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Your perfect classical playlist

Ian Skelly plays the best in classical music, with discoveries and surprises rubbing shoulders with familiar favourites.

Ian Skelly plays the best classical music for your morning, with discoveries and surprises rubbing shoulders with familiar favourites. Including the Playlister challenge: our regular listener-created sequence inspired by a different piece of music each day. Plus a new classical release in focus for Album of the Week.

1000 Playlister starter: listen and send us your ideas for the next step in today's musical journey. Text 83111 or email essentialclassics@bbc.co.uk.

1030 Album of the Week: an exciting new classical release in focus throughout the week.

1115 Playlister reveal: an uninterrupted sequence of music suggested by you in response to today's starter piece.

1200 Feast of a Piece: indulge your ears with an orchestral masterpiece.

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3 hours, 30 minutes

Last on

Mon 1 Dec 2025 09:30
麻豆社 Radio 3

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Music Played

  • Felix Mendelssohn

    A Midsummer Night's Dream Op.61 (Scherzo)

    Orchestra: City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Edward Gardner.
    • Chandos.

  • Bob Chilcott

    The Advent Candle

    Performer: Tanya Houghton. Choir: Commotio. Conductor: Matthew Berry.
    • Bob Chilcott: The Rose in the Middle of Winter.
    • Naxos.
    • 3.

  • C茅cile Chaminade

    Air de ballet Op.30

    Performer: Eric Parkin.
    • Chaminade: Piano Works - Eric Parkin.
    • Chandos.
    • 6.

  • Johann Sebastian Bach

    Orchestral Suite No 3: I. Ouverture

    Conductor: Alfredo Bernardini. Ensemble: Zefiro.
    • Bach: Ouvertures.
    • Arcana.
    • 1.

  • Ludwig van Beethoven

    Violin Sonata no.5 in F major, Op.24 'Spring' (1st mvt)

    Performer: Alina Ibragimova. Performer: C茅dric Tiberghien.
    • Beethoven: Violin Sonatas Volume 2: Alina Ibragimova/ C茅dric Tiberghien.
    • Wigmore Hall Live.
    • 1.

  • Ralph Vaughan Williams

    The Sky above the Roof

    Performer: Anna Tilbrook. Singer: James Gilchrist.
    • Chandos.

  • Michael Haydn

    Symphony no.13 in D Major (4th mvt)

    Orchestra: Deutsche Kammerakademie Neuss am Rhein. Conductor: Lavard Skou-Larsen.
    • Michael Haydn: Symphonies & Notturno.
    • CPO.
    • 4.

  • Ernest John Moeran

    Cello Concerto (3rd mvt: Allegretto deciso, alla marcia)

    Performer: Raphael Wallfisch. Orchestra: Bournemouth Sinfonietta. Conductor: Norman Del Mar.
    • Raphael Wallfisch plays British Cello Concertos.
    • Chandos.
    • 13.

  • Scott Joplin

    Solace (A Mexican Serenade)

    Ensemble: Symphonic Brass of London. Music Arranger: Eric Crees. Conductor: Eric Crees.
    • C4U193 SYMPHONIC BRASS RAGTIME.
    • CUES4U.
    • 2.

  • Avril Coleridge-Taylor

    Comet Prelude

    Performer: Samantha Ege. Orchestra: 麻豆社 Philharmonic Orchestra. Conductor: John Andrews.
    • Avril Coleridge-Taylor: Piano Concerto & Orchestral Works.
    • Resonus Classics.
    • 4.

  • Fr茅d茅ric Chopin

    12 Etudes, Op. 10 - No. 12 in C Minor "Revolutionary"

    Performer: Jean鈥怸ves Thibaudet.
    • Jean-Yves Thibaudet Plays Chopin.
    • Decca Music Group Ltd..
    • 14.

  • Georg Philipp Telemann

    Overture (Suite) (TWV.55:D6) in D major (Ouverture)

    Orchestra: Le Concert des Nations. Director: Jordi Savall.
    • Le Concert Spirituel - Au Temps de Louis XV: Le Concert Des Nations, Jordi Saval.
    • Alia Vox.

  • John Rutter

    Blow, blow, thou winter wind (When icicles hang)

    Choir: The Cambridge Singers. Orchestra: City of London Sinfonia. Conductor: John Rutter.
    • Collegium.

  • Franz Schubert

    Piano Quintet in A major D.667 'Trout' (4th mvt)

    Performer: Emanuel Ax. Performer: Pamela Frank. Performer: Rebecca Young. Performer: Yo鈥怸o Ma. Performer: Edgar Meyer.
    • Schubert: Trout Quintet/Arpeggione Sonata:Ax/Frank/Ma/Meyer/Bonney.
    • Sony Classical.
    • 4.

