Features
News, articles and features from the world of classical music
Ligeti: musical master of otherworldly atmospheres
A uniquely modern voice
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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
Tosca: the story behind Puccini's dramatic tale of sex, violence, politics and lies
Early audiences were perplexed by Tosca, Puccini's thrilling opera about lust, jealousy and corruption - but it's now an operatic staple
Best violinist: classical music's 21 greatest violin stars of all time
Who are the finest violinists ever to have been recorded on disc? We ask 100 of today’s leading players to name their inspirations…
What's new?
Scientists have found that music eases pain best when it matches our natural rhythm
Researchers at Canada's McGill University have found that music provides the greatest pain relief when it aligns with a person’s natural rhythm
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
Best love songs: 11 timeless melodies that capture the joys and pains of romance
Our round up of the most popular, most enduring and famous love songs ever...
Má vlast: the patriotic Czech masterpiece that the Nazis tried to ban
Woods, fields and a rolling river: here is the story of Má vlast, Smetana's rousing and atmospheric hymn to the Czech nation
Artists
The great divas were goddesses, and we forgave them everything
Once the ultimate accolade, the term ‘diva’ today has far more negative connotations. Richard Morrison traces the troubled evolution of the 'diva'
Jenny Lind: the 19th century megastar featured in The Greatest Showman
Worshipped by Mendelssohn and promoted on a sell-out US tour by PT Barnum, Jenny Lind enjoyed unrivalled popularity for a singer. George Hall traces the remarkable story of the ‘Swedish Nightingale’
Why Toscanini was beaten up by Mussolini’s henchmen
Arturo Toscanini's refusal to bow down to fascist Blackshirts In 1931 had brutal consequences
Composers
Schumann's suicide attempt: how mental illness and money woes pushed a great composer close to the edge
How mental illness and financial stresses drove Schumann to throw himself into the Rhine on an icy day in February
Chopin: fragile, fussy, oversensitive about his nose. And one of our most incredible composers
He was a master of lyricism and drama, and his ethereal melodies still enchant us today. His life was not an easy one, however. Meet the ultimate Romantic, Frédéric Chopin
Franz Liszt: the visionary piano superstar who had women swooning in the aisles
The composer Franz Liszt was a brilliant but enigmatic piano virtuoso, writes Jessica Duchen
Instruments
Clarinet: our guide to the mellow woodwind instrument heard everywhere from Mozart to Benny Goodman
Our guide to the mellow-sounding woodwind instrument used in everything from jazz to klezmer
How the world's biggest pipe organ ended up in a Philadelphia department store
In 1911 John Wanamaker decided what his famous department store needed was a pipe organ - and not just any pipe organ, he wanted the biggest in the world
Ouch! Five terrible treatments of the piano
Jazz
Best jazz saxophonists of all time, ranked - and the albums you need to add to your library now
Who is the best jazz saxophonist of all time? From Johnny Hodges to John Coltrane, we've had a go at ranking the top 15 - and we've recommended an essential album from each
Best jazz pianists: 15 of the greatest piano players in the history of jazz
Who are the best jazz pianists of all time? Here, in alphabetical order, are 15 of the greatest ivory tinkers in the history of jazz
From jazz to classical: five surprising classical albums from jazz greats
Musical terms
Gregorian chant: the foundation of Western sacred music - and a source of deep calm and spirituality
All you need to know about this early form of religious music, whose calm and spiritual qualities have spawned some hit recordings
The tritone: the 'devil in music' that has injected mystery and unease into countless great works
For centuries, the tritone - a musical interval spanning three whole tones - has added tension, drama and mystery to music by everyone from Bach to Bernstein
Music modes: the building blocks of mood and atmosphere in music
Modes are a series of seven musical scales, each with their own unique qualities and sound
Recordings
Winterreise: the tale of Schubert's brilliantly bleak song cycle - and four great recordings
Michael Tanner sets out on one of the bleakest and loneliest journeys in classical music, as he selects the finest recordings of Schubert's harrowing song-cycle, Winterreise
Mahler Symphony 5: a guide to this journey from darkness to triumph, and its best recordings
We name the greatest recordings of Mahler's legendary Fifth Symphony
18 weird and wonderful Christmas album covers: our pick of the best
Christmas over the years has inspired a glorious array of quirky covers from record company designers. We present our favourites…
Science of Music
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?
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
Nature's greatest composers: why male humpback whales sing together in harmony
Over a million years, male humpback whales have developed a repertoire of songs whose purpose scientists are now keen to establish, says Tom Service
TV and Film music
Charlie Chaplin: not just a movie legend. A fine composer, too
His name and face are iconic, but what about the music? Jim Lochner explores the genius of Charlie Chaplin, an Oscar-winning composer
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
Best sci-fi movie scores of all time: 11 perfect evocations of strangeness, adventure and other worlds
To the moon and beyond: we choose the best cinematic scores for science fiction films
Works
Elgar 'Nimrod': all you need to know about this emotional masterpiece from the Enigma Variations
All you need to know about Elgar's 'Nimrod' and why it was played at the funeral of HRH Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh
Hatred in classical music: six works dripping with bitterness, pain and outrage
How hatred inspired some of our most famous composers and their music
Hardest songs: 16 of the most taxing melodies from opera, musicals and more
What are the hardest songs to sing? We take a look at some of the most technically demanding songs and arias from classical music, opera and musical theatre