h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

No he did not phone the hardware store from the foyer, but feel free to speculate about whom he did telephone. My klaxon hammer is waiting.

I don't see why an orchestra can't contain a piano. Is that some rule that says they can't?

In any case, the way I imagine it is the piano is there for a specific reason, but there's a problem.....

Here is a little aside:
Our Mayor just passed a budget for 2013-14 that contains an item

"Assistance by Police or fire + $200."

so if this kind of thing happens in Lansing, Michigan next year somebody is going to be billed for it.

One City council member questioned on the matter said if it happened to here she would tell the policeman "Go away, I don't want your assistance!"

It is no wonder the population of Lansing is shrinking with that kind of fees.

a) A standard concert orchestra does not contain a piano.
b) An operatic orchestra has to fit into a piddly little pit down the front of the stage. There is not room for a piano there.
c) Musicians do not get paid to turn up to rehearsals. Therefore rehearsals tend to take place with an old bat playing the piano like Tommy Cooper on steroids. Not with orchestras, almost invariably.

So, what's going on? Or am I pursuing the wrong thread?

B

Okay, I admit it, I'm spinning a yarn to conceal what's really going on, and try and get you to make connections and guess and work out what is the quite interesting factoid at the centre of the mystery. I didn't concern myself to whether or not orchestra *really* have space for a Steinway Grand Piano in the orchestra pit. For the purposes of the story - it does. I also didn't check whether or not hardware stores in 1977 carried the specific type of batteries, the policeman would require.. It's all a conceit! There can we move on now?

Well, no. I'm now more confused than I was before.

B

Okay , so having acquired some batteries at the hardware store (Q1: for what?) our young cop arrives at the opera (Q2: why the opera) he runs inside hoping to find something (Q3: what?) luckily the BPO are rehearsing Mozart's 'Popilli de Tessaglia' (Q4: 'why on Earth is that lucky?) He asks them a question, they reply that yes their steinway is acting up. He asks them another question (Q5: what did he ask them?) they have what he needs. (Q6: What is it?)
, he then asks about the phone - it's in the foyer. (Q7: who is he ringing and why?)

Over to you....

we also know the cop came there looking for assistance, and a high note is somehow involved.

well, by the numbers
Q1- a battery for a tape recorder

Q2- Opera play the notes he needs

Q3- to find a specific High note

Q4- that opera had the right note

Q5- can I get a recording of that songt?

Q6- they provide him the music he requested

Q7- I have no idea who he called or why.

Did the factoid have anything to do with acoustics or hearing aids?

Most Opera Houses are climate controlled to keep the instruments on the right frequency, so temperature variations from 9AM until the performance should not be a factor.

Several Years a go a TV commercial asked the question
Is it real or is it Memorex?
the ad featured a soprano singing.
to avoid klaxons I will not say what the music was supposed to do.

Wazs he part of the orchestra, and it was staged using mobile phones as there wasn't actually an orchestra, it was purely an advert for mobile phones?
Although I seem to recall someone did actually compose a concert for mobile phones copying Hoffnung's concerto for vacuum cleaner.

Just a thought...

MMF

Good questions all, so let me address them one-by one...

//a battery for a tape recorder//

The battery is not for a tape recorder. Good guess though.


//Opera play the notes he needs//

Yes. Correct +3


//to find a specific High note//

Yup.


// that opera had the right note//
Warmer, warmer- DISCO!


//they provide him the music he requested//

Ah no.

//I have no idea who he called or why.//
Well whom might he call? (and why - that's the quite interesting part.)

//Did the factoid have anything to do with acoustics or hearing aids?//

No it did not - but good bold guess, I encourage that!

//temperature variations from 9AM until the performance should not be a factor.//

More precisely the time has nothing to do with temperature variations in the opera house, since you were asking the fact it was a little after 9 when he set out, and by the time he concludes matters with the orchestra is maybe what say 20-past 9, possibly - all relate to that phone call you were asking about.

//to avoid klaxons I will not say what the music was supposed to do.//

Say "blue whale" go on, I dare you, I double-dog dare ya!

Hiya MMF<

//Wazs he part of the orchestra,//

No he was not.

//Hoffnung's Concerto for Vacuum Cleaner//
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e5343nfOnkk

Marvellous!! No hesitation! QI +6!

So, do we infer from that that the Boston Philharmonic was not playing there usual instruments?


Geggs