Composer portraits, manuscripts and the rooms where music was made
The Images tab gathers the visual record of classical music: composer portraits, manuscripts and documents, the interiors of concert halls and opera houses, and performances captured in paint and photograph. Every image is connected to the music, so a portrait leads to the composer and a manuscript to the piece.
Composer portraits and performances
Put a face to the names on the programme. Portraits show composers, performers and the people around them, and performance images show the music being played in the halls, churches and theatres where it lived. Captions name who is shown and, where known, who took the photograph or when it was made.
Each portrait links to the person it shows, so from a painting of a young composer you are one tap from their story, their works and the recordings worth hearing.
Music manuscripts and documents
Manuscripts show music as it was first written down, with the corrections, crossings-out and handwriting that printed editions smooth away. Documents add the written record that surrounds the music.
Each manuscript links to the piece it belongs to, so you can move from a page of score to the story of the work, its movements and the recordings worth hearing. Seeing the two side by side makes the distance between a composer's desk and the concert hall feel much shorter. Scores and portraits also appear on Home each day, so manuscripts reach you even when you are not looking for them.
Concert hall and opera house interiors
Interiors show the spaces the repertoire was written for and first heard in: court chapels, opera houses, concert halls and churches. Each one links to its place in the catalogue, where you can see the music connected to it and the concerts coming up there.
The Famous Venues on the Discover tab lead to the same places, so a hall you first meet as a photograph can become the next concert you plan around.
Every image leads somewhere
Open an image to read its caption and follow its links to the people, pieces, places, ensembles and labels it relates to. Below it, related images keep the thread going, so a single portrait can lead you through a whole circle of friends, rivals and collaborators. Tap any link to leave the picture and open the page it points to.
Images also reach you on Home, where a Scores and portraits section brings a few of them forward each day.
From a picture to the music
A portrait opens the composer's page, where Explore this Piece answers your questions about their life and music. A manuscript opens the piece it belongs to, with its story, its movements and links to hear it on your streaming service. An interior opens its place, where See all lists the concerts coming up there.
Under every image, up to six related images keep you moving through the collection when you would rather browse than search.
Search and filter the collection
Search the Images tab, or narrow it to one kind of image: portraits, manuscripts, interiors, performances or documents. The first page of images is free to browse with your Sonatique account; Sonatique Premium opens the full collection, which keeps scrolling for as long as you do. The filters sit in a single row under the search field, so switching from portraits to interiors takes one tap.
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