Dr Keith Parry

Clearly age is not the important factor in music. I was in Toulouse on Thursday to see Martha Argerich - just as wonderful at nearly 84!

Tarmo Peltokoski is yet another Finnish conductor who is clearly going places. He has been Music Director of my local orchestra, the Orchestre National du Capitole de Toulouse, for the past couple of years and has been extremely impressive.

When will it be possible for me to see it/buy it?

First album I ever bought was 'Piper at the Gates of Dawn'. Can you imagine being 16 and hearing that for the first time?

I'm not familiar with this at all but the trailer looks fascinating.

I did. Everything was beautifully played.

I will be watching from the Digital Concert Hall.

Thank you for this. I am listening to these and find them fascinating - and I am a cultural historian!

What is the context? A Blue Henry was a sputum flask which carried by TB sufferers.

The white wines from Goriška Brda are superb.

There are also three symphonies, five concertos for orchestra and six piano concertos - lots to discover.

To find out if you like him, without spending money, the ballets ‘The Little Hump-Backed Horse’ and ‘Carmen Suite’ are both on YouTube, as is his opera ‘Dead Souls’, based on the Gogol novel. Other operas include ‘The Enchanted Wanderer’, ‘The Left-Hander’ and ‘Lolita’, based on the Nabokov novel.

10 favourite novels - no repeat authors:

1. Dead Souls
2. Sentimental Education
3. Fathers and Children
4. Ulysses
5. Germinal
6. The Decameron
7. Don Quixote
8. The Brothers Karamazov
9. Candide
10. The Good Soldier Svejk

Start with the amazing Symphony 21.

I'm going to start a campaign for Rodion Shchedrin next.

Have you tried Symphony 21?

When I lived in Gorizia I used to spend Saturdays in Ljubljana - it is a most beautiful capital city. Also, walking around Lake Bled in autumn was a joy.

1. Mahler 1
2. Shostakovich 8
3. Sibelius 2
4. Weinberg 21
5. Nielsen 5

1. Classical music
2. Other music
3. Art history
4. French 'Nouvelle Vague' films
5. Other European cinema
6. Travel
7. Good food and wine
8. Reading good fiction and non-fiction
9. Aston Villa
10. Worcestershire County Cricket

I could tell from the shape of the envelope! My prize is the satisfaction of getting it correct.

Then it must be 'El libro de los ascensores de Valparaíso'. Have I won a prize?

Breve historia del liceo de Concepción.

1. 'Dead Souls' Nikolai Gogol
2. 'Sentimental Education' Gustave Flaubert
3. 'Ulysses' James Joyce

Thank you for your very kind welcome. Looking forward to some interesting discussions.