Meet the most fascinating figures from classical music
Virtuosos: seven incredible musicians we wish we'd seen play live
The BBC Music Magazine team chooses the virtuosos from history they would love to have seen perform
‘The whistles and boos were terrifying… but the show must go on!’: baritone Nicola Alaimo
Meet Gautier Capuçon: the intrepid French cellist who played at the top of Mont Blanc
A spirited adventurer, cellist Gautier Capuçon recently performed while suspended by wires high above the Alps, as Anthony Cheng reports
The great composers
Explore the lives and works of classical music's finest composers
From chemical experiments to engine design, these are the most inventive composers
Rebecca Franks explores how some composers moved beyond music to apply their creativity to all sorts of scientific and practical inventions
We ranked the 25 greatest British composers of all time
We asked 167 top international musicians to vote for the best British composers of all time. Here are the results… Do you agree - and who was voted number one?
Millions of listeners love the music of Einaudi. They can’t all be wrong
Meandering and often melancholic, the music of Ludovico Einaudi is also extraordinarily popular. So, asks Tom Service, what is its great appeal?
7 great composers... and the dark secret that haunted the Romantic era
Romantic composers were passionate, sensual and untrammelled in their desires. Sadly, this meant a surge in deaths a particularly unwelcome disease
Greatest Recordings
Our recommendations of essential additions to your listening library
'All-conquering': inside Bach's mighty B minor Mass – and its greatest recording
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
Outliers: these 21 albums sound like nothing else their bands ever made
Some albums defy expectations. From Beatles to Neil Young, these outliers reveal bands daring to experiment... and sometimes bewildering their fans
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
These are the 31 greatest classical albums to start your collection
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
Albums of the week
A selection of the best reviewed albums from the latest issue of BBC Music Magazine
Review: Bach: Six Suites (Marc Sabbah, viola)
Marc Sabbah is superbly eloquent in the Cello Suites, says Jan Smaczny
Review: Gay Guerrilla: Julius Eastman, Volume 5
Wild Up’s fifth volume of Julius Eastman works is soulfully performed, writes Claire Jackson
Review: Shostakovich: Symphony No. 1, etc (Philharmonia/Rouvali)
Rouvali’s daring recording brings early Shostakovich to life, says Erik Levi
Rock music
Explore rock music
This ill-fated band created a masterpiece... then broke up just before the world realised
They created a psychedelic masterpiece, broke up... and watched helplessly as their biggest hit became a worldwide sensation without them
'A total disaster': 11 albums rock's greatest bands just wish they could forget
Even the greatest artists stumble – or feel they did. Here are 11 albums their makers later dismissed, ignored, or outright disowned
These 11 bands mutated beyond recognition (no. 7 went in the opposite direction to the rest)
Some bands identify a sound and stick with, others are happy to change lanes and explore new sonic territories
Audio equipment reviews and advice
A selection of the best reviewed albums from the latest issue of BBC Music Magazine
From the barbecue to the pool, these are the portable Bluetooth speakers you must have for summer 2026!
Our audio expert Chris Haslam recommends go-anywhere speakers for top summer listening
Active speakers: setting up a stereo has never been so simple
We introduce the best active stereo speakers for quick and easy set-up
The serious flaw in Spotify’s plan to distinguish humans from AI
Spotify’s new method of distinguishing AI-generated music from that made by real people is laudable… but sadly flawed, says Tom Service
