Category : Repertoire
A collection of inspirational English Christmas music with a focus on the magical spirit of the holiday season.
With this playlist, EVERY day is Star Wars Day! So celebrate with this epic playlist of iconic music from Star Wars and John Williams.
By evoking the vastness of the American landscape—and the optimism felt by those who seek to forge their own destinies there—Aaron Copland became closely identified with the nation's midcentury spirit. Though he experimented with serial (or atonal) composition, his most familiar pieces (like Appalachian Spring) rely on tonal, flowing melody. The composer also lent his support to racial integration in classical culture by conducting African American baritone William Warfield in “Old American Songs.” Get to know this memorable populist's most enduring symphonic suites, concertos, and fanfares.
Alban Berg was a pupil of Arnold Schoenberg, and took his instructor's 12-tone (atonal) method of writing and made it his own, injecting a Romantic sense of longing into his mature works. This fusion means it's possible to perform Berg's music as either searing or lush, making it attractive to stylists like the pianist Hélène Grimaud and conductor Pierre Boulez. The composer's two stage works, Wozzeck and Lulu, are among the few modernist pieces in the core operatic repertoire. This playlist gives you a taste of Berg's orchestral compositions, chamber music, and dramatic writing.
The best new recordings from across the genre.
Classical music continues to be pushed, stretched, augmented, and redefined. From quiet piano meditations to wild electroacoustic experiments, this mix brings you new work from the frontiers of composition: a live conversation, not an old story.
Discover the rich heritage of classical composers from the United States.
Explore the history of American Classical music with pieces from Copland, Gershwin, Glass, and more.
The Bruckner symphony has some core attributes: it's long, it's gorgeous, it surprises you, and just when you think, “this raging part here has got to be the movement's climax”, the piece slackens, pivoting back to a tender, barely recalled mood, before hitting you with an even bigger wallop. You can see why traditionalists might have thought the composer mad in the 19th century. But despite the awesome attention span required, and the occasional dissonance or weird harmonic turn, Bruckner's music has only gained prestige in the modern era (perhaps because conductors feel a need to prove that they can master his music). Furtwängler, Karajan, Barenboim, Solti and many others have sifted through the competing editions of this noted tinkerer's works. (The revisions are so numerous they have a name: “the Bruckner problem”.) Yet despite the complexity of those musicological weeds, his symphonic brand is stable and secure.
Born in Bohemia, the Czech composer fused a nationalistic language with the then-current mainstream symphonic tradition—and won the approval and patronage of Brahms. Of his nine symphonies, the final three are repertoire works (No. 7 perhaps his finest, No. 9 the hit), and he wrote one of the greatest of all cello concertos, a magnificent creation. His chamber music taps deep into the Czech spirit, and the homesickness he felt when he went to work in New York inspired some of his loveliest works. There is still much of his music that isn't performed regularly but which offers huge rewards to the curious.
Yes, you've heard at least part of The Four Seasons (whether you know it or not). But as expressive and iconic as that group of four concertos is, it represents only the tip of a rather large iceberg. This Italian Baroque composer (and violinist) brought his sprightly energy to hundreds of concertos, as well as dozens of operas and sonatas. Whether you listen to modern interpretations played on “period instruments” or indulge in modernized performance practices, you should seek out Vivaldi's characteristic strut (and gift for melody) in works for bassoon, cello, and sundry other instruments.
These charmingly profound modern works chart new territory in the art of the fugue.
When it comes to luscious harmony and mesmerizing counterpoint, three is the magic number!
German cellist Gabriel Schwabe has been among the fastest-rising stars of his instrument, earning critical comparisons to such greats of the past as Emanuel Feuermann, in whose namesake competition a Schwabe win touched off the young player's impressive run of contest victories.
Precision and passion go hand in hand during performances led by this Dutch conductor. Famed for his exacting rehearsal process, Jaap van Zweden is particularly strong in the European repertoire, guaranteeing richly detailed accounts of Beethoven and Brahms. His technical focus has helped raise the Dallas Symphony Orchestra to national prominence. And with his stints in Hong Kong and New York, van Zweden's brand of intensity has become internationally renowned. Listen for the controlled but imposing sound he creates in works by composers as diverse as Mozart and Dvořák.
A conductor whose gifted touch burnishes compositions from across the spectrum, Marin Alsop is notable not only for being one of a small handful of female conductors who've achieved a global reputation, but also because she's counted among the few in her profession who can claim a truly eclectic vision. Instead of branding herself a Romantic or a Modernist, she ranges freely, conducting Gershwin and James P. Johnson as well as Brahms and Bartók. No matter the aesthetic, Alsop finds the melodies in an orchestration and shapes them wonderfully.
By combining icy instrumental textures, such as brittle bells or scraping violins, with instantly memorable melodic fragments and strange harmonies, this Estonian composer created that rarest of things: a popular and experimental body of work. His style of “tintinnabuli”—which calls to mind those bells again—was introduced on early works such as “Für Alina” and “Spiegel im Spiegel.” Informed by his Eastern Orthodox Christianity and a wealth of western music styles (including minimalism), Pärt's catalog has also been influential in the world of film-scoring—just as you might expect from a composer with striking pieces like “Fratres” and “Tabula Rasa” in his oeuvre.
60 best recorded and engineered classical recordings to test your headphones or speakers with. Enjoy your best seat in legendary concert halls and recording studios around the world.
