Playlists

Ease into the night with a selection of calm piano music shaped by stillness, warmth and gentle reflection. From nocturnes and lullabies to quietly luminous miniatures, these intimate performances create a peaceful atmosphere designed to help you unwind, slow your thoughts and drift naturally into sleep. (Photo: Bastien Jaillot)

PIano for Sleeping

Krystian Zimerman rose to international prominence after winning the International Chopin Competition in Warsaw in 1975 and soon began his long association with Deutsche Grammophon. From landmark solo recordings to acclaimed collaborations with conductors including Leonard Bernstein, Herbert von Karajan and Sir Simon Rattle, his discography ranges from Chopin and Brahms to Debussy, Ravel and Szymanowski. This playlist gathers highlights from across that catalogue—an essential journey through the artistry of one of the great pianists of our time. (Photo © Felix Broede / DG)

Essential Krystian Zimerman

Since his victory at the International Chopin Competition in Warsaw in 2015, Seong-Jin Cho has established himself internationally as one of the leading pianists of his generation. Soon afterwards he signed exclusively to Deutsche Grammophon, beginning a discography that ranges from Chopin, Mozart and Beethoven to Debussy, Ravel and Handel. His playing has been widely praised for its clarity, tonal refinement and poetic restraint – explore his refined artistry in this playlist, offering a vivid portrait of one of today’s most compelling pianists. (Photo ©Ben Wolf)

Essential Seong-Jin Cho

With her blend of precision, imagination and understated charisma, Alice Sara Ott has established a distinctive voice on today’s piano scene. Born in Munich to Japanese and German parents, she made her Deutsche Grammophon debut in 2009 with a celebrated recording of Liszt’s Études d’exécution transcendante and has since built a discography ranging from Beethoven and Chopin to Debussy, Ravel and John Field. This playlist gathers highlights from across those recordings—an atmospheric journey through the artistry of a pianist who invites listeners to hear familiar music afresh. (Photo ©Hannes Caspar)

Essential Alice Sara Ott

Lisa Batiashvili brings a rare combination of tonal refinement, focus and expressive precision to the violin, making her one of the most compelling voices on today’s concert stage—both as a sought-after concerto partner for leading conductors and orchestras and as a valued collaborator in chamber music. This playlist gathers performances from across her Deutsche Grammophon recordings, offering a vivid portrait of an artist whose playing draws the listener in from the very first note. (Photo © André Josselin)

Essential Lisa Batiashvili

Daniil Trifonov’s rise has been nothing short of meteoric. Following his triumph at the International Tchaikovsky Competition in 2011, the Russian pianist quickly established himself as one of the most talked-about artists of his generation, admired for performances that unite astonishing virtuosity with imagination, colour and emotional risk. Since joining Deutsche Grammophon, he has built a wide-ranging discography spanning solo repertoire, concertos, chamber music and contemporary works. This playlist gathers highlights from those recordings—an exhilarating journey through the artistry of one of today’s most compelling pianists. (Photo ©Dario Acosta)

Essential Daniil Trifonov

Leonard Bernstein remains one of the most charismatic and influential figures in classical music, equally at home as conductor, composer and pianist. His performances combine dramatic intensity with rhythmic vitality and a direct emotional connection. This playlist brings together highlights from his Deutsche Grammophon recordings, spanning symphonic repertoire, Gershwin and music from West Side Story – a vivid portrait of a musician who reshaped how classical music communicates. (Photo © Christina Burton / DG)

Essential Leonard Bernstein

Anne-Sophie Mutter stands among the leading violinists of our time, celebrated for her brilliance, precision and unmistakable tone. From the great violin concertos of Mozart, Beethoven and Tchaikovsky to virtuosic showpieces and lyrical encores, this playlist brings together highlights from her Deutsche Grammophon recordings – an essential portrait of a performer who continues to shape the sound of the violin today.

Essential Anne-Sophie Mutter

Maurizio Pollini was one of the great pianists of our time, renowned for the clarity, discipline and unwavering artistic integrity of his playing. From Beethoven and Chopin to the Second Viennese School and contemporary music, his recordings reflect a repertoire both central and forward-looking. This playlist brings together highlights from his Deutsche Grammophon discography – an essential portrait of a pianist whose artistry unites intellectual rigour with powerful expressive intensity. (Photo: © Mathias Bothor / DG)

Essential Maurizio Pollini

Daniel Barenboim is one of the defining figures of classical music, renowned as both pianist and conductor for interpretations of authority and insight across a vast repertoire. From Mozart and Beethoven to Wagner, his work has shaped the music on the concert platform and in the studio. This playlist brings together highlights from his Deutsche Grammophon recordings, spanning symphonic landmarks and orchestral showpieces—an essential portrait of a major musical voice. (Photo: © Harald Hoffmann)

Essential Daniel Barenboim

Keith Jarrett is one of the defining jazz musicians of the past half century, an artist whose playing ranges from inward reflection to full, unrestrained flow. From the lyrical directness of My Song to the open expanses of The Köln Concert and the finely tuned interplay of his trio recordings, this playlist captures the energy, immediacy and sheer spellbinding presence that have made his music so enduringly compelling.

