9W

A blast from the past, you are given the answer but what was the question. A curiosity from the 1970s, I offer the following.
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9W

9W is the answer but what can the question be?
Quite simple is the question as you can plainly see.
The question was addressed to him, a musical man of note.
An opera composer, the Ring Cycle he wrote.

So looking at the answer
the question can only be.
Herr Wagner when you spell your name,
do you spell it with a Vee?