Regarding Shostakovich the proposal at this stage regarding concertos and suites is: Piano Concerto Nos. 1 & 2 Violin Concerto Nos. 1 & 2 Cello Concerto Nos. 1 & 2 Suites from The Unforgettable Year 1919, The Gadfly, & Hamlet If anyone has better suggestions please shout!

I posted this before (in 2019). Shostakovich's Vocal-Symphonic Poem - The Execution of Stepan Razin, Op. 119 to a libretto by the poet Yevgeny Yevtushenko in 1964 - youtu.be/_oOk15PI6aA Thanks to Jonathan Healey for the suggestion.

Alexander Scriabin 🇮🇪 🇷🇴 🇷🇺 🇨🇿 youtube.com/watch?v=wgPahP…

Yesterday, in answer to my request for Shostakovich suggestions, @mehditranslates and @bob_ballentine both suggested preludes and fugues. So, first have a look at this (it's only 7 mins) of Tatiana Nikolayeva talking about Shostakovich - youtu.be/yrlGGE3wM_Q

And now have a listen when you have time to Preludes and Fugues, Op.87, Book I performed by Tatiana Nikolayeva - youtu.be/ZyURjdnYQaU

I know Massenet's Meditation theme is played to death, but I am a great fan of the Armenian cellist Narek Hakhnazaryan, so here it is - youtu.be/jBcFoW3Q3UM

This is rather nice. Georges Bizet's Jeux d'enfants, 12 pieces for piano duet Op. 22 (1871) performed by Michel Béroff and Jean-Philippe Collard - youtu.be/Qr5CwoVRUOc

Edward Elgar's musical portrait of Edwardian London - the Cockaigne Overture - premiered on 20 June 1901 and went on to become one of his most popular works. (Cockaigne is a land of plenty in medieval myth, an imaginary place of extreme luxury and ease) - youtu.be/zjuwff9z9fs

This morning I finished writing a 108 page script for an online course on operations management. Now all I have to do is record the narration, and produce around 130 illustrations!! Well, it is a good use of lockdown I suppose.

Giovanni Paolo Cima (c. 1570 – 1630) was an Italian composer and organist and a contemporary of Monteverdi. Here is a sonata from his 1610 Concerti ecclesiastici, a collection that also includes a mass, two Magnificat settings, and five other sonatas - youtu.be/t5IqqXtMBxg

Since about 6 months after lockdown impositions last year, I have had the same nightmare every week. I think that is telling me I should start back drinking wine again!

And is my last inane post for today, what is it with wearing caps indoors? (image compiled from some YouTube channels I look at). And a sub-question is, what is it with wearing a peaked cap backwards?

Pierre-Gabriel Buffardin (1693-1768) was a French flutist and composer. This is his Concerto in E minor for Flute - youtu.be/oNxIP1_KBVk

Your thoughts on this are welcome. I have to wait until after 21.00 to share mine in case there are kids here!! - youtu.be/GQY_mwgisfo

On Gerard's behalf, I thank you all for your most kind wishes. I have posted a statement here operaodyssey.com/statement/ which will remain until the website is put into hibernation on Monday. Thank you most sincerely for some very thoughtful messages.