Financial Times 16,813 by GOZO

27 comments on “Financial Times 16,813 by GOZO”

1. Pretty easy for a music lover with some nice picks (but no Zubin)-many other old favourites there
   Thanks Gozo.

2. My joy at seeing Gozo as today’s setter was somewhat tempered by a quick scan of the clues.
   Considering that 10 was probably more Maestro (only belatedly spotting the anagram) than Allegro wiped the smile clean off my face. Classical music is not my forte so this was going to be tough…or so I thought.
   5/11 got the ball rolling with a quick confirmation online for the latter.
   The beauty of this puzzle is that the clever cluing was fair enough to allow those like me to have a stab, 22a a case in point. But for every TOSCANINI or MUTI, there were inevitably a couple like 21/25 where I’d imagined Diana Lottar before getting all the crossers for some lucky guesswork. The surface for 4a was very neat.
   All in all, it was more fun picking through the mostly unknown themed clues than expected and there was more to enjoy with the rest, such as 15d and 28.
   A bravura performance from Gozo and many thanks to PeeDee.

3. For me, this was an object lesson on how not to write a themed cryptic. Easily the worst crossword of the year (again, I must be clear that this is a personal opinion – many may well love it).

   I googled most of the answers. I could probably count the number of maestros I know using both hands (and not the fingers). I found ANSERMET first name was, curiously, Ernest. So 4a works even without the dubious anagram indicator.

   I took “over” as the anagram indicator I’m 15d.

   It wouldn’t be me if I didn’t mention there’s a typo in 20a.

   I googled a list of the top 50 maestros and 25,21 didn’t make the cut.

4. I notice two typos in my post. It’s the heat doing me in. That’s my excuse and I’m sticking to it.

5. I saw ABBADO and HAITINK early on, even before getting the “gateway” MAESTRO clue, and as I’d heard of most of the conductors, I didn’t find this too difficult. Still, despite knowing the name (or at least having often heard the name but rarely having seen it in print) and realising it had to be an anagram, I perversely entered ‘Ensemmet’ for 4a, so I ended up a DNF. Couldn’t parse KUBLA KHAN so thanks for the explanation – yes, an interesting anagram indicator.

   I loved “The Man from U.N.C.L.E” (TV series of course) reference at 12a. Look forward to Ilya Kuryakin (aka Nutcrackin) making an appearance one day.

   Thanks to Gozo and PeeDee

6. Hovis, thanks for the corrections as usual. It would be sad if all cryptics were toned-down so that everyone can do everything. They would end up like some supermarkets that sell products where every aspect of the product that someone might not like has been removed. What you get is perfectly-shaped, perfectly-safe and perfectly-bland.

7. PeeDee,
   Can’t help with the could/would anagram indicators, I just knew ‘baulk’ was one. And as you say, guesswork couldn’t always produce the correct spelling but thanks especially for explaining the parsing for Mr Rattle, one of the few I did know.

8. Could can mean “be a possibility” and admit can mean “be capable of” so I suppose either or both of these could indicate what is possible from the anagram fodder.

9. Well that was a waste of dead wood. It’s too hot here to spend the day researching on the net or Mrs B’s book. Sorry Pee Dee but it’s over to the DT back pager for me. I know my limits.

10. Luckily for me that my wife is a classical musician, as I easily solved 10A, and so the theme was pretty obvious. Even so, she struggled with a few names. All in all, I rather enjoyed it and here in Melbourne, I wasn’t troubled by the heat.

11. PeeDee @6. I agree with that sentiment and relish attacking cryptics that are beyond my ability. I just don’t like themed crosswords that involve a detailed knowledge of the theme or copious use of Mr Google. I did manage to complete and learned a lot on the way but, unless they appear in another cryptic in the near future, it’s knowledge that will soon be forgotten. There’s a reason I don’t do general knowledge crosswords – basically I’m an ignoramus.

12. I quite enjoyed this although agree that it was more of a general knowledge test than a cryptic crossword.

    Could I nit pick and mention that Antal Dorati (Hovis @3) is certainly well known? I am surprised by his omission from the list of famous conductors. Georg Solti has never composed anything I have heard of but was a brilliant conductor whose Ring Cycle at Covent Garden and on disc was unforgettable.

