In an early "Tristan" I had a terrible experience but the trouble was that whenever I told anyone about it they burst out laughing. I got hiccups during the second act where there is an extended solo passage for the bass clarinet, known in the profession as "the Death Leap", during King Mark's scene. It must have been sheer willpower that enabled me to space out the spasms to coincide with the places where I took a breath - and the phrases are all very long indeed. To do Rankl justice, he was very sympathetic when I first told him and it was not until he went home to tell his wife who went into fits of laughter that be began to see the funny side. I don't think I ever became quite detached enough for that. << less