The great English writer Jane Austen (1775–1817) only completed six novels, but they were novels that are not just stories but telling and pointed commentary on English landed gentry at the end of the 18th century. The definition of people

When music lovers think of the origins of opera, names like Claudio Monteverdi often come to mind. However, before opera became dominated by male composers, a remarkable woman was composing groundbreaking works in the genre. Francesca Caccini, born in Florence

When composers grieve, they often turn to music to express what words can’t. Some of the most powerful works of classical music ever are connected to the deaths of loved ones: spouses, siblings, friends, and others. From Johann Sebastian Bach’s

Trying to compare the net worths of classical composers across the centuries is tough. Currencies have changed; governments have fallen; and financial systems of the 1720s aren’t particularly comparable to those of the 2020s. And yet despite all that, it’s

Claude Debussy, the French composer whose evocative and innovative works reshaped the landscape of Western classical music, remains a towering figure in the canon of impressionist music. His compositions, characterised by fluid harmonies, delicate textures, and a painterly approach to

For many people, the names of Bach, Mozart, and Wagner evoke feelings of gratitude and awe for their musical works. But for the children of these composers, their names – and the growing legacies that became associated with them –

Faster than a waltz and designed to get the dancers really moving, the Galop moved in the 1820s from country dances to sophisticated Paris society. It was the predecessor to the next fast item to hit the dancefloor, the polka.

Some people know the outlines of the famous story of Tchaikovsky’s eccentric benefactress, Nadezhda von Meck: how she supported his composing career for years, how they made a pact never to meet in person, and how she suddenly and unexpectedly