Schubert's Unfinished Symphony

[roger]

I have just come across something that was passed around the office where I worked about 25 years ago. I have no idea where it originated but I still find it amusing:

Schubert's Unfinished Symphony

A company chairman was given a ticket for a performance of Schubert's Unfinished Symphony. Discovering he was unable to go, he passed the invitation to the company's Quality Control Manager.

The next morning, the chairman asked him how he enjoyed the concert and, instead of a few plausible observations, he was handed a memorandum:

Conclusion: In light of the above, one can only conclude that had Schubert given proper attention to these matters, he would have had time to finish his symphony.

Roger

[stevemacdonald]

In that same spirit....


Beethoven's Ninth Symphony

The Cleveland Symphony Orchestra was rehearsing Beethoven's Ninth Symphony. There is an extensive section where the bass players don't play for twenty minutes of so. One of them decided that, rather than stand around on stage looking bored and stupid, they'd all just file offstage during their tacit-time and hang out backstage, then return when they were about to play. It seemed like a good idea at the time.

On the night of the performance, the bass players filed off as planned. The last one had barely left the stage when the leader suggested, "Hey we've got twenty minutes, let's run across the street to the bar for a few!"

This idea was met with great approval, so off they went, tuxedos and all, to loosen up. Fifteen minutes and a few rounds later, one of the bass players said, "Shouldn't we be heading back? It's almost time."

But the leader announced, "Oh don't worry, we'll have some extra time - I played a little joke on the conductor. Before the performance started, I tied string around each page of his score so that he'd have to untie each page to turn it. The piece will drag on a bit. We've got time for another round!"

So another round they did, and finally - sloshed and staggering - they made their way back across the street to finish Ludwig's 9th.

Upon entering the stage, they immediately noticed the conductor's haggard, drawn and livid expression.

"Gee," one player queried, "Why do you suppose he looks so tense?"

"You'd be tense, too," laughed the leader. "It's the bottom of the ninth, the score is tied and the basses are loaded."

[Dave]

Dec 24, 2008 18:55:59 GMT stevemacdonald said:

In that same spirit....


Beethoven's Ninth Symphony

"You'd be tense, too," laughed the leader. "It's the bottom of the ninth, the score is tied and the basses are loaded."

Hi Steve, I don't understand the punch line (must be getting old ) but at the exact instant I started to read your post for the first time, a short excerpt from the choral section of said symphony was being played on The Simpsons.

Now that is seriously... [glow=red,6,300]scary!!![/glow]

Dave