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Celebrating classical greats

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

Georgia Mann 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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17 days left to listen

3 hours, 30 minutes

Last on

Fri 19 Dec 2025 09:30
麻豆社 Radio 3

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Music Played

  • Trad.

    I saw three ships

    Music Arranger: Richard Lloyd. Choir: Westminster Cathedral Choir. Performer: James O鈥橠onnell. Conductor: David Hill.
    • IMP.

  • Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

    Turkish March (Concert Paraphrase) [based on Mozart's Rondo alla Turka]

    Music Arranger: Arcadi Volodos. Performer: Arcadi Volodos.
    • Piano Transcriptions.
    • Sony Classical.
    • 14.

  • Antonio Vivaldi

    Organ concerto in C major RV.774 (1st mvt)

    Music Arranger: Olivier Four茅s. Performer: Martin Gester. Performer: Komal茅 Akakpo. Ensemble: Arte dei Suonatori.
    • Venetian Christmas.
    • BIS.
    • 103.

  • John Sheppard

    Verbum caro factum est

    Ensemble: Contrapunctus. Conductor: Owen Rees.
    • Virgin and Child - Music from the Baldwin Partbooks II.
    • Signum Classics.
    • 801.

  • Henryk Wieniawski

    Scherzo-tarantelle in G minor, Op.16

    Performer: James Ehnes. Performer: Eduard Laurel.
    • Wieniawski, Sarasate: James Ehnes, Eduard Laurel.
    • CBC Records.

  • Igor Stravinsky

    Petrushka (The Shrovetide Fair)

    Orchestra: Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra. Conductor: Vasily Petrenko.
    • Onyx.

  • Anon.

    El Rorro

    Choir: Monteverdi Choir. Conductor: Sir John Eliot Gardiner.
    • Once, as I remember....
    • PHILIPS.
    • 23.

  • Joseph Haydn

    Works for flute clock H.19 (no.21; Vivace [1793])

    Performer: Hans鈥怬la Ericsson.
    • BIS.

  • Ludwig van Beethoven

    Piano Sonata in D major Op.28 'Pastoral' (1st mvt)

    Performer: Alfred Brendel.
    • Beethoven: Piano Sonatas Opp.7 & 28 "Pastoral" & 49 No.2: Brendel.
    • Philips.
    • 5.

  • Joanna Marsh

    In Winter's House

    Ensemble: The Gesualdo Six. Conductor: Owain Park.
    • Morning Star: Music for Epiphany Down the Ages.
    • Hyperion.
    • 6.

  • Camille Saint鈥怱a毛ns

    Tarantelle Op.6

    Performer: Clara Novakova. Performer: Richard Vieille. Orchestra: Ensemble orchestral de Paris. Conductor: Jean鈥怞acques Kantorow.
    • Saint-Saens: La Muse et le Poete etc: Kantorow.
    • EMI Classics.
    • 3.

  • John Rutter

    Nativity Carol

    Choir: Choir of King鈥檚 College, Cambridge. Orchestra: Britten Sinfonia. Conductor: Daniel Hyde.
    • All the Stars Looked Down: A John Rutter Celebration.
    • King鈥檚 College, Cambridge.
    • 14.

  • George Frideric Handel

    Trio sonata in G minor HWV.393 'Dresden no.2' (3rd mvt)

    Ensemble: La Botta Forte.
    • Palpiti del Cuore.
    • Fra Bernardo.
    • 3.

  • Joseph Horovitz

    Sonatina for clarinet and piano (3rd mvt)

    Performer: Julian Bliss. Performer: Julien Quentin.
    • Music for Clarinet and Piano.
    • EMI.
    • 7.

  • Pierre Villette

    Hymne 脿 la Vi猫rge

    Choir: Westminster Cathedral Choir. Conductor: James O鈥橠onnell.
    • HYPERION.

  • Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky

    Symphony no.6 in B minor Op.74 'Pathetique' (2nd mvt)

    Orchestra: Musica Aeterna. Conductor: Teodor Currentzis.
    • SONY.

