A dawn-to-dusk climbing trip in the Bavarian mountains is depicted in An Alpine Symphony by Richard Strauss.

Indra Hughes discovers there are also other levels of meaning here.

Night by night, Scheherazade weaves a tapestry of stories, a shield against the crimson dawn.

Presented by Amber Read.

A French composer introduces the blues to his classical music. Introduced by Margaret Ogilvie.

All too often a great work of art is completely misunderstood when it’s first unveiled. This was true of Claude Debussy’s 'La Mer' when it was premiered in Paris in 1905. Introduction by Indra Hughes.

Elgar's set of 14 variations are sketches of his friends ... well, actually 12 other people, the composer himself, and a dog. Indra Hughes presents an introduction.

Beethoven himself considered this symphony one of his best works.

Introduced by Indra Hughes.

When fellow composer Herbert Howells first heard this music he was so overwhelmed that he couldn't sleep and paced the streets of Gloucester all night, reeling from the work's profound impact.  Introduced by Indra Hughes.

Progress on this symphony was halted when Shostakovich broke his left leg at his son Maxim’s wedding. He spent the rest of 1960 in hospital, returning to work intensively on the symphony in 1961. It's introduced by Rachel Hyde.

By 1971, when Shostakovich composed his 15th and last symphony, the political tension had eased. The great Russian composer had been showered with honours and medals, and no longer needed to insert secret messages of artistic and political resistance into his music. Introduced by Rachel Hyde.

In 1791 Mozart was commissioned to write a Requiem and it turned out to be his final work as he died before he could finish it. Introduced by Peter Walls.