-
Do you want to know what made the composer Frédéric Chopin (1810-1849) so special? I'll tell you. Aside from revolutionizing the piano itself, enlarging…
-
We hope you enjoyed this year's Essential Classical and Jazz Countdowns! Lists are at the bottom of this post. The 2018 Countdown was made possible by…
-
That’s right, you voted Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791), your No. 1 most essential classical composer. His symphonies, operas, concertos, and…
-
Four notes (the first three of which are the same) say “classical music” to more people around the world than any other bit of music anyone else has ever…
-
"Study Bach. There you will find everything." That's what Johannes Brahms said about the King of Baroque. Johann Sebastian Bach is the composer, above all…
-
If you “Take Five” to listen to music “In Your Own Sweet Way,” then let’s call a Time Out and just say that you’re thinking of Dave Brubeck. Enough of you…
-
There’s something about those tunes. From Romeo and Juliet to The Nutcracker to the 1812 Overture to the Serenade and symphonies and concertos,…
-
The lovable curmudgeon is on everyone’s short list of favorites, it seems, so it’s no surprise that Johannes Brahms is the No. 5 Most Essential Classical…
-
His melodies haunt you with their beauty, and his harmonies and delicate passagework for the piano still astonish us with their freshness. Frédéric Chopin…
-
Melodies that will melt your heart, and piano passages that will bust your knuckles—that’s what Sergei Rachmaninoff brings to the table. From symphonies…