Contemporary classics that provoke and challenge your perception of music. Features works from Xenakis, Stockhausen, Ligeti and Edgard Varèse.
Discover some of extraordinary award-winning classical music.
Inspire your little Mozart with these classics.
A kaleidoscopic collection of Bach arranged and played by bluegrass, jazz, world fusion, and electronic artists in their own styles; transcriptions for classical chamber ensembles; and piano improvisations on Bach's works.
50 tracks of the best classical music to dance to, from famous ballets and waltzes, to exquisitely rhythmic pieces in various dance forms: allemande, bolero, chaconne, ecossaise, fandango (track 2), foxtrot, gigue, hornpipe, ländler, mazurka, minuet, pavane, polka, polonaise, saltarello, sarabande,
A classical ballet class playlist for practise and relaxation - including The Nutcracker, Swan Lake, Romeo and Juliet, The Sleeping Beauty and more.
Smetana's Vltava, a portrait in music of the river that runs through the Czech Republic, is one of classical music's best-loved works, but it's only one movement of a set of six tone-poems gathered together as Má vlast ("my country") from the late 1870s. Spilling over with melody and painted with a fantastic array of orchestral colours, this is Smetana's masterpiece. His opera The Bartered Bride, with its popular overture, is a wonderful work, and his two string quartets are music of depth, the Second a harrowing evocation of a man losing his hearing.
Though he started composing during the Classical era, Beethoven is probably best remembered as a proto-Romantic, a composer who broadened the emotional range of Western music. Lyrical, demonstrative, even a little tempestuous, the works here (produced between the late 18th century and the early 20th) signal a shift toward expressivity that changed composition forever, culminating in the radical revisions of Modernism.
Treading his own path with single-minded determination, Bartók helped define a modern musical language with works like his opera Bluebeard's Castle, his Concerto for Orchestra, three piano concertos, and two violin concertos. His six-string quartets are perhaps the greatest cycle since Beethoven's. A superb pianist, he wrote numerous small works for the instrument (often with an educational purpose). He taught many generations of musicians, and his music has become central to the modern repertoire through its groundbreaking embrace of fierce rhythmic language and pungent Hungarian flavors.
With his gifts for memorable themes and adventurous orchestration, this composer brought British composition firmly into the 20th century. Balancing pastoral and sentimental moods with dark elegies, Britten's catalog eloquently demonstrates a wide emotional range. Fittingly, given his dramatic flair, he single-handedly gave English-language opera a boost in the global canon with works like Billy Budd, Death in Venice, and Peter Grimes. And The Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra is a foundational piece for listeners of any age who want to get a handle on all the sections of a philharmonic.
Whether it's chamber music or concertos that excite you, you'll find them all here in music from Bach and Handel, Mozart, Strauss and many more.
Step inside the vibrant world of Sulic and Hauser with cello arrangement of your favorite songs
Enjoy the best-loved works by this quintessentially American composer.
Dive deep into the classics with game-changing Hungarian-born pianist András Schiff.
From conducting to composing to performing, this versatile German-American legend could do it all.
Step into the world of the minimalist composer from Estonia, Arvo Part.
Playing everything from villains, buffoons and romantic leads, baritones and basses are some of classical music's most flexible singers. Hear our selection of the best, from Kurt Moll to Bryn Terfel
The classical music label Capriccio was founded in 1982. From the beginning, Capriccio always wanted to fill the niches that other labels kept neglecting. This philosophy has not changed. Capriccio is committed to the music fans that look beyond the paths of mainstream classical music and who are curious to discover unknown repertoires, young artists, as well as inventive programs.
The greatest recordings (so far) from the celebrated diverse quartet.
Great works by the deeply private and often controversial Soviet composer Dmitri Shostakovich.
Relax with melodies by the godfather of the modern classical movement, Erik Satie.
The greatest recordings of the sublime works of Frederic Chopin.
Feel the power and tenderness in the greates works by composer Gustav Holst.
American master Hilary Hahn brings the best violin music from the historic to the contemporary.
The sweetest moments from the amazing vocal styles of internationally-adored Il Divo.
Bask in contrapuntal masterpieces and highlights from larger works by Johann Sebastian Bach.
Celebrating the work of the Icelandic composer who bridged the classical and electronic worlds.
Great moments from the American violin virtuoso's solo and film career.
Transport yourself into the dreamy world of pianist Lambert.
Great moments from the career of superstar pianist Lang Lang.
Happy 100th, Lenny! Celebrate with the greatest moments from all aspects of his career.
The best solos and collaborations of the multi-talented Lindsey Stirling.
Dive deep into the catalogue of Italian composer and pianist Ludovico Einaudi.
Get acquainted with the best-loved works by the undisputed champion of classical composition.
Maluma's best tracks all in one place.
Dream away with the master of Romantic-era impressionist piano, Ms. Martha Argerich.
Become transported by the greastest pieces from innovative composer Maurice Ravel.
Relax with hits from post-minimalist composer Max Richter.
The very best music by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, including his piano concertos, operas, violin concertos, Masses, Requiem and chamber works, brought to you by Sinfini Music.
This Icelandic artist combines strings and piano to bridge the gap between electronic and classical.
A lovely collection featuring the best of Opera and Classical Vocal Music.
