How Igor Stravisky's Octet was inspired by a dream he had Read more
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Stravinsky - Octet
How Igor Stravisky's Octet was inspired by a dream he had
Dvorak - Cello Concerto
How to appreciate the romantic theme of Dvorak`s Cello Concerto
Classical Beginnings
How the tone is set in classical music
The Concerto
The concerto, which features a solo instrument and an orchestra
The Symphony as a Story
How a symphony can be used to tell a story
Beethoven's Piano Concerto No 4
Why Beethoven's Piano Concerto No 4 is a unique piece of work
The Work of Leos Janacek
The life and work of Czech composer Leos Janacek, whose music had a truly unique sound
Music from the Last Night of The Proms
A look at three pieces of music that are always played on the last night of The Proms
Hearing or Listening?
An examination of the difference between hearing and listening
Russian Orthodox Easter Music
How music is used to celebrate Easter in the Orthodox Christian Church
Strauss - Four Last Songs
The work of Richard Strauss and the first aired recording of his Four Last Songs
Musical Classification Explained
A discussion of whether it is possible to categorise or 'classify' music
Composers and the Countryside
How the countryside and the rural ideal has inspired composers
French Impressionism and Music
Debussy was considered to be the sound of French impressionism
Music Inspired by Pelleas and Melisande
How the play Pelleas and Melisande inspired several composers
Tchaikovsky and How to Distinguish Instruments
How Tchaikovsky's Souvenir de Florence exemplifies instrumental minimalism
Synthonic Music Explained
Two examples of masterpieces on a synthonic scale
Exoticism - Ravel and Stravinsky
The influence of oriental culture on classical music
Brahms Concerto No. 2
An examination of Brahms Concerto No. 2
The String Section
The use of orchestral string instruments is explored
In Words - Mahler's Eighth Symphony
An attempt to describe Gustav Mahler's Eighth Symphony
Power and Subtlety - The Work Of Maurice Ravel
The life and work of the French composer Maurice Ravel
The Prolific Gioachino Antonio Rossini
Why composer Gioachino Antonio Rossini decided to retire at the age of 37
The Rock Stars of Classical Music
How the concerto helps to bring out the inner rock star of soloist musicians
Proms - Symphonies Explored
Presenter Mark Lowther guides us through some of the music at this year's Proms
Proms - The Fairy's Kiss and The Chairman Dances
Mark Lowther discusses two pieces performed at the 2005 Proms
Schumann and Beethoven
Mark Lowther explores a piano concerto by Robert Schumann and Beethoven's 7th Symphony