetwoorthreebest. Butthereismore:auniquechemistryoperatingamongartistswhomustcarefullybalancebetweenself-realizationandsubmergenceinthegroupandthemusic.Thisisaconstantchallenge,andtherearenopermanentlyrightanswers. "HighFidelity"capturesnotonlythemusicofMozart,BeethovenandSchubertbutalso,evenmorevividly,themusicoffourdistinctivepersonalitiesinconstantlyshiftingharmonyanddissonance.Itistheworkofdirector-producerAllanMillerandeditorTomHaneke,whoalsomadethegreatdocumentaryonIsaacSterninChina:"FromMaotoMozart,"anditmatchesthehighstandardsofthatOscar-winningfilm.…