BASSES LOADED
A number of years ago, the Seattle Symphony was doing Beethoven’s Ninth under the baton of Milton Katims… At this point, you must understand two things: 1) There’s a long segment in this symphony where the bass violins 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 400 right across the street from the Seattle Opera House, rather favored by local musicians. It had been decided that during this performance, after the bass players had played their parts in the opening of the Ninth, they were to quietly lay down their instruments and leave the stage rather than sit on their 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…
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