A little trickier than normally for Phi.
Solving time: 22 mins
ACROSS
1 B LOW
2 HIGH SEAS ON
10 RATS Star reversed
11 ERUPTION i in not pure – all reversed
19 ODESSA Reverse hidden
24 ROCK PIG EON (one)*
25 EGG AND DART New to me – a typical ornamental feature
26 SOD A Good
DOWN
2 L U X(times as in multiplication tables) OR
3 WHIS PERE D (wish)* ‘d = had briefly
7 A PR(priest) IL
14 O VERD O I NG Verdi O = ring NG = no good
16 C (LEAVe) AGES
22 Edwin DROOD Door reversed
Note the appearance of two composers on cols 1 and 15.
Indeed there are – BEETHOVE/N SMETANA. I missed that, which would have sped up solving.
Didn’t know Smetana couldn’t speak. Did you?
I did not – so it’s just as well these puzzles can be solved without getting the theme, though to appreciate it all will give extra pleasure.