Clara Butt: her generation's greatest contralto, or the butt of a cruel joke?
Clara Butt may be remembered chiefly as a cardboard cut-out figure of fun – notorious enough for Disney to lampoon as Clara Cluck. But, says Andrew Green, it's time to readdress her reputation
This is one of the most heartwarming moments you'll see on a concert stage
When Lisette Oropesa cued up an encore that required a tenor onstage, there seemed to be a problem. Enter one Liu Jianwei...
Poems for kids: 11 magical verses for younger readers
Poetry can be a great way for kids to discover music and literature, so we've flicked through the archives and have gathered together some of the best poetry for kids.
Mahler style guide: ten musical fingerprints scattered across his symphonies
As distinctive as they are groundbreaking, Mahler’s symphonies are characterised by themes that have their own story to tell, as Stephen Johnson explains
Berlioz Symphonie fantastique: the pathetic tale of a composer desperately seeking a girlfriend
Why are lovestruck composers quite so pathetic? How Berlioz's infatuation with actress Harriet Smithson led him to compose his monumental Symphonie fantastique – only to be distracted by another woman
Ouch! Five terrible treatments of the piano
Little known Beethoven works: 11 overlooked gems from the revolutionary composer
Think you know Beethoven? Think again with our tour of 11 little known Beethoven gems, from Wellington's Victory to the Andante favori
The Reformation: the seismic event that brought vivid colours to church music
Martin Luther’s Reformation opened the doors to a more colourful church music landscape. Simon Heighes explores how composers adapted to their new licence to thrill
Lesser known piano concertos: 11 great works for soloist and orchestra you might not know
Today's top performers recommend piano concertos that have been undeservedly overlooked
Prog rock: in praise of classical music's unruly cousin
What happens when classical music-style levels of ambition, invention and sheer length are grafted onto pop music? The answer, as Meurig Bowen explains, is Prog Rock
Meet the most fascinating figures from classical music
Who is Alexandre Kantorow? The exciting young pianist described as 'Liszt reincarnated'
The exciting young French pianist shares with Jessica Duchen the enormous thrills of performing at the 2024 Paris Olympics and winning the 2019 Tchaikovsky Competition
Dennis Brain: the British virtuoso who brought the sound of the French horn to millions
Dennis Brain inspired a generation of musicians and music fans alike. Andrew Green traces the meteoric rise and tragic end of the French horn virtuoso
Wendy Carlos: trans pioneer and creator of Stanley Kubrick's creepiest soundtracks
In 1968, Wendy Carlos’s Switched-On Bach became an instant best-seller. As the experimental composer turns 85, Nick Shave looks back at her life and career
The great composers
Explore the lives and works of classical music's finest composers
Alexander Scriabin: mystic, avant-gardist, devil worshipper
Surrounded by controversy throughout his life, the composer Alexander Scriabin did little to discourage people from seeing him as a kind of Messiah, as pianist and Scriabin devotee Yevgeny Sudbin explains
Honestly, it's never too late. These seven composers hit a brilliant creative peak in middle or old age
Who were the composers who produced their masterpieces in later life? Rebecca Franks finds out
Best Polish composers: eleven great musical figures, from Chopin to Penderecki
John Allison explores how Poland’s turbulent history has left an exceptional musical heritage
Thomas Tallis: the ultimate Tudor survivor
The Tudor era was rarely a safe place to be - but its greatest composer Thomas Tallis had the guile and talent to survive its many perils
Greatest Recordings
Our recommendations of essential additions to your listening library
Mahler Symphony 5: a guide to this journey from darkness to triumph, and its best recordings
We name the greatest recordings of Mahler's legendary Fifth Symphony
18 weird and wonderful Christmas album covers: our pick of the best
Christmas over the years has inspired a glorious array of quirky covers from record company designers. We present our favourites…
Essential Christmas albums: 10 timeless recordings to get you in the Christmas spirit
What is the perfect music to get oneself into the festive spirit? We ask ten of our writers to name the albums they couldn’t imagine Yuletide without
Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto No. 1: the story of a Romantic showstopper and its best recordings
Claire Jackson explains how this king of the concert hall triumphed despite its inauspicious start in life, and presents the best recordings of Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto No. 1
Albums of the week
A selection of the best reviewed albums from the latest issue of BBC Music Magazine
Review: Scarlatti: A Man of Genius (Francesco Corti)
In his review, Nicholas Anderson enjoys the bravura of the Italian harpsichordist Francesco Corti’s survey of these evocative solo works by Domenico Scarlatti
Review: Block: Chamber Works (ARC Ensemble)
In his review, Erik Levi enjoys discovering the life and music of exiled Austrian composer Frederick Block in this superb ARC Ensemble album
Review: The Salvage Men (Eric Ericson Chamber Choir)
The Eric Ericson Chamber Choir shine in this outstanding selection of modern works for choir by US composers, says Kate Wakeling in her review
Audio equipment reviews and advice
A selection of the best reviewed albums from the latest issue of BBC Music Magazine
Audio gift guide 2024: perfect gifts for audio lovers this Christmas, at every price point
From cute bedside radios to tantalising turntables, Chris Haslam suggests a wide range of perfect gifts for audio lovers this Christmas
How to get the most from your Spotify subscription
Our expert Chris Haslam gives valuable advice on getting the very best from your Spotify subscription as a classical music listener