One of the most important words in the Viennese patois is Schlamperei, meaning, roughly, negligence or sloppiness. The word has long applied to government, often to business and sometimes to music.
In music it is accompanied by the frequently heard plea: "We may not play all the notes, but you must admit, we have heart."
To judge from its first U.S. appearances, the famed Vienna Philharmonic, the world's second oldest symphony orchestra,* has never heard of Schlamperei. It performs a feat that is the essence of all art but seems to be becoming increasingly rare,...
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