Behind the music
List of News Articles
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The tortured tale of Schumann's Violin Concerto
24 February 2025
Or, how suppressing a work for 80 years can affect its long-term fortunes.![]()
The double bass concerto
17 February 2025
We complete our survey of the concerto for stringed instruments with the double bass. It's not just about jazz!![]()
Musical folk tales
10 February 2025
It's the 19th century and musical retellings of Greek myths are out. Enter the European folk tale ...![]()
Visions of the afterlife: the Requiem Mass
20 January 2025
Depending on whom you ask, death can be comforting or inspire holy terror, including in composers writing a Mass for the Dead.![]()
The oboe concerto
13 January 2025
The oboe: refined, yes, but cheeky or melancholic? Join us as we look at the concertos exploring this instrument's wide-ranging moods.![]()
Making a splash: water music beyond Handel
6 January 2025
We take a look at musical depictions of water, from trickling burns to the wide expanse of the ocean, to see what lurks below the surface.![]()
The trumpet concerto
23 December 2024
Our series on the concerto finally turns its attention to the brass family, and there are many more for trumpet than you might expect.![]()
The waltz goes international
25 November 2024
We look at what happened when composers outside Austria turned their hands to the waltz ...![]()
The story behind Silent Night and other carols
18 November 2024
The history of Christmas carols is long and surprisingly varied - we look at a few of them.![]()
The search for Beethoven's successor
4 November 2024
Beethoven died in 1827. Who would be worthy to take on his mantle?![]()
Why is there so little classical Christmas music?
28 October 2024
Where are all the Christmas classics from the great composers?![Three Swedish composers: Bellman (in the middle, in 18th century dress) is playing the cittern, with formal photographs of Berwald to his left and Atterberg to his right]()
Not just Eurovision: an introduction to Swedish music
7 October 2024
Wherein we challenge you to think past 'Waterloo' and 'Mamma mia' ...