The very best classical opera arias, including music by Puccini, Handel, Verdi, Mozart, Donizetti, Rossini, Wagner, Tchaikovsky and Bizet, brought to you by Sinfini Music.
The greatest tracks by legendary Italian tenor Luciano Pavarotti.
Instrumental versions of your favourite popular songs from your favourite guys on the piano and cello.
The very best music by Romantic composer Sergei Rachmaninov, including his piano concertos, Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini and his Vespers, brought to you by Sinfini Music.
Greatest recordings by piano virtuoso, composer, and conductor, Sergei Rachmaninoff.
The best classical music for string quartet, featuring music by Mozart, Beethoven, Haydn, Brahms, Bartok, Tchaikovsky, Ives, Schubert, Debussy, Janacek and Shostakovich.
Iconic master pieces from the mind of 19th century Russian composer Pyotr Illyich Tchaikovsky.
The very best music by Romantic composer Richard Wagner, including his operas, piano music, orchestral songs, and of course the Ring Cycle, brought to you by Sinfini Music.
Big Ears 2018 Lineup
Inspired by Terry Riley’s All Night Flight and the 24 Hour Drone at Basilica Hudson, Big Ears is hosting its first overnight experience – the 12 Hour Drone: All Night Flight. In this official drone inspiration playlist, you’ll find sounds that shift, morph, and evolve. Immerse yourself in music that pushes the boundaries of sound, time, and genre.
A collection of exquisite (sometime exotic) classical compositions that intimate birdsong, or inspired by birds, including Sibelius' Swan of Tuonela, Ravel's Oiseaux tristes (Sad Birds), Vaughan Williams' The Lark, and many more.
The Romantic tradition found one of its finest Parisian exponents in Camille Saint-Saëns. Whether boisterous and frothy in the manner of the “Danse Macabre, Op. 40” or strewn with elegant arpeggios (like his piano concerti), this composer's work helped establish the French classical sound of his day. His best-known work for the stage, Samson and Delilah, is also a part of his homeland's grand opera repertoire. Saint-Saëns additionally burnished his legacy by teaching Fauré.
One of America's most celebrated musical figures, Leonard Bernstein cultivated an incredible legacy as a conductor, performer, educator, and—as explored in this playlist—composer. Between lyrical cautionary tale Trouble in Tahiti, the complex choral work Chichester Psalms, and the enduring tunes and tragedies of West Side Story, Bernstein is an integral part of America's musical DNA.
Merry Christmas! Enjoy this collection of Christmas classics, the perfect soundtrack for all your holiday celebrations!
Discover the greatest chamber music masterpieces.
An introduction to French composer Charles Gounod (1818 – 1893), best known for his Ave Maria, based on a work by Bach, as well as his opera Faust.
Inspire young minds with classical music for doing homework – or just for fun!
Chill to the most familiar and cinematic classical pieces that appeared in memorable films, from the Mozart aria in Shawshank's Redemption, to the Mahler in Birdman. Most tracks are from the original soundtracks so you can find out which film was it from
Rousing and familiar pieces to get excited about Classical music (or just excited in general).
When classical goes pop!
The shoe is on the other foot as musicians from other genres try their hands at classical music.
“A film is - or should be - more like music than like fiction.” Stanley Kubrick.
Listen to the powerful voices of LGBTQ composers.
The gauzy, indistinct term “impressionism” is tossed around a lot with Debussy (not that he cared for it himself). So let's state things more clearly: this composer's appetite for new textures—and his skill with lush, harmony-stretching orchestrations—helped launch the 20th century in Western music. Popular with both lay audiences and specialists, his influence is still considerable: jazz players study the dissonances of the later Préludes, while the Nocturnes look ahead to some of Meredith Monk's orchestral work. And you can't get the decadent orchestra Notations of Pierre Boulez without Jeux. Be sure to go beyond La Mer to discover rich works like Debussy's opera Pelléas et Mélisande.
This Italian composer bridged the 16th and 17th centuries—the eras of madrigal songs and opera arias. He wrote nine books of the former, leaving his mark with harmonic ingenuity, and more than a dozen operas, only three of which survive. The horns that introduce 1607's L'Orfeo reveal the form's original purpose: pomp in celebration of the Gonzaga court. By 1642, opera was a popular medium, with sensuality taking center stage, as Monteverdi's L'incoronazione di Poppea demonstrates. (Courtly types also started to come in for some mockery.) Listen and discover the roots of classical song.
An introduction to Finnish composer Kaija Saariaho (b. 1952), one of the most important woman composers of 20th / 21st century.
Classical music is a world of revelatory experiences. As broad as it is deep, it contains astounding variety and evokes seemingly endless emotion. Consider this playlist merely the beginning of a journey that should never end.
Hand-selected by Innova's own staff and presenting some of today's most visionary composers and artists.
Although Shostakovich lived in constant fear of Stalin and his regime (his opera Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk was denounced by a now-infamous Communist Party editorial titled “Muddle Instead of Music"), the composer made a triumphant return to acceptance with the Fifth Symphony. His music runs the gamut, from the triumphant and public (Symphony No. 5), via the illustrative (No. 12, The Year 1917) to the sardonic (No. 15). His 15-string quartets offer a glimpse of his inner life like an emotional diary, and his 24 Preludes and Fugues display his virtuosity as a composer, paying homage to Bach. His music speaks with a directness and power that explains why he is one of the most performed 20th-century composers.
