How does music reflect the key moments in our lives? Fiona Maddocks selects 100 classical works from across nine centuries to carry you through.

Fiona Maddocks is the Classical Music critic of the Observer. She was founder editor of BBC Music Magazine and chief arts feature writer for the London Evening Standard , and has written for numerous other publications. She lives in London.

Introduction ix
1 Childhood, Youth
2 Land, Sea and Sky
3 Alive, Overflowing
4 Change
5 Love, Passion

6 Pause
7 War, Resistance

8 Journeys, Exile
9 Grief, Melancholy, Consolation

10 Time Passing
11 And Yet . . . Unfinished Works
Last Word
Epilogue
Suggested Listening

Acknowledgements
Index of Works Cited