To those of you expecting a Dac crossword you should be aware that today is an important day in musical and operatic history. Also, if you know the background or interests of the Independent crossword setters, you will not be surprised that a puzzle by Klingsor is the Independent offering today.
Richard Wagner was born in Leipzig on 22nd May1813. Today would be his 200th birthday. Happy Birthday Richard!
Klingsor has a strong interest in all things Wagnerian. Both Klingsor and his alter ego Alberich, the name he uses for setting in other newspapers and journals, are characters from Wagnerian operas.
This crossword was a tour de force in writing clues that all referred to a theme without requiring any knowledge of the theme by solvers. None of the entries depended on specific knowledge of Wagner or his operas, but all the clues contained a Wagnerian or operatic reference, either by naming arias and characters form Wagner operas or by building on the plots of Wagner operas or by reference to the life and times of Richard Wagner. I suspect that some of the clues have more layers of subtlety in their reference to opera plots, musical terms and operatic venues than I have been able to detect. Clearly Wagner liked a bit of sword play and fearsome monsters in his works.
The clues cleverly built on Wagnerian and operatic theory by using anagram indicators and other wordplay directions with musical and operatic allusions.
Th outer rim of the grid, going clockwise, starting in the top left corner at the first letter to 1 down, spelt out RICHARD WAGNER, BICENTENARY. I deduced this phrase before solving all the clues and the letters in the phrase helped me solve some of the remaining clues.
Filling a symmetric grid constrained by letters in the perimeter, and writing clues with a Wagnerian reference, must have been a significant challenge for Klingsor. The Wagnerian references in the clues never felt out of place or forced, so congratulations to Klingsor on putting all this together.
If I have one minor quibble with this puzzle, it would be with the number of times we had to take the first, last, middle or regular occurences of letters from some word (usually thematic) in the clues. However, I can understand that it must be difficult to write clues that all need thmeatic input without resorting to picking out letters from key words or phrases.
I wonder how many other national dailies have puzzles with a Wagnerian theme today?
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Across |
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| No. | Clue | Wordplay | Entry |
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7
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Frenchman may return before end of Liebestod, having made an outcry (8)
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(M [monsieur; French man] + MAY) all reversed (returned) + ERE (before) + D (last letter of [end of] LIEBESTOD) (YAM M)< ERE D |
YAMMERED (made an outcry)
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9
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Roguish Loge finally departs with a bow (6)
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ARCH (roguish) + E (last letter of [finally] LOGE) + D (departs)
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ARCHED (with a bow)
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10
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To some extent Hagen deserved death (3)
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END (hidden word in [to some extent] HAGEN DESERVED)
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END (death)
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11
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Passionate about Ring, serviceman takes against contralto (8)
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(RM [Royal Marine; serviceman] containing [about] O [ring shape]) + ANTI (against) + C (contralto) R (O) M ANTI C |
ROMANTIC (passionate)
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12
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Without a new cast Wanderer will be portrayed differently (6)
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Anagram of (cast) WANDERER excluding (without) (A + N [new])
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REDREW (portrayed differently)
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13
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Attending Tristan on vacation requires investment of capital to accomplish (6)
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AT (attending) + (TN [first and last letters of {excluding the middle letters of (on vaction)} TRISTAN] containing [requires an investment of] AI [A1; first class; capital!]) AT T (AI) N |
ATTAIN (accomplish)
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15
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Enthusiast with time to go to continent to see piece of music (8)
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FAN (enthusiast) + T (time) + ASIA (continent)
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FANTASIA (piece of music based on a selection of well-known melodies))
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16
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In a huff socialist dressed like nobility, as decided by the Norns? (13)
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(RED [socilaist] contained in (in) PET [huff]) + ERMINED (wearing a white fur [ from a stoat’s winter coat] to the ceremonial robes of royalty, the nobility, judges and magistrates;dressed like nobility) P (RED) ET ERMINED |
PREDETERMINED (The Vikings believe their fate is PREDETERMINED by the mystical Norns, who together weave the strands of destiny)
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20
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Eminent maestro initially missing out middle of Rienzi, having not quite the full score (8) |
Anagram of (out) EMINENT excluding (missing) M (first letter of [initially] MAESTRO) + EN (middle letters of [middle of] RIENZI)
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NINETEEN (one less than twenty [a score]; not quite the full score)
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22
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About to perform opera? This gives protection (6)
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CA (circa; about) + SING (perform opera, possibly)
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CASING (a protective cover)
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25
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The Flying Dutchman‘s final duo, note, is a gas.
