Comments on: Independent 7979 / Phi

By: Dormouse

Dormouse — Sat, 12 May 2012 11:19:35 +0000

Only now having checked the libretto, the spelling “eikosihedron” is used, which I then checked and is the spelling in Sacks.

By: hounddog

hounddog — Sat, 12 May 2012 08:48:30 +0000

Very true about the risk, Phi. I was once in a sports quiz where a question started ‘name the only player who…’ and one table immediately called out in unison ‘do you want both of them?’.

Good puzzle even for a total opera non-buff like myself.

By: Phi

Phi — Sat, 12 May 2012 07:11:48 +0000

That makes three icosahedra then – I was thinking of Kepler by Philip Glass. And I’ve seen the Nyman (and read the Sacks) so I should have known… (Always a peril – and also a pleasure – of throwing out such challenges is that there might just be another one.)

Those who know me will know I’m no great fan of Mozart, while I’ve just sat through the latest Met Opera Ring cycle in local cinemas (stunning theatre, whatever you may think of opera otherwise), which may explain a reluctance to add Wagner to the mix.

By: Wil Ransome

Wil Ransome — Fri, 11 May 2012 22:04:12 +0000

I agree with Klingsor. But lamented the lack of Mozart rather than of Wagner.

Surely they’re usually called A auf N & H and G? I can’t remember it ever being called H und G.

By: Bertandjoyce

Bertandjoyce — Fri, 11 May 2012 21:33:50 +0000

Not being opera afficionados, we expected to struggle but suprisingly it turned out we had heard of them all apart from 10ac which was gettable once we had the crossing letters.

We’ve only seen one opera (in Prague) which convinced us that people bursting into song in a play is not our scene! Not sprisingly, we don’t like musicals either – don’t even like Tommy despite being fans of the Who.

By the way ….. Does anyone know any Doctor Doctor jokes about operas?

Thanks Phi and Duncan.

By: Dormouse

Dormouse — Fri, 11 May 2012 20:07:44 +0000

Please sir, I know. It’s The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat by Michael Nyman.

And I forgot the Brian and the Leoncavallo. Just bought a CD of music from the former a couple of months ago and did see the latter about 10 years ago.

By: Phi

Phi — Fri, 11 May 2012 19:42:03 +0000

Well, there’s another Turandot by Havergal Brian and another La Boheme (to the same libretto) by Leoncavallo of I Pagliacci fame. A auf N gave part of its name to the most popular classical music album company, and none of the titles is exactly a rarity in opera houses.

I spent ages trying to get UND into the grid without setting off a chain reaction that wiped one or more other references. In the end, AND seemed the lesser offence.

Didn’t intend Doctor Atomic but rewatched it the other week (stunning aria at end of Act One). Any opera where someone sings ‘icosahedron’ is bound to pique my interest (and I now know of two – anyone up for guessing the other?)

By: Kathryn's Dad

Kathryn's Dad — Fri, 11 May 2012 15:07:31 +0000

I didn’t mind the theme, although I’ve never been to an opera in my life. I knew all of them except ARIADNE, where even when I had most of the crossers I had to resort to a wordsearch (which somewhat surprisingly, gave the answer). Like others, I got an opera before I got the gateway clue – HANSEL AND GRETEL is a pretty clear anagram.

All clearly and entertainingly clued by Phi as always; thanks to him for the puzzle and Duncan for the full blog.

By: Klingsor

Klingsor — Fri, 11 May 2012 14:48:02 +0000

Needless to say this one was right up my street! Nice one Phi, thank you. (Shame there was no Wagner though…)

By: Dormouse

Dormouse — Fri, 11 May 2012 14:20:55 +0000

Fairly sure ENO called it Ariadne on Naxos but it’s been a few years since they’ve done it.

Usually with long anagrams I don’t have to check off all the letters once the answer becomes obvious. This time I guessed the answer from the word lengths even before realising it was an anagram. I then had to work out why and then seeing which of the two possible answers it was.

There’s a P.D.Q. Bach opera called Hansel and Gretel and Ted and Alice.