Bach’s Sonatas and Partitas for solo violin are six of the most unusual works ever written for the instrument. They exemplify a number of contradictions. They are works of orchestral complexity – composed for completely unaccompanied violin. They are incredibly

In the long line of great Russian composers, Alexander Glazunov (1865-1936) occupies a curious place. Neither as fiery as Mussorgsky nor as emotionally raw as Tchaikovsky, Glazunov was a master of craft. His music radiates a refined elegance that blends

The 1800s were the golden age of the piano concerto. Composers were pushing the form in radical new directions, from Beethoven‘s revolutionary opening gambits to Brahms‘s symphonic sprawl. Here is our pick for the best piano concerto from each decade

The violin sonata is one of the most intimate forms in classical music: two instruments, face to face in conversation. The best violin sonatas are not merely showcases for the violin; they are conversations between equals. This list covers ten

French composer Maurice Ravel was one of classical music’s supreme craftsmen, once famously compared to a watchmaker. He was obsessed with details, and as a result, wrote less compared to many of his contemporaries. The flip side of that perfectionism

Antonio Vivaldi wrote roughly 500 concertos over the course of his career. You probably know four of them. True, the Four Seasons are among the most beloved pieces of music ever written – and rightly so. But Vivaldi’s genius extended

The seven most-watched Yo-Yo Ma videos on YouTube span over twenty years of his career. Some are official music videos backed by a major label’s marketing budget. Others are live recordings that found an audience on their own, with no

Over the centuries, the devil has made countless cameos in classical music. Composers across four centuries have been drawn to Satan as a subject. Sometimes he is a figure of genuine menace; sometimes he is the avatar for musical rebellion;