Alphabet associations - I

[Nick Armstrong]

I believe St Petersburg / Leningrad / Petrograd is commonly called the Venice of the North because of its canals. Mind you, having looked up the term on Wiki it has also been applied to, among others, Manchester, Birmingham, Copenhagen, Stockholm, Trondheim, Gdansk, etc. etc. even Bourton-on-the-Water!

I'm ready for a clue

Well, two of the three elements you're looking for are indeed listed in your message

[Nick Armstrong]

this is getting slightly embarassing, hope Rubbers isn't looking in

Sakari Oramo is or has been conductor of the CBSO and the Stockholm Philharmonic but I can't find him connected to any other Venice of the North

Hercule no need for embarrassment (apart from the spelling of 'embarrassing' which used to be one of my blind spots so I sympathise ) - the O is indeed Oramo. Well done!

Read the question again - you're only looking for two 'serenissima' rivals, and you got em. The other element is the first part of the question...

[rubbernecker]

this is getting slightly embarassing, hope Rubbers isn't looking in

I wasn't, until just now, I've been away at the Guildhall going all daffodilly, but I'm not sure why you feel I would have needed to avert my eyes - you've obviously solved yet another case, Monsieur Hercule!

[Norfolk Born]

...and so cunning - I think Baldrick may have had a hand in its compilation!

[BetweenTheStaves]

sounds fun, if not a little mysterious

this O has taken a v....e.....r......y long time and I'm not even sure it's completely finished yet

And you thought my clues were cryptic! 10 out of 10 for solving it.

[Nick Armstrong]

I think it is all over bar the shouting for congratulatory drinks for Hercule .

The basic thrust of the question was that Mr Oramo was born in Helsinki (the most Northern of its kind i.e. European capital) and then progressed to leading positions in the orchestras of Birmingham and Stockholm (which as Hercule precisely identified are among those cities who are said to rival Venice in the waterways department).

You must be bursting for a P, Hercule

[rubbernecker]

ok, thanks, shouldn't take long

What P links

- a G-minor concerto
- a mammalian opera-ballet
- a sewing machine

Poulenc?

[rubbernecker]

Sorry the reasoning for Poulenc is:
The Organ Concerto is in Gm, if we are talking breasts (and let's) rather than mammals then Les Mamelles de Tiresias would fit the bill, Winnaretta Singer of the sewing machine fortune commissioned works from him.

[rubbernecker]

if you just give me Winny's other name the prize is yours

my foxy mammal belongs to another composer

Sorry, Hercule. I really thought Poulenc was it!

Well, I can give you Polignac but I can't finish my plate and I have to go now... Someone else can claim the laurels.

[Simon]

Polignac?

PS If correct I don't want the prize thank you! Away again Friday for a while. Nothing to do with it being Q. :cool2:

Good to see that my little thread is progressing: glad you are all enjoying the idea, which was not my original btw.

[rubbernecker]

Nothing to apologise for. Indeed Polignac (Princesse Edmond de , aka Winnaretta Singer) was the P I was lookiing for. She also commissioned Stravinsky's Renard (and much else besides of course)

Well the next letter, whatever that is, obviously belongs to rubbernecker. I guess we should all just relax until he returns.

Too kind. I set a Q last time round so I hope no one minds if I focus on an R this time?

[rubbernecker]

What R takes in the remainder of the stuffing mix?

[Nick Armstrong]

Too kind. I set a Q last time round so I hope no one minds if I focus on an R this time?

I mind.

[Nick Armstrong]

What R takes in the remainder of the stuffing mix?

Have you been at the diesel again, Baldrick?

[rubbernecker]

does that make it an anagram of something, a la Times crossword?

No, it's not an anagram. It's one either you know or you don't, googling won't really help. It's one Simon might get, if he's still around.

I'm surprised young Caliban hasn't got it as I know he knows it, even if he doesn't know he knows it.

I will wait a bit before posting any help.