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Upcoming lecture
Maurice Ravel Visits Canada
Tuesday, Sep 30 2025
Toronto Reference Library 6:30 pm
Free. No registration required
On the lighter side.....
A judge thought the defendant on a minor traffic offence looked familiar. "Have we met before?" he asked the accused. - Yes Your Honour, I taught your son violin many years ago. "Ahha - then that will be 20 years ! "
The great British conductor Sir Thomas Beecham, in Toronto for a concert, stayed at the Royal York Hotel. He wished to order a meal with wine, but as it was during prohibition he required a license, easily obtained from the bus station across the street. Grumbling, he went to Union Station, and clearly annoyed, answered the agent's questions:
Name ? (miffed as everyone supposedly knew him): "Sir Thomas Beecham"
Occupation ? (increasingly huffy as his career was acclaimed) "Conductor"
Not bothering to ask who his employer was, the agent wrote down Toronto Transit Commission !!
A comment on playing the piano by Hans Von Bulow (conductor/pianist):
"Piano playing is very difficult...First we have to learn to make all the fingers equal. Then later, playing music with several independent voices, we have to learn to make them unequal again. That being so, it seems best not to practice the piano at all - and that is the advice I give to many....".
King George III of England had violin lessons from Johann Salomon of fame for his association with Joseph Haydn. When asked about his progress. the teacher replied that there were 3 levels of skill in violin playing : 1) the inability to play 2) the ability to play badly and 3) the ability to play well. He congratulated His Majesty on achieving level 2 !
Maurice Ravel Visits Canada
Tuesday, Sep 30 2025
Toronto Reference Library 6:30 pm
Free. No registration required
On the lighter side.....
A judge thought the defendant on a minor traffic offence looked familiar. "Have we met before?" he asked the accused. - Yes Your Honour, I taught your son violin many years ago. "Ahha - then that will be 20 years ! "
The great British conductor Sir Thomas Beecham, in Toronto for a concert, stayed at the Royal York Hotel. He wished to order a meal with wine, but as it was during prohibition he required a license, easily obtained from the bus station across the street. Grumbling, he went to Union Station, and clearly annoyed, answered the agent's questions:
Name ? (miffed as everyone supposedly knew him): "Sir Thomas Beecham"
Occupation ? (increasingly huffy as his career was acclaimed) "Conductor"
Not bothering to ask who his employer was, the agent wrote down Toronto Transit Commission !!
A comment on playing the piano by Hans Von Bulow (conductor/pianist):
"Piano playing is very difficult...First we have to learn to make all the fingers equal. Then later, playing music with several independent voices, we have to learn to make them unequal again. That being so, it seems best not to practice the piano at all - and that is the advice I give to many....".
King George III of England had violin lessons from Johann Salomon of fame for his association with Joseph Haydn. When asked about his progress. the teacher replied that there were 3 levels of skill in violin playing : 1) the inability to play 2) the ability to play badly and 3) the ability to play well. He congratulated His Majesty on achieving level 2 !
