THE FOUR BEST CLASSICAL MUSIC APPS

Aside from Idagio and Bachtrack, here are the best places to get your digital fix of classical music

DIGITAL CONCERT HALL (Android and iOS)

Want to watch one of the world’s best orchestras in action without hopping on a flight to Berlin? The Digital Concert Hall app from the Berliner Philharmoniker lets you watch live concerts in HD – 40 per season – and sift through an archive containing hundreds of recordings. Even better, the app supports Google Cast so you can stream concerts onto your TV for full immersion. After a seven-day free trial, a subscription costs a hefty €14.90 per month – but, if you’re a classical music devotee, it’s a must.

ORCHESTRA (iOS)

It may cost £9.99, but Orchestra makes you “experience classical music like never before”. Focusing on extracts from eight works performed by London’s Philharmonia Orchestra – including the dun dun dun duhh of Beethoven’s

Symphony No.5 – the app shows what each part of the orchestra does and how the instruments work using videos, interviews and graphics. It’s a beautifully designed tool for classical novices and old-hands alike.

CLASSIC FM (Android and iOS)

Classic FM is wildly popular. Less stilted and highfalutin than BBC Radio 3, “the biggest classical music radio station in the world”, as its website declares, has 5.7 million weekly listeners – and a decent app. Apart from allowing you to listen to Classic FM on the go in high quality, you can download programmes to listen to later offline, find out more about the tracks by perusing the playlist, and get access to quizzes, videos and features before anyone else.

CLASSICAL MUSIC QUIZ (Android)

Think you know your Albinoni from your elbow? Your JS Bach from your JC Bach? This unashamedly geeky quiz is a perfect excuse to show off your classical music knowledge. The format is simple: identify the composer or title of the piece being played to score points. The quiz is divided into five historical periods – from the Baroque to the 20th century – and the app comes complete with an encyclopaedia full of biographical details about composers and the background behind every piece played. Best of all, there’s a two-player, “quick draw” mode that lets you go head-to-head with a friend.