Articles
Narcissist, adulterer, social climber, frustrated genius... Who was Alma Mahler?
Thwarted as a composer, was Gustav Mahler's wife, Alma Mahler, really a ‘boundless narcissist’? Perhaps a troubled soul lurked beneath...
Best Romantic composers: from Beethoven to Rachmaninov, 19 giants of Romanticism in music
From Beethoven and Schubert via Mendelssohn and Mahler to Strauss and Rachmaninov, we pore over the greatest composers from the Romantic era, renowned for its grand musical passions and dramas
Music eras: what are the different periods of classical music?
Michael Beek guides us through the different historical periods of classical music, from the medieval times to the modern day
'A man of the highest honour and dignity'? Iconic tenor Enrico Caruso arrested for 'annoying women' at Central Park Zoo
In 1906 the celebrated Italian tenor was caught by police and arrested for persistently trailing women in the New York monkey house
Ayanna Witter-Johnson: composer, singer and cellist who combines classical, hip-hop, soul and reggae
The London-born singer, composer and instrumentalist combines multiple influences in her passionate songs about race and history
Best Mahler symphony: ranking the nine completed symphonies of Gustav Mahler
We've ranked all nine Mahler masterpieces from our least favourite to the absolute best
The Creation: how Haydn came to compose the greatest triumph of his career
The story of how Haydn came to write his great oratorio, The Creation - a musical masterpiece perfectly attuned to the spirit of its age
The best bluetooth speakers to take on your travels
Which are the best speakers to take on holiday with you? Here's our handy guide to battery life, connectivity, waterproof ratings and a whole lot more...
'There's a crisis in violin playing': Anne-Sophie Mutter on mental health and today's 'one-dimensional' style'
Violinist Anne-Sophie Mutter discusses her admiration for tennis star Roger Federer, the key role of jazz in her musical upbringing and more
'Sometimes it's too intense and intimate’: just how important is eye contact between musicians?
Eye contact can be an incredibly important form of musical communication – yet some conductors barely look at the orchestra. So just how valuable is it exactly in practice? Ariane Todes investigates
Imogen Holst - why Gustav's self-effacing daughter deserves the spotlight in her own right
Her devotion to others was admirable, but this modest composer should be celebrated for her own considerable talents, says Leah Broad
Louise Farrenc: six of her best works
The reputation of the 19th century composer Louise Farrenc continues to grow, and deservedly so. Here are six of her best works
The 'Eroica': a guide to the Beethoven symphony that changed the course of classical music forever
We analyse the genius and revolutionary inspiration behind Beethoven's extraordinary, epoch-making Third Symphony, the 'Eroica'
'My life with Sinatra, Marilyn and Doris Day': Leonard Slatkin on growing up on a Hollywood soundstage
As he marks his 80th birthday, conductor Leonard Slatkin shares his lifelong connection to the music of Hollywood
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'A perfect gay marriage before the concept was invented': Britten and Pears, gay pioneers
John Bridcut on one of the 20th century's truly great magical pairings
Nicola Benedetti on what it takes to win BBC Young Musician... and how to survive afterwards
When violinist Nicola Benedetti won BBC Young Musician in 2004, a million-pound recording contract soon followed. As this year’s competition approaches, she remembers that important day...
'The car flipped over, pinning him underneath': the great composer whose need for speed nearly killed him
In 1903, this Italian composer and lover of fast cars flipped his car over in freezing fog. He very nearly didn't live to tell the tale
Songs about flowers: 14 of the greatest, from Benjamin Britten to Nina Simone
Flowers crop up in all corners of the musical repertoire. What's more surprising is the range of moods and meanings that they have come to signify
The Franz Liszt thong, the Mozart bra... and 13 more dubious classical composer brands
Franz Liszt has lent his name to a thong, Mozart to a bra, and Chopin to a bidet. Welcome to the bizarre world of composer branding...
Why did this prog rock legend turn to writing classical music?
Genesis keyboard player Tony Banks was a seminal figure in the 1970s prog rock movement. Now, he's pivoted into classical music. Jeremy Pound quizzes him on his musical journey
Why the multi-talented Quincy Jones is an inspiration for musicians of every genre
Composer Carlos Simon on taking inspiration from the iconic, multi-talented and extremely busy Quincy Jones
Malice, murder and mystery... Amadeus - the greatest musical story ever told on film
‘Everything you’ve heard is true,’ proclaimed the posters for Miloš Forman’s Amadeus – a cinematic tale of genius and envy, based on Peter Shaffer’s acclaimed stage play about Mozart and Salieri’s bitter rivalry. Forty years on, Charlotte Smith looks back at a very special production
From Bach to Hans Zimmer: the 20 best German composers of all time - and where to start with each
Germany has produced some of the greatest compositional voices in history – many of whom are considered among the best across the entire globe. Here are some of the very best - and a musical gateway into each one