Is music a useful study aid? It’s by no means a given: for every fan of background sound, you’ll find a refusenik who insists on complete silence. The right sort of music, though, really can prove useful in ushering in a calm, contemplative atmosphere that helps even the most fiendish French verb to percolate the brain. Here are some study soundtracks you might like to consider…
1 Bach: Goldberg Variations
‘Bach is best’, runs the old adage, and you could probably tack the phrase ‘…for studying to’ on the end. Much of the great man’s output is excellent for swotting to, with its rigorous internal discipline and precision-tooled structures. But which of his many works to choose? We’ll go for the much-loved for piano, reasoning that solo instrumental work – without the attention-grabbing clamour of multiple voices – makes the ideal companion to a long,
