Works
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
Best wedding music: the ultimate classical music choices for your wedding ceremony
Whether you're getting married in a church or a registry office, everyone needs music. Here are some of the best bridal choruses and pieces of music to be played on the organ or during your ceremony or service
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
Best of Brahms: 15 extraordinary works by the great German Romantic composer
What are the best pieces of music by the great, late Romantic composer Johannes Brahms?
All aboard! 32 magical works inspired by boats, lapping waves, sea storms and the irresistible allure of water
Jeremy Pound invites you on deck to discover how boats, from river barges to ocean liners, have inspired many composers across the ages
These are the 7 greatest American violin pieces
Violinist Augustin Hadelich selects his favourite violin works by American composers
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
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
Saddest classical music: eight perfect depictions of sorrow, from Purcell to John Williams
Classical music is one of the richest art forms for conveying emotion. And sadness and melancholy is right in its wheelhouse. Here is some of the most overwhelmingly sorrowful music in the classical repertoire
Imogen Holst Violin Concerto: your exclusive first listen to this newly rediscovered work
Violinist Midori Komachi performs an excerpt from the work she will premiere in November 2024
'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...
Best classical music inspired by autumn: from Vivaldi to Tchaikovsky, nine works that beautifully capture the changing of the year
We present some of the best classical music inspired by the somewhat melancholy magic, misty mornings, and technicolour beauty of autumn
Classical music inspired by hate: six works dripping with scorn, mockery and bitterness
How hatred inspired some of our most famous composers and their music
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
The Creation: how Haydn came to compose the greatest triumph of his career
The story of how Haydn came to write his great oratorio, The Creation - a musical masterpiece perfectly attuned to the spirit of its age
Which piece got you hooked on classical music? From Bach to Gershwin, here are 27 inspiring suggestions
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...
Songs about London: 14 memorable and much-loved songs about life in the British capital
From Orlando Gibbons to Ray Davies via Lord Kitchener, here are 14 brilliant songs that evoke some of the energy and flavours of London
Cecil Sharp: the man who saved English folksong from oblivion
When Cecil Sharp died 100 years ago, he had collected almost 5,000 English folk tunes. Andrew Green takes a look at his important legacy
Louise Farrenc: six of her best works
The reputation of the 19th century composer Louise Farrenc continues to grow, and deservedly so. Here are six of her best works
The 'Eroica': a guide to the Beethoven symphony that changed the course of classical music forever
We analyse the genius and revolutionary inspiration behind Beethoven's extraordinary, epoch-making Third Symphony, the 'Eroica'
Love Bizet’s Carmen? Here are six operas you'll want to try next
Have you fallen in love with Bizet's sultry opera Carmen, and want some more in the same vein? Terry Blain has six suggestions for you
Paganini: six of the best works by the explosive violin virtuoso
The dazzling virtuoso Niccolò Paganini changed the story of violin playing. Here are six of his best works