Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Mozart wrote across every form available to him in a career of barely thirty years, and the catalogue reflects it: symphonies, concerti, opera, chamber music, sacred works and a body of keyboard music that has been the backbone of piano teaching ever since.

The sonatas are where most players start, and they are harder than they look — the writing is thin enough that every note is exposed and nothing can be hidden behind pedal. K.545 is the famous "easy" one and is still a genuine test of evenness. Singers come to him through the operas; the concert arias are unfairly neglected and often more approachable.

Works are identified by K. numbers, from Köchel's catalogue, which has been revised repeatedly — you will meet the same piece under more than one number in older editions. Where a listing gives a K. number, that is the most reliable way to confirm you are buying the piece you meant.