Meet the most fascinating figures from classical music
Piano ‘accompanists’ rarely get the recognition they so richly deserve
Agatha Christie: crime novelist and wannabe opera singer
Did legendary crime novelist Agatha Christie once harbour ambitions to become an opera singer? Andrew Green follows the clues…
Daniel Barenboim reveals the composer who's been his lifelong fascination
Pianist and conductor Daniel Barenboim talks about his deep relationship with Beethoven's music
The great composers
Explore the lives and works of classical music's finest composers
Sophia Maria Westenholz: trailblazing 18th century pianist, singer, composer - and mother to eight children
Pianist Wu Qian tells the story of an extraordinary musician and composer who defied attitudes of the day to rise to the top of her profession
Grace Williams: the Welsh composer with steel in her soul
For long neglected outside her own nation, the Welsh composer is starting to enjoy her time in the sun again, explains Geraint Lewis
Steve Reich: the pioneering minimalist composer who brought tonality back to music
As he approaches 90, the US composer Steve Reich tells Tom Service about his pride in playing an important part in bringing tonality and pulse back to music
'Great'? These five composers are simply overrated
We invite five of our writers to reveal those whose feted talents leave them seriously underwhelmed
Greatest Recordings
Our recommendations of essential additions to your listening library
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
Genesis: all 15 albums ranked from worst to best (the top 5 were SO tough)
We rank every Genesis studio album, from their early prog masterpieces to the stadium filling pop-rock of the 1980s
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
Rock music
Explore rock music
Rock stars in the movies: often a recipe for disaster. Here are the 17 worst performances
Rock stars on the big screen: when charisma meets a script, sometimes it’s magic… and sometimes it’s gloriously, painfully awful.
Sure, these 21 albums are classics. But each band did one EVEN BETTER album
Accepted wisdom says that these so-called classic albums are the best that these rock and pop gods ever created, But are they really? Here, we explore the alternatives
Terrible songs on great albums: 15 classic rock LPs spoilt by ONE dud track
Even the greatest artists have songs which make us reach for the skip button sometimes
Audio equipment reviews and advice
A selection of the best reviewed albums from the latest issue of BBC Music Magazine
The '80s are back! The best portable cassette and CD players on the market today
Our Audio expert Chris Haslam gives his personal recommendation for buying a modern portable cassette or CD player
CDs are back! And these modern all-in-one CD players are the best way to listen to them
CDs are back! And these modern all-in-one CD players are the best way to listen to them, writes Chris Haslam
