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Anecdote Musikverein - September 8, 2009
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Dear Readers,
One day around noon, I was at the Musikverein in Vienna, practicing in one of the many dressing rooms in the building. A friend had set up a camera to film my technique for my own study purposes. We had started recording, my friend had stepped out, and I was expecting him back in the room at any moment, to check the picture and keep an eye on the equipment.
The door opened, as I expected, and I heard footsteps like my friend's. I didn’t turn around. To my surprise, someone else entered my peripheral vision. I did not recognize this man, but he was clearly a staff member. Without saying a word, he made a beeline for that dressing room's bathroom. Not knowing what to do, with the camera still recording, I tentatively continued to practice. I heard water running, light-hearted whistling, and general shuffling around. He must have cleared his throat, because I detected some sort of gruff grunt, and then silence. Five full minutes passed. I had nearly finished my piece. My friend returned. I tilted my head in the direction of the bathroom and mouthed, "There's someone in there." My friend's face widened in surprise, and he sat down to wait out the situation. The camera kept rolling. I stopped playing and then paused, not sure when the man might reemerge. Finally, a flush. An extended period of hand-washing. More shuffling.
Then, whistling, the man reentered the dressing room, walked matter-of-factly towards the dressing room door and let himself out. My friend and I wondered about an explanation or a repeat visit, but the man was gone for good.
Hilary
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