Works
What is the point of John Cage's 4'33"?
How composer John Cage bemused, intrigued and (in some cases) angered New York with the sound of his silent new composition, 4'33"
The Last Post: what is its history and why is it played during Remembrance Day?
Played on the bugle, the Last Post is a poignant tune performed at remembrance services across the world. Jeremy Pound explores its history and significance
'The Skye Boat Song': what are the lyrics to this popular Scottish folk song?
Bonnie Prince Charlie's dramatic escape to the Isle of Skye inspired one of Britain's most famous folk songs, and opening song lines, 'Speed bonnie boat'. Here are song's lyrics in full
15 of the best stage musicals of all time
What are the cornerstones of musical theatre? Where should you begin? Here's 15 of the best musicals to get started!
Where did God Save the King come from? A guide to the history of the British national anthem
Andrew Green investigates the elusive origin and irresistible rise of Britain’s national anthem, 'God Save The King'
Best of Mozart: eight essential works
We choose the greatest pieces by Mozart, the legendary travelling composer
Hardest classical music to memorise: musicians choose the pieces they struggle to commit to memory
Best of Beethoven: Top 20 Beethoven works
Michael Tanner selects and explores Beethoven's top 20 must-hear masterpieces, choosing from the very best of the great composer's extensive output
Tchaikovsky's Queen of Spades (Pique Dame): the opera Tchaikovsky described as his finest achievement
Based on a novel by Alexander Pushkin, Tchaikovsky saw The Queen of Spades (Pique Dame) as his greatest achievement. Here, we tell the story of this opera and name its best recordings
The best horn concertos of all time
Horn player Ben Goldscheider describes the best horn concertos in the instrument's repertoire and why they’re such a joy to play
The 20 best operas of all time
Are these the best operas of all time? Or have we missed your favourite?
The greatest piano concertos of all time
These are some of the greatest piano concertos - the finest works ever written for piano with orchestra
The 20 Greatest Symphonies of all time
Which is the best-ever symphony? 151 of the world's leading conductors voted for what they thought to be the greatest symphonies ever written
Best symphonies by female composers
Until recently it was widely accepted that female composers avoided the symphonic form – but this assumption could not be further from the truth. Here are some of the greatest symphonies ever written by female composers
Irish classical music: how it originated and developed and Ireland's best composers
Terry Blain explores the richly varied classical music history of Ireland, from its folk roots in the 17th century to the brilliant young composers working today
Best Irish folk songs: 6 beautiful traditional Irish songs you can't help singing along to
Self-confessed folk obsessive Freya Parr shares her favourite 6 Irish folk songs
The best music for the accordion
The accordion is one of the most versatile instruments to write for, appearing most prevalently in South American music, but also cropping up in jazz and more traditional forms of classical music. We have rounded up a varied selection of the best accordion music for you to discover
A guide to Beethoven's Symphony No. 9
We delve into the revolutionary genius and lasting impact of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony
Elgar's Pomp and Circumstance Marches: what they are, when he composed them and their place in history
A guide to Elgar's rousing set of marches, which have been at the centre of many grand and state events including several coronations
The best works by Samuel Barber
We choose some of the finest works by the last great American Romantic, Samuel Barber
The best works by Grieg
We choose the best pieces by Norway's finest composer, Edvard Grieg
The best works by Benjamin Britten
We choose the greatest pieces by the great British composer, Benjamin Britten
Britten’s A Ceremony of Carols: the story behind it and its best recordings
Jeremy Pound takes a look at one of Britten's most popular festive works, A Ceremony of Carols
10 of the best songs from musicals
Great show tunes stick in the memory like nothing else, becoming household favourites. Here are 10 of our favourite songs from musical theatre on Broadway and the West End – with many more to come...