Classical Break

One of Schubert's many beautiful melodies, given a bit happier ending than the original song.

"Jewishness in Music," Moszkowski's legacy, and his relationship with his heritage

Corelli set the gold standard for a few genres, including the trio sonata.

Believe what you want about his life, Cambini's music is interesting enough.

Music is above all about communication, something Schumann understood well.

Two character might hold the key to Schumann's state of mind

Schumann's love of literature and love of music collide in a kaleidoscope of shifting moods.

Pent up feelings and a hidden message in the middle of very dangerous times for Prokofiev and Russian music.

Fauré may not have gotten recognition for his opera, but he excelled at it nonetheless.

The jolliest piece he ever wrote sure gave Mendelssohn a lot of headaches.

Sunshine, beautiful architecture, wonderful music–who wouldn't fall in love with Italy? Mendelssohn sure did.

The highs and lows of one of history's greatest composers (he even makes the low points sound beautiful).

The mysterious and awe-inspiring finale to a piece about the mysterious and awe-inspiring heavens.

A famous composer who would've rather been a complete failure (but we're glad he wasn't!).

Holst uses the planets as a springboard for his own musical trips into outer space.

Being an amateur doesn't have to be a bad thing, as Gerson proves here.

A young composer tries to break through with his own twist on familiar themes.

A bit of the blues from a composer who wasn't afraid to mix things up.

An eventful trip down a Venetian canal with a master of the piano.

A great musician with a not-so-great personality.

Beethoven and Haydn, two giants who respected each other but didn't always get along.

The first of many groundbreaking sonatas for a rapidly changing instrument.

A composer with a great sense of the history that came before him, and the history he wanted to make.

Brahms takes on a few virtuosos and pushes the boundaries of piano technique.

The champion that wind instruments deserved, Paul Taffanel

An innovative player meets an innovative instrument and writes an innovative piece.

Fame can be fleeting, but Moszkowski's music stands the test of time.

After over a century gathering dust, it's time for this long-forgotten gem to shine once again.

A lazy and lusty faun sits at the start of modern music.

A standard as old as classical music, with all kinds of opportunities for creativity.

Game recognizes game as Beethoven salutes Mozart's Magic Flute.

He may not be well-known today, but Vanhal was all the rage in 18th century Vienna.

Coleridge-Taylor lived a hard life for a composer of supposedly "light" music.

His race has drawn a lot of attention, but his music is the real star.

Today on the Adventures of Bach, our hero ends up in jail and just misses meeting Handel.

A vivid imagination and a willingness to break boundaries, whether he should or not.

The tantalizing onknown of what could have been.

A dark time in Mozart's life, but a balance between light and dark in his music.

A man who played just about every great piece for violin tries his hand at writing one.

A populist composer with an ear for great tunes.

A finale that Beethoven would have been proud to write.

A Mighty Handful of Russian composers sets out on a mission.

Better late than never is certainly the case for Borodin.

He didn't invent the genre, but he certainly perfected it.

An overlooked composer and a beautiful set of miniatures

Bittersweet songs steeped in Norwegian themes.

A different kind of concerto for a burgeoning musical scene.

What Haydn and Seinfeld have in common (besides cool bass lines).

A long-lost masterpiece from the start of a fruitful partnership

A constantly moving composer writes an ode to the constant motion of the sea.