Comments on: Independent 7847 by Phi

By: Phi

Phi — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 18:09:40 +0000

For many, the Ligeti Etudes are the greatest piano pieces of recent years (and for those nervous about modern music, they’re also remarkably approachable). I happened to be listening to them and noted the (6,6) possibility and then worked a few of the more ordinary names into the grid.

The meaningless title ‘Galamb borong’ would have been nice to include (perhaps down the sides?) – Ligeti (who was Hungarian, more specifically Transylvanian) notes that you shouldn’t interpret it as fake Hungarian – it’s actually fake Balinese (that etude is gamelan inspired).

That’s two musical ghost themes in a row – something different coming up…

By: Thomas99

Thomas99 — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 16:49:51 +0000

Intriguing Nina – well spotted PB and AC. I completely missed it. If you’ve seen Kubrick’s 2001 you’ll know at least one Ligeti piece pretty well. When they reopened the Festival Hall a few years ago they had the remarkable idea of playing that Ligeti piece (Atmospheres, I think it’s called in English) followed without any break at all by the last movement of Beethoven’s Ninth. I heard it on the radio and thought it sounded great.

By: Kathryn's Dad

Kathryn's Dad — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 15:27:00 +0000

Didn’t spot the Nina, but it didn’t detract from my enjoyment of the puzzle. Since the ETUDES are all words in common circulation, this strikes me as a good choice of theme. I too liked LADY GODIVA.

Thanks for blogging, flashling.

By: Allan_C

Allan_C — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 14:42:10 +0000

Spotted the nina for once, and thought there might be more to it, and so it proved when I googled Ligeti Etudes.

For anyone not into children’s TV shows, ELMO (4d) is a muppet character – see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elmo

And for those who need to brush up their Shakespeare, Robin GOODFELLOW (3d) is an alias of Puck (in A Midsummer Night’s Dream)

Favourite? It has to be LADY GODIVA – a cracker of a clue!

By: Pelham Barton

Pelham Barton — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 14:29:53 +0000

flashling @5: I saw ETUDES before I had finished the puzzle so it seemed likely that LIGETI was a composer – I had not heard of him either, and looked him up after reading your blog. For weekday newspaper crosswords I generally regard it as a good thing if the theme does not get in the way of solving the puzzle.

16ac: When solving, I tried (and failed) to do something with (l)OVER + USE. Your reading certainly helped me to spot the more satisfying version.

By: Lenny

Lenny — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 14:26:08 +0000

Thanks Flashling and Phi for another interesting, musical puzzle. Unusually, I spotted the words Ligeti Etudes and was able to use them to get a couple of answers on the top and bottom row. I suppose the Nina does justify the use of this solver-unfriendly, portcullis grid.

Thanks Pelham for pointing out the etude names. I think I heard Joanna Macgregor play, probably, Autumn in Warsaw at the Guiting Festival, obviously the name did not stick. We should be thankful that Phi did not clue some of the other etudes such as Galamb Borong.

By: flashling

flashling — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 14:10:19 +0000

Thanks for spotting the Nina & theme Pelham, Ligeti isn’t a name I knew and just looked like a random string and I think you’re right about 16a – I wasn’t totally happy with my version.

By: NealH

NealH — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 14:08:17 +0000

I didn’t follow 27 either – was convinced it was a K or R being removed from some word for position. 13 across is slightly incorrect in the blog, being [p]lum in con.

By: Pelham Barton

Pelham Barton — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 13:55:13 +0000

Sorry flashling of course.

By: Pelham Barton

Pelham Barton — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 13:51:25 +0000

Is there anyone else out there, or have flashing and I covered the answers and theme so fully that there is nothing else to say?

When solving the puzzle, I did not get the wordplay for 16ac or 27ac, so thanks flashing for those. On reflection, I think 16ac can be taken more simply as (l)OVE RUSE.