Works
Hooked on Classics: when classical music went disco (and sold by the bucketload)
In the eighties, Hooked on Classics saw the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra dominate the pop charts and bring classical music to a mainstream audience...
Purrfect playlist: 10 serene musical works guaranteed to soothe your cat
Discover 10 soothing musical pieces scientifically proven to relax and comfort cats, perfect for creating a peaceful, stress-free environment for your feline friend
Sometimes even great composers write terrible music
Genius doesn’t guarantee you will create a winner every time, writes Richard Morrison
Hatred in classical music: nine works dripping with anger, fury and outrage
How hatred inspired some of our most famous composers and their music
This five-minute classical work will help you achieve mindfulness
Here are a selection of pieces, from Hildegard von Bingen to Debussy, that will aid your serenity and mindfulness and put you in the perfect zone for meditation
Video exclusive: Brodsky Quartet performs Shostakovich String Quartet No. 15
‘She got carried away with the heavy breathing’: the 11 most moving, arousing love songs
From aching ballads to euphoric anthems, these 11 timeless love songs reveal the full spectrum of romance and desire
Fairy tale music: 14 works inspired by the wonder and magic of fairy stories
From enchanted forests to magical birds, these 11 spellbinding classical works draw on folk legends and fairytales to conjure worlds of wonder and mystery
7 political pieces that bravely stood up to tyrants and called for freedom
Conductor Anja Bihlmaier selects works that have at their heart a burning desire for political freedom
From DNA to distant galaxies: 11 awe-inspiring classical works inspired by science
Alec Evans explores the sound of science in 9 fascinating classical works
Here are the worst albums from 11 rock icons
Even rock legends have off days—these are the infamous albums where iconic artists lost the plot, confused fans, and proved that greatness isn't always guaranteed
Best of Vivaldi: seven perfect gateways into the Baroque genius's music
We name seven of the greatest pieces by that melodious Baroque genius, Antonio Lucio Vivaldi
Busoni Piano Concerto: the hardest piano piece ever written?
So fiendishly difficult that for many years even the best pianists avoided it, the Italian’s five-movement masterpiece is admired by Claire Jackson
Best of Chopin: 11 unmissable works by the Romantic icon
From the Minute Waltz to the Funeral March, we choose some of the very finest pieces by the great Polish composer and pianist
Best Mahler symphony: ranking the nine completed symphonies from music's epic emotional storyteller
We've ranked all nine Mahler masterpieces from our least favourite to the absolute best
Best of Brahms: 15 essential works by the genius who mixed Romantic fire with classical soul
Here are 15 pieces that brilliantly demonstrate the genius of Johannes Brahms, who straddled Classical and Romantic, order and emotion, like no one else
Are musicals the new opera?
Were Rodgers & Hammerstein the Puccini of the mid-20th century? If so, where do operas end and musicals begin? James Inverne explores the classical origins of today’s musicals…
These are the pieces that made you fall for classical music
Back in 2014, we asked BBC Music Magazine readers to tell us about the pieces that first drew them into the wonderful world of classical music. Here are some of the many responses we received...
Ranked: the 20 greatest operas of all time (and the recordings you need)
From Monteverdi to Berg via Mozart and Puccini, we count down the 20 best operas of all time. Did we miss your favourite?
Fifteen works that their composers bitterly regretted
The sorry tales of pieces that, for one reason or another, would go on to haunt their own composers
These are the 15 best stage musicals of all time (the top 5 were tough)
Ranked: the greatest musicals ever put on the stage
Epic, emotional, essential: the 6 Mahler works you must hear
We name the very best pieces of music written by the symphony's great synthesist Mahler
Best of Beethoven: his 20 greatest masterpieces, ranked
Michael Tanner selects and explores Beethoven's top 20 must-hear masterpieces, choosing from the very best of the great composer's extensive output
7 unforgettable moments when music captured the magic of sport
Tenor Pene Pati selects seven times classical music provided the soundtrack for top sporting events