Perfect peace

The BBC Music team and reviewers on the music they turn to for a sense of calm

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Beethoven Piano Concerto No. 5, 'Emperor' – Adagio un poco mosso

As a violinist, there are plenty of contemplative middle movements of string concertos that I find soothing. But it's the middle movement of Beethoven's 'Emperor' that really helps me to a state of muscle-relaxing peace: the warm, glowing strings of the opening, the plucked steps down in the cellos, and the entry of the cool piano, delicately tracing a scale-like passage from the top of the keyboard. For the most beautifully pure piano and velvety strings, look no further than Krystian Zimerman's 2021 interpretation with the London Symphony Orchestra under Simon Rattle, recorded during the pandemic. Music to help us through dark days, then and now. Charlotte Smith

Brahms Intermezzo, Op. 118 No. 2

Whenever I need to soothe churned-up emotions, I turn to Brahms's Intermezzo in A major, Op. 118 No. 2, a tender jewel for solo piano. Sometimes I'll play this short piece myself, comforted by the gentle rock of its opening melody, the familiar warmth and weight of its rich harmonies. It falls so well under the fingers. On other occasions, I'll listen to one of its many wonderful recordings, relishing the music's shifting moods: joyful, bittersweet, lyrical, reverential. Always, as the final cadence resolves to a beautifully spaced A major chord, I find myself calmer. Rebecca Franks

Ludovico Einaudi I Giorni

I find plaintive, meandering solo piano music really grounding, and Einaudi's album I Giorni has brought me so much pleasure and peace since I was first handed a copy of it 23 years ago. I would often put it on at night, to calm a racing mind or simply soundtrack my troubles. Lying there, hearing the title track or