The BBC Music Magazine PRIZE CROSSWORD NO. 352

The first correct solution of our crossword picked at random will win a copy of The Oxford Companion to Music. A runnerup will win Who Knew? Answers to Questions about Classical Music (see www.oup.co.uk). Send answers to: BBC Music Magazine, Crossword 352/Nov, PO Box 501, Leicester, LE94 0AA to arrive by 29 Oct 2020 (solution in Jan 2021 issue).

ACROSS

1 Weill’s wife seen in meadow around Northern yard (5)

4 Great soprano? Braying character ultimately appreciated nothing, on reflection (5,4)

9 Vague relative having reduced appreciation of music (7)

10 French composer almost bound to involve the French (7)

11 Earnestly promises to pay, investing in broken lyres (9)

12 Half of En Saga in encore? (5) 14 Where many bands play expectantly? (2,3,4)

17 Pop star staying, taking a year out (5)

18 Selection from opera re rhubarb is less common (5)

20 Fabulous folk at sea providing stage for King and I – source of true gaiety (9)

22 Tour gutted in cut-back?

Here’s additional item (5)

23 First orchestra playing

Piazzolla’s instrument (9) 25 Prokofiev? You could make him real big (7)

26 Company in setback: diva’s song interrupted by new wind instrument (7)

27 Ideal group for staging Britten or Mendelssohn? (5,4)

28 Duet arranged – heart of sweet piece by Chopin? (5)

DOWN

1 Reuse violin abandoned by

French composer (5,6)

2 Better sources of notes recalled

without reserve (5)

3 A little interrupted by openings of special orchestral music – marvellous (7)

4 In France I demand to block

curious patriotic British song (9) 5 Lively one with a couple of pianos

in New York (5)

6 Solver beginning to manufacture

answer for ‘US composer’ (7) 7 Tire, sadly, with Lloyd Webber musical turning up on a repeated basis (9)

8 Foremost of Donizetti opera

characters – Malatesta? (3)

13 4 across, say, indicative of

nocturnal storm? (11) 15 Performer with story about bishop

providing wherewithal for DJ? (9) 16 Pianist’s basic new book on

Italian Music, primarily (9)

19 One soprano in the country?

It’s the plain truth (7)

21 Respond to pandemic, say – is

start of opera long delayed? (7) 23 Fellow brought in bundle for

Irish composer (5)

24 Job getting dancer to perform

this role? (5)

25 Jupiter, perhaps – good after overlooking a second from

Mozart (3)