Sensitivity and concision—A funeral oration in three syllables

Summary

Cherubini was once strolling in the foyer of the Conservatoire concert hall during an interval. The musicians around him had an air of gloom; they had just learnt of the death of their colleague Brod, a remarkable virtuoso and principal oboe at the Opéra. One of them went up to the elderly maestro and said, “So, Monsieur Cherubini, we have lost poor Brod!”

“Eh? What’s that?”

The musician repeated, in a louder voice: “Brod, our comrade Brod… .”

“What about him?”

“He’s dead!”

“Hmph! Feeble tone!”