Orchestras

Completed in 1902 and revised the following year, the Symphony No. 2 in D by Finnish composer Jean Sibelius is arguably the most beloved symphony written in the 20th century. The entire piece, and...

Symphony no. 5 in E minor by Peter Tchaikovsky is a perfect example of a Romantic-era symphony—colorful, complex and above all, passionately emotional. It has been an audience favorite ever...

The opening notes of Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5 in C Minor are probably the most famous melodic fragment in all of classical music. But what many people fail to realize is that this symphony’s...

Franz Schubert composed his famous Symphony No. 8 in B Minor in 1822. But for some reason he abandoned the project in mid-stream, leaving only two completed movements. Those two movements,...

The Symphony No. 4 in A, nicknamed the “Italian” symphony, was composed by Felix Mendelssohn in 1833, a few years after he went on an extensive European tour that included a visit to Italy....

Ludwig van Beethoven’s Third Symphony, nicknamed the “Eroica” (Italian for “Heroic”), altered the course of musical history. Composed in 1803, the Eroica broke the established rules for the...

“Eine Kleine Nachtmusik” (A Little Night Music), particularly the first movement, is one of Mozart’s most famous pieces. This article will give you some ideas and images to think about while you...

Symphony No. 9 in E Minor, nicknamed the “New World Symphony,” was written by Czech composer Antonin Dvorak in 1893, during a three-year stay in the United States. Its most famous passage is the...