Deep Cuts

This Easter, as always, the 'Messiah' oratorio is in full play. But do you want to venture beyond Handel's masterpiece? Then check out our picks for 10 other great works for Holy Week.

For the 100th anniversary of George Gershwin’s ‘Rhapsody in Blue,’ Valerie Kahler delves into the fascinating history of this great work and shares an array of performers who interpreted it. Listen now to 'Blue Centennial': Celebrating a Century of Gershwin’s 'Rhapsody'!

How did Erik Satie's Gymnopedies become the quintessential relaxation music? Of their time, they also seem to float above and beyond it.

Beethoven's Piano Sonata No. 14 in C-sharp minor, which he titled Quasi una Fantasia (Almost a Fantasy), is filled with discord — which is exactly what makes it so effective as a piece of music that can help you relax.

Concert band is a large part of classical music, yet many composers don't get the recognition they deserve for contributing to the genre. Here are 10 band composers you should know — besides the March King, John Philip Sousa.

It’s road trip season, and you might be headed to one of America’s awe-inspiring national parks. It’s no surprise that they’ve also been an inspiration for composers who captured the grandeur and beauty of these natural wonders during their own travels (actual or imaginary). Here’s some music for the journey.

I feel like I'm entering a war zone writing about this topic: being a soprano in a choir. There are so many preconceived notions about sopranos. Let's get those stereotypes out of the way now.

In lots of choral pieces, many people would have a hard time picking out the alto line. Yet if the altos were missing, the piece would feel wrong and empty. A singer with VocalEssence offers praise for that inner line.

Sociologists speak of class envy, students of grade envy and Freudians of penis envy. But in the choral world (and what is the choral world, after all, but a trembling microcosm of the very world itself?), it's tenor envy that seethes just beneath the surface.

Here are 10 sculptures at the Walker Sculpture Garden in Minneapolis paired with a piece of classical music that highlights colors, themes and shapes. Take a stroll through the garden to find each piece, listen to the chosen song and unwind.