  • Johannes Brahms

    Cello Sonata no.1 in E minor Op.38 (2nd mvt)

    Performer: Yo鈥怸o Ma. Performer: Emanuel Ax.
    • Brahms: Sonatas for Cello & Piano, Opp. 38, 99 and 108.
    • Sony Classical.
    • 2.

  • Germaine Tailleferre

    Concertino (1st mvt)

    Performer: Anthony Robb. Performer: Diana Ambache. Ensemble: Ambache Chamber Ensemble.
    • AMBACHE RECORDINGS.

  • Engelbert Humperdinck

    Hansel & Gretel (Evening Prayer and Dream Pantomime)

    Singer: Jennifer Larmore. Singer: Ruth Ziesak. Orchestra: Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Donald Runnicles.
    • Humperdinck: Hansel und Gretel.
    • TELDEC.
    • 17.

  • Leo Brouwer

    Berceuse

    Performer: John Williams.
    • SONY CLASSICAL.

  • Gabriel Faur茅

    Les Berceaux (3 Songs Op.23)

    Singer: Sabine Devieilhe. Performer: Alexandre Tharaud.
    • ERATO.

  • Patrick Hadley

    I sing of a maiden

    Choir: Choir of St John鈥檚 College, Cambridge. Performer: Philip Kenyon. Director: George Guest.
    • Carols From St. John's College Cambridge.
    • Chandos.
    • 7.

  • Bedrich Smetana

    The Bartered Bride (Overture)

    Orchestra: Pro Arte Orchestra. Conductor: Charles Mackerras.
    • Janacek: Sinfonietta etc: Pro Arte Orchestra/Mackerras.
    • EMI.
    • 11.

  • James McMillan

    Christmas Oratorio (My love and tender one are you)

    Choir: London Philharmonic Choir. Orchestra: London Philharmonic Orchestra. Conductor: Mark Elder.
    • LPO.

  • Georg Philipp Telemann

    Concerto in B flat major for 3 oboes (3rd mvt)

    Ensemble: Musica Antiqua K枚ln. Conductor: Reinhard Goebel.
    • Telemann: Wind concertos: Musica Antiqua Koln, Reinhard Goebel.
    • Deutsche Grammophon.

  • Jan Pieterszoon Sweelinck

    Hodie Christus natus est

    Ensemble: The Sixteen. Director: Harry Christophers.
    • A Renaissance Christmas.
    • CORO.
    • 2.

  • Dmitry Shostakovich

    Piano Concerto no.2 in F major (2nd mvt)

    Performer: Marc鈥怉ndr茅 Hamelin. Orchestra: 麻豆社 Scottish Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Andrew Litton.
    • Hyperion.

  • Benjamin Britten

    A Boy was born

    Choir: Choristers of Westminster Cathedral. Choir: Corydon Singers. Conductor: Matthew Best.
    • HYPERION.

  • Franz Schubert

    Rosamunde (Entr'acte no.3 in B flat major)

    Orchestra: Swedish Chamber Orchestra. Conductor: Thomas Dausgaard.
    • BIS.

  • George Walker

    Trombone Concerto (3rd mvt)

    Performer: Christian Lindberg. Orchestra: Malm枚 SymfoniOrkester. Conductor: James DePreist.
    • BIS.

  • Johann Sebastian Bach

    Schwingt freudig euch empor (Cantata BWV.36)

    Choir: Collegium Vocale Gent. Director: Philippe Herreweghe.
    • Bach/Adventskantaten/Herreweghe.
    • Harmonia Mundi.
    • 1.

  • Francis Poulenc

    Le contentement de soi (Les soir茅es de Nazelles)

    Performer: Pascal Rog茅.
    • Poulenc Les Soirees De Nazelles 3 Mouvments Perpetuels 3 Novlettes 9 Improvisati.
    • Decca.

  • Jean Sibelius

    Finlandia Op.26

    Orchestra: Lahti Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Osmo V盲nsk盲.
    • The Sound of Sibelius: Lahti SO, Vanska.
    • Bis.
    • 10.

Broadcast

  • Fri 19 Dec 2025 09:30
    麻豆社 Radio 3