13. Well, the theme was right up our street and we simply rattled (sorry!) through this in our shortest time ever. Among the non-themed entries EULOGISE was our favourite.
    In view of our comment on yesterday’s Zamorca we might question the fairness of ‘March 2nd and 3rd’ for AR but as there’s an implied ‘of’ or ‘the’ in reading dates (depending which way round they’re written) we think that’s fair enough.
    Thanks, Gozo and PeeDee.

14. This one wasn’t totally up my street either. What I mean to say @6 is that having puzzles for a variety of tastes a sign of a healthy and living publication. I think of this as something to be celebrated, even when the puzzle is not my personal favorite. If I lose the the “worst” of the puzzles I lose the “best” of them too.

15. Thanks, Gozo and PeeDee. This was pretty much a breeze for me – as a classical singer I knew most of the maestri (I’ve performed under 20a!), and figured out the theme from all the first names in clues before getting 10a. Sakari was new to me. Loved 12a! I was a Man from UNCLE fan growing up. Thanks for parsing 18d, my LOI; didn’t think of “bird” in that sense.

16. And, PeeDee@14, agreed. For every puzzle like this, there’s one or more on a completely unfamiliar theme – and though they exasperate or block me, I’ve learned about things I didn’t know. So I like the variety and agree that it’s a sign of vitality. [Had never seen any of the Carry On series before doing a couple of cryptics on the theme; then looked up a movie on YouTube and liked it. Ditto with cricket and rugby. If I ever get a chance to set a cryptic, I’d try a baseball theme.]

17. To echo Jeff and PeeDee,
    I enjoy attempting the different styles of setting even when the subject matter makes completion less likely – it appeals to my curiosity.
    I might have been tempted to pass on today’s being ignorant of the theme but that would have been a shame. I like Gozo as a setter knowing that his clues will not be impenetrable and definitely entertaining.
    That said, Jeff, for me to have a hope of completing a baseball-themed grid, it would require impeccable surfaces!

18. A breeze for me, as a 50 year veteran Radio 3 listener (a few weeks of Saturday morning “Record Review” would give you a lot of the names, I imagine). However, I do sympathise with those who don’t have that particular knowledge: I am sometimes frustrated at having to Google lots of pop music or film director references, where I am on unfamiliar ground (let alone baseball) – but that’s life in crossword-land and I agree that one sometimes just has to do the dirty work to get there.

19. Tough blog today I imagine so many thanks. I was so glad to be given this crossword, thought it was wonderful.
    Well said jeff@16 great attitude.
    Solo was played by Robert Vaughn , I cannot remember the character name for David McCallum ?
    Please help.

20. Roz – it was Illya Kuryakin

21. Brilliant . I would never have got it but as soon as i saw it I remembered. Strange how that happens.

22. No fun for me i’m afraid … just a google exercise for half of it :-/

23. While I admire the skill in creating such a crossword it was a waste of my time to even attempt such an exercise since my knowlege of the theme is peripheral at best. I guess I’m in the not-a-fan camp.

24. I undertook this in a Suffolk pub garden with birds singing everywhere – idyllic. I had to seek help with about 1/2 of the maestros but still found it most enjoyable in the early evening sunshine.
    Thanks to Gozo, PeeDee and Aspalls cider!

25. Very enjoyable. Had to check some via Google but most names were familiar and I’m no expert (but enjoy R3). Thanks to Gozo.

26. Thanks Gozo. I have almost no knowledge of conductors so eventually found a list of them which helped as it told me my constructions were correct. That means the crossword was attainable and that is great. Like others I will retain few of them but the feeling on completion was of satisfaction.
    Thanks for the explanations PeeDee as they helped my understanding. You might have had the heat but it was low double figure temperatures here, despite the sun being out.

27. Thanks Gozo and PeeDee
    Was another ignorant of the maestri, so personally found it more of a Google grind and then work out the word play and an ‘aha’ for actually remembering SIMON RATTLE – it is a credit to the clue constructions that I was able to parse them all. It was good for all of those who did know them and that validates the theme.
    Finished in the SE corner with SEA GIRT (took longer than it should have, especially as we are too!), ANTAL DORATI (always going to be harder to find an anagrammed one) and LINEAL (tricky definition) as the last few in.

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