Musicalformula

Always wanted to unleash your inner musician? Writer Joel Snape thought he’d left it too late until he started playing around on the piano and found it was just the note he needed

Edward Brooke-Hitching Simon & Schuster 978-1-398-53240-3 256pp (hb) £30 This is a fascinating compendium of classical curiosities, thoroughly researched and charmingly written by Edward Brooke-Hitchi

Works by Bach arr. for clarinet Martin Fröst (clarinet); Jonas Nordberg (lute) et al Sony Classical 19802814742 41:45 mins The album B.A.C.H. from Swedish clarinettist and conductor Martin Fröst conti

Sun Triptych Maxim Rysanov, Dasol Kim, Roman Mints et al; BBC Concert Orchestra/ Dobrinka Tabakova ECM 4878558 64:61 mins This is the second ECM disc to feature the extremely accessible music of Bulga

Glasgow, 1942. The Carl Rosa Opera Company was in town to perform Puccini’s Madama Butterfly. Tickets had been snapped up by local people – including many who didn’t really know what an opera was. The

Cello Concerto; Symphony No.1; Scapino Jonathan Aasgaard (cello); Sinfonia of London/ John Wilson Chandos CHSA5328 76:38 mins A fervent romantic liaison with Baroness Doernberg inspired Walton’s First