Alphabet Associations - III

[french frank]

I couldn't resist a little frivolity for N.

Two closely related, alliterative musical comedies, one by Bach, the other not written by Julius. A double cuppa might help.

Is it No-no Nonette, for assorted winds and toys, S. 86, by PDQ Bach; and No, No Nanette by Irving Caesar, Otto Harbach, with music by Vincent Youmans?

[LMcD]

Is it No-no Nonette, for assorted winds and toys, S. 86, by PDQ Bach; and No, No Nanette by Irving Caesar, Otto Harbach, with music by Vincent Youmans?

.... and Irving Caesar and Vincent Youmans wrote 'Tea For Two', which features in 'No, No, Nanette', of course.

[Tapiola]

I do hope this is correct. Beautifully elegant poser by our sainted Aunt, and beautifully explained by ff and LMcD.

[LMcD]

I do hope this is correct. Beautifully elegant poser by our sainted Aunt, and beautifully explained by ff and LMcD.

ff deserves most of the credit, especially as I was not even remotely close to thinking of PDQ Bach.
I agree with your view of AD's poser.

[AuntDaisy]

Is it No-no Nonette, for assorted winds and toys, S. 86, by PDQ Bach; and No, No Nanette by Irving Caesar, Otto Harbach, with music by Vincent Youmans?

Spot on French Frank & LMcD - and, yes, beautifully explained. It was No, No Nanette & PDQ Bach's No-No Nonette.

The O baton passes on...

[french frank]

Yes, I will take on O for Opera (that won't be the O link though!). I just need to refine the questions.

[french frank]

The cold weather seems to have sharpened AA wits lately, but what 'O' links these three:

This is an age-old tale of passion with a man losing his head over a girl
This tale paints a vain attempt to stay young with a fatal ending
And finally this A-Z tale is a diminutive tragedy of self-deception

[Pulcinella]

Yes, I will take on O for Opera (that won't be the O link though!). I just need to refine the questions.

Opera surely involved though?
The first sounds suspiciously like Salome, and the second The Makropulos Case/Affair.

[french frank]

Opera surely involved though?
The first sounds suspiciously like Salome, and the second The Makropulos Case/Affair.

Yes, they are all operas, but I meant that wasn't the 'o' link.

Yes, number 1 is Salome, no 2 is not as well-known as The Makropulos Affair

[AuntDaisy]

The cold weather seems to have sharpened AA wits lately, but what 'O' links these three:

This is an age-old tale of passion with a man losing his head over a girl
This tale paints a vain attempt to stay young with a fatal ending
And finally this A-Z tale is a diminutive tragedy of self-deception

Could the second Opera be "The Picture of Dorian Gray" by Lowell Liebermann? (New to me FoR3 educates, informs & entertains).
Based on the book by dear old Oscar.

[french frank]

Could the second Opera be "The Picture of Dorian Gray" by Lowell Liebermann? (New to me FoR3 educates, informs & entertains).
Based on the book by dear old Oscar.

Correct (and correct)! There was a secondary clue in the word 'paints' and No 3 has a similar clue.

The Liebermann was new to me too - I was just looking for a third H'opera.

[Pulcinella]

So Aunt Daisy has it, with Oscar Wilde, as we have:
Salome (Strauss)
The picture of Dorian Gray (Liebermann)
and
The Dwarf (Alexander Zemlinsky)

All based on his work (the last being The birthday of the infanta).

I'm off soon to be part of the congregation at a recording in St Olave's here in York (tomorrow's Radio 4 Morning Service), so happy for Aunt Daisy to carry on as although I got the first opera right it was quite a bit later that I remembered AZ's The Dwarf, and even then didn't know the Oscar Wilde connection.

[AuntDaisy]

So Aunt Daisy has it, with Oscar Wilde, as we have:
Salome (Strauss)
The picture of Dorian Grey (Liebermann)
and
The Dwarf (Alexander Zemlinsky)

All based on his work (the last being The birthday of the infanta).

I'm off soon to be part of the congregation at a recording in St Olave's here in York (tomorrow's Radio 4 Morning Service), so happy for Aunt Daisy to carry on as although I got the first opera right it was quite a bit later that I remembered AZ's The Dwarf, and even then didn't know the Oscar Wilde connection.

Thanks French Frank, that was a fun one.
Happy to wait for your return Pulcinella I'm helping clear brambles at the local recreation ground, just popped home for lunch.

[Pulcinella]

I'll ponder a P as I'm pedalling into town and back!
But then we've invited some new neighbours round for a welcoming drink, so it might be a while until I get round to posting a poser.

[french frank]

Well done, the two combatants. I think AD just snaffled it with the least known opera/composer and the O that linked them (easy for me as I was working backwards from Oscar). I didn't know Der Zwerf - but I did know the composer . It looks as if Pulcie is the agreed successor with P.