BBC Music Magazine February 2009

This was crossword No. 200 in the series, and came with a small thematic element.

X = ‘nickname of work by composer who died 200 years ago’ (puzzle published in 2009)

ACROSS

7 X is verifiable, seen around a library’s centre (6)

8 Modified piece accepted by oboe? (8)

9 Work from 200 years ago – confused re correct mono EP (7,8)

10 Brass instrument’s position’s cut, second being dismissed (4-4)

11 X – some problem I’d identified (2,4)

13 X getting single cut by academic (6)

15 I run on initially ignoring composer’s mocking (6)

18 Sweet song for two involving large contralto (6)

20 Drinking health of a pop star after a good deal of chart success (8)

22 X with crude mutter paramount (7,8)

24 Repeated part isn’t too awful at first, after variation (8)

25 Praise feasible for X (6)

DOWN

1 X – what’s curiously amusing about drink (4,4)

2 Note in scale possibly produced by piano I construe (10)

3 Lanza, say, putting out beginning thus, in songlike style (6)

4 Britten librettist runs after founder of singing group (8)

5 Composer having some particular needs (4)

6 Uncommonly sedate, like most audiences (though not the Prommers) (6)

8 Contemporary US musical about the church (6)

12 Dull number presented in monaural, in our view (10)

14 Forbidden end of cable on back part of listening system (5,3)

16 Study role in Trial by Jury – John Wellington Wells? (8)

17 A start to tone poem redone at the original speed (1,5)

19 Doubtful without question about note, and worried (6)

21 Finnish soprano missing first Verdi opera (6)

23 Power and position in ballet step (4)