Those of you who play in orchestras or know something about performance
practice and/or conductors will perhaps find this amusing:

   We are doing Aida next Saturday (in a "concert" version).  The
   final bit for the first violins (as the star-crossed lovers die in
   the airless tomb) is marked "6-8 violins" by Verdi in the score.
   It ends on a G-flat 7 ledger lines above the staff.  The conductor
   said "Solo!" when we came to this part in the rehearsal (I'm the
   concertmaster).  I wasn't expecting a solo and got a bit rattled, of
   course.  Later the dirigent said "this passage is traditionally played
   solo." My stand partner, who is originally from New Zealand, told me
   a story about a NZ concertmaster (well known down there, I guess)
   who when told that a certain passage was "traditionally played" thus
   and so, remarked (in the NZ equivalent of cockney):  "I don't give
   a DAMN 'ow bloody NERO plyed it!"

Postscript:  I have an aircheck video of Leontyne Price's last performance
as Aida with the Met (Levine cond.).  If the solo version is traditional,
somebody forgot to inform Levine, since there are at least 4 players on it!

Chris Bonds