Review: Mahler: Symphony No. 7 (NSO/Noseda)
Michael Jameson is wowed by Noseda’s interpretation of Mahler's madcap Seventh Symphony
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
Good vibrations: the impact of music on the road to recovery
Inside the creative journey of an artist and musician after a cancer diagnosis
The delusion of the Urtext: why we shouldn't worship the classical music score like a relic
Composer and guitarist Stephen Goss argues that musical scores are there to be interpreted and adapted rather than followed slavishly
Minimalism was much more than a return to basics... it was a revolution
Paavo Järvi named London Philharmonic Orchestra chief conductor
The Estonian conductor has signed a five-year contract from the 2028-29 season
Review: Haydn 2032, Vol. 18: Il maestro di scuola
Misha Donat praises Giovanni Antonini’s lively and detailed accounts of Haydn and Lessel
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…
1907: the year Gustav Mahler lost everything... but found America
The composer Gustav Mahler suffered a series of personal and professional disasters in 1907. A move Stateside, however, resulted in a rapid upturn in his fortunes
Meet the most fascinating figures from classical music
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
Meet Thomas Søndergård: Danish conductor and percussionist
Thomas Søndergård talks about his early years as a percussionist before becoming a full-time conductor – including as music director of the Minnesota Orchestra and BBC National Orchestra of Wales
Meet Nicholas McCarthy - the world’s only professional one-handed concert pianist
Following his stunning debut at last year’s BBC Proms, one-handed pianist Nicholas McCarthy tells Claire Jackson all about repertoire, technique and challenging narrow-minded attitudes
The great composers
Explore the lives and works of classical music's finest composers
Shostakovich: a composer's frightening double life in Stalin's Russia
Dmitri Shostakovich: the Soviet voice of the oppressed, and a composer of huge integrity
These 12 composers all left us incredible works. Yet they all died before 40
Many composers have died very young and often, we assume, at the height of their creative powers. Jeremy Pound explores the lives of 12 composers who died before reaching their 40th birthday.
'I'm no English pastoralist' – meet British composer Colin Matthews
As he approaches his 80th birthday, composer Colin Matthews speaks to Michael White about his 50-year contribution to British musical life
Buried alive under an avalanche: music's 11 most bizarre and tragic deaths
Some of the most well-known composers met their ends in highly unusual ways...
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
Prog rock 1975: ranking the 17 greatest prog albums turning 50 this year
1975 was a landmark year for progressive rock, delivering groundbreaking albums that pushed musical boundaries and redefined the genre’s scope. Here are the 15 best
These 15 stone-cold classic albums were a nightmare to make
From Fleetwood Mac to Tears for Fears: 15 classic rock albums that cost blood, sweat and tears to put together
Albums of the week
A selection of the best reviewed albums from the latest issue of BBC Music Magazine
Review: Nicolaus Richter de Vroe: Shibuya Movements, etc
Steph Power is wowed by Nicolaus Richter de Vroe’s orchestral experimentalism
Review: Little Wanderer (works by Britten, Imogen Holst et al)
Christopher Cook enjoys the debut album from well-matched musical partners
Review: Brahms Piano Concerto No. 2, etc (Francesco Piemontesi)
Jessica Duchen is captured by Francesco Piemontesi’s compelling interpretations of Brahms’s piano works
Rock music
Explore rock music
1978 was rock's rebirth. And it gave us these 17 astounding debut albums
Inventive, fearless, unforgettable: 1978’s greatest debut albums shattered conventions, from punk’s aftermath to post-punk innovation
One-hit wonders: 25 bands who left us just one unforgettable song
From jangling indie to late-’90s pop, these bands left their mark with a single unforgettable hit that defined then forever more
You did WHAT? The 12 strangest decisions in rock history
Rock's uniquely colourful story is littered with moments that just make you scratch your head in bewilderment. These are 12 of the best
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