Loved the world over for his music to Peer Gynt and his Piano Concerto, Grieg wrote melodies that capture the imagination and touch the heart. A fine pianist and inspiring conductor, he managed to fuse music that captured the Norwegian spirit with a truly international language; it made him a national hero. Apart from his "pops," he gave us a trio of wonderful violin sonatas, two fine string quartets, and a vast amount of piano music. And don't overlook his vocal music—he wrote some absolutely gorgeous songs.
In need of a pick-me-up or something a bit more fiery and intense to get you through a low ebb? This is the playlist for you.
Here's the perfect playlist for all of your Waltzing needs!
A classicist to the core, this composer helped reintroduce his contemporary German public to Bach's towering St. Matthew Passion. In addition to conducting and performing, Mendelssohn also helped usher in the era of the short symphonic drama, or tone poem. When combined with his mastery of earlier traditions, Mendelssohn's early Romantic desire to keep audiences entertained resulted in ever-popular works like the Violin Concerto in E Minor, which retains its appeal for audiences and virtuoso players alike.
Take a trip around the world (and through music history) in this collection of pieces that were inspired by folk songs, made use of folk melodies, or in the style of folk dances.
The perfect playlist to accompany any book. So grab that new book you just got, get cozy in your favorite reading spot, press play and enjoy!
Hits from your favorite video games: Legend of Zelda, Halo, Final Fantasy, Call of Duty, Guild Wars.
Give your kids the gift of classical music. Classical Music for Kids is full of the most recognizable and fun classical music. Perfect for that long drive or for entertaining at home on the weekend.
Franz Liszt was a rock star of the 19th century, with his thrilling piano performances, long, swaying hair, and stirring compositions. An avid traveler and lover of art, the Hungarian pianist's rhapsodic works reflect an array of European ideals: the flowing lyricism of Italian vocal works, the sparkling, graceful arpeggios and voice leading of French music, and the rigor and drama of a more traditionally German style. These elements combine in visionary symphonic poems and profoundly tender—sometimes demonic—piano works that revolutionized the musical forms of the day.
Another of classical music's greats who died young, Schubert—who passed at age 31—saw himself as Beethoven's successor, leaving eight symphonies, string quartets, piano sonatas, choral works, and countless songs. His song cycles Die schöne Müllerin and Winterreise remain some of the greatest ever composed. His final year, 1828, haunted by death, saw him write some of his greatest music, including his sublime String Quintet and B flat Piano Sonata. Melody flowed out of him like the river that flows through Die schöne Müllerin. Float along with this selection of his great works.
From his teenage debut in Vienna to his premature death in 1849 in Paris, this Polish expatriate composer made his name on the piano. He was a virtuoso performer, a highly sought-after instructor to Parisian elite, and a composer whose body of preludes, etudes, and mazurkas are still a requirement for successive generations of prodigies. Soloists as distinct as Murray Perahia, Maurizio Pollini, and Yuja Wang have all had to grapple with Chopin's canon, which requires both formidable technical dexterity and delicate nuance.
Transport yourself to France with pieces from promient French classical composers.
Gabriel Fauré's music glows with inner light, and his gentle touch makes the Requiem of 1888 such a popular work. But there is so much more to Fauré: a host of glorious piano music (continuing a tradition from Chopin and Schumann), a body of songs that lift French poetry effortlessly into melody, and chamber music that will melt all but the hardest of hearts. As the head of the Paris Conservatoire from 1905 to 1920, Fauré oversaw the careers of numerous young composers, and he was a much-loved figure in French musical life. His is a musical voice that seems to reflect a deeply humane personality.
Handel was, for his day, one of the most cosmopolitan of composers, constantly absorbing national styles but then making them entirely his own. He composed a stream of magnificent operas, with Giulio Cesare enduing as one of the greatest. But he also wrote some now-much-loved orchestral works: the Royal Fireworks Music and Water Music were both written for major occasions in 18th-century London. His grasp of English may have always been somewhat approximate, but in works like Messiah (1741) and Jephtha (1751), he simply lifted the poetry into music of sublime expressivity.
During the Jazz Age, there were more than a few artistic go-betweens who cut paths from the club floor to the concert hall, carrying aspects of each tradition hither and yon. But no composer had as much respect in both scenes as Gershwin, whose vernacular-inflected symphonic works like “Rhapsody in Blue” have been lodestars for generations of conductors. (Bernstein cut a great “American in Paris” with the New York Philharmonic in his youth; Ludovic Morlot has followed that example early in his time with the Seattle Symphony.) Likewise, Gershwin's supposedly pop-side songs for the stage—such as tunes from Porgy and Bess—have spent decades in the jazz-standard songbook before coming back to the classical world as piano miniatures deserving of recitalists' attention.
From Wagner to Bach, explore some of the greats of Teutonic Classical music.
Puccini brought about a revolution in verismo—or realism—in opera, putting real people (seamstresses, geishas, painters) on stage in situations that audiences could entirely identify with. His gift for glorious melodies immediately won him a huge following, and works like La bohème, Madama Butterfly, and Tosca are performed daily the world over. Over a rich, beautifully colored orchestral cushion of sound, Puccini unfurls some of the great melodies in classical music—"Nessun dorma" from his last opera, Turandot, is just one of many that guaranteed his immortality.