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Anagram of (flying) THE + AN (last two letters of [final duo] DUTCHMAN ) + E (a musical note) ETH* AN E |
ETHANE (a hydrocarbon gas)
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26
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Country hosts first showing of Parsifal – it goes swimmingly (8)
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TERRAIN (ground; country) containing (hosts) P (first letter of [first showing of] PARSIFAL) TERRA (P) IN |
TERRAPIN (any of various webfooted pond or river turtles of the family Emydidae; it moves swimmingly)
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27
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Support The Met regularly (3)
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TEE (1st, 3rd and 5th letters [regularly] of THE MET)
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TEE (support [for a golf ball])
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28
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In Leipzig I will tuck into sea bream as way of exercise (3,3)
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ICH (German [Leipzig] for ‘I”) contained in TAI (Japanese sea bream) TA (I CH) I |
T’AI CHI (a Chinese system of exercise and self-defence in which good use of co-ordination and balance allows effort to be minimized.
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29
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First off Wagner sadly owed all around for fabric for clothes (8) |
DUE (owed) containing (all around) an anagram of (sadly) WAGNER excluding (off) the first letter (first of) W DU (NGARE*) E |
DUNGAREE (a coarse Indian calico; fabric for clothes)
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| Down | |||
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1
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Note, after fearsome monster’s out of cover for some food… (6)
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DRAGON (fearsome monster) excluding the first and last letters (out of cover) DN + UT (a syllable representing the first note of the scale, now generally replaced by DOH)
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RAGOUT (a highly seasoned stew of meat and vegetables; some food)
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2
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…avoiding tail, pierce with sword? That’s an answer for this creature (6)
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IMPALE (pierce with something pointed; for example a sword) excluding the final letter (avoiding tail) E + A (answer)
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IMPALA (African antelope; creature)
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3
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Conservative Heldentenor’s not grasped new material (8)
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C (Conservative) + (an anagram of [new] HELDENTENOR excluding [not] HELD [grasped]) C RETONNE* |
CRETONNE (a strong printed cotton fabric used for curtains or for covering furniture; material)
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4
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A tiny thing from hoard assembled by Nibelung leader (6)
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Anagram of (assembled) HOARD + N (first letter of [leader] NIBELUNG) HADRO* N |
HADRON (one of a class of subatomic particles [tiny things] , including baryons and mesons, as referenced in the Large HADRON Collider at CERN)
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5
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A recording artist tackling Klingsor elected to identify environmental problem (4,4) |
([A + CD {compact disc; recording} + RA {Royal Academician; artist]) containing [tackling] I [Klingsor, crossword setter]) + IN (elected) (A C (I) D RA) IN |
ACID RAIN (rain or other forms of precipitation containing sulphur and nitrogen compounds and other pollutants released by the combustion of fossil fuels in industrial processes; environmental problem)
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6
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Case of Rhine maiden on drug having passed away is sorted out (8)
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RE (first and last letters of [case of] RHINE) + M (maiden [cricket scoring terminology]) + E (ecstasy; drug) + DIED (passed away)
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REMEDIED (cured; repaired; sorted out)
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8
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A fact: Die Feen composed before Germany could make this sort of coffee (13)
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Anagram of (composed) A FACT DIE FEEN + D (Deutschland; Germany) DECAFFEINATE* D |
DECAFFEINATED (sort of coffee)
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14
