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    You won't believe what these great composers look like now

    We all remember the great composers, but what happened to them after they were famous? You won't believe the transformation...

    1. composers now

      1. Richard Wagner

      We all remember the great Ring Wrangler in his pomp... but would you recognise him today? Photo: Getty

    2. composer graves

      2. Richard Wagner

      Oh. Oh dear.

    3. Tchaikovsky

      3. Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky

      Emotional and enigmatic, and obviously rocks a pocket watch like no other. How does he look now, though? Picture: Getty

    4. composer graves

      4. Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky

      Umm... not looking so good these days.

    5. Frederic Chopin

      5. Frederic Chopin

      Who could forget the boyish good looks of Frederic Chopin? Has he managed to keep them?

    6. composer graves

      6. Frederic Chopin

      Err... eek.

    7. composers now

      7. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

      Wig, frilly shirt, oodles of talent. But what does he look like now? Photo: Getty

    8. composer graves

      8. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

      Ugh, oh dear. Age has wearied him.

    9. George Frederick Handel

      9. George Frideric Handel

      Handel electrified the London set in his prime thanks in no small part to his en-pointe wig game, but what became of those youthful looks? How does he look now?

    10. composer graves

      10. George Frederic Handel

      Hmm. Not quite the same features as the 18th century.

    11. composers now

      11. Sergei Rachmaninov

      The Russian piano legend was renowned for his classic grumpy demeanour. But when was the last time you saw him? Photo: Getty

    12. composer graves

      12. Sergei Rachmaninov

      Hard to tell if he's still grumpy.

    13. composers now

      13. Jean Sibelius

      The magnificent Fin was always a dapper man in his youth, but what about now? Photo: Getty

    14. composer graves

      14. Jean Sibelius

      Finland's finest... but no longer as dashing.

    15. composers now

      15. Ludwig Van Beethoven

      Grumpy, emotional, complex: Beethoven was also mistaken for a tramp once. How does he look these days? Photo: Getty

    16. composer graves

      16. Ludwig Van Beethoven

      Oh blimey. What happened to those looks?

    17. composers now

      17. Johann Strauss The Elder

      Strauss I was one of the most influential composers of his generation. These days, though... Photo: Getty

    18. composer graves

      18. Johann Strauss The Elder

      Crumbs. Not quite so radiant as he once was.

    Latest humour

    See more Latest humour

    JS Bach Happy Birthday

    ‘Happy Birthday’ – but it’s in the style of a Johann Sebastian Bach fugue

    2 days ago

    Bach

    Amadeus Café, Mahon

    This restaurant wanted to put some beautiful music on their menu… and made a really bad choice

    2 days ago

    Netflix ‘The Perfection’ film poster

    Cellists are ripping into this Netflix poster that very much *isn’t* ‘Perfection’

    15 days ago

    Metrolinx’s new train posters have caused havoc among musicians online.

    A train company poster features dubious music notation – and musicians are not on board

    19 days ago

    A musical butt in Hieronymus Bosch’s Garden of Earthly Delights.

    Hear the haunting music printed on a man’s bottom in this wild Renaissance painting

    22 days ago

    Trending on Classic FM

    Young pianist plays Chopin at Milan Airport

    Six-year-old prodigy plays beautiful Chopin waltz on airport piano

    Chopin

    The stolen Gagliano violin (not pictured) was retrieved by police in a recent raid, 3 years after it first went missing

    Stolen €250,000 Gagliano violin, sold by thief for just €200, recovered by police 3 years later

    Duke University’s offensive lineman, Chance Lytle, stunned his team mates with a rousing rendition of a beloved Italian song

    American Football player stuns teammates by singing Andrea Bocelli anthem

    Videos

    NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope has captured an image of the stunning Butterfly Nebula.

    NASA releases the breathtakingly beautiful sound of the Butterfly Nebula

    Videos

    Oasis could have sounded very different if Liam had kept up the classical instrument

    Oasis singer Liam Gallagher stopped playing the violin over fears he’d be bullied at school

    A talented 12-year-old ballerina has died in a missile strike minutes after leaving her ballet lesson.

    12-year-old ballet dancer killed in Donetsk missile strike, along with grandmother and teacher

    Britain’s Big Platinum Performance

    The UK’s best amateur music groups – winners of Britain’s Big Platinum Performance announced

    Chopins’ Funeral March, backwards.

    Chopin’s ‘Funeral March’ played backwards sounds bizarrely psychedelic

    Chopin

    A beginner musician learns how to play the piano through augmented reality

    Music in the Metaverse - learn to play the piano in this new augmented reality app

    This week’s on-air highlights – including Album of the Week and Drive Discovery

    This week’s radio highlights – including Album of the Week and Drive Discovery

    Back to top

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