If you enjoy great music but want to know more about how it came to be the way it is - without investing time in a graduate degree - here are the background stories of over 200 great compositions. If you're only just coming to experiment with great music, here are guideposts to help you understand and enjoy what you encounter. The stories and sounds behind the scenes: welcome to Classical Music Insights.

• Classical Music: The 50 Greatest Composers and Their 1,000 Greatest Works
• The Story of Music
• Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Classical Music: ...But Were Too Afraid to Ask
• Beethoven: The Man Revealed
• The Faber Pocket Guide to Mozart (Faber Pocket Guides)