Alphabet associations - I

[Norfolk Born]

Sergei Prokofiev opus 18 - The Ugly Duckling
was what I was thinking, possibly wrongly, in the middle of the night

Ducks don't honk, they quack. Geese honk.

[Anna]

Yes indeed. "Aesthetically Challenged Farmyard Fowl" - I love that!
Perhaps you could kindly take on the V, Anna? Mercia is apparently shell-shocked.
(so long as the answer is not Valentine )

Curses Flay! You have just answered my puzzle - the answer is indeed Valentine!
I'm afraid I am going to be offline in a moment until quite late and mercia did all the work, so if he doesn't want to perhaps someone else who hasn't set one recently (Caliban possibly or ferney or Norfy as he is a duck expert?) would oblige...

[subcontrabass]

If I was being very picky I would say geese go honk not ducklings

And the "Ugly Duckling" was a swan.

[Anna]

And the "Ugly Duckling" was a swan.

True! And swans are mute aren't they. so neither honk nor quack? Or, do they hiss?

[Norfolk Born]

I can proffer a 'V', if required...

[cloughie]

I can proffer a 'V', if required...

I'm happy to give you the sign if others are!

[Flay]

Gosh, I've caused a farmyard kerfuffle here. In my defence, if you google "ugly" (which mercia got from the first part of the clue) & "honk" it takes you straight to the Hans Christian Andersen adaptation, and from there you could have got the Prokofiev. As clear as slurry!

[Norfolk Born]

OK..
What 'V' links a premiere in Petrograd while World War I was still in progress, a premiere in Paris during World War II, and a composition by a Norwegian organist?

[mercia]

thanks for the question Flay, I didn't mean to pick it apart
and thanks to Norfie for offering a question

[mercia]

OK..
What 'V' links a premiere in Petrograd while World War I was still in progress, a premiere in Paris during World War II, and a composition by a Norwegian organist?

the Norwegian one is eluding me, unless it's their 1992 Eurovision entry, which seems unlikely

[Norfolk Born]

Your reference to Eurovision tells me that you have the other two - yes? The organist has collaborated with a famous Norwegian saxophonist.

[Norfolk Born]

Absence alert! I shall be offline from 1400 hours until approximately 1615 hours. mercia, who very possibly has the idea (or anybody else who's cracked it, of course) may wish to break cover before I temporarily disappear, but I'm equally happy to leave the question open until I return.

[mercia]

all I have so far is Prokofiev's Visions fugitives of 1918 (the Petrograd premiere) and Messiaen's Visions de l'amen of 1943.
the Norwegian still eludes me.

[cloughie]

Norwegian composer Kvandal Visions Norwegienne anything to do with it?

[Norfolk Born]

Prokofiev 1918
Messiaen 1943:
The third set of visions sound as if they last for ever....