Apple News RSS
Songs about friendship: ten beautiful odes to the joy of a good friend
We round up some of our favourite songs that celebrate friendship
Best of Chopin: nine unmissable works by the sublime Romantic
From the Minute Waltz to the Funeral March, we choose some of the very finest pieces by the great Polish composer and pianist
One night in Belfast catapulted a young Luciano Pavarotti to stardom. Here's the story
When Luciano Pavarotti got a call to perform Puccini in Belfast, he couldn't have known how career-defining his performance would be...
Bach to Black Sabbath: the deep connections between classical music and heavy metal
Classical music and heavy metal share a deep connection, from intricate compositions to virtuosic playing. We explore the fascinating musical ties between these two seemingly opposing genres
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?
This is the best movie score of all time, say today's greatest screen composers
We asked over 60 of today's very best film and television composers to tell us which scores would be in their top five of all time, and they didn't disappoint.
1907 was the worst year of Gustav Mahler's life. Then came America - and everything changed
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
Leonard Bernstein was an icon. He was also being watched by the FBI
Leonard Bernstein was a huge and colourful figure in 20th century American culture. The FBI kept a close watch on him, too
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
Ennio Morricone: the poor Italian boy who forged the sound of the American Wild West
Ennio Morricone’s iconic film scores evoke images of the great American landscape like no other. But, in an exclusive interview with BBC Music Magazine back in 2016 at his house in Rome, he proved his horizons stretch well beyond that
The composer who braved Antarctica's thundering avalanches in search of inspiration
Fifteen great composers inspired by wanderlust – from gaping desert canyons to uninhabited icy landscapes
Beethoven piano sonatas: six of the best cycles
We name some of the best recordings of Beethoven's sonatas, peformed by the great and the good of the piano world
Best of Aaron Copland: 11 essential works from the voice of American classical music
Aaron Copland crafted a sound that evokes America's wide open spaces and pioneering spirit. Here are 11 of his very greatest works
Ravel Bolero: the 15-minute piece 'without music' that became one of classical music's most iconic works
Hardest instruments: 11 most devilishly difficult musical instruments
Hannah Nepilova dodges practice time to come up with the 11 most challenging instruments to master
All seven Tchaikovsky symphonies ranked, from worst to best
From the youthful, evocative 'Winter Daydreams' to the gut-punch of the 'Pathétique', Tchaikovsky wrote some of the most dramatic, melodic and emotional symphonies in the canon. We've ranked them
'Ave Maria': lyrics and composer
It's one of composer Franz Schubert's most popular works. But what are the lyrics to 'Ave Maria', and what's the story behind them?
Camille Saint-Saëns: virtuoso composer who bridged tradition and innovation
The polymath composer who suffered spectacular fall from grace
Best poems of all time: 12 of the most evocative and entrancing poems ever written
From The Tyger to The Lady of Shallot, we pore over 12 of the best loved poems in all of literature
War of the Romantics: Brahms, Liszt and the 'evil influence'
How two prominent 19th century composers were at loggerheads when it came to the philosophy of music
Rachmaninov: huge hands, hypnotherapy... and some of music's most breathtaking moments
The last great Russian Romantic: meet Sergey Rachmaninov, creator of some of classical music's most irresistible melodies
French composers: the 21 greatest musicians France has produced
France has produced some of the most influential composers throughout history. We explore the lives and works of the best French composers
The 11 Alan Silvestri film scores you need to hear!
In honour of the great Hollywood composer’s 75th birthday, here’s our rundown of what we think is his very best work…
Meet Felix Klieser, the inspirational musician born with no arms
Horn player Felix Klieser was born without arms. His journey to the top of his profession is nothing short of inspirational