Off We Go by Phi

Puzzle explanation

Removals from the grid mimicked the musicians’ leaving the stage in Haydn’s Farewell Symphony (No. 45). The original performance in 1772 ended with two players remaining, one of whom was Haydn; here, just H for Haydn is left in the top part of the grid. The highlighted empty cells in the top row contained STAGE.

Clue explanations

Conventions: * = anagram, < = reversal

No Misprint/removed letters Answer Explanation
Across
1   WAURST WARS around U + (lec)T(ure)
6 (H)and AGENCY (r)ACY around GEN
10   SHEER-HULK SULK around (H + HERE *)
11 (ai)ring OLDIE O + LIE around D
12 (ran)king RASCAL R + A + SCAL(e)
13 (woo)den DEEM DE(n) + EM
14 c(A)ll RING (b)RIG around N
16   CLAUD CLAD around U
18 (mis)take CERN R in CEN
19   RESCUED RES(t) + CUED
22   ACOLD ACOL + D(efrost)
24 Past(Y) ASHEN ASH + (th)E (decoratio)N
25 A(ire) SIMILAR (R + A + LIMITS − T) <
26 fa(ncy) FARE RE after FA
29   LIE TO 2 meanings
30 w(alk)ing KITE KIT + E(xcited)
31 R(age) BRIG R in BIG
33   HUMUSY HUM + BUSY − B
34   PHONY PONY around H(ouse)
35   ANALEMMAS ANAL + M in SAME <
36   CESURA SURA after CE
37 t(all) ASTARE ASTARTE − T
Down
1 co(ur)t WOODCRAFT (WARD OF COT) *
2   ALLELES ALLES around LE
3 t(ul)ips URDÉ (colo)UR DE(sired)
4 chi(D)e SHEND SH + END
5   TERRIES TIES around ERR
6 (N)est AERIE I in AERE
7   GRANNAM (RAN + N) in GAM
8   NUCLEOLE U in (ONE CELL) *
9 den(ts) CLAIR C(ar) + LAIR
15 grey(hen) ANDROGYNE (GREY AND NO) *
17 (Sc)are ASHRAMAS A + SHAMAS around R
20   UNWISER (RUINS WE) *
21   DILEMMA I’D < + (M + M) in LEA
23   LATINER LATER around (I + N)
27 roll(ed) ABUNE E after (A + BUN)
28 m(err)y ETYMA (A + MY + T + E) <
29 (gl)ass LIPAS LIP + AS(s)
32 o(rde)r ROMA OR < + MA
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