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The perfect classical half hour

30 minutes of back to back classical music including works by Gabriel Faur茅, Sergey Rachmaninov, and Cecilia McDowall.

Half an hour of back to back classical music to help wind down at the end of a busy day. Opening with a shimmering Aquarium from Saint-Seans, and a lesser known prelude by Rachmaninov, the sequence moves slowly and heavily into an orchestral Pavane by Cecilia McDowall, then weaves around Graham Fitkin's mysterious Carousel, before alighting on a Telemann sonata for recorder and violin. The perfumed French harmonies of Poulenc's Stabat Mater melt into William Grant Still's Lyric Quartet, and the half hour concludes with a gentle orchestration of Faur茅's well-loved Berceuse from his Dolly Suite.

Producer: Helen Garrison

4 days left to listen

30 minutes

Last on

Fri 17 Apr 2026 19:00
麻豆社 Radio 3

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Music Played

  • Camille Saint鈥怱a毛ns

    Aquarium (Carnival of the Animals)

    Orchestra: Philharmonia Orchestra. Conductor: Sir Charles Groves.
    • Sir Charles' Precious Music Box 1, Groves, Philharmonia Orchestra.
    • DENON.
    • 22.

  • Sergey Rachmaninov

    Prelude in F Major, Op. 2

    Performer: Alessio Bax.
    • Piano Solo: Rosy Romance.
    • East Props Music - OMiP.
    • 8.

  • Cecilia McDowall

    Pavane

    Orchestra: Ulster Orchestra. Conductor: George Vass.
    • McDowall: Shipping Forecast.
    • Dutton Epoch.
    • 4.

  • Graham Fitkin

    Carousel

    Performer: Ruth Wall.
    • GFR.

  • Georg Philipp Telemann

    Sonata in A minor TWV.42:a4

    Ensemble: Palladian Ensemble.
    • LINN.

  • Francis Poulenc

    Stabat Mater; Vidit Suum

    Singer: Janice Watson. Choir: 麻豆社 Singers. Orchestra: 麻豆社 Philharmonic Orchestra. Conductor: Yan Pascal Tortelier.
    • CHANDOS.

  • William Grant Still

    Lyric quartet - musical portraits of three friends: The Quiet One

    Ensemble: Catalyst Quartet.
    • Uncovered, Vol 3.
    • Azica.
    • 3.

  • Gabriel Faur茅

    Berceuse (Dolly Suite)

    Orchestrator: Henri Rabaud. Orchestra: Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. Conductor: Thomas Beecham.
    • Sir Thomas Beecham: The French Collection.
    • EMI Classics.
    • 6.

Broadcast

  • Fri 17 Apr 2026 19:00
    麻豆社 Radio 3

Music to help you focus

Discover the best classical music for study, inspiration and relaxation.