Mitch Friedfeld: >Have to tell a joke on myself regarding Messiaen. So Mitch doesn't feel alone, one against myself: In a period of pre-history so obscure it doesn't even have a name, the manager of a local store used to allow a friend and me to sample records in a room equipped with some reasonable listening gear. One day we listened to Rossini's Tancredi Overture on a 45 (I told you it was a long time ago) and thought it sounded rather dreary. It took several minutes before we realised we hadn't changed the turntable speed from 33 1/3. Yes, I did buy it. Richard Pennycuick [log in to unmask]