Our Puzzle 39 was the fourth of the Quatre poèmes de Sappho by Charles Chaynes, sung by Mady Mesplé with the Trio à cordes français, from this extremely fine disc whose works for string ensemble also strongly merit the attention of Members.

Our clue thereto was from a recording of Die Jakobsleiter by Arnold Schoenberg. The intention as stated was to help Members identify the singer although we are pleased to have introduced the work itself to at least one Member. While the Chaynes work itself is perhaps not completely unobscure we genuinely had thought a few Members would possess this recording. We certainly thought Mady Mesplé's voice unmistakable enough that the search should not be too difficult - she did not record so much contemporary repertoire after all...

Note that it remains possible for Member A to set an obscure work, but - not at the beginning but as the five days draw to a close - it will henceforth be in his interest to provide hints. However at the same point in time it may be in the interest of a second Member, Member B, not to respond to those hints, hoping thus to ensure that Member A will lose a sizeable number of bonus points. On the other hand, a third Member, Member C, may not care about A's total, but only about his own, and might thus in defiance of B indeed respond to the hints, giving himself 180 and A the bonus!