Revealed, the 250 greatest classical recordings, as selected for Gramophone by more than 30 leading musicians. Below, contributing editor and reviewer Rob Cowan muses on why artists and critics might choose differently

The votes are in. Time to celebrate the best of the best. It’s a classical title showdown! Swapping gloves for glissandi and punches for prestos, players from around the globe square up for the hotly contested spot of World’s Best Symphony Orchestra

Aug 9, 2024 · Holst's The Planets: a guide to the greatest recordings Andrew Farach‑Colton Friday, August 9, 2024 Holst’s celestial suite has long been a showpiece for virtuoso orchestras and a sonic spectacular for hi‑fi buffs.

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Apr 19, 2023 · The Magic Flute was a welcome operatic success for Mozart during his hectic final year. Richard Wigmore considers ten decades of recordings of this enchanting masterpiece

Schubert: the 50 greatest recordings Sunday, January 1, 2023 This list of albums is a great way to start exploring Schubert's music and includes many of the finest recordings from the last 100 years, featuring Sir Thomas Beecham, Alfred Brendel, Imogen Cooper, Gundula Janowitz, and …

Handel started composing the score of Messiah on August 22, 1741, and, after 24 days of concentrated creativity, finished its complete draft on September 14. The autograph score as it stood in autumn 1741 contained various musical contents distinct from later and more familiar reworkings and substitute settings.

As a favoured festival spectacle, the 1812 Overture has long been ranked among the most adored, and also the most abhorred, works in the entire orchestral repertoire.Tchaikovsky himself was dismissive about the piece, written to commemorate Napoleon’s retreat from Moscow. When a female friend owned up to liking it, Tchaikovsky retorted, ‘But what do you see in it?

Editor's Choice: March 2024 | The best new classical recordings This month: Janáček's Katya Kabanova from the LSO and Sir Simon Rattle, Handel's Theodora by Arcangelo and Jonathan Cohen, and Marc-André Hamelin plays his own piano music

The 50 best Mozart recordings Tuesday, January 7, 2025 50 of the finest Mozart recordings in history, featuring Nikolaus Harnoncourt, Martha Argerich and Claudio Abbado, plus extracts from the original Gramophone reviews