Articles
The 50 best Christmas carols of all time
Here's a list of the best-ever Christmas carols for the festive season, as voted for by 50 top choral experts from across the UK and US. Do you agree with their choices?
Why the curse of bullying in music needs to stop
There is nothing civilised about bullying, says Richard Morrison
'I detest him'... 'The most sublime music ever'... 11 of the best quotes about Beethoven
Famous quotes about the great composer from other great minds and creatives
Does listening to sad music actually make you happier?
Research suggests that sad music actually makes people feel more positive
'We can’t continue to make classical music performance a precious museum piece'
Ahead of his immersive production of Handel's Messiah in 2022, conductor Gregory Batsleer explained to us why he wants to change the way we present classical music
You know his Cello Concerto. But here's why the Elgar Violin Concerto should be better known
Violinist Vilde Frang on squaring up to epic works and coping with imposter syndrome
The Norwegian violinist Vilde Frang is always drawn to a challenge – and, as she tells Ariane Todes, making difficult choices has helped her to grow as a musician
Best piano concertos of all time: 12 incredible works for piano and orchestra
These are some of the greatest piano concertos - the finest works ever written for piano with orchestra
Debussy Préludes: Impressionism in music
Gerald Larner explains how Debussy, by defying the rules of conventional harmony, transformed piano music’s landscape
Giuditta Pasta: the legendary Italian soprano who blazed a trail a century before Maria Callas
A century before Maria Callas caught the world’s attention, there was another singer wielding immense power both on and off stage, Giuditta Pasta. George Hall tells the story of the Italian soprano
The world’s greatest orchestras - and their finest moments on disc that you must hear
Our guide, continent by continent, to the world's best orchestral ensembles - and a great recording that shows each at their stunning best
'My uncle tormented me too much': what drove Beethoven's nephew to attempt suicide?
In 1826 Beethoven’s tormented nephew pulled the trigger on himself
Bumblebee princes, murderous genies and singing dragons: 15 forgotten operas ripe for rediscovery
Robert Thicknesse names fifteen fabulous but forgotten operas
The ancient and unusual musical sounds at the heart of Gladiator II
Gladiator II features an epic score by British composer Harry Gregson-Williams and it features a host of fascinating instruments and an international cast of players…
The percussion family: meet 5 important instruments played by hitting, scraping or shaking
Santtu-Matias Rouvali: the Finnish conductor on the best and worst performances of his career so far
Songs about America: 12 of the best musical evocations of the American soul and landscape
From Bernstein's classic to the National Anthem, here's our round-up of the best songs about America
King Charles and music: what has the monarch contributed to the classical music landscape?
From early cello forays to today's wide range of patronages, the new monarch has always taken an active interest in music
King Charles discusses his experience of playing the cello 'rather badly' in Beethoven's Fifth Symphony
The Prince of Wales joined the poet laureate Simon Armitage on his BBC Radio 4 podcast 'The Poet Laureate Has Gone to His Shed'
Here are five incredible movies about composers you must see. And three you can probably avoid
From Amadeus to Lisztomania, we rate the portrayals of classical music's greats on the big screen
Sports headphones: the best headphones for listening while running, cycling or in the gym
Enjoy listening to music on the go? Our audio expert Chris Haslam tests the very best products for healthy listening
Shostakovich facts: 13 captivating details from one of classical music's most turbulent lives
Dmitri Shostakovich led one of the most complex, turbulent and ultimately heroic lives in all of classical music. Here are 13 fascinating facts about this iconic composer
Ethan Loch: the blind pianist with an astonishing synaesthetic sense of hearing
Born without sight, pianist Ethan Loch has developed a finely tuned – and synaesthetic – sense of hearing, as he reveals to Claire Jackson
Who was the first conductor? When did they start using batons? And do orchestras really need one? A look at the history of conducting
From humble choirmasters inconspicuously beating time to major-league maestros brandishing state-of-the-art batons, the conductor’s role has changed out of all recognition over the centuries. Andrew Green traces its evolution