A Conversation for The Quite Interesting Society

QI - Whistle for a Soprano

Post 81

Clive the flying ostrich: Amateur Polymath | Chief Heretic.

Why would you infer that? smiley - erm

No, all instruments present and correct - even and especially, a piano! smiley - winkeye


QI - Whistle for a Soprano

Post 82

Whisky

I'm thinking he needed to break some glass somewhere...

The mozart aria in question contains one of the highest notes written for human voice, and he wants the soprano to sing it down the phone to try and break a glass (fire alarm?) somewhere else.


QI - Whistle for a Soprano

Post 83

Clive the flying ostrich: Amateur Polymath | Chief Heretic.

You should have heeded Shagbark's caution.

"Use sound to break glass" smiley - bluelight -5

//The mozart aria in question contains one of the highest notes written for human voice,//

Quite right - now what might that be useful for, and it's not shattering glass! smiley - winkeye


QI - Whistle for a Soprano

Post 84

Geggs

If he was planning to relay the high note via the telephone, I'm not sure it would work. Because you're not actually listening to someone's voice on a telephone, are you? You're listening to a reproduction of a transmission of an encoding of someone's voice, and many things could affect the quality of what someone hears at the other end.


Geggs


QI - Whistle for a Soprano

Post 85

Whisky

Ok, I'll go for a few more klaxons...

Either he had some kind of tonal device that you normally play down a telephone line to activate a remote answering machine and listen to his messages, (that'll probably get me one klaxon)...

... or, he'd lost his police dog. (second klaxon)...


I'm waiting smiley - winkeye


QI - Whistle for a Soprano

Post 86

Clive the flying ostrich: Amateur Polymath | Chief Heretic.

//If he was planning to relay the high note via the telephone//

He was not. Good guess though. smiley - ok


QI - Whistle for a Soprano

Post 87

Clive the flying ostrich: Amateur Polymath | Chief Heretic.

//Either he had some kind of tonal device that you normally play down a telephone line//

No, but he is carrying antother device which he will use with the telephone so have a DGI +1.


//get messages//

Amazingly, I didn't think to klaxon that!


//... or, he's lost his police dog. //

ah good idea, but wrong, I'm afraid. I don't even think his division uses dogs to carry out their primary role. smiley - huh


QI - Whistle for a Soprano

Post 88

Clive the flying ostrich: Amateur Polymath | Chief Heretic.

By the way, do you know what note it is?


QI - Whistle for a Soprano

Post 89

shagbark

it has the printed score in the link from post 20
I wonder is the piano the only instrument in the orchestra that can accurately reproduce that note?


QI - Whistle for a Soprano

Post 90

shagbark

here's a guess- he was calling the phone company to unstick a mechanical relay keeping somebody from getting their calls.


QI - Whistle for a Soprano

Post 91

shagbark

oh, I think the note is G above high C.


QI - Whistle for a Soprano

Post 92

Clive the flying ostrich: Amateur Polymath | Chief Heretic.

//here's a guess- he was calling the phone company to unstick a mechanical relay keeping somebody from getting their calls.//

Nope. - Not really Quite Interesting, is it? smiley - winkeye


QI - Whistle for a Soprano

Post 93

Clive the flying ostrich: Amateur Polymath | Chief Heretic.

//it has the printed score in the link from post 20//

You were paying attention! smiley - bigeyes

//I think the note is G//

You are correct +3

G3, to be precise. smiley - musicalnote


QI - Whistle for a Soprano

Post 94

Clive the flying ostrich: Amateur Polymath | Chief Heretic.

G6, excuse me. Hit the wrong key on the keyboard! smiley - doh


QI - Whistle for a Soprano

Post 95

Teasswill

Bat detector?


QI - Whistle for a Soprano

Post 96

Clive the flying ostrich: Amateur Polymath | Chief Heretic.



Nope.


QI - Whistle for a Soprano

Post 97

Geggs

Did the whistle involve the telephone?


Geggs


QI - Whistle for a Soprano

Post 98

Clive the flying ostrich: Amateur Polymath | Chief Heretic.

No.


QI - Whistle for a Soprano

Post 99

Geggs

Oh well. I was just starting to ruminate on the subject of pink noise, but if there's no whistle that's not likely.


Geggs


QI - Whistle for a Soprano

Post 100

Clive the flying ostrich: Amateur Polymath | Chief Heretic.

I have been out all evening and I'm now heading straight to bed. kinda surprised no one has made more penetrating questions on the subject of the telephone call....


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