Bringing together much-loved masterpieces with exciting new works, this accessible and inspiring guide is a celebration of classical music. With pieces ranging from Vaughan Williams's The Lark Ascending and Beethoven's Pastoral Symphony to the scores for Avatar and Assassin's Creed, each entry puts the piece of music into context, providing fascinating insights into the inspirations behind each work and enhancing your listening experience. Organised into Occasions and Themes, the book features music to accompany you through your day, from getting up and getting dressed to running, reading, walking the dog, cooking, taking a bath, going to sleep and everything in between. You'll also find expert curations of the world's most romantic music and the greatest Christmas choral works as well as compositions that celebrate the natural world and mark births and marriages. Perfect for classical music enthusiasts as well as anyone looking for an enjoyable introduction to this genre, this is the definitive modern guide to classical music.

A listener's guide to classical music to take you through the day, from getting up and getting dressed, to running, reading, walking the dog, cooking and eating, taking a bath, going to sleep and everything in between From the world's most romantic music and the greatest Christmas choral music, to more ordinary but no less important situations such as music to listen to when taking a shower, A Soundtrack for Life is for anyone who has ever wanted to discover more about classical music but doesn't know where to begin. Organized by Occasion and Themes, such as upbeat, contemplative or perfect for a celebration, along with key facts and fascinating details about each piece, the book also includes music from film, TV, videos and musicals. It also offers an entry point into what is, for many people, an unfamiliar world with suggestions of classical covers of such artists and genres as Nirvana, Garage, Ed Sheeran and Hip Hop. Each Entry puts the piece of music in context, enhancing the listener's experience and making the music relevant for a contemporary audience.

How does music reflect the key moments in our lives? How do we choose the works that inspire, delight, comfort or console? 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.