Best known, and much loved, for his 1812 Overture, First Piano Concerto, The Nutcracker and Swan Lake ballets, Romeo and Juliet, and plenty more, Tchaikovsky was one of Russia's greats. A cultivated and cosmopolitan man, he had a glorious gift of melody that could dig deep, as in the opera Eugene Onegin, or sweep his audiences up, as in his great ballets. He was an adored teacher and an accomplished conductor. His final three symphonies (Nos. 4-6) bare his often troubled soul and have found a place on concert programs the world over. His death, at age 53, remains an enigma.
A selection of the greatest concertos ever composed.
A perfect introduction to the greatest symphonies ever written.
One of the best ways to start a fight among symphony lovers is to bring up the catalog of this Austrian, who connects the Late Romantic and early-modern eras. Is the rambunctious First Symphony his best? Or else the “tragic” Sixth? The towering “Symphony of a Thousand” (No. 8)? And then you have to pick a conductor. Some listeners require the hypertrophied expressiveness of Herbert von Karajan's interpretations; others prefer the clipped, severe approach of Pierre Boulez's readings. Perhaps because Mahler's music goes through such observable changes, no conductor has yet to pitch a perfect game when recording the entire cycle. So relax and start, well, anywhere! Pretty soon you'll be full of opinions too.
This French Romantic figure pushed orchestration to new places in the 19th century—not least with his immortal Symphonie fantastique. Also considered one of the great conductors of his day, his music can be found in the repertoires of Berlioz's hybrid-talent successors (such as Esa-Pekka Salonen, Thomas Adès and Pierre Boulez). Though it took some time for Berlioz's major opera, Les Troyens, to find a consistent place on the global stage, it is now acknowledged as a masterwork. The 21st century need for more Berlioz productions has even led the Metropolitan Opera to create a multimedia spectacle out of the composer's “légende dramatique", La damnation du Faust.
With the aria from his Bachianas Brasileiras No. 5—a gorgeous neo-classical homage to the music of J.S. Bach scored for soprano and an ensemble of cellos—Villa-Lobos established a language that fused the music of the Old World and the New. And though he is best known through this sublime work, the prolific composer's voice is rich, colorful, and utterly personal. His series of 14 Chôros, as well as 12 symphonies, speak in a modern but approachable language yet remain concert-hall rarities. His music for guitar, particularly the Etudes and Preludes, are repertoire staples. Villa-Lobos' body of work is extensive, making it a feast for the enthusiast.
In the grand tradition of melancholic music, there may not be a more gloriously bummed-out sound than the work of this English master. An early genius of ostinati and the low end, his propulsive music has been an influence not just on his Baroque contemporaries, but also on Benjamin Britten and the American post-minimalist Nico Muhly (who arranged “Let the Night Perish” and incorporated Purcell's Psalm 102 into a symphonic work). Not surprisingly, Purcell's acrobatic, graceful writing for the voice has long enchanted top singers like Alfred Deller and Kathleen Battle.
Vibrant classical by notable black composers and performers.
Classical music from some of the best composers and performers from Latin America.
Russian-born Igor Stravinsky was one of the most radical, innovative composers of all time, a genuine visionary who forged a new musical language with three of the most original works in the canon: The Firebird (1910), Petrushka (1911), and the riot-inducing The Rite of Spring (1913). His chameleonic nature led him through numerous styles but he always maintained his utterly unique musical voice. His influence on composers who followed was colossal: it's impossible to imagine 20th-century music without him. And you can recognize his music within a few seconds!
A selection of Indian classical instrumental music to help you focus and bring you joy.
50 highlights of classical music composed in the new millennium. Find more contemporary, avant-garde and minimalism playlists at our Classical Hub.
Whether you're heading down the aisle or just off to work, these covers are perfect for your day.
Take a crash course in Classical music by listening to this ultimate playlist of the best and most revered classical music of all time.
A godfather of counterpoint and harmony, Bach dates from the Baroque period, though appreciation of his timeless music can't be contained by any era. You may have encountered the Goldberg Variations, the Brandenburg Concertos, or his two great Passions, but there's always more to discover in his vast output. There's always a new interpretive approach to cherish too, in the recordings of performers as diverse as Yo-Yo Ma, Glenn Gould, and Sir Simon Rattle. Whenever arch-modernists tire of complexity for its own sake, they go “Back to Bach” for a reason: the purposefulness of his every note is an inspiration.
Few composers celebrated their homeland as passionately and powerfully as Jean Sibelius. His tone-poem Finlandia became an alternate Finnish national anthem, and his seven symphonies, written in a tonal and magnificently atmospheric language, take us on a searing voyage of the soul. From the Tchaikovskian first two, Sibelius refines and concentrates his language—passing through No. 5 with shattering power—to the short and intense No. 7. As well as shorter orchestral works, Sibelius is equally famed for his technically challenging Violin Concerto.
An introduction to music of Italian-born composer (1632 - 1687), principal architect of the French Baroque style.
This French Baroque composer was an experimentalist of his day, pushing harmony beyond the norms inherited from predecessors like Lully. He collaborated repeatedly with Voltaire (while famously quarrelling with other philosophers) and was a leading music theorist, but the strength of Rameau's operas and keyboard works is what cemented his reputation. With the success of the period performance movement, it's now possible for ensembles to mount productions of his operas that once languished as obscurities. Brush up on the Rameau renaissance with this selection of his finest works.
