Recordings
Appalachian Spring: Aaron Copland's masterful evocation of America's wide open spaces
The 1940s ballet Appalachian Spring has become one of Copland’s most popular works. And its true American spirit has inspired many great recordings, finds Anthony Burton
Ludovico Einaudi, Ryuichi Sakamoto, Max Richter: 18 definitive ambient classical albums you should hear
The best post-classical albums and modern masterpieces to inspire and move you
Bruckner's Fifth Symphony: a work almost destroyed by well-meaning but misguided acolytes
Devout yet unconventional, Bruckner’s Fifth has long been misjudged, says Terry Williams, who finds which recordings reveal its greatness
Simon Rattle and the Berlin Philharmonic: seven of the best recordings
The British conductor spent 16 years at the helm of the Berlin Philharmonic. Together, they created landmark recordings of some of classical music's best loved works
Pictures at an Exhibition: a guide to Mussorgsky's original piano masterpiece and its best recordings
Jessica Duchen chooses three of the best recordings of Musorgsky's evocative masterpiece - in its original piano version
The best recording of each Beethoven symphony to add to your collection
No composer changed the symphony more radically than Beethoven... Here is a guide to all nine of his symphonies and their best recordings
Rachmaninov's Symphonic Dances: four great recordings of this masterpiece - and one to avoid
The greatest recordings on disc of the Russian composer Rachmaninov's final orchestral masterpiece, the Symphonic Dances, full of vibrant colour and driving rhythms
Brahms Symphony No. 3: a guide to his most enigmatic symphony and its best recordings
Terry Williams finds the best recordings of Brahms’s Third, one of the composer’s greatest triumphs yet one of his most paradoxical pieces
Bach Mass in B minor: a guide to this monumental sacred masterpiece and its best recordings
The sheer variety and craftsmanship of JS Bach’s final choral masterpiece, Mass in B minor, enthral Paul Riley as he chooses the finest recordings
The Planets by Holst: a guide to this truly cosmic work and its best recordings
We bring you the best recordings of each movement of Holst's The Planets
Mozart's violin concertos: the best recordings
Julian Haylock sends a couple of false pretenders packing as he searches out the best recordings of Mozart’s violin concertos
Mendelssohn's Piano Trio No. 1 in D minor: a guide to a great chamber work and its best recordings
Jo Talbot celebrates the ‘Mozart of the 19th century’ as she searches out the finest recordings of this masterful work for piano, violin and cello
Ryuichi Sakamoto: the best recordings
We rank the essential albums of Ryuichi Sakamoto, the pioneering film composer, electronic artist and solo performer
Six of the best landmark jazz recordings
Jazz has undergone many changes of style over the last century, not least with the arrival of rock music. Neil McKim picks out some pivotal concerts
Five of the best albums by jazz pianist Dave Brubeck
Dave Brubeck's rhythmic and tonal free-wheeling helped him become the epitome of 1950s and ’60s cool. We name his best recordings on disc
The best jazz albums released in 2021 so far
A list of the greatest jazz albums released in 2021, as chosen by BBC Music Magazine critics Garry Booth, Barry Witherden and Roger Thomas
The 50 greatest recordings of all time
Our round-up of the best must-have performances of classical music. Update your collection with the great symphonies, choral works, operas, chamber and instrumental works
The best recordings of all Beethoven's Symphonies
From the light, lively opening of the First to the famous 'Ode to Joy' of the Ninth, we choose the best sets of Beethoven Symphonies
La Nativité du Seigneur: a guide to Messiaen's Christmas organ cycle and its best recordings
In his nine-movement depiction of the birth of Christ, La Nativité du Seigneur, Messiaen produced one of the 20th century’s great organ works, says Paul Riley
The best recordings of Mahler's Rückert-Lieder
Whether reflecting on the scents of spring or the darkness of night, Mahler’s five settings of Rückert poems inspire Hilary Finch as she chooses the best recordings
The best recordings of Elgar's Falstaff
From inn to battlefield, Elgar’s symphonic portrayal of Shakespeare’s rotund knight Falstaff is one of his most colourful creations. Jeremy Pound raises a toast to the best recordings
Gaspard de la Nuit: a guide to Ravel’s haunting cycle and its best recordings
Rebecca Franks explores the twilight world of Ravel’s haunting and nightmarish cycle, Gaspard de la nuit, and finds the best recording of this virtuosic work
The best recordings of JS Bach's Brandenburg Concertos
We reveal the finest recordings of Bach's six orchestral masterpieces, his Brandenburg Concertos
The best recordings of Rachmaninov's Piano Concerto No. 2
We bring you the finest recordings on disc of Rachmaninov's most cherished concerto...