Essential Keith Jarrett

Explore the spacious, introspective world of modern jazz in a journey that unfolds like an open road at dusk. Blending ECM and beyond, this playlist moves from the airy lyricism of Keith Jarrett and Pat Metheny to the meditative depth of Anouar Brahem and the atmospheric textures of Ralph Towner. With a focus on tone, silence, and subtle interplay, each piece invites close listening as the gentle grooves, drifting melodies, and rich harmonies create motion without urgency. Intimate, cinematic, and immersive, this playlist is perfect for late-night drives, deep focus, or reflection.

A Road Trip with ECM

Discover a quieter side of jazz, where sound lingers and time slows. Intimate piano, muted horns, and subtle interplay unfold with space and restraint, blurring the line between jazz and contemporary classical. Each track invites close listening, favouring tone, texture, and mood over intensity. The perfect playlist for late hours, dim lights, and moments of focus or reflection.

Late Night Jazz

Discover a curated selection of tracks that capture the cool, understated side of jazz. Featuring Keith Jarrett, Django Bates, Avishai Cohen, and more, this playlist blends spacious arrangements, subtle interplay and gentle grooves with Lyrical piano, warm brass and atmospheric textures setting the tone – perfect for quiet conversation, late-night drinks, and a truly relaxed evening.

Bar Jazz

Join us on a relaxed journey through solo piano jazz, where melody, touch and improvisation take centre stage. With artists such as Keith Jarrett, Brad Mehldau and Thelonious Monk, these intimate, searching performances move between lyricism and abstraction, capturing the subtle freedom, spontaneity and individuality at the heart of the form.

Solo Piano Jazz

Grammy-winning Icelandic pianist Víkingur Ólafsson has established himself as one of the most compelling and inquisitive musicians of his generation, with playing that captivates through luminous clarity, expressive depth and unmistakable individuality. Hailed for his “uncommon musical intelligence,” he brings a fresh perspective to both core and contemporary repertoire. This playlist gathers highlights from his Deutsche Grammophon recordings, from Bach and Mozart to Debussy, Rameau and Philip Glass – an irresistible journey into the world of one of today’s most distinctive pianistic voices. (Photo: Ari Magg)

Essential Víkingur Ólafsson

Yuja Wang is one of today’s most recognisable and influential pianists, celebrated for her virtuosity, clarity, and fearless musical personality. Combining technical brilliance with sharp musical intelligence, she brings freshness and intensity to a wide repertoire ranging from Romantic showpieces to modern classics. This playlist gathers favourite recordings that showcase her distinctive sound, rhythmic precision, and expressive range — capturing an artist who continually redefines what virtuoso piano playing can be. (Photo © Julia Wesely)

Essential Yuja Wang

The violin sonata grew out of a Baroque practice in which the keyboard supported the violin, but it soon became something more balanced. In Bach’s sonatas, the keyboard already begins to move independently, and by the time of Mozart and Beethoven the two parts meet on equal terms. What follows is less a fixed model than a series of individual approaches, with composers in the 19th century and beyond shaping the form in their own ways. The works gathered here reflect that range, bringing together ten violin sonatas that continue to hold their place in the repertoire.

Top Ten: Violin Sonatas

The piano concerto is one of the most thrilling forms in classical music, where piano and orchestra meet in a charged exchange of energy and expression. From lyrical elegance to sweeping drama, these famous piano concertos capture the full range of emotion and virtuosity. This selection brings together ten of the most iconic works in the repertoire, offering an exhilarating journey through some of the greatest piano concertos ever written.

Top Ten: Piano Concertos

A journey into the quiet core of the symphonic repertoire, where music unfolds in its most suspended and reflective form. This playlist gathers some of the most memorable slow movements, shaped by stillness, depth, and tonal warmth. From the inward lyricism of Mozart and Beethoven to the vast, searching landscapes of Mahler, Bruckner, and Elgar, these works breathe in long, unhurried lines and glowing orchestral colour. Moments of tenderness, solitude, and quiet radiance emerge with gentle clarity. A collection that reveals the symphony at its most contemplative and profoundly human.