Articles
'A perfect gay marriage before the concept was invented': Benjamin Britten and Peter Pears were gay pioneers
John Bridcut on one of the 20th century's truly great magical pairings
Knights, swans, dwarves and valkyries: the 10 most famous Wagner operas. How many do you know?
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...
Lang Lang. John Williams. The Nazis. 11 unforgettable Olympic musical moments
As the Olympic Games come to Paris, Jeremy Pound explores how music has played its part in shaping this greatest of sporting events
'Scant regard for hygiene led to serious complications': how a medical charlatan blinded Bach
In April 1750 Bach went under the knife of English eye surgeon John Taylor with disastrous results...
Wrong composer! The 'Baroque' masterpiece that's actually from the 1950s... and more infamous misattributions
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
'He pursued her to no avail... a flood of music followed': the real-life muses who inspired the great, lovesick composers
Jessica Duchen looks at the figures who, through physical beauty or other compelling qualities, became muses for the great composers
This adorable toddler knows ALL the classical composers. And he's the cutest thing you'll see all day
In this clip, three-year-old Vincent Billington can identify great classical works in seconds. And he's not falling for his dad's efforts at misdirection
Elisabetta de Gambarini: the fabulous talent, violent marriage and tragic death of a trailblazing composer
Stephen Pritchard relates the sparkling talent, entrepreneurial drive and shameful treatment of an unheralded 18th-century musical pioneer
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Greatest symphonies of all time: 20 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
Classical music quotes: 21 inspiring insights about music
Many inspiring, witty, even provocative things have been said about classical music. Here are some of the best classical music quotes
Watch the moment a cat wanders onstage during Beethoven concert
The feline appeared on stage with perfect timing during Festival Strings Lucerne's performance of the 'Pastoral' Symphony
Schubert's Die schöne Müllerin: the masterpiece inspired by delusional, lovesick trauma
Amanda Holloway is all ears as she listens to the best recordings of this set of songs detailing the doleful cycle of love, hope, rejection and despair
Best Mahler symphony: ranking the nine completed symphonies of Gustav Mahler
We've ranked all nine Mahler masterpieces from our least favourite to the absolute best
Music's greatest romantic couples, from the Schumanns to Britten and Pears
We celebrate love by getting intimate with some of the Romantic era's most famous lovebirds
Musicians can teach us the secret to a more successful life. Here’s how...
It’s official: playing an instrument is good for your mind and body. But, asks Ariane Todes, what other life skills can musicians teach us?
‘I’d never sung opera in my life': the surprising link between classical music and beauty pageants
'I was forced to mime while the opera carried on around me': soprano Sabine Devieilhe
Desert Island Discs: the most popular classical music choices
We reflect on the programme’s most popular choices, and the BBC Music Magazine team choose the pieces they would happily be stranded on an island with.
The Best Film Scores of All Time: As chosen by over 60 film and TV 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.
Musical formula: why top scientists simply love classical music
Anecdotally, the scientific mind is often drawn to music says Naomi Yandell, who approaches six eminent scholars for their thoughts on its attraction
Bizarre composer obsessions: trains, toys, death... and where do we start with Satie?
From the brick-counting Bruckner to Dvořák the avid trainspotter, Steve Wright introduces some of history’s most obsessive composers
Autism, ADHD, hyperactivity, depression? Today's psychologists analyse Mozart's brilliant mind
Using today’s psychoanalytic methods, what can we learn, asks Rebecca Franks, about the mind of Mozart, perhaps the greatest musical genius of all?
Leonard Slatkin: my memories growing up in the Hollywood of Frank Sinatra and Doris Day
As he marks his 80th birthday, conductor Leonard Slatkin shares his lifelong connection to the music of Hollywood