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Great classical music 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.

3 hours, 30 minutes

Last on

Wed 17 Jun 2026 09:30

Music Played

  • Hugo Alfv茅n

    Shepherd girl's dance (The Mountain King, Op.37)

    Orchestra: Stockholm Sinfonietta. Conductor: Jan鈥怬lav Wedin.
    • A Swedish Pastorale.
    • BIS.
    • 015.
  • Georg Philipp Telemann

    Concerto in D major TWV.53:D5 for trumpet, violin and orchestra (3rd mvt)

    Performer: Isabelle Faust. Performer: Ute Hartwich. Orchestra: Academy for Ancient Music Berlin. Conductor: Bernhard Forck.
    • Telemann: Violin Concertos. Overture. Suite. Fantasie.
    • harmonia mundi.
    • 26.
  • Edvard Grieg

    Homage March (Sigurd Jorsalfar Suite)

    Orchestra: Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Esa鈥怭ekka Salonen.
    • Sibelius: Finlandia; Valse Triste; Grieg: Sigurd Jorsalfar; Salonen.
    • Sony Classical.
    • 5.
  • Mel Bonis

    Piano Quartet No 1 (2nd mvt)

    Ensemble: Quatuor Giardini.
    • Faur茅 & Bonis: Piano Quartets.
    • Evidence (LTR).
    • 6.
  • Hector Berlioz

    Hungarian March (The Damnation of Faust)

    Orchestra: London Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Colin Davis.
    • Berlioz: La Damnation de Faust, Op. 24: LSO & Chorus/Davis.
    • LSO Live.
    • 3.
  • Zoe Rahman

    Red Flower

    Performer: Zoe Rahman.
    • Melting Pot.
    • Manushi Records.
    • 5.
  • John Foulds

    Keltic Suite, Op 29

    Orchestra: 麻豆社 Concert Orchestra. Conductor: Ronald Corp.
    • J Foulds, Keltic Suite: 麻豆社 Concert Orchestra/Corp.
    • Epoch.
    • 2.
  • Chiara Margarita Cozzolani

    Laetatus Sum (Vespers)

    Ensemble: I Gemelli. Conductor: Emiliano Gonzalez鈥怲oro.
    • Cozzolani: Vespro.
    • 狈补茂惫别.
    • 6.
  • Ludwig van Beethoven

    Piano Concerto No 1 in C major, Op 15 (3rd mvt)

    Performer: Lars Vogt. Orchestra: City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Sir Simon Rattle.
    • Beethoven: Piano Concertos 1 & 2: Vogt, Rattle.
    • EMI Classics.
    • 3.
  • Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach

    Symphony in E minor Wq.178 H.653 (3rd mvt)

    Ensemble: Arte dei Suonatori. Conductor: Marcin 艢wi膮tkiewicz.
    • C.P.E. Bach: Berlin Symphonies I.
    • BIS.
    • 9.
  • Muzio Clementi

    Piano Sonata in E flat major, Op 23 No 1

    Performer: Howard Shelley.
    • HYPERION.
  • Johannes Brahms

    Academic Festival Overture Op.80

    Orchestra: Swedish Chamber Orchestra. Conductor: Thomas Dausgaard.
    • BIS.
  • Girolamo Frescobaldi

    Canzoni da sonare a una, due, tre e quattro: Canzon terza a due canti, F 8.14c

    Ensemble: Ensemble Tumbleweeds. Director: Claire-Ombeline Muhlmeyer.
    • Ballade v茅nitienne.
    • Evidence Classics.
    • 5.
  • Julius Fucik

    Florentine March

    Ensemble: Berliner Philharmonisches Bl盲serensemble. Conductor: Herbert von Karajan.
    • Deutsche Grammophon.
  • Abdullah Ibrahim

    Blue Bolero

    Performer: Abdullah Ibrahim.
    • GEARBOX.
  • Robert Burns

    My Love is Like a Red Red Rose

    Music Arranger: Paul Campbell. Performer: Nicola Benedetti. Orchestra: 麻豆社 Scottish Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Rory Macdonald.
    • Homecoming - A Scottish Fantasy.
    • Decca.
    • 007.
  • Sidney Bechet

    Petite Fleur

    Performer: Monty Sunshine. Ensemble: Chris Barber's Jazzband.
    • JBP CLASSICS.
  • Franz Schubert

    Symphony no.9 in C major D.944 'Great' (4th mvt)

    Orchestra: Budapest Festival Orchestra. Conductor: Iv谩n Fischer.
    • Schubert: Symphony no.9 etc: Budapest Festival Orchestra/Fischer.
    • Channel Classics.
  • Johann Sebastian Bach

    Prelude & Fugue No. 2 in C Minor, BWV 847 (WTC Book 1)

    Performer: Robert Levin.
    • haenssler CLASSIC.
  • Ludwig van Beethoven

    Violin Sonata No. 3 in E-Flat Major, Op. 12 No. 3: I. Allegro con spirito

    Performer: C茅dric Tiberghien. Performer: Alina Ibragimova.
    • Beethoven: Violin Sonatas Op. 12 & Op. 24.
    • BIS.
    • 4.
  • Anton铆n Dvo艡谩k

    Slavonic dances - series 1 Op.46 (no.8 in G minor)

    Orchestra: Chamber Orchestra of Europe. Conductor: Nikolaus Harnoncourt.
    • TELDEC.
  • Dora Peja膷evi膰

    Piano Quartet, Op. 25

    Ensemble: Kaleidoscope Chamber Collective.
    • Chandos.
  • Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina

    Missa Memor esto - V. Agnus Dei

    Choir: Choir of Clare College, Cambridge. Conductor: Graham Ross.
    • Harmonia Mundi.
  • Fr茅d茅ric Chopin

    Nocturne in D flat major, Op 27 No 2

    Performer: Maria Jo茫o Pires.
    • Chopin: The Nocturnes: Maria Joao Pires.
    • Deutsche Grammophon.
    • 8.
  • Antonio Salieri

    La Calamita de' Cuori (Sinfonia)

    Orchestra: Mannheimer Mozartorchester. Conductor: Thomas Fey.
    • HANNSLER.
  • Francesco Geminiani

    Concerto Grosso no.11 in E major after Corelli

    Performer: David Plantier. Performer: Olivia Centurioni. Ensemble: Ensemble 415. Director: Chiara Banchini.
    • Italiane Baroque.
    • Zig-Zag Territories.
    • 18-22.
  • Eric Coates

    Knightsbridge (March - 3rd mvmt of London Every Day Suite)

    Orchestra: 麻豆社 Philharmonic Orchestra. Conductor: John Wilson.
    • Coates: Orchestra Works, Vol. 1.
    • Chandos.
    • 15.

Broadcast

  • Wed 17 Jun 2026 09:30