Features
News, articles and features from the world of classical music
A ghostly commission: the dark legend of Mozart’s Requiem
Mozart’s Requiem is shrouded in mystery. Unfinished, ghostwritten, commissioned in secrecy, it remains hauntingly powerful and endlessly debated
Ranked: the 15 greatest jazz-rock fusion albums of all time
From Miles Davis to Mahavishnu Orchestra, we run through the 15 greatest albums fusing jazz and rock into captivating new forms
Jaws at 50: how John Williams' groundbreaking soundtrack saved Spielberg's cinematic masterpiece from disaster
As Steven Spielberg’s Jaws celebrates its 50th birthday, Charlotte Smith explores the vital role played by John Williams’s famously unsettling soundtrack
The extraordinary power of music to unlock buried memories in dementia patients
Best conductor: 21 masters of the podium, ranked and rated
We asked 100 of today's leading conductors to vote for the best conductor of all time. And the answer is...
What's new?
Music's greatest goodbye: the story of Beethoven's sublime Late Quartets
Though deaf and in declining health, the ageing Beethoven remained inventive to the end, as his astonishing late quartets prove
Chopin: a phenomenal composer - whose genius came at a high price
He was a master of lyricism and drama, and his ethereal melodies still enchant us today. His life was not an easy one, however. Meet the ultimate Romantic, Frédéric Chopin
40 years ago: Dire Straits' 'Brothers in Arms' ushers in the CD era
Four decades ago, Dire Straits’ Brothers in Arms reshaped pop and revolutionized the CD era—an audiophile benchmark and global digital milestone.
Best violin concertos: the 21 greatest works ever composed for violin and orchestra
Here is our selection of the greatest pieces ever written for violin and orchestra. Do you agree?
Could dinosaurs sing? Science reveals their surprisingly melodious voices
Forget those terrifying low-pitched roars – scientific research suggests that dinosaur voices may have been more tuneful than we think, reveals Tom Service
Artists
Happy Birthday Martha Argerich, goddess of the piano
Here is our guide to the life and work of the superb Argentine classical pianist Martha Argerich, widely regarded as one of the finest pianists of all time
‘Winning an orchestral role is like winning an Olympic medal': Canada's elite training scheme for orchestral musicians
Canada’s National Arts Centre is serious about education – and its flagship Orchestra is training the next crop of top musicians, writes Charlotte Smith
We've ranked the 21 greatest violinists of all time
Who are the finest violinists ever to have been recorded on disc? We ask 100 of today’s leading players to name their inspirations…
Composers
Sex mad! A history of bed-hopping composers
Jeremy Pound lifts the covers off those notorious notesmiths who found the thrill of playing away simply too hard to resist
This composer received death threats - for taking a stand
In September 1899, as the infamous Dreyfus affair rages in France, composer Edvard Grieg says 'non' - and receives death threats
Why music's greatest composer was thrown in jail
A desire to change jobs caused Bach to spend almost four weeks in prison. Here we explain more...
Instruments
Bored of practice? Here’s how to love playing again in just 100 days
Amateur violinist Ariane Todes reveals how, after losing the will to practise during the pandemic,
she was inspired by Hilary Hahn on social media
to reconnect with her beloved four-stringed friend
The contrabassoon: the orchestra’s deepest voice
Meet the contrabassoon: classical music’s deepest voice and unsung hero of the orchestral underworld
The celesta: the magical instrument that adds a touch of enchantment to music
Meet the celesta, whose delicate, filigree sound lends such magic to the world of Tchaikovsky's ballet The Nutcracker
Jazz
Jazz pianists ranked: these are jazz's 15 greatest magicians of the piano
Who are the best jazz pianists of all time? Here, in alphabetical order, are 15 of the greatest ivory tinkers in the history of jazz
From jazz piano in cocktail bars to starring in Wicked: Jeff Goldblum's musical memories
Best jazz saxophonists of all time, ranked - and the albums you need to add to your library now
Who is the best jazz saxophonist of all time? From Johnny Hodges to John Coltrane, we've had a go at ranking the top 15 - and we've recommended an essential album from each
Musical terms
The 'devil in music': the musical trick once thought so dangerous that it was banned outright
For centuries, the tritone - a musical interval spanning three whole tones - has added tension, drama and mystery to music by everyone from Bach to Bernstein
What is a symphony? | Inside the symphony: everything you need to know about one of music's quintessential building blocks
Haydn wrote more than 100. Brahms wrote four, all amazing. Mahler put the whole world into his. All you need to know about the symphony
Musical keys: what they are, and what each one means in music
Composers use musical keys to ‘flavour’ their music in a particular way. But how do keys work their peculiar magic? And what particular mood does each key evoke?
Recordings
Prog rock '69: 15 incredible albums from prog's Year Zero
1969 was prog rock’s explosive dawn. From King Crimson to Zappa, discover 15 groundbreaking albums that redefined rock with ambition, complexity, and sonic adventure
Best Mozart piano concerto: his 11 greatest masterpieces, ranked
Join us as we rank Mozart’s 11 greatest piano concertos—from stormy minor masterpieces to sunlit Classical gems that enchant audiences
Vivaldi Four Seasons: in search of the best recording (and the strangest)
These four revolutionary violin concertos remain Vivaldi's most-loved works. Lucy Chaudhuri rounds up the best recordings of The Four Seasons to date, and adds in three wild cards for good measure
Science of Music
The seven life-changing benefits of music (number 5 might surprise you)
We know that music has a positive effect on the brain, but music’s impact on the body can also be helpful, improving heart health, stress levels and pain management
Here are 14 mind-bending acoustic destinations where sound plays by its own rules
Our roundup of the 14 most incredible sound destinations in the world
Unlock the secrets of music: these four simple concepts will make you a 'super listener'
Our guide to the four concepts that will help you to unlock classical music's secret code and become a great listener
TV and Film music
Which classical musicians should be the stars of Hollywood blockbusters?
Hollywood has taken an unexpected interest in classical music of late, says Tom Service – so here are some suggestions for their next blockbusting successes
Ranked: the 15 best movie musicals of all time
Ever since sound and film were first united in The Jazz Singer (1927), the musical has been a staple of cinema history and popular culture, but what are the best film musicals of all time?
These are the 15 best movie songs of all time
Are these the 15 greatest original movie songs of all time?
Works
The best symphonies of all time: 21 immortal orchestral masterpieces
Which is the best-ever symphony? 151 of the world's leading conductors voted for what they thought to be the greatest symphonies ever written
Should Period orchestras play Beethoven?
Pink Floyd: all 15 albums ranked, from worst to best
From psychedelic beginnings to stadium-filling epics, we rank all 15 Pink Floyd studio albums—icons, oddities, and everything in between