At the Symphony and Other (very) short stories

[katya]

That sounds right, Embladyne. I guess you could use C flat, E sharp, or F flat as well. There is "such a note as" anything though- and A-G flat or sharp. I think.

[hectorberlioz]

B sharp it is...maybe it is the same thing as c sharp, but at least it isnt correct terminology.

[hectorberlioz]

The INTRODUCTION

I don't know where this story leads to; originally I intended it as a frivolous (and it still is frivolous) story of the beginnings of music. My characters ended up too fleshed out, so I ditched that as the main theme (though it still plays a role).
I started two chapter II's. The first is too wacky, and the second too dull. I've als o had to change the title alot because of the shifting themes.
Hope you enjoy...

P.S. Though wacky, this was not inspired by Lemony Snicket. I wrote this a few months before I started reading those books.


The STORY...

Music's beginnings as we know them took place in a nasylum just outside of Paris, France. An insane inmate, Pierre (known by that name only) was in his cell (as ususal) cleaning off his dinner plate, and making the most gruesome of snorting, munching nad coughing noises imaginable.
All the while, Francois, Pierre's guard listened, with loathing and contemp filling his bored mind.
Francois impatiently knocked with his fist against the inmate's door. "Hurry up you pig!" He shouted; and he stomped his feet repeatedly.
Neither Francois nor Pierre knew it at the time, but the combined noised and rythms they had just made would revolutionise the world.

However, they would know in just a minute; thanks to Dr. Alberto Frankenheimer (Pierre's pschologist and friend, a frequent visitor.)
"Why," exclaimed the doctor "do you know you've just given the world!" He clapped Francois on the shoulders then shook his hand. "A Genius combination! The world shall know of this!"
"Wha..t, what are you talking about?" Francois, obviously bewildered, asked as he looked at Dr. Frankenheimer's smiling face.
Frankenheimer chuckled, "Francois, Francois! If only you knew of my experimentations, you'd know...I'll explain. That combination of noises that happened as I approached this cell; music, music Francois! Pierre's gruntings, your knock on the door, combined with your angry yell and rythmic stomping; that was the most delicious outbust of prose my ears have been fortunate to hear.

"My experimentations have brought me almost nowhere. Now I see what I was misssing the whole time." He looked through the bars at Pierre. "We Shall, all three of us, talk about this at my home over a hot dinner. I'll just excuse myself to get a leave of absence for Pierre (It's an emergency, I'll tell them.) Back in a Tack!" and the rotound form of Dr. Frankenheimer dashed down the hallway at an astonishing speed.

Francois, still dazed-as he'd been the whole time (as he'd been the whole week! In fact, with wholesome truthfulness, it could be said that not one day had passed in Francois' life as an asylum guard that he had not felt dazed.)-shook his head, trying to understand waht had just happened.
Pierre meanwhile, had finished with his noises (he'd been finished with his food long ago...) and now was hopping about like a monkey. Something he always did when he recieved visitors. He had lots of those, bieng a former Parisian model, and previously married to the princess of...goodness knows.
Always a popular figure in the cafes, he naturally had a large band of devout followers. And most still visited, which was impressive.

Pierre, noticing the absence of his doctor's usual peering through the bars, now stopped hopping and came to the door; looking out. He was not dissapointed; for at that very moment, Frankenheimer was bouncing happily down the hallway, and behind him lumbered The Key Supervisor.


[My commentary:
This story was spontaneously written. consequently, there is alot of nonsense. Don't ask me why the asylum is in france, why Pierre is in there, or why Francois is dazed. All that was invented on the spot for the purpose of bringing about what happens next, which is when some things about Pierre's past come out...]

Within Ten minutes, Pierre was sucessfully evacuated from his cell to Dr. Frankenheimer's carriage waiting outside.

When they arrived at Dr. Alberto Frankenheimer's lavish abode it was well near midnight.
During the trip Frankenheimer had talked only about Pierre. How Pierre, before he'd turned top modelling, worked as a coalminer, carpenter and librarian. How he saved to women from a burning carriage, and how one of the women was the princess of...goodness knows. And how he recieved medals for that brave act, and many others. francois listened amazed and only half believing it all.
Francois' bottom-side was horribly numb (it was a long drive), and he was relieved whe they finally arrived at their destination.

Francois had hoped that the kindly doctor would not keep up all night talking; but it wasnt as he had hoped, and Francois the guest was obliged to stay up the entire night discussing, and listening to Dr. Frankenheimer about his favorite pastime.
"Francois, you can only guess at my delight with this new thing called music. Listen, listen to this..." and Frankenheimer clancked two spoons together, producing a nice twinkling sound. Pierre was snarling and gnashing into his previously beautiful bowl of soup. Doctor Frankenheimer looked benevolently on Pierre, and pointed to him, "You see and hear that Francois? That too is music. Here..." he gestured for Francois to stand up and hold his spoons. "Now as Pierre makes his music, we will accompany him by clancking spoons and stomping our feet. Stamp your right foot after each two clacks of the spoon, and your left foot after the third. All three of us together...go!"

The music produced by them was amazing, and their antics in making it, hilarious. A servant came in a minute later to place the dessert on the table. She stopped dead in her tracks in horrified amazement.
She knew her master was eccentric, but this! The sight of those two men stomping a silly march and clacking spoons whil a third made sounds of a pig!; it was enough to make eve the most controlled and restrained of people burst into laughter.
Nanci [and yes, it is spelled Nanci. Thats how the french spell it.] the maid fainted on the spot; the cake that a second ago had been her hands now flew up ceiling-high, and back down again,

Landing with perfect grace,
On the fainted Nanci's face.

