A Kochlöffel—literally a kitchen spoon, metaphorically a busybody. Helen Kamioner couldn't wait to tell on herself when somebody called her that, to her face. She viewed the Human Comedy with gusto, and she played her part in it the same way, forever mixing things up, stirring the pot. Had musical comedy been her métier, Hello, Dolly! would have fit her like a pair of party gloves, likewise Sweeney Todd's pie-baking accomplice Mrs. Lovett ("You know me, bright ideas just pop into me head and I keep thinking ...") Her métier, in fact, was public relations, chiefly in the field of classical music.

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I have an item in today's Air Mail about Sam Ezersky, a puzzle editor for the New York Times, and his daily brain-teaser Letter Boxed. Much as I like Wordle and love Spelling Bee (which Ezersky edits), the open-ended, kaleidoscopic Letter Boxed is my puzzle passion. For those who would like to see how one might go about solving it, here's a real example. The rules are simple. String letters into words, always moving from one side of the box to another. To begin a new word, start with the first letter of the last word.

OK, let's crack this.

My first stab: ETCH – HYPE – EMBERS – SUITE. Four words! Par.

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This is just to alert you to the publication of my portrait of Gran Wilson, a fine tenor who dropped off my radar some three decades ago. Then a former student of his whom I was writing about mentioned his name. I made contact with Gran just for a quote. But we got to exchanging reminiscences, and his stories--not just the events but his thoughts about the people he'd worked with--were stories I had to share. Classical Voice North America rose to the bait, and here's a link. I think you'll love this voice.

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Once again, allow me to point you to a story of mine in Classical Voice North America. The subject is the young British conductor Henry Kennedy, whom I happened to meet at Riccardo Muti's rehearsals for Beethoven's Ninth Symphony with the Chicago Symphony in June. Turns out Henry was one of the chosen conductors for Muti's fiercely selective Italian Opera Academy the previous December. Since then, as his increasingly busy schedule allows, Henry continues to look in on Muti's work.

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