"Fugue State" by woozy

[woozy]

Just thought I'd try to pull together the unpulltogetherable:

FUGUE STATE

I'm always impressed by metas that incorporate an additional dimension and try to integrate external concepts. So I thought I'd try this. Didn't really know what I was going to do and ... boy, was it difficult to execute. But it all came together in the end.

I'm not going to pretend this isn't difficult and convoluted. But I really think (hope) I included enough prompts and clues to make it feasible.

Anyway, however easy or hard or enjoyable or frustrating it might be to work, I do think it is original and creative. Good luck.

You may need to google. (By the way if anyone knows of a video of Bach performed on a gamelan please let me know.)


Crosshare Link

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PDF file

(Sorry. No .puz file. I think it's because of the underbar breaks.)

[woozy]

Don't be intimidated just because it is intimidating.

Time for a nudge

► Show Spoiler

There are three isolated sections of the grid serving different purposes.

The two columns at the edges of the grid. Here are nudges how to fill them in.

There are a gazillion two letter across entries. They are weird and silly. They aren't meant to be hard but the clues clearly are contrived to fit the letters which seem not to even be words. Whatever purpose these columns serve, it's a pretty safe bet the two letter across entries only exist as arbitrary pairs of letters by the two columns.

The down clues for the extreme columns seem to be about musical ranges. Not they cross-reference each other. Use the clues for one to fill in the other

The two second to the edge columns seem to have silly clues and seem weird. What's going on? If you start to fill them in there should be a very obvious pattern. It's a safe bet the pattern came first and the entries were just a just a silly way to post-hoc interpret them as words. What is the pattern? What could it mean?

The little floating bit in the upper right corner with 3 across entries (two with 10 letters; on with eight) and several two and three letter downs)

The across clues are weird. They each have some description about "subject", "answer" and "counter-subject" and descriptions of musical ranges, Alto, Soprano, Bass and then a Cryptic strange convoluted wording on the other side of a :: break. The first descriptions probably describe the role these entries play in the meta. We don't know how the meta works so don't worry about that yet. The weird cryptic clues probably describe the actual entry. They are probably just some "put together strange words together and come with a creative way of describing them.

The down entries are more standard (although forced). Try to use these as cross clues to the acrosses

The rest of the grid

The rest of the grid seems to be a standard grid. The one thing weird about it is that several of the down entries seem to be cut in half into to entries (and separated, not be a black square, but by a bar break). Why is that? Who knows. Doesn't matter for now. How to fill in the grid? Just fill them in as if the entries weren't split in two.

[woozy]

Nudge 2: The theme, although not the metanism, Should be pretty obvious considering the title and and the first and last columns and several of the clues

I don't expect you to be an expert in the theme. You can google. You may find the page on wikipedia helpful

The Wikipedia Page

What do you think the two columns that are just the first 7 letters of alphabet in reverse order three times represent? In light of the theme of this puzzle?

The isolated section of the grid, the three across entries the talk about the Soprano, Alto and Bass, and have those force weird answers... Do you notice anything about the letters in this section of the grid. Have you seen those letters elsewhere?

Alternative sub title:I could have called this "Let's make music together"

This is the part of the wikipedia page that might be most useful. It's primarily what I used to make this meta.

[woozy]

After 48 hours we have 2 solvers. Pair O Ducks and kurtalert. One of (presumably) them even got it without hitting any Crosshare Reveals.

I'm glad to see this *is* solvable. "The main thing is to have a gutsy approach and use your head" --Julia Child. (And... follow instructions. They are all in plain sight.)

[woozy]

Nudge why are so many of the down entries in the main part of the grid cut in two? It has nothing to do with the two halfs of the entry or even the entries themselves. If i could have done this part of a grid without breaking the entries in two i would. All i wanted to do was *mark* this section of the grid

so the main section of the grid is divided in three parts. Do these three parts line up with anything else?

so the grid us divided in three parts. The top part associated with Soprano and a set of letters A to G. The middle part associated with Alto range and another set of letters A to G. And the bottom part associated with a third set of letters A to G

the isolated floating part of the grid refer to Alto, soprano and bass and gives you a sequence of letters A to G for each of them (and two for Alto)

okay, okay... the lettrrs A to G are musical notes. We are doing a fugue. The three voices (soprano alto bass) are going to play sequences of notes

where do those notes belong? Where do you find them one after another?

what about the four circles? Do they have anything to do with the four sequeces of notes?

i've alwsys liked metas that replicate things. A map? A labarynth? A trapeze artist leaping through the air and bouncing on a net? Why not sheet music?

[woozy]

Final nudges:

Each voice range (Alto, Soprano, Bass) have an octave range from G to F. These notes G to F are written on the side of the main grid in the two columns

Those columns F,E,D,C,B,A,G,F,E,D,C,B,A,G,F,E,D,C,B,A,G show you which line of the main grid represents which note

In the main grid find the notes that correspond to the ALTO voicing FEEDBAGFDA. find the notes corresponding to the SOPRANO voicing ABBAFEDCAB. Find the notes corresponding to the ALTO voicing EGGACFAD. Find the notes corresponding to the BASS voicing FEEDBAGFDA

But 38 doesn't equal 8!

The other part of the title is STATE. Why do you think I included the clues about a country with 50 states and a European region with 3 states?

4 times 2 does equal 8

[woozy]

So... If each row of the grid indicates a note. The ALTO voice needs to play the Subject, F,E,E,D,B,A,G,F,D,A and if it start in the circle, the letters in the grid that fall on those notes will read CALIFORNIA. The SOPRANO voice needs to play the Answer: A,B,B,A,F,E,D,C,A,B. Starting at the circle that spells DELAWARENO. The ALTO at the second circle needs to play E,G,G,A,C,F,A,D. Those squares play RTHCAROL. The BASS voice needs to play the subject INAESTONIA.

That spells: California, Delaware, North Carolina, Estonia whose codes, CA, DE, NC, ES will spell the word

CADENCE

[KayW]

Wow!!!! That is one impressive construction!! I have only a rudimentary knowledge of music, and fugues. I saw this was going to involve notes and patterns and... got a bit lost. I needed more remedial nudges, and this last one (the explanation, mapped out) is about the level I needed

[woozy]

Well, this was definitely the "If you drop a meta in the forest and it doesn't make a noise did anyone hear it" meta....

[whimsy]

Well, woozy, I actually did do the grid (not sure if you can tell on crosshare because I certainly couldn't come up with an entry; subject and potential method were way beyond my talents!) and that was nearly exercise enough!
I did like your alternative -- layman's -- clues to the three NW stand alone entries -- cute and clever! Enjoyed the grid (but did use a bit more than average "reveals"!