1999, Berlin’s Deutsche Oper, Thielemann conducting Henze’s Prinz von Homburg. I was sitting in the largely empty balcony. Shortly before the lights went down, a youngish woman trundled into the first row with a black plastic garbage bag in tow. https://twitter.com/thatericalper/status/1314007689865900037

After the orchestra tuned, but before the conductor came out, she stood up. “Ladies and Gentleman,” she said (auf Deutsch), “I am sorry to have to say this, but I must inform you that Herr Christian Thielemann murdered his father.” With that, she emptied the contents of her bag

onto the audience below. I later learned it was full of neckties (?!). And then she yelled, “So that everyone knows!”

Stunned silence in the audience as she slowly strode out of the auditorium. A couple people yelled “get her”, but too late for any ushers to do anything.

There was puzzled silence for a minute. Then a gentleman in one of the side boxes stood up and said, “Ladies and Gentleman, I am the doctor who attended Herr Thielemann, and I can state that he died of a heart attack.” He say down, and then the audience ... applauded.

After another minute or two, Thielemann took the podium and conducted Der Prinz von Homburg as if nothing happened.

I saw nothing in the papers afterwards. Alas, there was no Twitter in those days.