More Wagner fun

Tyler Cowen offers this anecdote:

A story is told that Richard Wagner was walking on a street in Berlin one day and came across an organ-grinder who was grinding out the overture to Tannhäuser. Wagner stopped and said, "As a matter of fact, you are playing it too fast."

The organ-grinder at once recognized Wagner, tipped his hat, and said, "Oh thank you, Herr Wagner! Thank you, Herr Wagner!"

The next day Wagner returned to the same spot and found the organ-grinder grinding out the overture at the correct tempo. Behind him was a big sign: "PUPIL OF RICHARD WAGNER."

Which reminds me of a story a friend used to tell. I do not vouch for its truth, but it is amusing.

Allegedly, in the Italian city of Cremona, at one poin the Guarneri, Stradivarius, and Amati instrument workshops were all on the same street. One day the other instrument makers awoke to find that Amati had put out a sign claiming to make "the finest instruments in all of Italy!"

Not to be outdone, the Guarneri workers spent all day laboring on a lavish gilded sign, which they hung before the next daybreak, proclaiming that theirs were "The best instruments in the entire world!"

Whereupon Stradivarius retired to his workshop for half an hour and emerged with a simple sign saying "Best violins on the block."

Comments

It's not amusing either.

Posted by Carrot Top | October 4, 2007 4:08 PM

I remember in algebra class our teacher had us Venn diagram something like this. I don't remember how mine turned out but I don't think it was pretty.

Posted by alan | October 4, 2007 4:10 PM

For some reason, the Wagner story reminds of one I heard about Picasso (or perhaps some other famous artist). Instead of leaving a tip at restaurants, he would draw and sign a small picture on a napkin that the waiter could sell in lieu of a tip.

Posted by Bruce Bartlett | October 4, 2007 4:23 PM

This joke has several incarnations. E.g., John Lennon was once asked whether Ringo Starr was the best drummer in the world. He replied "He's not even the best drummer in The Beatles." Or, Danny Simon was sick of having his jokes edited by a co-writer and said, "I'm the best gag-writer on the West Coast!" only to be told "Danny, you're not even the best gag-writer in your family."

Posted by Kieran | October 4, 2007 4:32 PM

If you walk down 1st Avenue in Manhattan (somewhere around 57th) you pass "Ultimate Pizza" and "Best Pizza on 1st" within a few blocks of each other. Personally, I think Ultimate Pizza is better.

Posted by Ed | October 4, 2007 5:19 PM

John wasn't kidding, Paul was a better drummer than Ringo.

Posted by alan | October 4, 2007 5:56 PM

Reminds me of the story of how pumpernickel supposedly got it's name.

A group of Frenchmen were staying at a German inn when one of them, a guy who owned a horse named Nicole, was seen by his companions to be stuffing his pockets with the coarse black bread served at their meal. When they started to give him a razzing about his lack of culinary sophistication, the embarrassed man started to claim that the bread was for his horse. "Pain pour Nicole! Pain pour Nicole!" he cried.

Knowing that French cuisine could be marked up for greater profits, the innkeeper promptly raised his prices and claimed that the bread's proper name was "Pumpernickel".

Of course, the story is a crock. The actual name means "Devil's farts", which refers to the intestinal distress one feels when trying to digest traditional black bread.

But, even if it isn't a true story, it ought to be.

James

Posted by James R. Rummel | October 5, 2007 1:26 AM

Not only is the story untrue, but it's actually a pretty old joke (I first heard it about Irish pubs instead of Italian violin-makers). So your friend is a braggart.

Posted by PEG | October 6, 2007 12:25 PM

Speaking of which, this isn't even the best blog with Megan McArdle in its title.

Posted by Dung Floats | October 7, 2007 9:46 PM