Alphabet associations - I

[Lateralthinking1]

I fear that my question is a bit obscure. A third clue is that the surname of the French composer begins with a G.

[mercia]

- An electronics wizard who developed a synthesizer for Disneyland - the man and his machine

Iceberg?

(I wonder if this question is leading to the thing that Anna says you musn't eat if taking warfarin?)

[Lateralthinking1]

Fantastic. Iceberg is correct mercia. Here is the Wiki entry about Michael Iceberg and the Amazing Iceberg Machine -

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Iceberg

Now you need the other ones cos they are required to have the M question.

[antongould]

lettuce hope mercia has them!

[mercia]

cos

[mercia]

lettuce hope mercia has them!

he doesn't, Anton, so feel free to takeover

[Lateralthinking1]

Just to recap, you are looking for

- a march by a 19th Century French composer whose surname begins with a G. The march has two titles and you need the earlier one.

- the birthplace of an American composer who changed his name from Alan and became known, among other things, for polyphony. The place is also home to a well known orchestra.

[mercia]

I've got an American composer named Alan from Somerville (near Boston ?) who changed his (Turkish) surname but not his forename

and Boston certainly fits into the lactucan theme

[Lateralthinking1]

Yes, it is Boston. The Boston Symphony Orchestra is one of the five American orchestras commonly referred to as the "Big Five". The composer isn't easy but I can confirm that he was born in 1930. At the age of 17, his String Quartet in four movements was premiered by the Ziegler Quartet from the Boston Symphony Orchestra. In the same year, he studied conducting with Bernstein.

He also dropped the name Dexter.

[mercia]

Avram David born Alan Dexter Kemler

http://necmusic.edu/archives/avram-david

I think I was getting confused as to someone who changed their name to Alan rather than from
Boston was obviously a lucky stab earlier. I can't fault you on giving clues, you're virtually giving it away
(not that I can find this French march)

[Lateralthinking1]

Yes, mercia, Avram David is correct. He was born Alan Dexter Kemler in Boston. Here are more details about the polyphony -

http://tech.mit.edu/V109/N14/new.14a.html

So you have Iceberg and Boston. You won't need a crisp head to find the third.

[mercia]

You are heading towards a conclusion.

sorry for my slowness. Working backwards from lettuce I find that Gounod's Marche pontificale is also called Marche romaine.

[Lateralthinking1]

Yes. It was originally called the Marche Romaine. Iceberg, Boston, Romaine. Three lettuces. You did very well indeed. Have M.

[mercia]

Three lettuces. You did very well indeed. Have M.

brilliant original question it may be a while before M appears, but I don't think people are waiting on baited breath

[Anna]

Sorry, but Boston lettuce is not a term used in the UK? It's what we call a Butterhead lettuce I think?