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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.

To listen on most smart speakers say, "Ask 麻豆社 Sounds to play Essential Classics鈥�.

3 hours, 30 minutes

Last on

Mon 9 Mar 2026 09:30
麻豆社 Radio 3

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Music Played

  • Camille Saint鈥怱a毛ns

    Piano concerto no.2 in G minor Op.22 (3rd mvt)

    Performer: Alexandre Kantorow. Orchestra: Tapiola Sinfonietta. Conductor: Jean鈥怞acques Kantorow.
    • Saint-Sa毛ns: Works for Piano & Orchestra.
    • BIS.
    • 3.

  • Carl Nielsen

    Dance of the Cockerels (Maskarade)

    Orchestra: Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Esa鈥怭ekka Salonen.
    • Sibelius: Finlandia; Valse Triste; Grieg: Sigurd Jorsalfar; Salonen.
    • Sony Classical.
    • 9.

  • Agnes Tyrrell

    8 Choruses, Op. 7: No. 1, Vor眉ber

    Lyricist: Emanuel Geibel. Choir: Gewandhauschor Leipzig. Conductor: Gregor Meyer.
    • Tyrrell: Choral Music & Piano Works.
    • CPO.
    • 108.

  • Tomaso Giovanni Albinoni

    Concerto a 5 in C major Op.7`11

    Performer: Anthony Robson. Performer: Catherine Latham. Ensemble: Collegium Musicum 90. Director: Simon Standage.
    • Albinoni: The Collected Concertos for Oboes and Strings.
    • CHANDOS.
    • 30.

  • Anton铆n Dvo艡谩k

    String Quartet in F major, Op 96, 'American' (Finale)

    Ensemble: Tak谩cs Quartet.
    • Dvorak: String Quartets: Takacs Quartet.
    • Decca.
    • 9.

  • Eric Coates

    The Jester at the Wedding: VI. Finale, "The Princess and the Jester"

    Orchestra: 麻豆社 Philharmonic Orchestra. Conductor: John Wilson.
    • Coates: Orchestra Works, Vol. 1.
    • Chandos.
    • 107.

  • Ralph Vaughan Williams

    Polka m茅lancolique; Galop (Suite for Viola and Orchestra)

    Performer: Lawrence Power. Orchestra: 麻豆社 National Orchestra of Wales. Conductor: Martyn Brabbins.
    • Hyperion.

  • Richard Strauss

    Piano Quartet in C Minor, Op. 13: III. Andante

    Ensemble: Nash Ensemble.
    • R. Strauss: Metamorphosen, Capriccio & Piano Quartet.
    • Hyperion.
    • 4.

  • Pyotr Tchaikovsky

    Symphony No. 6 in B Minor, 'Pathe虂tique' Op. 74: II. Allegro con grazia

    Orchestra: Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra. Conductor: Vasily Petrenko.
    • Tchaikovsky Symphony No.6 'Pathetique', Symphony No.4, Symphony No.3 'Polish'.
    • Onyx Classics.
    • 11.

  • Robert Schumann

    3 Romances, Op. 94: II. Einfach innig

    Performer: Midori. Performer: 脰zg眉r Aydin.
    • Schumann: Violin Concerto & Works for Violin and Piano by Clara and Robert Schum.
    • Pentatone.
    • 110.

  • John Ireland

    Sarnia: An Island Sequence for Orchestra: III. Song of the Springtides

    Orchestra: Royal Scottish National Orchestra.
    • Ernest John Moeran: Sketches for Symphony No.2 - John Ireland: Sarnia - An Islan.
    • Dutton Epoch.
    • 7.

  • Johann Sebastian Bach

    Prelude and Fugue in C sharp major, BWV.848

    Performer: Sir Andr谩s Schiff.
    • DECCA.

  • Alice Mary Smith

    Andante

    Performer: Angela Malsbury. Orchestra: London Mozart Players. Conductor: Howard Shelley.
    • Alice Mary Smith: Symphonies: Malsbury, LMP, Shelley.
    • Chandos.
    • 5.