The perfect introduction to German composer Johann Pachelbel (1653 - 1706), best known for the Canon in D, and Hexachordum Apollinis, a set of six arias with variations for keyboard.
Born six years after Beethoven's death, and hailed by Schumann as a genius, Brahms continued the Germanic symphonic tradition at a time when Wagner was inventing a new musical and esthetic language. His four symphonies and four concertos (two for piano plus a Violin Concerto and one for violin and cello) are cornerstones of the repertoire, and fuse classical form with deep expression. A passionate admirer of Bach's music, Brahms wrote a lot of choral music including his very human A German Requiem. His chamber and piano music, as well as a large body of songs, make him one of the undisputed greats.
The force of Haydn's muse led him to become one of the most prolific and celebrated composers of the Classical period. His restless nature drove him to create bubbling, yearning melodies and countermelodies that scramble skyward, pause to allow a momentary fanfare, and then twirl and scamper their way back down at a frenetic pace. To suit the needs of his volcanic compositions, he had to forge new ensembles—the string quartet, the piano trio—and offer a guiding hand in the development of the symphony as a musical form, just one happy by-product of a mind in constant motion.
The best new classical releases in one place.
Few sounds are quite as comforting as the human voice. From ancient hymn to contemporary song, alone or stacked in harmony, these relaxing compositions demonstrate both the human voice's range and its unique intimacy—the feeling of companionship one gets just from knowing there's a person on the other end.
This playlist features the best and most famous works by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, whose genius and virtuosity made him a symbol if not a personification of great music. His sonatas, concertos, symphonies and operas have defined and greatly influenced what classical music is today.
After studying with the cream of Italy's postwar crop, this composer-pianist discovered a more populist form that was premised on minimalist melody and moderate tempos. Even when surging percussion (or orchestration) makes an appearance, the overall sound remains graceful and contemplative. Skilled with writing for film and television, Einaudi has also composed music for dance. And while he is in demand as a performer of his own works, other contemporary instrumentalists, like violinist Daniel Hope, have also taken to interpreting his catalog.
A propulsive pianist and prolific composer who disrupted nearly every major musical form—from the piano sonata and string quartet to the concerto, overture, and symphony—Beethoven was a tempestuous figure in 19th-century Vienna. The German-born musician, often thought of as the symbol of all master composers, is best recognized for his “Moonlight Sonata,” his Fifth Symphony (some call its theme “Fate knocking at the door”), and his Ninth Symphony's “Ode to Joy.” Beethoven began going deaf as a 26-year-old in 1796, but that's also when he began to write his most visionary music. A sufferer of arrhythmia too, Beethoven devised a unique style of short, rhythmic motifs that undergo intense development. The composer is universally beloved for his communication of heroism and serenity, especially obvious in his Violin Concerto, Third Symphony (“Eroica”), and the Fifth Piano Concerto, also known as the “Emperor.”
Find contemplation and comfort for your soul with this sacred choral music.
The renowned conductor and violinist Marin Alsop selects her all-time favourite Christmas music.
Best known for his masterly orchestration of Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition, Ravel was a colorist of distinction whose palette helped define French music of the early 20th century. His piano music is exquisite in its delicacy, and his ballet music—Daphnis et Chloé in particular—is ravishing in its use of the orchestra. (Even with just four instruments, as with his String Quartet, he is a master of color.) His short operas, now often staged, are wonderfully witty and entertaining, while his song cycle Shéhérazade conjures up the exoticism of the East with a perfume you can almost smell.
With admiration for American minimalism (particularly Philip Glass) as well as for a range of European pop (including The Beatles and Kraftwerk), this graduate of London's Royal Academy of Music has cut a unique path. He produces albums, collaborates with the likes of Tilda Swinton, and occasionally “recomposes” works that other artists would assume are fully fixed in listeners' minds. (It takes ambition to propose a new version of Vivaldi's Four Seasons.) Whether composing music for sleep or for more lively pursuits, he's a gently provocative force in contemporary music.
Enjoy pieces by modern composers such as Harold Budd, Sylvain Chaveau, Brian, Crain, and others.
Although he was only an occasional composer, and faced a number of professional and personal obstacles—including a struggle with alcoholism and a long stint in conscripted civil service—Modest Mussorgsky's great works earn a place among "The Five" Romantic Russians who gave the nation its own classical tradition (Balakirev, Cui, Rimsky-Korsakov, and Alexander Borodin round out this elite fraternity). When he died, he left behind mostly incomplete works—the rough-edged inventiveness of which inspired acts of “polishing” by a small, often quibbling army of musicologists and admiring composers (such as Rimsky-Korsakov and Ravel). In whatever version one manages to hear them performed, Night on Bald Mountain, Pictures at an Exhibition, and the majestically impressive opera Boris Godunov all put Mussorgsky's psychologically expressive talents on display.
Favourite classics you’ll recognize from film and television.
There's something about the precision of classical music that makes it an especially good companion for staying on task. Whether you're studying, cooking, or just getting through the workday, this mix will help keep you focused and clear.
Honour your homeland at the Olympic Games, or just discover the proud tradition of another country.
The definitive guide to some of the greatest American composers in history.
This definitive playlist honours some of the greatest black composers in history; Scott Joplin, William Grant Still, George Walker, Edmond Dede, and more!
