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A feast of great music

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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Available now

3 hours, 30 minutes

Last on

Fri 3 Apr 2026 09:30
麻豆社 Radio 3

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Music Played

  • Giovanni Battista Pergolesi

    Stabat Mater (opening mvt)

    Singer: Emma Kirkby. Singer: James Bowman. Ensemble: Academy of Ancient Music. Conductor: Christopher Hogwood.
    • DECCA.

  • Johannes Brahms

    Double Concerto in A minor Op.102 (3rd mvt)

    Performer: Joshua Bell. Performer: Steven Isserlis. Orchestra: Academy of St Martin in the Fields. Conductor: Joshua Bell.
    • III. Vivace non troppo.
    • Sony Classical.
    • 3.

  • Jules Massenet

    Sevillana (Don C茅sar de Bazan)

    Orchestra: Orchestre de la Suisse Romande. Conductor: Neeme J盲rvi.
    • Massenet: Fantaisie etc..
    • Chandos.
    • 15.

  • Franz Schubert

    Piano Sonata in E major D.157 (1st mvt)

    Performer: Arcadi Volodos.
    • SONY.

  • Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov

    Dance of the Tumblers (Snow Maiden)

    Orchestra: Seattle Symphony. Conductor: Gerard Schwarz.
    • Rimsky-Korsakov: Orchestral Suites.
    • Naxos.
    • 4.

  • King Jo茫o IV of Portugal

    Crux fidelis

    Choir: Monteverdi Choir. Conductor: Sir John Eliot Gardiner.
    • SOLI DEO GLORIA.

  • Fanny Mendelssohn

    String Quartet in E flat major (4th mvt)

    Ensemble: Quatuor 脡b猫ne.
    • Felix & Fanny Mendelssohn: String Quartets Op. 13 in A minor, Op. 80 in F minor:.
    • Virgin.
    • 8.

  • Gustav Mahler

    Symphony No 9 (3rd mvt)

    Orchestra: Mahler Academy Orchestra. Conductor: Philipp von Steinaecker.
    • ALPHA.

  • Edvard Grieg

    Holberg Suite; 1vt mvt Praeludium

    Orchestra: Australian Chamber Orchestra. Director: Richard Tognetti.
    • BIS.

  • Johannes de Quadris

    Cum autem venissem ad locum

    Ensemble: Le Miroir de Musique. Director: Baptiste Romain.
    • Ubi caritas. Italian Laude in Early Renaissance.
    • Ricercar.
    • 1.

  • Jean鈥怞oseph de Mondonville

    Sonate en symphonie in F major Op.3 no.2

    Ensemble: Les Musiciens du Louvre. Conductor: Marc Minkowski.
    • ARCHIV.

  • Lennox Berkeley

    String Serenade - 1st movement, Vivace

    Orchestra: 麻豆社 National Orchestra of Wales. Conductor: Richard Hickox.
    • The Berkeley Edition, Volume 1.
    • Chandos.
    • 7.

  • Madeleine Dring

    3 Pieces for Oboe & Piano (1983); 2. Tango

    Performer: Nicholas Daniel. Performer: Antonio Oyarzabal.
    • CHANDOS.

  • Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

    Piano Concerto no.23 in A major K.488 (1st mvt)

    Performer: Jean鈥怑fflam Bavouzet. Orchestra: Manchester Camerata. Conductor: G谩bor Tak谩cs鈥怤agy.
    • CHANDOS.

  • Tom谩s Luis de Victoria

    Caligaverunt oculi mei (Tenebrae Responsories for Good Friday)

    Choir: Tenebrae. Conductor: Nigel Short.
    • Tom谩s Luis De Victoria: Tenebrae Responsories.
    • SIGNUM.
    • 12.

  • William Walton

    Viola Concerto (2nd mvt)

    Performer: Lawrence Power. Orchestra: 麻豆社 Scottish Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Ilan Volkov.
    • Walton, Rubbra: Viola Concertos: Lawrence Power, 麻豆社SSO, Ilan Volkov.
    • Hyperion.

  • L茅o Delibes

    Le Roi s'amuse (Pavane)

    Orchestra: Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. Conductor: Thomas Beecham.
    • Bizet: Carmen Suite etc..
    • EMI.
    • 14-20.

  • Carlo Gesualdo

    Tradiderunt me in manus impiorum (Tenebrae Responses for Good Friday)

    Ensemble: The Hilliard Ensemble.
    • Gesualdo: Tenebrae.
    • ECM New Series.

  • George Butterworth

    A Shropshire lad - rhapsody for orchestra (conclusion)

    Orchestra: Hall茅. Conductor: Mark Elder.
    • Halle.

  • Antonio Lotti

    Crucifixus 脿 8

    Performer: Peter Stevens. Choir: Westminster Cathedral Choir. Conductor: Martin Baker.
    • Ad Fontes.

  • Pyotr Tchaikovsky

    Symphony no.5 in E minor Op.64 (3rd mvt)

    Orchestra: Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Manfred Honeck.
    • Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 5 & Schulhoff: Five Pieces for String Quartet.
    • Reference Recordings.
    • 03.

  • C茅cile Chaminade

    Capriccio Op.18

    Performer: Nils鈥怑rik Sparf. Performer: Bengt Forsberg.
    • DG.

  • Giuseppe Verdi

    Otello: Ave Maria

    Singer: Elsa Dreisig. Orchestra: Teatro San Carlo Orchestra. Conductor: Massimo Zanetti.
    • Invocation.
    • Erato.

  • Anton铆n Dvo艡谩k

    Czech Suite (5th mvt)

    Orchestra: Czech Philharmonic. Conductor: Libor Pe拧ek.
    • Dvorak: American Suite, Czech Suite; Overtures and Tone Poems.
    • Warner Classics.
    • 5.

  • Sergey Rachmaninov

    13 Preludes Op.32 (no.5 in G major)

    Performer: Boris Giltburg.
    • Rachmaninoff: 24 Pr茅ludes.
    • Naxos.
    • 16.

  • Joseph Haydn

    Symphony No 49 in F minor "La Passione"

    Orchestra: Il Giardino Armonico. Conductor: Giovanni Antonini.
    • Haydn 2032, Vol. 1: La Passione.
    • ALPHA.
    • 19.

  • George Frideric Handel

    Suite no.4 in D minor HWV.437 (Sarabande)

    Ensemble: Jupiter Ensemble. Conductor: Thomas Dunford.
    • Handel - Eternal Heaven.
    • ERATO.
    • 1.

  • Gerald Finzi

    Lo, the Full, Final Sacrifice

    Performer: Alexander Hamilton. Choir: The Choir Of Trinity College, Cambridge. Conductor: Stephen Layton.
    • Finzi: Lo, the Full, Final Sacrifice & Other Choral Works.
    • Hyperion.
    • 15.

  • Henryk Wieniawski

    Caprice in E flat major [Alla saltarella]

    Music Arranger: Fritz Kreisler. Performer: Vilde Frang. Performer: Jos茅 Gallardo.
    • Homage.
    • Warner Classics.
    • 8.

  • Giovanni Pacoloni

    Passamezzo milanese

    Performer: Jakob Lindberg. Performer: Nigel North. Performer: Paul O鈥橠ette.
    • Three, Four and Twenty Lutes, Lindberg etc..
    • BIS.
    • 13.

  • Johann Pachelbel

    Improvisation on Pachelbel's Canon in D major

    Performer: Gabriela Montero. Music Arranger: Gabriela Montero.
    • WARNER CLASSICS.

Broadcast

  • Fri 3 Apr 2026 09:30
    麻豆社 Radio 3