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A tour of Britten, celebrating the finest works by the composer who launched the English operatic renaissance. 

Conformist or closet dissident? Dmitri Shostakovich had to adapt, chameleon-like, to the changing political climate in the Soviet Union, toeing the party line where necessary, but planting his music with coded messages.

His symphonies are now mainstays of orchestra seasons, but during his lifetime Gustav Mahler was more famous as a rigorous conductor, his music misunderstood and scorned. 

Quintessentially English or establishment outsider? Elgar was seen as provincial – and was never more at home than in his beloved Malvern Hills – but he had a European outlook.

Born 100 years ago, the music of Hungarian composer György Ligeti is varied and multiplicitous, displaying a voracious curiosity and a multifaceted imagination.

Drawing on the concept of Gesamtkunstwerk (total work of art), Wagner is best remembered for his extraordinary music dramas, not least the monumental, 15-hour Ring cycle.

“I detest imitation, I detest hackneyed devices.” Prokofiev was one of the most important Russian composers, writing in a variety of forms and happy to challenge conventions. 

Possibly the greatest pianist of the 20th century and one of its greatest composers too, Sergei Rachmaninov left a relatively small catalogue – only 45 published works – yet many of them appear frequently in concert programmes. 

A playlist presenting a multiplicity of musics from eight women composers from around the world, with premieres in 2023.

“I've written only one masterpiece. Unfortunately it has no music in it.” To which work was the self-critical Maurice Ravel referring and where does it come in our playlist of the dapper Frenchman’s top ten?

Composer of some 500 concertos and around 90 operas, there's much more to the “Red Priest”, Antonio Vivaldi, than the ubiquitous Four Seasons. 

“Give me a laundry bill and I will set it to music.” Composition seemed to come easily to Rossini. He wrote around 40 operas in only 17 years... but then he suddenly stopped. Enjoy our top ten selection. 

Child prodigy, keen traveller, champion of Bach – Felix Mendelssohn packed a lot of music into his short life, music that teems with freshness and vigour.

Many of Schubert's “late” masterpieces – he died aged only 31 – are included in our editor’s selection of his top ten works. 

How to select a top ten from over 600 works by one of the world's greatest composers? An impossible task...

Giacomo Puccini knew how to pull the heartstrings in his music. He made his soprano characters suffer... but also composed some of his best music for them. 

Exploring choral selections from Sweden, Chile, Russia, Ukraine, Canada, Dominica and Nigeria, to bring a variety of festive splendour to the end of this year.

A Belgian in Paris, César Franck was a leading organist, composer and teacher in the 19th century, yet his music has slipped out of fashion in recent decades. There is much to enjoy in our playlist.

The tragedy of the invasion of Ukraine has rejuvenated interest in Ukrainian music for many across Europe. This playlist glances the surface of a musical culture that runs incredibly deep.

The world stands agog as the US undergoes another election. These composers sought to reveal the brokenness of US politics – and the ability of the American people to come together in spite of it.

A musical exploration of the roots of Halloween (and associated festivals La Toussaint and El Día de los Muertos) – when the dead come alive and walk among us.

Mark Pullinger celebrates this quintessentially English composer with a list of RVW's most inspiring works.

Star organist, conductor and broadcaster Anna Lapwood is our guest curator, presenting her top ten – for today – favourites works for her instrument. 

Mark and Elisabeth travel to the sinister worlds of singing automata and seven-headed mouse kings to bring you the best works inspired – and composed – by ETA Hoffmann.

To mark Queen Elizabeth II's platinum jubilee in 2022, here is a playlist of music associated with the monarch, including many works performed at her coronation in Westminster Abbey. 

“Father of the Symphony” Joseph Haydn composed 104 (numbered) symphonies which is a plenty large enough pool from which to select our top ten. 

From child prodigy to being perceived as a crusty conservative, Camille Saint-Saëns' life spanned over eight decades. Enjoy our musical selection of his very best works... plus a few surprises!

Mark and Elisabeth descend to Hell to find the right soundtrack for Dante Week and to mark the 700th anniversary of the poet’s death.

Who says that classical music is obsolete? We collected a few pieces of music inspired by urgent, topical matters that define our times.

Here are ten unusual instruments you might not be too familiar with.

No 20th-century composer adapted his style as much as Igor Stravinsky. From his early ballets for Diaghilev’s Ballets Russes to his neoclassical phase and serialism, Stravinsky’s music underwent many transformations. 

Tchaikovsky could spin melodies like few others and was undoubtedly one of the most versatile composers.

Brahms pours his heart out in every single composition and takes the listener on an unforgettable emotional journey. 

With social distancing restrictions in place, many orchestras had to rethink their repertoire to continue performing during lockdown. Here are the most frequently programmed classical works during the pandemic streaming era. 

A personal voyage through the life and music of Béla Bartók, from memories of learning an instrument to watching an orchestra beat the pandemic.

Ten unusual takes on the Russian-Soviet composer's music to celebrate the 130th anniversary of his birth.

Clone wars: here's our top five of the best videos of musicians doubling down on their incredible talent.

From Oblivion to Libertango by way of fugue and milonga, here's a playlist to celebrate a composer who created a new genre from the bordellos of Buenos Aires. 

Since the end of the 19th century, a whole raft of schools and companies were founded by women, resulting in a large number of seminal works in dance history.

Gather your littles ones around and settle down for a musical tale or two with our favourite works for children.

Music for Holy Week: at this time of reflection, reviewer and choral expert David Truslove presents his pick of setting of The Lamentations of Jeremiah.

For 1st April – or indeed any day of the year – some classical music in a playlist to raise a smile or two. 

Enjoy some uplifting music as composers revel in the joys of spring! 

From Schubert and Loewe to Beethoven and even flamenco guitars: Goethe's eerie ballad has been inspiring generations of composers and artists.

As part of keyboard month, we take a look at some of the most important composers who wrote music for this fascinating instrument.

Viscount Organs team, after much discussion, have managed to agree on their favourite organ pieces to celebrate Keyboard Month at Bachtrack.

Flowers, wine and serenades not doing it for you on Valentine's Day? Then we prescribe a dose of our cynics playlist, which should cure you of all romantic thoughts... at least for an hour or so. 

Mark and Elisabeth offer you hopeless romantics bouquets, chocolates and stars – many stars – in their Valentine’s Day playlist.

Our editors have chosen their favourite ten from his 600+ Lieder. Warning: don't expect a jolly time, until we get to no. 10... and even then things turn out badly if you're a fish. 

No, not a playlist of Ludwig's greatest hits, but a delve into the darker reaches of Beethoven's back catalogue, including the many "works without opus"...