Classical music history is full of near-misses. Some of the pieces that we love best spent decades, even centuries, forgotten in archives or suppressed by families. The rediscoveries of these classics sometimes only happened by chance or due to individuals’

Few musical forms have evolved as extensively as the waltz. It began as a rustic Austrian dance in triple meter, scandalous for bringing men and women together so physically close. By the 19th century, it had shaken off its early

Frédéric Chopin! The name alone conjures a sense of profound intimacy. His works for piano take us into a world of almost otherworldly beauty, with melodies that become as engaging as the human voice. The music can be fragile, dance-like

Violist Rebecca Clarke was one of the most talented British composers of the early twentieth century. Although she is best known for her viola sonata, she also wrote a number of other wonderful works. These often blend a late Romantic

I recently listened to a 1974 EMI recording by Aldo Ciccolini, a pianist who had a fascination with neglected repertoire. He championed the piano works by Satie, Rossini, Massenet, De Falla and Déodat de Séverac, a composer completely unknown to

When attending a chamber music concert, most people expect to see violins, cellos, or maybe a grand piano or two. Basses, however, are seen less often. Usually, they’re relegated to orchestra pits or thankless doubled cello lines. Fortunately, some composers

There are two kinds of people in this world. Those who go to physical therapy with the serene optimism of a yoga influencer, and the rest of us, who walk in like we’re approaching a polite and determined interrogation. And

The piano sonata is often a vehicle to express struggle or psychological depth, from heroic battles with fate to intimate expressions of despair. But throughout the history of classical music, many composers have used the sonata to convey something very