Listening Guide

Listening Guide is a new and unique way to go deeper into great classical works. As you listen, bite-size commentaries, written exclusively by Apple Music Classical experts, illuminate the music with fascinating insights and background. Below you can dive into Listening Guide. Themed playlists help you get started, while Essential Guides will bring you face-to-face with classical music’s greatest works. Then get forensic with works for solo piano and orchestra, and uncover the secrets of major symphonies, concertos and sonatas by top composers.

Get a feel for Listening Guide with our specially compiled playlists of classical music’s essential works.

Step inside classical’s most popular works, including guides to Bach’s Goldberg Variations, Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue and Holst’s The Planets.

Get up close and personal with keyboard works, cello suites, concertos and cantatas by the great Baroque composer.

Find out how Beethoven builds his magnificent symphonies, and get right to the heart of his ground-breaking piano works.

What makes Mozart classical music’s ultimate genius? Listening Guide takes you deep inside his music to find out.