Frédéric Chopin, one of the earliest superstars of the music world, is best known for his works composed for solo piano. Listen now and introduce yourself to some of Chopin's greatest pieces.
Sublime, sacred, heavenly, transcendent...all words to describe some of the world's greatest choral masterpieces. Do your ears a favor and listen.
Keep your finger on the pulse of the newest and most relevant music out there today by listening to some new and familiar contemporary composers and artists that blur the lines between classical and pop music.
Some of the most famous and beautiful arias in all of opera are collected in this playlist.
Discover the Romantic Era through this mix of epic, emotion-filled music from Beethoven to Respighi.
Feast your ears on music by the popular French composer, Erik Satie.
The best classical music for string quartet, featuring music by Mozart, Beethoven, Haydn, Brahms, Bartok, Tchaikovsky, Ives, Schubert, Debussy, Janacek and Shostakovich.
A selection of highlights from Vivaldi's celebrated concertos and choral works, proving there's way more to this red-headed baroque legend than just The Four Seasons.
An introduction to the thoroughly dramatic world of Richard Wagner, brimming with ancient legends and timeless love stories.
From the sacred works Hildegarde von Bingen and madrigals of Barbra Strozzi, to the modern symphonies of Florence Price and the looped strings of Zoe Keating; celebrate the great women composers who continue to transform the classical world.
Featuring the newest releases in Classical Music.
The best new classical releases in one place.
Some of the best tracks of 20th and 21st century classical music.
Paganini's music bursts with confidence and a delight in his own fiery violin virtuosity. His lightning flights up and down the fingerboard have all the complexity of Bach's keyboard runs taken to uniquely cerebral and dizzying apexes. His orchestral and chamber compositions can be reflective and pastoral—having been composed largely on guitar—but they occasionally explode in a tornado of notes that are reined in with satisfying turns. Verve and passion await in these jubilant sonatas and concertos.
Essentially musical theatre on steroids, opera has delighted audiences with beautiful and ambitious multimedia masterpieces for more than three centuries. Originating in Italy and spreading throughout Europe, opera reached its first major peak with Mozart's classic 18th-century comedies. Rossini, Donizetti, and Bellini exemplified the bel canto era's focus on vocal pyrotechnics. Verdi and Wagner responded with a shift back to a more rigorously dramatic style matched to biblical, historical, and mythical material. Opera's single constant, though, has been the almost acrobatic rigor and transcendent artistry of its greatest singers.
An extraordinary player and composer, Niccolò Paganini was nicknamed "The Devil's Violinist" in his heyday. Explore his great works in this introductory playlist.
Explore the rhythmic and melodic word of percussion instruments with this playlist.
Something about the percussive and lyrical nature of the piano makes it particularly strong for conveying deep emotion. This playlist is the soundtrack for the unabashedly piano-mad!
Best known, and much loved, for his 1812 Overture, First Piano Concerto, The Nutcracker and Swan Lake ballets, Romeo and Juliet, and plenty more, Tchaikovsky was one of Russia's greats. A cultivated and cosmopolitan man, he had a glorious gift of melody that could dig deep, as in the opera Eugene Onegin, or sweep his audiences up, as in his great ballets. He was an adored teacher and an accomplished conductor. His final three symphonies (Nos. 4-6) bare his often troubled soul and have found a place on concert programs the world over. His death, at age 53, remains an enigma.
Warm your ears to some of the greatest melodies never set to words. unCLASSIFIED takes you on a journey through the music of Tchaikovsky, Rimsky-Korsakov, Prokofiev, and the many geniuses of ballet.
Enter a cathedral of peace, rest, and light with chill a cappella choral music.
Let the majesty of essential symphonic pieces erase your tension.
Calming string quartets, including works from Mozart, Beethoven, Dvorak, and more.
With a life that straddled two centuries, Strauss—no relation to the Viennese waltz dynasty—revelled in the potential of the huge Late Romantic orchestra. He wrote tone-poems (Also sprach Zarathustra one of the most popular) and a stream of operas that embraced the violent (Salome and Elektra), the aristocratic (Der Rosenkavalier and Capriccio), and the fantastic (Die Frau one Schatten). A great conductor and one of Europe's major musicians, his naive relationship with the Nazis soured his later years, but he remains one of the best-loved composers of the 20th century.
The epitome of German Romanticism, Robert Schumann was a failed pianist and highly sensitive composer who studied law and wrote poetry and music criticism. Lyric ingenuity infused his narrative song cycles (in translation, a famous one, Dichterliebe, is called “A Poet's Love”), and he was equally adept at innovating collections of short, delicate piano pieces (e.g., “Phantasiestücke” or “Fantastic Pieces,” and Kinderszenen or “Scenes From Childhood”). A devoted father of seven, Schumann was an idealist, and although he wrote concertos, symphonies, sonatas, and chamber music (including a famous Piano Quintet), he was better suited to short, simpler forms.
Celebrate love with these classical arrangements of romantic pop and rock songs.
Cllassical piano to keep you engaged and active.
Moving vocal tracks sung by great voices. When you listen to this playlist you'll hear well known music like the Ave Maria but also discover unknown treasurs like Refices 'Ombra di nube'
Choral masterpieces and sacred classical works.
