1.59. Music stops and a woman dies. (DVS)

1.59 answer: The woman is a tightrope walker in a circus. Her act
consists of walking the rope blindfolded, accompanied by music, without a
net. The musician (organist, or calliopist, or pianist, or whatever) is
supposed to stop playing when she reaches the end of the rope, telling her
that it’s safe to step off onto the platform. For unknown reasons (but with
murderous intent), he stops the music early, and she steps off the rope to
her death.

1.59 variant answer: The woman is a character in an opera, who “dies” at
the end of her song.

1.59 variant answer: The “woman” is the dancing figure atop a music box,
who “dies” when the box runs down. (Both of the above variants would
probably require placing this puzzle in section 2 of the list.) (See also
#1.31a, #1.70a, and #1.75c.)

1.59a. A woman is murdered in front of hundreds of people, but they all
think it’s an accident. (From How Come?)

1.59a variant answer: The woman is a trapeze artist who times her act
(from starting time to time to jump for another trapeze) by the music. The
organist changes tempo or stops the music too soon, and the trapeze artist
falls to her death.

1.59b. Variant: Charlie died when the music stopped.

1.59b answer: Charlie was an insect sitting on a chair; the music
playing was for the game Musical Chairs. (from Bob Philhower)