Festival Soundbites

Hear about the logistical difficulties performing Berlioz's majestic 'Grande Messe des Morts', which will be performed by the world-renowned Edinburgh Festival Chorus at the Usher Hall on Saturday 22 August.

Discover the fascinating history behind Stravinsky's scandalous 'The Rite of Spring', which will be conducted by Valery Gergiev and performed by the London Symphony Orchestra at the Usher Hall on Sunday 30 August.

Listen to the patriotic history of Sibelius's expansive and powerful 'Symphony No 1', which will be performed by the Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra at the Usher Hall on Sunday 16 August.

Explore the pulsating harmonies of John Adams's breath-taking Harmonium, which will be performed by the Royal Scottish National Orchestra and the Edinburgh Festival Chorus as part of The Harmonium Project - a free outdoor event marking the opening of the 2015 Festival and the 50th anniversary of the Edinburgh Festival Chorus - at the Usher Hall on Friday 7 August.

Learn the daring and defiant history of Tchaikovsky's 'Symphony No 5', which will be performed by piano sensation Yuja Wang with the San Francisco Symphony at the Usher Hall on Friday 28 August.

Discover the illuminating story behind one of Baroque's best loved works, Vivaldi's 'The Four Seasons', which will be performed by pre-eminent violinist Anne-Sophie Mutter at the Usher Hall on Wednesday 26 August.

Unearth the suspicious tale behind one of Mozart's great masterpieces, the visionary 'Requiem', which will be performed by the Budapest Festival Orchestra conducted by Ivan Fischer at the Usher Hall on Tuesday 18 August.

Explore the power of Rachmaninov's soaring 'Symphony No 2', which will be performed by the Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Vasily Petrenko at the Usher Hall on Saturday 15 August.

Listen to the story behind Stravinsky and W.H. Auden's darkly sparkling operatic morality tale 'The Rake's Progress', which will be performed by the Scottish Chamber Orchestra and Royal Conservatoire Voices conducted by Sir Andrew Davis at the Usher Hall on Wednesday 12 August.

The story behind Beethoven's masterful 'Hammerklavier' sonata, which will be performed by Rudolf Buchbinder at the Playfair Library Hall on Tuesday 10 August.

Listen to darkly complex story behind Beethoven's iconic 'Moonlight' sonata, which will be performed by Rudolf Buchbinder at the Playfair Library Hall on Sunday 9 August.

Listen to the history behind Beethoven's powerful 'Waldstein' sonata, which will be performed by Rudolf Buchbinder at the Playfair Library Hall on Tuesday 18 August.

Uncover the stifled history behind Bartok's youthful, Brahms-inspired Piano Quintet, which will be performed by the Budapest Festival Orchestra Soloists at the Queen's Hall on Friday 14 August.

Discover the under-appreciated genius of Hindemith's bracing 'String Trio No 2', which will be performed by the all-star Zimmermann Trio at the Queen's Hall on Saturday 15 August.

Learn about the emotional inspiration of Schoenberg's lush 'Op. 2 Lieder', which will be performed by Sarah Connolly and Malcolm Martineau at the Queen's Hall on Monday 17 August.

Hear the unlikely story behind Beethoven's variations on a Waltz by Diabelli, which will be performed by Mitsuko Uchida in Recital at the Usher Hall on Monday 24 August.

Explore the charming history of Mahler's explosive 'Symphony No 1', which will be performed by the world-renowned San Francisco Symphony conducted by Michael Tilson Thomas, at the Usher Hall on Thursday 27 August.

Wonder at the tangled history of Beethoven's perplexing later piano sonatas, which will be performed in their entirety by Rudolf Buchbinder, throughout August at the Playfair Library Hall.

Listen to the interesting story behind Domenico Scarlatti's keyboard sonatas, which will be performed by renowned pianist Angela Hewitt at the Queen's Hall on Thursday 13 August.

Discover the interesting folklore behind Dvořák's colourful gypsy melodies, which will be performed by power-duo Valentina Nafornita and Roger Vignoles at the Queen's Hall on Wednesday 12 August.