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Heartless Tannhäuser harbours love for eminence (3)
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TR (first and last letters remaining after the middle letters [heart] have been cut out of [heartless] TANNHÄUSER) containing (harbours) O (love [zero score in tennis]) T (O) R |
TOR (hill; eminence)
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16
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Soldier in front gives business end of spear to vassal (5,3)
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POINT (the sharp end [business end] of a spear) + MAN (servant; vassal)
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POINT MAN (a soldier at the head of a body of troops or patrol)
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17
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Finally forge weapon? That involves (say) style! (8)
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(E ([last letter of {finally} FORGE] + LANCE) containing (that involves) EG (for example) E L (EG) ANCE |
ELEGANCE (style)
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18
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Guarding gold in a river backfires? That’s dandy! (8)
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(OR [gold] contained in (in) [IN + A + CAM [reference River CAM that flows through Cambridge]) all reversed (that backfires) (MAC A (RO) NI)< |
MACARONI (a dandy)
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19
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Record company makes part of Solti Meistersinger retrospectively (3)
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EMI (hidden word [part of] reversed [retrospectively] in SOLTI MEISTERSINGER)
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EMI (Record Company)
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21
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Finale of Walküre only half precise – it makes you sick (6)
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E (last letter of [finally] WALKÜRE) + METIC (first 5 letters [of 10 – half] METICULOUS [precise])
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EMETIC (causing vomiting; it makes you sick)
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23
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Beetle creates endless panic at Bayreuth, for starters (6)
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SCARE (panic) excluding the final letter [endless] E + AB (first letter of [for starters] each of AT and BAYREUTH)
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SCARAB (type of beetle)
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24
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After vain bumbling, Alberich at heart is relatively artless (6)
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Anagram of (bumbling) VAIN + ER (middle letters of [at heart] ALBERICH)
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NAIVER (more [relatively] artless)
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I enjoyed this puzzle by Klingsor. Although there was a theme of Wagner, it did not require knowledge of his operas to solve the clues. My favourite clues were 6d, 5d, 16a & 20a.
I needed help with the parsing of 12a, 13a, 28a & 1d.
Thanks for the blog, Duncan. I can’ t believe I didn’t see the nina! But then again, I almost never remember to look out for ninas.
Thanks Duncan, I couldn’t see why RAGOUT was correct, after seeing DAC on monday it was no surprise whatsoever to see Klingsor today. Freat puzzle that didn’t rely on the theme but you could hardly ignore it, getting the nina early certain helped for a faster finish today.
I thought this was one of the most remarkable feats of clueing seen in the Independent. In particular, the fact that no clue required knowledge of Wagner for solving, yet every clue pointed you at the theme, was a striking touch.
Such an approach might even get me to appreciate a football-based theme…
Football and Wagner, both beautiful products of human intelligence, Phi …
I agree with you – this was a delightful puzzle that must have been a labour of love to construct. For obsessives on this thread it was pretty much a foregone conclusion that today the setter would be Klingsor and the theme would be Wagner. But while I know a bit about footie and a lot less about Wagner, you didn’t need any knowledge of the latter to solve this one. And I’m sure there was plenty of subtlety in the clues to please those who are aficionados of this composer.
Well done to Klingsor and thanks to Duncan for blogging.
Well, I guessed Dac being shunted to Monday presaged a Wagner-themed puzzle for today, and who the setter would be. And then I went and missed the nina!
Wagner is not one of my favourite composers, but that didn’t detract from the enjoyment of this puzzle. Thanks to Klingsor for such a well-constructed puzzle, and to Duncan for blogging to his usual high standard.
Btw, anyone missing Dac today can find one of his recycled puzzles in the i.
