Works
Don't like classical music? This work will change your mind
Think you don’t like classical music? Think again. Fifteen instantly recognisable, wildly enjoyable pieces that prove classical can be thrilling, funny, romantic – and unforgettable
The 7 greatest baritone roles in opera
British singer and composer Roderick Williams shares his most enjoyable operatic baritone roles
The work that got Beethoven labelled 'ripe for the madhouse'
Beethoven’s Seventh is pure rhythm and motion: a symphony of dance, drive, and ecstatic energy that feels eternally alive
Dvořák Cello Concerto: how a heartbroken composer’s lost love inspired his greatest work
A yearning for his homeland and the devastating loss of a beloved friend give the Czech’s work an almost unbearable pathos, explains Jo Talbot
A beginner's guide to the concertos of British composer Malcolm Arnold
Thomas Hardy's capture a lost musical landscape
Cheers! Ten brilliantly boisterous drinking songs
We discover which composers were partial to a drinking song or two...
Ranked: classical music's 12 most unforgettable pop-culture 'moments'
From cartoons to war films and wedding aisles, classical music’s greatest themes have leapt into pop culture, unforgettable and transformative
Ranked: the 11 best cello concertos of all time
Here is our selection of the greatest pieces ever written for cello and orchestra. Do you agree?
'She pulled her by the hair, slapping and biting' – why two famous opera divas came to blows on stage
The 7 best symphonies by Joseph Haydn
Haydn wrote 104 symphonies. Oboist and conductor François Leleux selects the seven you must hear
Ranked: the 11 most heartbreaking pieces in all of classical music
Classical music is one of the richest art forms for conveying emotion. And sadness and melancholy is right in its wheelhouse. Here is some of the most overwhelmingly sorrowful music in the classical repertoire
Bowie at breaking point: Berlin, Eno, and the birth of 'Low'
Haunted by addiction and exile, Bowie found rebirth in Berlin. All hail Low: an unsettling masterpiece born from breaking point
Emotion in every note: Tchaikovsky’s 17 greatest masterpieces, ranked
Romeo and Juliet, the Nutcracker, the Pathétique... Tchaikovsky's repertoire is stuffed full of melodic and emotional masterpieces. Here are 11 of the greatest
All 13 of Wagner's operas, ranked from worst to best
Over a life of exile and debt, scandalous affairs and high-level adulation, Wagner wrote operas that not only remain unmatched for drama, controversy and spectacle but also utterly transformed the art form itself...
Hauntings, gambling, tragic death: the strange tale of Tchaikovsky's favourite work
Based on a dark short story, Tchaikovsky's The Queen of Spades is an operatic thriller about a soldier's obsession with a Countess's secret cards
These famous pieces of music are not by who you think
So, who wrote Albinoni's beautiful Adagio? And what about Bach's famous Toccata and Fugue in D minor? The answers are not that obvious, says Roderick Swanston, as not all music was written by who we think it was
Best of Mozart: 11 essential works - and the recordings you need
From glittering operas to sublime symphonies and intimate chamber pieces, here are 11 of Mozart’s greatest works—timeless masterpieces that reveal his genius in every form
Parry I Was Glad: the rousing anthem that crowned six monarchs, including Charles III
Written for the 1902 Coronation, Parry’s stirring anthem has many fine recordings, says Clare Stevens, but which deserves to wear the crown?
Hooked on Classics: when classical music went disco (and sold by the bucketload)
In the eighties, Hooked on Classics saw the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra dominate the pop charts and bring classical music to a mainstream audience...
Purrfect playlist: 10 serene musical works guaranteed to soothe your cat
Discover 10 soothing musical pieces scientifically proven to relax and comfort cats, perfect for creating a peaceful, stress-free environment for your feline friend
Sometimes even great composers write terrible music
Genius doesn’t guarantee you will create a winner every time, writes Richard Morrison
Hatred in classical music: nine works dripping with anger, fury and outrage
How hatred inspired some of our most famous composers and their music
This five-minute classical work will help you achieve 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