[hectorberlioz]

Meanwhile, Francois as dizzy and he said so. So they stopped; Francois holding his head, and Frankenheimer delighted. "See the efects of music? I could rhapsodise all night..." there was little reason to disbelieve that, "...I should show you some of my experiments. I once brought a dog and a cat of mine together to brawl: it was magnificent!
This may sound a bit broad to you, but I believe all sounds to be music."
"All this bieng new to me," Francois replied, "I can hardly disagree..."
"Right, right. Now lets write this all down for the newspaper." He produced a small notebook out of his pocket, and materialised a pen seemingly out of thin air.
"Firstly, lets go over the events. I walked down the hall, heard Pierre's noises and your angry reactions. Check. Now we'll tanslate that into verse." Frankenheimer quicklt began jotting down in the notebook. Moments later he exclaimed, "Here we are Francois! I'll read it to you..." and Francois nodded his head sleepily in consent.

"Down the forbidding corridors I did walk," began Frankenheimer.

Sacrificing precious time for caution,
in such a dreaded house;
My suffering friend awaiting,
On the other end of t'hall,
for counsel and advice.

'Stead of moaning and wailing,
my ears met melodious
rythm and a beautiful voice trailing.
Such joy o'ercame me,
I knew not what to do,
so many warm thoughts went to me,
I was luckier than Bonaparte at Waterloo.
(who wasnt very lucky)
O! Genius in Capital Letters,
Pierre, be unleashed from those fetters!

"And now", Dr. Frankenheimer said as he added one last thing in the notebook, "To polish it up. No hard task. In the morning I'll have it sent to Nouns appelons cela digerer (We call that digestion a fitting name for a paper I think. And its a Berlioz quote too!), the best paper in Paris!"

Francois hardly heard Dr. Frankenheimer's last sentence, he was drifitng off to sleep. Pierre too looked ready to fall asleep.

END OF CHAPTER I

[let me rest!]


i finally got to finishing the first part of this whole story. I think, in all it'll come to about more than sixty pages!
I'll try to post it all one day.

[katya]

Sorry for not having the time to read your story right now, but C sharp isn't the same as B sharp. C sharp is also D flat, and B sharp is just C. Do you know how the keyboard works? Well, later!^^

[hectorberlioz]

Originally Posted by katya

Sorry for not having the time to read your story right now, but C sharp isn't the same as B sharp. C sharp is also D flat, and B sharp is just C. Do you know how the keyboard works? Well, later!^^

B sharp will work for the simple reason that it isnt a proper term...

[Keith K]

Very funny story! I have been going to the Symphony every summer for the past 8 years. This summer I will be watching our conductor with new interest!

One of my earliest memories is standing in the kitchen by the sink as my Grandmother frosted a cake. She looked at me with a knowing smile and said "Keith, why are you dancing so? Do you need to go use the potty? No, Grandma I answered." Lol, I wanted some of that icing and didn't want to miss out. Of course I was literally running in place. Must have been about 5 years old. Too funny.

[hectorberlioz]

Originally Posted by Keith K

Very funny story! I have been going to the Symphony every summer for the past 8 years. This summer I will be watching our conductor with new interest!

One of my earliest memories is standing in the kitchen by the sink as my Grandmother frosted a cake. She looked at me with a knowing smile and said "Keith, why are you dancing so? Do you need to go use the potty? No, Grandma I answered." Lol, I wanted some of that icing and didn't want to miss out. Of course I was literally running in place. Must have been about 5 years old. Too funny.

So what Symphony do you attend? (and who is the new conductor?!)
Mine is the Nashville Symphony, and our conductor is Kenneth Schermerhorn.

[Lotesse]

quote from HB-- "So the Concerto started. The Piano trilled, and the orchestra followed suit. Guarde was getting more and more impatient with each passing bar as he directed the musicians. He was in a considerable amount of pain and anxiety. He intermittently growled, and once even yelled."
THAT was really good! It's hard to get me to laugh today, but reading this story caught me off guard and giggling out loud! Great visuals, too...

[hectorberlioz]

Originally Posted by Lotesse

quote from HB-- "So the Concerto started. The Piano trilled, and the orchestra followed suit. Guarde was getting more and more impatient with each passing bar as he directed the musicians. He was in a considerable amount of pain and anxiety. He intermittently growled, and once even yelled."
THAT was really good! It's hard to get me to laugh today, but reading this story caught me off guard and giggling out loud! Great visuals, too...

Why thank you !
Most of my friends didn't quite understand the situation when they read it, and so not one of them really laughed about it.

[hectorberlioz]

Originally Posted by katya

Sorry for not having the time to read your story right now, but C sharp isn't the same as B sharp. C sharp is also D flat, and B sharp is just C. Do you know how the keyboard works? Well, later!^^

I finally found out what it's all about...I've been taking piano and theory lessons. Anyone going to read my other story?

[Lenya]

Cool Imperial Guard pic!
My favourite part:

The final moments of the concerto were intense. Guarde leaped and gyrated hysterically (not, under normal circumstances, a normal habit of his when conducting), Shmi literally pounded on the piano, and at one point, even stood up in the excitement... The Orchestra played it all loudly, and wildly.
Guarde leaped and yelled. The audience stirred. The final notes sounded.

Sorry I haven't read your other story, I have to go now. I'll come back and read it

[hectorberlioz]

Originally Posted by Lenya

Cool Imperial Guard pic!
My favourite part:


Sorry I haven't read your other story, I have to go now. I'll come back and read it

People seem to like that part alot...