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The ideal mix of classical music

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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3 hours, 30 minutes

Last on

Mon 29 Dec 2025 09:30
麻豆社 Radio 3

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Music Played

  • Johannes Brahms

    Hungarian Dance No 6 in D major

    Orchestrator: Albert Parlow. Orchestra: Budapest Festival Orchestra. Conductor: Iv谩n Fischer.
    • DECCA.

  • Claudio Monteverdi

    Selva morale e spirituale: No. 23, Laudate Dominum III, SV 274

    Lyricist: Anonymous. Ensemble: Il Pomo d鈥橭ro. Conductor: Giuseppe Maletto.
    • Natale veneziano.
    • Arcana.
    • 10.

  • Anton铆n Dvo艡谩k

    String Quartet no.12 in F Major Op.96 'American' (4th mvt)

    Ensemble: Pacifica Quartet.
    • American Voices.
    • Cedille Records.
    • 104.

  • Aaron Copland

    Buckaroo Holiday (Rodeo - 4 dance episodes)

    Orchestra: 麻豆社 Philharmonic Orchestra. Conductor: John Wilson.
    • Chandos.

  • Johann Sebastian Bach

    Weihnachts-Oratorium BWV.248: Cantata 5 "Ehre sei dir, Gott"

    Ensemble: Dunedin Consort. Conductor: John Butt.
    • Linn.

  • Richard Wagner

    The Ride of the Valkyries - extract (Die Walkure)

    Orchestra: Sim贸n Bol铆var Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Gustavo Dudamel.
    • Wagner - Dudamel.
    • Deutsche Grammophon.
    • 1.

  • Amy Beach

    Trio for violin, cello and piano Op. 150; 3rd mvt Allegro con brio

    Performer: Neave Trio.
    • Her Voice.
    • CHANDOS.

  • Pyotr Tchaikovsky

    Symphony No. 1 in G Minor, Op. 13 "Winter Dreams": III. Scherzo (Allegro scherzando giocoso)

    Composer: Public Domain. Orchestra: Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra. Conductor: Vasily Petrenko.
    • Tchaikovsky: 'Winter Dreams' Symphony No. 1, 'Little Russian' Symphony No. 2 , S.
    • Onyx Classics.
    • 3.

  • Philip Glass

    Glass: 脡tudes: No. 5

    Performer: V铆kingur 脫lafsson. Ensemble: Siggi String Quartet.
    • Philip Glass: Piano Works.
    • Deutsche Grammophon (DG).

  • Richard Strauss

    Dreaming by the Fireside (4 Symphonic Interludes from 'Intermezzo')

    Orchestra: Vienna Philharmonic. Conductor: Semyon Bychkov.
    • Franz Schmidt Symphony No.2 Richard Strauss Dreaming by the Fireside Wiener Phil.
    • Sony.
    • 004.

  • Sergey Rachmaninov

    14 Romances, Op. 34: No. 14, Vocalise

    Performer: Meredith Blecha-Wells. Performer: Kim Sun-Min.
    • Navona Records.

  • Gioachino Rossini

    La Danza (Les Soirees musicales)

    Music Arranger: Erich Schagerl. Performer: Andreas Ottensamer. Performer: Daniel Ottensamer. Performer: Ernst Ottensamer. Ensemble: Vienna Virtuosi.
    • The Clarinotts.
    • DG.
    • 6.

  • Samuel Coleridge-Taylor

    Deep river (24 Folk melodies Op.59)

    Performer: Isata Kanneh鈥怣ason.
    • Summertime.
    • Decca.

  • Luigi Boccherini

    Quintet No 4 in D major, G 448 (Grave assai, Fandango)

    Performer: Carles Trepat. Performer: Daniel Tummer. Ensemble: Casals Quartet.
    • Boccherini: La musica notturna delle strade di Madrid.
    • Harmonia Mundi.
    • 15.

  • Leonard Bernstein

    West Side Story (America)

    Singer: Rita Moreno. Ensemble: West Side Story Orchestra. Singer: Betty Wand. Singer: George Chakiris. Conductor: Johnny Green.
    • West Side Story: Original Soundtrack Recording (1961).
    • Sony.

  • Joseph Haydn

    Piano Trio in F Major, Hob. XV:6, 1st mvt

    Ensemble: Aquinas Piano Trio.
    • Haydn: Piano Trios, Vol. 8.
    • Naxos.
    • 101.

  • Gian Carlo Menotti

    Amahl and the night visitors: All that gold! (Mother)

    Singer: Ike Hawkersmith. Orchestra: Nashville Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Alastair Willis.
    • Naxos.

  • Gabriel Faur茅

    Souvenirs de Bayreuth

    Performer: Eric Le Sage. Performer: Alexandre Tharaud.
    • ALPHA.

  • Howard Shore

    The Fellowship (The Lord of the Rings)

    Orchestra: The City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra. Conductor: Evan Jolly. Conductor: Nic Raine.
    • Silva Screen.

  • Ludwig van Beethoven

    Symphony No. 7 in A Major, Op. 92: II. Allegretto

    Orchestra: Chamber Orchestra of Europe. Conductor: Yannick N茅zet鈥怱茅guin.
    • Beethoven: The Symphonies.
    • Deutsche Grammophon (DG).

  • Arnold Bax

    Mater ora filium

    Choir: Gabrieli Consort. Conductor: Paul McCreesh.
    • DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHON.

  • Fr茅d茅ric Chopin

    Waltz in E flat major Op.18 'Grande valse brillante'

    Performer: Lang Lang.
    • Lang Lang: The Chopin Album.
    • Sony Classical.
    • 15.

  • Edward Elgar

    Nimrod (Enigma Variations Op.36)

    Music Arranger: Eric Ball. Orchestra: Black Dyke Band. Conductor: Nicholas Childs.
    • Classical Dyke Vol. 1: Elgar.
    • Doyen.
    • 19.

  • Maude Val茅rie White

    The Devout Lover

    Performer: Graham Johnson. Lyricist: Walter Herries Pollock. Singer: Anthony Rolfe Johnson.
    • In Praise of Woman: 150 Years of English Female Composers.
    • Hyperion.
    • 7.

  • Zolt谩n Kod谩ly

    Gal谩ntai t谩ncok, K 79

    Orchestra: Borusan Istanbul Philharmonic Orchestra. Conductor: Carlo Tenan.
    • Bartok, Enescu, Kodaly, Martinu.
    • Onyx Classics.
    • 10.

  • Judith Bingham

    In Mary's Love

    Lyricist: Ben Kaye. Choir: The Gesualdo Six. Conductor: Owain Park.
    • Morning Star: Music for Epiphany Down the Ages.
    • Hyperion.
    • 18.

  • Antonio Vivaldi

    Concerto for 2 Violins in A Minor, Op. 3 No. 8, RV 522

    Performer: Fabio Biondi. Performer: Davide Amodio. Ensemble: Concerto Italiano. Conductor: Rinaldo Alessandrini.
    • Vivaldi: Concerti per archi.
    • Tactus.
    • 6.

  • Traditional Irish

    The Gold Ring Jig

    Performer: Jordi Savall. Performer: Andrew Lawrence鈥怟ing. Performer: Frank McGuire.
    • The Celtic Viol 2: Savall/Lawrence-King/McGuire.
    • Alia Vox.
    • 8.

  • George Frideric Handel

    Zadok the Priest HWV.258

    Ensemble: Le Concert Spirituel. Conductor: Herv茅 Niquet.
    • ALPHA.

Broadcast

  • Mon 29 Dec 2025 09:30
    麻豆社 Radio 3