BBC Music Magazine - May 2025

In this issue

Your essential companion to the biggest and best events in the UK and beyond

VE DAY 80th ANNIVERSARY - How World War II shaped the sound of British music

How Sibelius crafted beauty
from personal turmoil

The fullscore

Our pick of the month's news, views and interviews

4 mins

Wagner the revolutionary flees Dresden to avoid arrest

The Royal Kapellmeister Richard Wagner is wanted for examination on account of his active participation in the recent rising here, but as yet he has not been found'.

3 mins

Music to my ears

The BBC Music Magazine team's current favourites...

1 min

Play it with a smile

The most important film composer of the 20th century and beyond? Williams? Guðnadóttir? Steiner? I have another candidate: Charles Spencer Chaplin.

2 mins

THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN

Pianist Yevgeny Sudbin chooses the most gleefully ghoulish pieces inspired by death and mysticism

3 mins

Richard Morrison

From frontline action to opera: my father's musical memories of WWII

3 mins

KEEP CALM AND COMPOSE

British composers played a vital role in lifting spirits in World War II, sometimes in unlikely ways.

9 mins

The sound of oppression

In wartime Germany and its occupied countries, music was a carefully controlled part of the Nazi propaganda machine, as Erik Levi explains

6 mins

A different picture

There’s more to Dame Myra Hess than her morale- boosting National Gallery concerts — not least her formidable piano skills, writes Jessica Duchen

6 mins

A voice for the ages

Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau's consummate artistry enthralled all who heard him sing. Andrew Green marks 100 years of the celebrated German baritone

7 mins

Pieces of me

Cellist Matthew Barley's Light Stories project has helped him to work through trauma dating back to a psychotic event in his teens, as he tells Ariane Todes

5 mins

Man on a mission

For American composer Carlos Simon, highlighting injustice and racism through his art is a personal calling, as he tells Clive Paget

6 mins

Sound advice

Canada’s National Arts Centre is serious about education — and its flagship Orchestra is training the next crop of top musicians, writes Charlotte Smith

6 mins

Jean Sibelius

Can we judge a composer's character from their music? With Sibelius, says Stephen Johnson, this would not necessarily appear to be the case

6 mins

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BBC Music Magazine Description:

BBC Music Magazine is a monthly classical music magazine published by Immediate Media Company. It was first published in 1992 and is the best-selling classical music magazine in the world.

The magazine covers all aspects of classical music, from news and reviews to features and interviews. It also features exclusive content from the BBC Proms and other BBC classical music events.

BBC Music Magazine is a popular read for many classical music lovers, and is known for its in-depth coverage and expert analysis. It has helped many classical music lovers discover new music and learn more about the genre.

Here are some of the things you can expect from BBC Music Magazine:

* News and reviews of classical music
* Features on classical music composers, performers, and conductors
* Interviews with classical music figures
* Exclusive content from the BBC Proms and other BBC classical music events

If you're looking for a magazine that will help you stay up-to-date on the latest classical music news and trends, then BBC Music Magazine is a good choice. Subscribe today and start exploring the world of classical music!