Rebecca Franks
Recent articles by Rebecca Franks
The visionary French composer who risked the guillotine, went on a secret mission and was kidnapped
Hélène de Montgeroult risked the guillotine during the French Revolution – but there’s far more to this talented composer than her remarkable survival, as pianist Clare Hammond tells Rebecca Franks
Eleanor Alberga: Strata
It's never too late: seven composers who hit a wonderful creative peak in middle or old age
Who were the composers who produced their masterpieces in later life? Rebecca Franks finds out
How 'Little Women' author Louisa May Alcott was immortalised in Charles Ives's Concord Sonata
The great American author Louisa May Alcott is evocatively depicted in Charles Ives' Concord Sonata
Beethoven's Fifth Symphony: the iconic work that begins with Fate's hammer blows - and never looks back
The story of Beethoven's majestic Fifth symphony, renowned for its famous four-note opening
Meet the breakdancing countertenor and cover model who has graced the world's biggest opera stages
Star countertenor, breakdancer and model Jakub Józef Orliński enjoys a challenge – and he’s now applying his boundless commitment and energy to the role of artistic director on his new recording of Gluck’s Orfeo, as he tells Rebecca Franks
The best music for meditation and mindfulness
Here are a selection of pieces, from Hildegard von Bingen to Debussy, that will aid your serenity and mindfulness and put you in the perfect zone for meditation
Who is Jamie Barton? A guide to the captivating mezzo-soprano who returns to this year's BBC Proms
Meet the American mezzo-soprano Jamie Barton
Mozart: Piano Concertos Nos 6-8
How many symphonies did Beethoven write?
An introduction to the 19th-century composer Beethoven's great orchestral symphonies - and some other great composers who managed the same tally
Sitar player Jasdeep Singh Degun on creating crossovers between Indian and Western classical music
Rebecca Franks meets RPS Award winner Jasdeep Singh Degun, who is shining a light on Indian Classical music
15 penniless composers
Which composers all too often felt the pinch? From Mozart to Sibelius, here are 15 musical greats who suffered financial woes
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
Gaspard de la Nuit: a guide to Ravel’s haunting cycle and its best recordings
Rebecca Franks explores the twilight world of Ravel’s haunting and nightmarish cycle, Gaspard de la nuit, and finds the best recording of this virtuosic work
La Danse
Upheaval
Birdsong in classical music: how birds have influenced and inspired the great composers
From the warble of a nightingale to the chatter of a chaffinch, here are some of the best examples of birdsong in classical music
How the pains of love have found their way into these heart-wrenching pieces of classical music
From 12th-century troubadours to glitzy modern-day tenors, love is a timeless theme explored in western classical music. But sometimes it's not always pretty...
Candlelight Concerts: the new social media phenomenon making classical music accessible
In recent years, the Candlelight Concerts brand has become a phenomenon, helped in no small part by social media. Rebecca Franks finds out more.