In this playlist, Sean Hickey shares some his favorite and most inspriring works alongside some of his own pieces, including his latest, A Pacifying Weapon, out now on Danish label, OUR Recordings.
A virtuoso pianist who wrote music for himself to perform (including five piano concertos), Prokofiev was also a major symphonist (Nos. 1 and 5 the most popular; 1947's No. 6 probably the greatest). He emigrated and lived in France for a while, but his return to the USSR was marked by increasing hardship and strained relationships with the authorities. His music sparkles at its most outgoing, but works like the violin sonatas could also reach deep into the soul. His ballets are central repertoire works, with Romeo and Juliet a masterpiece of storytelling in music from 1935.
If music be the food of love, play on, Give me excess of it; that surfeiting, The appetite may sicken, and so die. Listen to music inspired by some of William Shakespeare's greatest works like Romeo & Juliet, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Otello, & Henry V.
Classical music is known for its epic scale, but it's also capable of producing pop song-sized pieces with exquisite beauty and grace.
A playlist featuring the best of ballet. Happy listening!
Make your way into a magical journey with the story of Snow White and other children’s stories. This collection is the dream your heart wishes for!
A selection of the greatest music from the movies, from famous themes to classical works.
While there's something to be said for following the intricate developments of symphonic themes, it's also nice to just to be able to hang on a melody. Mixing traditional repertoire with more contemporary hybrids, this playlist is focused primarily on simple, beautiful tunes—no words necessary.
Collin Rae, CEO of American label, Sono Luminus Records, has hand-picked tracks from some of his favourite new music; a sampling of some of the most innovative modern artists and composers of today.
“Mother bowed with grief appalling, must thou watch, with tears slow falling, on the cross Thy dying son!” These are the first lines of the Latin Stabat Mater.
Whether it's Memorial Day, Labor Day, or the 4th of July, this selection of great American music is perfect for your celebration!
A pioneer in the movement known as minimalism, American composer Steve Reich debuted in the early '60s with a series of innovative electronic experiments. As his career progressed, Reich began to incorporate traditional African and Asian music into his compositions, layering complex poly-rhythms to create trance-inducing landmarks like 1971's “Drumming” and 1976's “Music for 18 Musicians.” He's continued to explore his interest in hypnotic rhythms and sonorous melodies on works like 1988's “Different Trains” and 1995's “City Life,” blurring the line between accessibility and the avant-garde.
A perfect introduction to the greatest symphonies ever written.
Outstanding pieces for wind instruments. From cornerstone works by Dvořák, Stravinsky, Grainger to new classics by John Corigliano, David Maslanka, Eric Whitacre, and many more.
Naxos and its affiliated labels lead the classical music field in terms of the number and range of their new monthly releases. Klaus Heymann, the founder and chairman of Naxos, makes his preferred pick from the latest monthly crop, and our playlist includes sample tracks from his selected recordings.
Though classical music tends to be distinguished by symphonic instruments, some of its most beautiful pieces rely solely on the human voice's expressive power. This playlist showcases its range and potential, encompassing everything from Renaissance song to Romantic lieder, opera, and oratorio.
All ancient sciences, including medicine, were ultimately based on balancing and harmonizing the Four or Five Elements or basic components of Nature (Earth, Water, Air, Fire, and Aether) first within themselves and then, in the world around them.
Thomas Tallis, one of England’s most revered 16th-century Renaissance composers, was known for his beautifully rippling polyphony, which can be found in his myriad liturgical works such as masses and motets. Ranging from pointedly sombre (“Why Fum’th in Fight”) to angelically uplifting (“Spem in alium”), Tallis’ works often feature intersecting vocal lines that find skywardly ascending sopranos trading the forefront with velvety tenor and basslines. Indeed, his choral works were so beloved because of their beatific depiction of the glory of God (“Purge Me, O Lord”).
Violinist Tianwa Yang has distinguished herself from the crowd of young violinists and has become a major virtuosic star.
Immerse yourself in the brilliant sounds of Latin composers.
Enjoy a new take on favorites with classical covers of songs by Journey, Coldplay and more.
Comprising four separate operas, Wagner’s Der Ring des Nibelungen (The Ring of the Nibelung) took 25 years to complete. Centred on a ring of power and the attempts of various people to acquire it, the Ring cycle explores the relationship between love and earthly power and the themes of yearning and loss, all within a setting of medieval legend. The second part, Die Walküre, tells the story of the meeting of Siegmund and Sieglinde, children of Wotan, and the death of Siegmund through Wotan’s unwilling intervention.
For many, Mozart is the greatest of all composers. The playful, mercurial genius, who died at 35, left over 600 works (including 41 symphonies, 27 piano concertos, 22 operas, numerous Mass settings, chamber music, piano sonatas, and songs), which reveal one of the most prodigious talents ever known in music. Classical in style, yet dipping deep into an innate feeling for the nature of humanity, Mozart gave us some of the most perfect and enduring music ever conceived. A child prodigy, he effortlessly blossomed into a creator-performer of renown before dying far too young in 1791. Explore the iconic and beloved music that makes him one of Western art's immortals.
These instrumentalists are breaking classical's glass ceiling, one perfect note at a time.
From the sacred works Hildegarde von Bingen and madrigals of Barbra Strozzi, to the modern symphonies of Florence Price and the looped strings of Zoe Keating; celebrate the great women composers who continue to transform the classical world.