Bachtrack top ten: Gabriel Fauré

Gabriel Fauré, portrait by John Singer Sargent (c.1889)

By Mark Pullinger, 12 May 2024

Loading, please wait...

“it is thus that I see death: as a happy deliverance, an aspiration towards happiness above”

Bachtrack, 27th January

What changes did the classical music world see in 2024? Are existing trends continuing, or slowing? With more than 30,000 listings across 48 countries, Bachtrack offers a valuable snapshot into the classical music world.

Under the influence of Daniil Shafran: Steven Isserlis on Kabalevsky

Mark Pullinger, 16th October

Ahead of a performance Kabalevsky’s Second Cello Concerto with the Singapore Symphony Orchestra, the British cellist talks about one of his longstanding cello heroes, Daniil Shafran, who premiered the work.

Bachtrack top ten: Shakespeare in music

Mark Pullinger, 22nd April

If music be the food of love... the Bard of Stratford-upon-Avon has inspired composers for centuries. Enjoy our top ten playlist featuring works from Felix Mendelssohn to Thomas Adès.

Bachtrack top ten: Frédéric Chopin

Mark Pullinger, 1st March

Ten works revealing the paradox of Chopin: a composer outwardly delicate, inwardly steely; rooted in Polish dance rhythms, yet formed in Parisian sophistication.

Bachtrack top ten: Gaetano Donizetti

Mark Pullinger, 29th November

A hugely successful composer of bel canto opera, Gaetano Donizetti had a lasting impact, with many of his operas entering regular rotation in houses around the world for almost 200 years.

Bachtrack top ten: Johann Strauss II

Mark Pullinger & Elisabeth Schwarz, 25th October

Music ran through the veins of Johann Strauss II and – despite his father’s opposition – he went on to compose many of the greatest waltzes ever.

Mark Pullinger

Mark has been a Bachtrack editor since 2014. He is also an experienced critic, writing hundreds of reviews for the site, as well as a freelancer writing for other magazines and newspapers. He also writes programme notes and blogs on Substack. Mark has a particular passion for the operas of Verdi as well as Russian and French repertoire. Outside the concert hall and opera house, Mark enjoys cooking and travel and is probably at his happiest let loose in a French patisserie or a Viennese coffee house.