Main content

A classical soundtrack for your morning

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.

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

13 days left to listen

3 hours, 30 minutes

Music Played

  • Franz Schubert

    Symphony no.3 in D major D.200 (4th mvt)

    Orchestra: Freiburg Baroque Orchestra. Conductor: Pablo Heras鈥怌asado.
    • Schubert: Symphonies Nos. 3 and 4.
    • Harmonia Mundi.
    • 4.
  • Maurice Ravel

    Piano Trio in A minor (1st mvt)

    Ensemble: The Florestan Trio.
    • Hyperion.
  • Joaqu铆n Rodrigo

    Concierto Serenata (Estudiantina)

    Performer: Nicanor Zabaleta. Orchestra: Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin. Conductor: Ernst M盲rzendorfer.
    • DG.
  • George Frideric Handel

    Rinaldo - Aria "Lascia ch'io pianga"

    Singer: Sandrine Piau. Ensemble: Les Paladins. Conductor: J茅r么me Corr茅as.
    • ALPHA.
  • Nino Rota

    8 1/2 (Otto e mezzo): Suite - 6. Passerella d'addio

    Orchestra: La Scala Philharmonic. Conductor: Riccardo Chailly.
    • Decca.
  • Clara Schumann

    3 Romances Op.11 (no.3 in A flat major)

    Performer: Isata Kanneh鈥怣ason.
    • Romance 鈥 The Piano Music of Clara Schumann.
    • Decca.
    • 6.
  • Antonio Vivaldi

    Sinfonia in D major RV.125

    Ensemble: Accademia dell鈥橝nnunciata. Conductor: Riccardo Doni.
    • Arcana.
  • Philip Glass

    Violin Concerto no.1 (2nd mvt)

    Performer: Gidon Kremer. Orchestra: Vienna Philharmonic. Conductor: Christoph von Dohn谩nyi.
    • 111 Years Of Deutsche Grammophon The Collector's Edition Vol.2.
    • Deutsche Grammophon.
    • 2.
  • Franz Leh谩r

    Sch枚n wie die blaue Sommernacht (from Giuditta)

    Singer: Nikola Hillebrand. Singer: Jonas Kaufmann. Orchestra: Hungarian State Opera Orchestra. Conductor: Dirk Kaftan.
    • SONY CLASSICAL.
  • Samuel Coleridge-Taylor

    Clarinet Quintet in F sharp minor, Op. 10: I. Allegro energico

    Performer: Klaus Hampl. Ensemble: Quartetto di Roma.
    • Coleridge-Taylor & Ben-Haim: Clarinet Quintets.
    • Naxos.
    • 101.
  • Mikhail Ivanovich Glinka

    Souvenir d'une nuit d'茅t茅 脿 Madrid

    Orchestra: 麻豆社 Philharmonic Orchestra. Conductor: Vassily Sinaisky.
    • Chandos.
  • Astor Piazzolla

    Libertango

    Music Arranger: Luis Bacalov. Performer: Luis Bacalov. Performer: H茅ctor Ulises Passarella. Orchestra: Orchestra of the Academy of Santa Cecilia, Rome. Conductor: Myung-Whun Chung.
    • Bacalov: Misa Tango: Domingo, Martinez, Bacalov, Chung.
    • Deutsche Grammophon.
  • Chiara Margarita Cozzolani

    Laudate pueri

    Ensemble: Cappella Artemisia. Director: Candace Smith.
    • I Vespri Natalizi (1650).
    • Tactus.
    • 011.
  • Nino Rota

    Legend of the Glass Mountain (The Glass Mountain)

    Orchestra: Prague Philharmonic Orchestra.
    • SILVA SCREEN.
  • Maury Yeston

    Unusual Way (from the musical Nine)

    Singer: Nicole Kidman.
    • Nine.
    • Geffen.
    • 9.
  • Erik Satie

    Parade (Finale)

    Orchestra: Orchestre de chambre des Concerts Lamoureux. Conductor: Yutaka Sado.
    • L'Orchestre de Satie.
    • Erato.
    • 008.
  • Gustav Holst

    Jupiter, Bringer of Jollity (The Planets Op.32)

    Music Arranger: Stephen Roberts. Ensemble: Black Dyke Band. Conductor: Nicholas Childs.
    • NAXOS.
  • Elfrida Andr茅e

    Fritiof's Infatuation (Fritiof Suite)

    Orchestra: Stockholm Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Gustaf Sj枚kvist.
    • Sterling.
  • Orazio Benevoli

    Missa Dum complerentur: II. Gloria

    Ensemble: I Fagiolini. Conductor: Robert Hollingworth.
    • Benevoli: Missae Angelus Domini & Dum complerentur.
    • CORO.
    • 9.
  • Thomas Ad猫s

    Les tours de passe-passe (3 Studies from Couperin)

    Orchestra: Chamber Orchestra of Europe. Conductor: Thomas Ad猫s.
    • Ades: Tevot; Violin Concerto etc..
    • EMI Classics.
    • 6.
  • Claude Debussy

    En Bateau (Petite Suite)

    Performer: Steven Osborne. Performer: Paul Lewis.
    • Hyperion.
  • Aaron Copland

    Appalachian Spring (extract)

    Orchestra: Orpheus Chamber Orchestra.
    • DG.
  • Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

    Serenade for Winds No. 11 (3rd mvt)

    Ensemble: Bl盲serensemble Sabine Meyer.
    • Mozart: Serenades for Winds No. 11, K. 375 & No. 12, K. 388 "Nachtmusik".
    • Warner Classics.
    • 4.
  • Louise Farrenc

    Symphony No 3 in G minor, Op 36 (1st mvmt, Adagio - Allegro)

    Orchestra: Orchestre national de Metz. Conductor: David Reiland.
    • Compositrices: New Light on French Romantic Women Composers.
    • Bru Zane.
    • 1.
  • Johann Sebastian Bach

    English Suite No 3 in G minor, BWV 808 (Sarabande)

    Performer: John Henry.
    • The Harpsichord: John Henry.
    • Victoria.
  • Giuseppe Verdi

    La forza del destino (Overture)

    Orchestra: The Cleveland Orchestra. Conductor: Lorin Maazel.
    • Overtures: Cleveland Orchestra/Maazel.
    • I.M.P..
    • 1.

Broadcast

  • Mon 13 Apr 2026 09:30