Articles
Leoš Janáček: five of his most sinister works
The great late Romantic composer Leoš Janáček had a fascination for the darker recesses of human experience. Here are five of his most sinister works
Everything you need to know about the music for Gladiator II
It’s one of the most anticipated films of the year, but what can you expect from the music in Ridley Scott’s sequel to Gladiator? Here’s everything we know so far…
Famous black composers: 11 great names and their impact on the story of classical music
A short guide to some of the greatest black composers from history, from Chevalier de Saint-Georges via Samuel Coleridge-Taylor and Florence Price to Jessie Montgomery
Were Bach, Vivaldi and Rossini the real pioneers of disco?
Forget New York’s Studio 54 in the 1970s. For the heart of the disco revolution, head back to Bach, Handel and Rossini in the 18th and 19th centuries, says Tom Service
Best of Handel: six essential works by the Baroque master drama, exuberance and grandeur
We name the best pieces by Handel, the Baroque master of opera and oratorio
'Two hours of leaden dross': the biggest stage musical flops of all time
At best they're joyous, but when musicals fail, they fail spectacularly, writes Richard Morrison
'I was in a cold sweat for 28 minutes' – trumpeter Alison Balsom on her best and worst concert performances
Leading British trumpeter Alison Balsom remembers the best and worst performances of her career - including having to play in a different key!
These are the 7 greatest American violin pieces
Violinist Augustin Hadelich selects his favourite violin works by American composers
Jewish composers suppressed by the Nazis: seven great voices we're starting to hear again
The Nazis destroyed the lives and reputations of many Jewish composers, but decades on, their music is still awaiting rediscovery, says Jessica Duchen
Famous opera songs: 15 of the best known and best loved arias from four centuries of opera
From Mozart to Gershwin via Puccini and Delibes, we run through 15 of the best loved arias from 400 years of opera
'I can do nothing but think of you...' Music's great romantic couples
We celebrate love by getting intimate with some of the Romantic era's most famous lovebirds
The towering 'Baroque' masterpiece that's actually from the 1950s... and seven 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
Bossa nova: the irresistible lovechild of samba and jazz
Our guide to the Brazilian musical genre that emerged in 1950s Rio de Janeiro
'Female conductors aren't my cup of tea': the most chauvinistic and sexist comments by conductors
Great conductors have sometimes betrayed sexist attitudes when talking about their female colleagues
Musicians of the Titanic: the tragic tale of the doomed ship's musical heroes who played until the end
On the night of 15 April 1912, one of the most heroic performances in history was witnessed, as the musicians of the Titanic carried on playing despite their inevitable fate. Andrew Green tells their story
'These dark satanic mills': poet William Blake inspired countless composers, from Vaughan Williams to Bob Dylan
The visionary poetry and vivid illustrations of William Blake have inspired hundred of pieces, from songs to symphonies. Kate Wakeling finds out why
Depression and mental illness can inspire extraordinary works of art. Just ask these four great composers
A number of composers are known to have suffered from mental illness. But, asks Stephen Johnson, himself a sufferer of bipolar disorder, did their affliction in fact provide the key to much of their creativity?
'How Beethoven has guided me through the best and worst of times' – John Suchet
The former war correspondent and news anchor discusses the Beethoven works that have helped him through difficult times
Penniless composers: 15 musical giants who wrestled with poverty
Which composers all too often felt the pinch? From Mozart to Sibelius, here are 15 musical greats who suffered financial woes
'To die for you!': The pieces composers penned to win back lost lovers
Sometimes the only way to respond to heartbreak is to channel the emotion into music...
Narcissist, adulterer, social climber, frustrated genius... Who was Alma Mahler?
Thwarted as a composer, was Gustav Mahler's wife, Alma Mahler, really a ‘boundless narcissist’? Perhaps a troubled soul lurked beneath...
Best Romantic composers: from Beethoven to Rachmaninov, 19 giants of Romanticism in music
From Beethoven and Schubert via Mendelssohn and Mahler to Strauss and Rachmaninov, we pore over the greatest composers from the Romantic era, renowned for its grand musical passions and dramas
Music eras: what are the different periods of classical music?
Michael Beek guides us through the different historical periods of classical music, from the medieval times to the modern day
'A man of the highest honour and dignity'? Iconic tenor Enrico Caruso arrested for 'annoying women' at Central Park Zoo
In 1906 the celebrated Italian tenor was caught by police and arrested for persistently trailing women in the New York monkey house