  • Franz Liszt

    The Dance in the Village Inn (Mephisto Waltz No 1)

    Orchestra: Orchestre de Paris 鈥� Philharmonie. Conductor: Georg Solti.
    • Deutsche Grammophone.

  • Fran莽ois Couperin

    Les baricades mist茅rieuses (Pieces de clavecin - ordre no. 6)

    Music Arranger: Thomas Ad猫s. Orchestra: Aurora Orchestra. Conductor: Nicholas Collon.
    • Insomnia.
    • Warner Classics.
    • 2.

  • Bedrich Smetana

    The Bartered Bride (Dance of the Comedians)

    Orchestra: Czech Philharmonic. Conductor: V谩clav Neumann.
    • Little Pearls of Czech Classics: Czech Philharmonic Orch/Neumann.
    • Supraphon.
    • 7.

  • Arthur Sullivan

    Oh! A private buffoon is a light-hearted loon (The Yeomen of the guard)

    Librettist: William Gilbert. Singer: Sir Thomas Allen. Orchestra: Academy of St Martin in the Fields. Conductor: Neville Marriner.
    • Philips.

  • Ralph Vaughan Williams

    Old King Cole - A Ballet for Orchestra: Solo Jig

    Orchestra: Royal Northern Sinfonia. Conductor: Richard Hickox.
    • Hickox conducts Vaughan Williams.
    • Warner Classics.
    • 109.

  • Jean Sibelius

    Karelia Suite Op.11 (Alla marcia)

    Orchestra: City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Sakari Oramo.
    • Sibelius: Symphony No.5/Karelia Suite etc: City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra.
    • Erato.
    • 6.

  • Claude Debussy

    La Plus que Lent

    Performer: Vilde Frang. Performer: Jos茅 Gallardo. Music Arranger: L茅on Roques.
    • Warner Classics.

  • Samuel Coleridge-Taylor

    Suite from "24 Melodies": V. Finale - Alla Marcia - Oloba (West Africa) Op

    Conductor: Michael Repper. Orchestra: National Philharmonic Orchestra.
    • Samuel Coleridge-Taylor: Toussaint L鈥橭uverture, Op. 46 - Ballade Op. 4 - Suites.
    • AVIE Records.
    • 10.

  • Nikolai Karlovich Medtner

    Forgotten Melodies I, Op. 38: III. Danza festiva

    Performer: Alexander Malofeev.
    • Forgotten Melodies.
    • Sony Classical.

  • George Frideric Handel

    Dopo notte (Ariodante)

    Singer: Magdalena Ko啪en谩. Orchestra: Venice Baroque Orchestra. Conductor: Andrea Marcon.
    • ARCHIV.

  • Johannes Brahms

    Variations and Fugue on a theme by Handel, Op.24

    Orchestrator: Edmund Rubbra. Orchestra: London Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Neeme J盲rvi.
    • CHANDOS.

  • Franz Schubert

    Octet in F major, D 803 (3rd mvt)

    Ensemble: Fibonacci Sequence.
    • The Fibonacci Sequence - Schubert Octet.
    • Deux-Elles.
    • 3.

  • Anna Clyne

    Masquerade

    Orchestra: 麻豆社 Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Marin Alsop.
    • Anna Clyne: Mythologies.
    • Avie.
    • 1.

  • Alexander Glazunov

    M茅lodie (2 Pieces Op.20)

    Performer: Jamie Walton. Orchestra: Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. Conductor: Okko Kamu.
    • SIGNUM.

  • Alexander Scriabin

    2 Impromptus, Op. 10: No. 2 In A Major

    Performer: Katya Apekisheva.
    • Scriabin/Faure/Chopin: Impromptus.
    • CHAMPS HILL RECORDS.
    • 16.

  • Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

    Serenade in G major, K 525, 'Eine kleine Nachtmusik' (4th mvt)

    Conductor: Jordi Savall. Orchestra: Le Concert des Nations.
    • Mozart: Serenate, Notturne, Eine kleine Nachtmusik: Le Concert de Nations, Jordi.
    • Alia Vox.

Broadcast

  • Mon 9 Mar 2026 09:30
    麻豆社 Radio 3