I always told my students this story. Once Glazunov was in England, conducting his own works there. The British orchestra members were laughing at him. They thought he was a barbarian, and probably an ignoramus, and so on. And they began sabotaging him. I can think of nothing more horrible than an orchestra that has gone out of control at rehearsal. I wouldn’t wish it on an enemy. The French horn player stood up and said that he couldn’t play a certain note because it was impossible. The other orchestra players heartily supported him. What would I have done in Glazunov’s place? I don’t know; probably I would have walked out of the rehearsal. But here’s what Glazunov did. He silently walked over to the horn player and took his instrument. The stunned musician didn’t object. Glazunov ‘took aim’ for a while and then played the required note, the one that the British musician insisted was impossible. / The orchestra applauded, the insurrection was quelled, and they continued the rehearsal. << less