  • 脡lisabeth Jacquet de La Guerre

    C茅phale et Procris (Overture)

    Ensemble: Musica Fiorita. Director: Daniela Dolci.
    • La Guerre: Prot茅g茅e of the Sun King.
    • ORF.
    • 001.

  • Peter Warlock

    Cradle Song

    Singer: John Mark Ainsley. Performer: Roger Vignoles.
    • Songs by Peter Warlock.
    • Hyperion.
    • 30.

  • Joe Hisaishi

    Doves and the Boy / The Girl Who Fell from the Sky

    Orchestra: New Japan Philharmonic World Dream Orchestra. Conductor: Joe Hisaishi.
    • Studio Ghibli Soundtracks.
    • UME - Global Clearing House.
    • 30.

  • Samuel Barber

    Sure on this shining night

    Performer: Sheku Kanneh鈥怣ason. Performer: Isata Kanneh鈥怣ason. Music Arranger: Simon Parkin.
    • Barber: Sure on This Shining Night, Op. 13 No. 3 (Arr. Parkin for Cello and Pian.
    • Decca Music Group Ltd..
    • 1.

  • Darius Milhaud

    Le boeuf sur le toit

    Performer: Jack Gibbons. Orchestra: The New London Orchestra. Conductor: Ronald Corp.
    • Carnaval D'Aix - Carnaval De Londres etc New London Orchestra/Ronald Corp.
    • Hyperion.
    • 45.

  • Reynaldo Hahn

    D'une prison

    Performer: Graham Johnson. Singer: Felicity Lott.
    • Reynaldo Hahn: Songs (Hyperion French Song Edition).
    • HYPERION.
    • 11.

  • George Frideric Handel

    Menuet 1 and 2 (Music for the Royal Fireworks, HWV 351)

    Performer: Peter Hanson. Orchestra: The English Concert. Conductor: Trevor Pinnock.
    • G.F. Handel: Music for the Royal Fireworks: English Concert/Pinnock.
    • Archiv Produktion.
    • 5.

  • Maurice Ravel

    Oiseaux tristes (Miroirs)

    Performer: Pierre鈥怢aurent Aimard.
    • Bellaphon.

  • Gustav Holst

    In the bleak midwinter

    Music Arranger: Ola Gjeilo. Choir: The Choir Of Trinity College, Cambridge. Conductor: Stephen Layton.
    • HYPERION.

  • Benjamin Britten

    March (Matin茅es musicales)

    Orchestra: National Philharmonic Orchestra. Conductor: Richard Bonynge.
    • Decca.

  • Carl Reinecke

    Introduction and Allegro appassionato, Op. 256

    Performer: Michael Collins. Performer: Michael McHale.
    • Brahms/Reinecke: Clarinet Sonatas etc..
    • CHANDOS.
    • 12.

  • Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

    Symphony No.31 in D, "Paris"

    Orchestra: Academy for Ancient Music Berlin. Conductor: Bernhard Forck.
    • Mozart: Paris & Haffner Symphonies & Oboe Concerto.
    • Pentatone.
    • 109.

  • Muzio Clementi

    Keyboard Sonata in D major, Op 10 No 2

    Performer: Howard Shelley.
    • Hyperion.

  • Modest Mussorgsky

    A Night on the Bare Mountain

    Orchestra: 麻豆社 Scottish Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Donald Runnicles.

  • E虅riks Es虒envalds

    Only In Sleep

    Choir: The Choir Of Trinity College, Cambridge. Conductor: Stephen Layton.
    • Northern Lights and other Choral works.
    • Hyperion.
    • 16.

  • Erik Satie

    Gymnop茅die no.1 in D major

    Performer: Joanna MacGregor.
    • Collins Classics.

  • Arcangelo Corelli

    Concerto grosso No. 7 in D Major, Op.6

    Performer: Amandine Beyer. Performer: Helena Zemanov谩. Ensemble: Gli Incogniti.
    • Corelli: The Complete Concerti Grossi.
    • Zig-Zag Territoires.

  • Elmer Bernstein

    The Great Escape (Main Titles)

    Orchestra: London Festival Orchestra. Conductor: Stanley Black.
    • The Guns of Navarone 鈥� Music from World War II Films.
    • Decca.
    • 8.

Broadcast

  • Mon 1 Dec 2025 09:30
    麻豆社 Radio 3