Good to Know

We asked listeners to tell us their favorite film scores. Dim the lights, grab some popcorn and read on for their top 25 selections in movie music.

What's the difference between violin playing and fiddling? Daniel Johnson explains.

It was not long after Beethoven's death that people began to talk about "three periods" in his music. Despite the obvious simplifications involved, this division continues to be used and discussed today.

As instruments, human voices are uniquely capable of combining to create sounds ranging from the soaring glory of Samuel Barber’s ‘Agnus Dei’ to the raw power of Verdi’s ‘Requiem,’ while expanding and interpreting the poetry of the piece being sung. Listen to these 10 great works and and experience that whole spectrum of sound!

You might spend your Labor Day at a cookout or a mattress sale, or packing away your flip-flops. But maybe you just want to relax and contemplate the meaning behind the holiday. Listen to these works celebrating workers.

Verdi imagined each of his operas painted with a different tincture. Conductor Riccardo Chailly puts together an exciting new album of Verdi's choruses, from his best known to his most obscure.

Jon Kimura Parker shares his passion for Sergei Rachmaninoff's 'Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini' with YourClassical MPR host Melissa Ousley. Find out what makes this well-loved classical piece tick.

So you’ve invited some folks for dinner. The table is set, the food is prepped — now, what about music? Here’s a course-by-course playlist to fit the menu.

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.

It might be blasphemy to think longingly about winter during the fun-filled days of summer. But with this week’s furnace-like blast across much of the nation, you might want to enjoy some music that conjures snow, wind and cold. Here is a cool playlist to get you through the heat.