Everything You Ever Wanted to Know about Classical Music - Sunday 5 July 2015, 9pm

Tonight Catherine Bott asks, “What are some of the great classical recordings, and what is it that makes a recorded performance especially good?”

As a soprano on countless albums and soundtracks herself, Catherine has some unique insights into the process that goes into making a superb recording.

Tonight we’ll hear her pick of some of the best versions of great works.

Anne-Sophie Mutter's second recording of Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto was released in 2004 and featured her then husband André Previn conducting the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra. It's a recording that contains ample proof that both the soloist and conductor understood the concerto's full-blooded romance.

For an impressive version of Beethoven’s 'Eroica' Symphony, Catherine has chosen one by Anima Eterna conducted by Jos van Immerseel. It is performed on authentic instruments from the composer's own time, and very vivid and raw it is too.

And listen out for a thrilling, live recording of Sibelius’s Symphony No.2 performed by the London Symphony Orchestra under Sir Colin Davis.