Debussy’s “La Mer” is a masterpiece of suggestion and subtlety in its rich depiction of the ocean. Several authors have claimed that “La Mer” sounds like nothing before it. As a specialist in French Impressionism, the British pianist and writer Paul…

The Surprise Symphony is the best known of the over 100 symphonies by Haydn. Its second movement is the most popular and gave the symphony its name: legend has it that the sudden beat of the timpani was meant to rouse members of the audience who had…

In the eyes of his contemporaries, Johannes Brahms’s violin concerto was so different from everything that had come before that, after the premiere, a critic stated that it wasn’t a concerto, but a “symphony with violin obligato”. In an interview…

Franz Schubert's Symphony No. 8 in B minor, commonly known as the Unfinished, was started in 1822 but left with only two movements complete even though Schubert would live for another six years. Since Schubert's death at the age of 31, the Unfinished…

Widely accepted as a leading authority on Baroque music, Ton Koopman conducts J.S. Bach's Magnificat BWV 243. Performed by the Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra and Choir joined by soloists Deborah Yorck (soprano), Bogna Bartosz (alto), Jörg Dürmüller…

Junko Onishi is one of the most exciting new discoveries of 'Blue Note'. Her imaginative interpretations of music from Duke Ellington to Sonny Rollins, together with her own compositions, have shown her to be a virtuoso pianist and composer of…

Bireli Lagrene plays with Babik Reinhardt in a tribute to Django Reinhardt.

For this feature, "24 hours Bach" presents the best performers in their field, including John Eliot Gardiner, the Monteverdi Choir founded by him, the English Baroque Soloists, as well as other internationally-known vocal soloists.

Stravinsky found the inspiration for his work in sources ranging from Greek Orthodox liturgy to his beloved Verdi.