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Relax into the day with classical

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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28 days left to listen

3 hours, 30 minutes

Last on

Monday 09:30
麻豆社 Radio 3

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Music Played

  • Dmitri Kabalevsky

    Colas Breugnon Op.24 (Overture)

    Orchestra: Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra. Director: Vasily Petrenko.
    • Khachaturian, Mussorgsky, Shchedrin etc..
    • Onyx.
    • 01.

  • Robert Carver

    Missa Dum sacrum mysterium - Sanctus

    Choir: The Sixteen. Conductor: Harry Christophers.
    • Robert Carver.
    • Coro.
    • 5.

  • Joseph Haydn

    String Quartet Op.33 No.4 in B flat major (1st mvt)

    Ensemble: Chiaroscuro Quartet.
    • Haydn: String Quartets Op. 33, Nos. 4-6.
    • BIS.
    • 1.

  • Franz Schubert

    Symphony no.6 in C major D.589 (3rd mvt)

    Orchestra: B鈥橰ock Orchestra. Conductor: Ren茅 Jacobs.
    • Schubert: Symphonies Nos. 1 & 6.
    • PENTATONE.
    • 203.

  • Muzio Clementi

    Rondo in B flat major, WO8

    Performer: Howard Shelley.
    • Clementi: Capriccios & Variations: Howard Shelley.
    • Hyperion.
    • 29.

  • Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

    Soave sia il vento (Cosi fan tutte K.588)

    Singer: Sandrine Piau. Singer: Lea Desandre. Singer: Florian Sempey. Orchestra: Insula Orchestra. Conductor: Laurence Equilbey.
    • Erato.

  • Ina Boyle

    Symphony no.1 "Glencree" (On Lacken Hill)

    Orchestra: 麻豆社 Concert Orchestra. Conductor: Ronald Corp.
    • Boyle: Overture etc..
    • Dutton Epoch.
    • 05.

  • Gabriel Faur茅

    Piano Quintet no.1 in D minor (1st mvt)

    Performer: Anthony Marwood. Ensemble: Domus.
    • HYPERION.

  • Benjamin Britten

    Four Sea Interludes from Peter Grimes (Dawn)

    Orchestra: 麻豆社 Philharmonic Orchestra. Conductor: Edward Gardner.
    • Chandos.

  • Arcangelo Corelli

    Violin Sonata in D Major, Op 5 No 1

    Performer: Rachel Barton Pine. Performer: John Mark Rozendaal. Performer: Brandon Acker. Performer: David Schrader.
    • Corelli: 12 Violin Sonatas, Op. 5.
    • Cedille Records.
    • 101.

  • Amy Beach

    Symphony in E minor 'Gaelic', Op 32 (1st mvt)

    Orchestra: Detroit Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Neeme J盲rvi.
    • Chandos.

  • John Stanley

    Trumpet Voluntary

    Performer: Wynton Marsalis. Orchestra: English Chamber Orchestra. Conductor: Anthony Newman.
    • Sony Classical.

  • Reynaldo Hahn

    Sopra l'acqua indormenzada (Venezia)

    Singer: Anthony Rolfe Johnson. Performer: Graham Johnson.
    • Souvenirs de Venise.
    • Helios.
    • 13.

  • George Frideric Handel

    Concerto Grosso in G, Op 3 No 3

    Orchestra: The English Concert. Director: Trevor Pinnock.
    • Handel: Orchestral Works: Trevor Pinnock, The English Concert.
    • Archiv Produktion.

  • Arthur Sullivan

    HMS Pinafore: Act I, Chorus. We sail the ocean blue

    Lyricist: William Gilbert. Choir: Scottish Opera Chorus. Orchestra: Orchestra of the Scottish Opera. Conductor: Richard Egarr.
    • Gilbert & Sullivan: HMS Pinafore.
    • Linn Records.
    • 2.

  • Francis Poulenc

    L' Embarquement pour Cythere - valse-musette for 2 pianos

    Performer: Lucille Chung. Performer: Alessio Bax.
    • SIGNUM.

  • Felix Mendelssohn

    Calm Sea and Prosperous Voyage Op.27

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

  • Jorge Morel

    Danza brasilera

    Performer: Milo拧 Karadagli膰.
    • Deutsche Grammophon.

  • Gerald Finzi

    Eclogue in F major Op.10

    Performer: Tom Poster. Orchestra: Aurora Orchestra. Conductor: Nicholas Collon.
    • Introit: The Music of Gerald Finzi.
    • Decca.
    • 17.

  • Hubert Parry

    I was Glad

    Music Arranger: Grayston Ives. Choir: Choir of Westminster Abbey. Performer: Daniel Cook. Ensemble: Onyx Brass. Conductor: James O鈥橠onnell.
    • Hyperion.

  • Antonio Vivaldi

    Concerto in D minor, RV 129, 'Concerto madrigalesco'

    Ensemble: Concerto Italiano. Conductor: Rinaldo Alessandrini.
    • Vivaldi: Concerti per archi: Concerto Italiano, Rinaldo Alessandrini.
    • Naive.

  • Carl Maria von Weber

    Clarinet Concerto No.1 in F Minor, Op. 73

    Performer: Sharon Kam. Orchestra: Gewandhausorchester Leipzig. Conductor: Kurt Masur.
    • Weber : Clarinet Concertos Nos 1, 2 & Grand Duo Concertant.
    • Warner Classics.
    • 1.

  • Clara Schumann

    Piano Trio in G minor Op.17 (4th mvt)

    Ensemble: Nash Ensemble.
    • Hyperion.

  • Samuel Coleridge-Taylor

    Romance of the Prairie Lilies, Op.39

    Orchestra: RT脡 Concert Orchestra. Conductor: Adrian Leaper.
    • Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, orchestral works.
    • MARCO POLO.
    • 14.

  • Giacomo Puccini

    Vissi d'arte (Tosca)

    Singer: Anna Netrebko. Orchestra: Orchestra of the Academy of Santa Cecilia, Rome. Conductor: Sir Antonio Pappano.
    • Puccini: Gianni Schicchi, "O mio babbino caro".
    • Deutsche Grammophon (DG).
    • 2.

  • Johann Sebastian Bach

    Fugue in G major 'A la gigue', BWV.577

    Performer: Peter Hurford.
    • Bach: Complete Organ Works: Simon Preston.
    • Deutsche Grammophon.

  • William Walton

    Crown Imperial

    Ensemble: Gabrieli Players. Conductor: Paul McCreesh.
    • An English Coronation, 1902-1953.
    • Signum Records.
    • 47.

Broadcast

  • Monday 09:30
    麻豆社 Radio 3