Alphabet associations - I

[mercia]

Jacques Offenbach wrote a very large number of operettas, including Robinson Crusoé, Le Docteur Ox, and Le voyage dans la lune .

thank you, thank you, thank you
all very logical when question and answer are put together

[vinteuil]

I did enjoy subcontra's O...


EDIT - I set an ill-formed question, which I now withdraw for further pondering. Please talk among yourselves. I may be some time

[subcontrabass]

I did enjoy subcontra's O...

I may be some time

Bach soon, Offenbach sooner.

[Norfolk Born]

I didn't know this either!!!

If I were of a referee-like mentality, my hand would perhaps be moving thoughtfully towards the pocket with the yellow cards: can "monothematic" be described as a "thing", "a musical something" as per the clues? I for one was looking for something concrete (I was thinking 'metronome' ), not a characteristic or a concept.

I suppose we'll just chalk it down as "fiendish" (*replaces yellow card in pocket*)

"Football's a contact sport, Jimmy"

I submit that it's an adjective, your Honour.

[Tapiola]

Truly a victory for common sense that Official Caliban retained the yellow card in his pocket

If I had stated "concept" or "adjective" I fear it would have been too easy. Then again, I did say a "quick" M.

I plead insanity, on the grounds that my head was full of that pesky Gromadsky's Shostakovich singing, the putative dates of this or that recording and the fear that Anna would murder me for muddying the issue unduly.

As for the erstwhile "O" - a masterpiece of cunning.

[vinteuil]

I may be some time

apologies for delay - supper rather than Elgar...

Now for that P

"There's something familiar about these pieces by Grétry, Walton, and Battistelli..."

[Tapiola]

I hope people aren't suggesting that it wasn't an act of utter brilliance that the answer 'monothematic' was attained from those clues?
That's alright then.

I for one was most impressed, mercia. I had thought it rather less than googleable.

[Anna]

Now for that P

"There's something familiar about these pieces by Grétry, Walton, and Battistelli..."

Well, I was going to say Plantagenet, as they all composed Richard but suddenly thought although Richard I was, Richard III was House of York of course!

Edit: Not sure that I read clue correctly, so familiar is the thing to find.

[vinteuil]

Anna - got it in one! - all kings from the House of Plantagenet -

Gretry's opera Richd Coeur de Lion
Walton's Henry V
Giorgio Battistelli's Richard III (he may have been a Yorkie - but he was still a Plantagenista... indeed the last Plantagenet king, succeeded by the tudor HVII )

Gissa nice Q ...

[Tapiola]

Well done Anna.

And here was me over-reading the word "familiar" and thinking that the answer had something to do with the occult, witches, black cats...

[Nick Armstrong]

over-reading the word "familiar" and thinking that the answer had something to do with the occult, witches, black cats...

[Anna]

Well done Anna.

And here was me over-reading the word "familiar" and thinking that the answer had something to do with the occult, witches, black cats...

But I thought exactly that as well!! I had no idea Plantagenet would be right, it was really a guess, and now I have another Q (I've done two Qs already)

So, not being prepared and bearing in mind I have to be offline in a couple of hours, here is a very quick and easy Q One word, not a composer, but musically linked.

Fancy a dance? Blow that for a game of soldiers, I'm writing an Ode.

[Tapiola]

Ana,

Has it anything to do with Stravinsky?

[Anna]

Ana,

Has it anything to do with Stravinsky?

Sorry, he's not one of the composers, shall I add another couple of clues? Remember, one common word, all very well known pieces.

"Ooh, here she comes, isn't she dark?"

[Tapiola]

Anna,

Apologies for spelling your name the Spanish way in my last post. The "N" key on this keyboard has a tendency to stick. BTW, is there a Welsh variant of Anna?

Still clueless about Q.