If you do know about Wagner some of the surfaces are really clever. I’ve certainly been the guy in 13 and 15. 16 seems to be a summary of Patrice Chereau’s famous production… Many thanks to Klingsor and duncanshiell. I’m just beginning to feel a little sorry for Giuseppe Verdi and his fans… I think this is the 4th or 5th Wagner puzzle of the year and we’ve only had one (part of Araucaria’s prize) about Verdi. Maybe in October… (There’s also Britten’s 100th, in exactly 6 months.)
Thanks for the blog.
A delightful pool to swim in – I’m a big fan of puzzles that look like brainiac-fodder and then you find yourself tripping through it fairly painlessly. Beautiful surface-work. I got the nina but too late for it to do me any good with the solving. (I’m not sure whether that’s a good or a bad thing, since it seemed to play at just the right tempo).
Tempo? – no cheesy pun intended.
Thanks, Klingsor – a fine puzzle.
Although I was pretty sure that today’s puzzle would be Wagner-related, and that Klingsor would almost certainly be the setter, I completely missed the nina until coming here. D’oh!
The nina must have made it impossible for the answers to be Wagner-related, so putting the references into the clues was clever.
I didn’t find it as hard to solve as some of Klingsor’s puzzles, but that didn’t distract from the enjoyment.
My only slight criticism would be that 20 seems to lack an anagram indicator (unless the whole is meant to be taken as an &lit – possibly if I knew more about Wagner, I’d understand it). Also it’s not entirely true that you don’t need to know anything about Wagner – knowing what Norns were in 16 across would help with the answer. But they are minor quibbles, as this was a beautifully crafted puzzle. Spotting the NINA helped me finish it a bit more quickly than I normally would with a Klingsor.
I think the anagram indicator is ‘out’, Neal at #9, as the blog indicates. The ‘missing’ on its own is all that is needed for the subtractive element.
NealH @9
The anagram indicator in 20 is “out”, isn’t it?
D’oh – sorry, cross posting.
There was an extract from Parsifal playing on the radio when I first turned to this puzzle, and I immediately said, “Of course!” Alas, being a Wagner fan didn’t make this easier to solve, but I was determined to finish it and managed to do so without electronic aids. Did have to look up 3dn, which I didn’t know, and totally missed the nina.
Incidentally, I think the only Wagner opera I haven’t seen performed live was the one not mentioned at all (allowing for the Ring to refer to all four operas).
Many thanks to all for the lovely comments, and to Duncan for an excellent analysis.
It was an easy decision to go for a Nina and put the Wagner references into the surfaces. The names of most of Wagner’s works are long (like the operas themselves!) so I wouldn’t have been able to get many into the grid; I’m also conscious that classical music, especially opera, is (alas!) very much a minority interest and I didn’t want solvers to feel excluded by the theme.
The puzzle is far from perfect – I’m conscious that I had to use more first and letters than usual to get the references in, and some of the surfaces are not very fluent. It was an honour to be asked to write this one and it really was a labour of love. It was quite a daunting task to do a tribute to someone when I don’t possess even one billionth of his genius, but this was absolutely the best I could do!
Many thanks again. Klingsor
I think you did a pretty damn good job k. Many thanks.
I agree with both Klingsor and Flashling: not perhaps in the Wagner league of genius, but still a pretty damn good job. Yes the clues tended to be long and a bit over-reliant on first letters etc, but it was quite an achievement to produce a crossword that tested one without testing one’s knowledge of Wagner, and in which every clue was connected with him.
Now what about poor old Verdi?
And needless to say the Nina went completely over my head.
I’m not really a Wagnerian, but I think this is one of the best crosswords ever published in any newspaper in my tenure as Independent crossword editor. Just saying …
We finished the puzzle this morning – too tired to concentrate last night. What an achievement to include references in all the clues – we thought we may have to use electronic help when we saw the theme and nina but that wasn’t the case.
The nina certainly helped with the NW corner. We couldn’t parse 1d and 3d, so thanks for the blog Duncan.
Thanks Klingsor – congratulations are definitely in order!