In this issue we celebrate the 150th anniversary of British composer Vaughan Williams. Stephen Johnson explores his life, work and legacy via ten masterpieces, while conductors Mark Elder and Antonio Pappano discuss how to conduct the composer's symphonies in conversation with Andrew Green. Plus, Geraint Lewis traces the compositional history of Vaughan Williams's strangely unloved opera, The Pilgrim's Progress.
Also this month, Jeremy Pound meets the multi-talented Manchester Camerata as it prepares to light the candles for its 50th birthday, James Inverne salutes composer and librettist Stephen Sondheim and we round up the very best summer festivals in the UK, Europe and beyond.
This month’s BBC Music Magazine Interview is with groundbreaking German horn player Felix Klieser. We pick out the best recordings of George Butterworth's Six Songs from A Shropshire Lad, and Iannis Xenakis is our Composer of the Month.
Click here for the inlay of this month's cover CD
