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Origination: Classical Music Mailing List
 Originator: Castonguay Roger [castonro AT ERE.UMONTREAL.CA]
       Date: Mon, 29 May 1995 13:03:27 -04.01
    Subject: Baseball and Classical Music
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   Quite a number of years ago, the Seattle Symphony was doing
   Beethoven's Ninth Symphony under the baton of Milton Katims.

   Now at this point, you must understand two things:

    1. There's a quite long segment in this symphony where the basses
       don't have a thing to do. Not a single note for page after page.

    2. There used to be a tavern called Dez's 4.01, right across the
       street from the Seattle Opera House, rather favored by local
       musicians.

   It had been decided that during this performance, once the bass
   players had played their parts in the opening of the symphony, they
   were to quietly lay down their instruments and leave the stage, rather
   than sit on thier stools looking and feeling dumb for twenty minutes.
   Well, once they got backstage, someone suggested that they trot across
   the street and quaff a few brews.

   After they had downed the first couple rounds, one said, ``Shouldn't
   we be getting back? It'd be awfully embarrassing if we were late.''

   Another, presumably the one who suggested this excursion in the first
   place, replied, ``Oh, I anticipated we could use a little more time,
   so I tied a string around the last pages of the conductor's score.
   When he gets down to there, Milton's going to have to slow the tempo
   way down while he waves the baton with one hand and fumbles with the
   string with the other.''

   So they had another round, and finally returned to the Opera house, a
   little tipsy by now. However, as they came back on stage, one look at
   their conductor's face told them they were in serious trouble. Katims
   was furious! After all...

   It was the bottom of the Ninth,
   the basses were loaded,
   and the score was tied.