Fiona Maddocks Book order

The moving story of Rachmaninoff's years in exile and the composition of his last great work, against a cataclysmic backdrop of two world wars and personal tragedy.

20th Century Classical Music will take you on an acoustic journey through history with a curated playlist on each page. At the turn of the century, Schoenberg pioneered 'atonality,' a new breed of classical music aimed to challenge rather than soothe. Next came Stravinsky's riotous Rite of Spring written on the eve of WWI, evoking the barbaric and obscene. From the influence of the jazz age and the sounds of cities, the nationalism of folk revival, Russian revolutions from the Bolsheviks to Stalin, to the fall of the Berlin Wall, you'll learn how composers painted with a full orchestral palette to capture the sentiments of their time.

How does music reflect the key moments in our lives? Fiona Maddocks selects 100 classical works from across nine centuries, arguing passionately, persuasively and at times obstinately for their inclusion, putting each work in its cultural and musical context, discussing omissions, suggesting alternatives and always putting the music first.

A selection of 100 classical works from across nine centuries to help guide and inspire our lives.

Timely reissue of the biography of an extraordinary figure in the Middle Ages - recently made a Saint by Pope Benedict XVI.