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A classical soundtrack for your morning

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 a masterpiece.

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14 days left to listen

3 hours, 30 minutes

Last on

Wed 5 Aug 2026 09:30
麻豆社 Radio 3

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Music Played

  • Johann Sebastian Bach

    Mass in B Minor, BWV 232: Kyrie eleison I

    Ensemble: Collegium Vocale Gent. Conductor: Philippe Herreweghe.
    • Bach: Mass in B Minor, BWV 232.
    • Warner Classics.
    • 1.

  • Joan Trimble

    Suite for Strings (3rd mvt)

    Orchestra: Irish Chamber Orchestra. Director: Fionnuala Hunt.
    • Black Box.

  • Franz Liszt

    Les jeux d'eaux 脿 la Villa d'Este (3me Ann茅es de p猫lerinage)

    Performer: Bertrand Chamayou.
    • Liszt: Annees de Pelerinage: Bertrand Chamayou.
    • Naive.
    • 4.

  • Jean Sibelius

    Symphony no. 2 in D major Op.43: 1st mvt; Allegretto - poco allegro ........

    Orchestra: Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Santtu鈥怣atias Rouvali.
    • Alpha.

  • William Lawes

    Consort Sett a 6 in F major "Sunrise" (Fantazy)

    Ensemble: Fretwork. Performer: Paul Nicholson.
    • VIRGIN CLASSICS.

  • E虅riks Es虒envalds

    Stars

    Choir: The Choir Of Trinity College, Cambridge. Conductor: Stephen Layton.
    • 膾riks E拧envalds: Northern Lights & other choral works.
    • Hyperion.
    • 15.

  • Franz Schubert

    Piano Quintet in A Major, D. 667 "Trout Quintet": V. Finale. Allegro

    Performer: Braimah Kanneh-Mason. Performer: Edgar Francis. Performer: Sheku Kanneh鈥怣ason. Performer: Toby Hughes. Performer: Isata Kanneh鈥怣ason.
    • River of Music.
    • Decca Music Group Ltd..

  • Johann Strauss II

    Perpetuum mobile, Op 257

    Orchestra: Budapest Festival Orchestra. Conductor: Iv谩n Fischer.
    • Johann & Josef Strauss: Polkas.
    • Harmonia Mundi.
    • 18.

  • Georg Melchior Hoffmann

    Concerto for Horn, 2 Oboes, Strings and Basso Continuo in E-Flat Major

    Performer: Clemens R枚ger. Performer: Amanda Tauri艈a. Performer: Susanne Wettemann. Ensemble: Neues Bachisches Collegium Musicum. Conductor: Reinhard Goebel.
    • The Leipzig Collegium Musicum Vol. 1: Music before Bach.
    • PENTATONE.
    • 114.

  • Fr茅d茅ric Chopin

    2 Nocturnes Op.27 (no.2 in D flat major)

    Performer: Nelson Freire.
    • Nelson Freire: Chopin, The Nocturnes.
    • Decca.
    • 1.

  • Jean鈥怭hilippe Rameau

    Za茂s (Prologue: Overture)

    Ensemble: Les Talens Lyriques. Director: Christophe Rousset.
    • Rameau: Overtures: Les Talens Lyriques/Rousset.
    • L'Oiseau-Lyre.
    • 3.

  • Pyotr Tchaikovsky

    Piano Concerto no.1 in B flat minor Op.23 (3rd mvt)

    Performer: Beatrice Rana. Orchestra: Orchestra of the Academy of Santa Cecilia, Rome. Conductor: Sir Antonio Pappano.
    • Warner Classics.

  • Joseph Haydn

    Symphonie No. 87 in A Major (4th mvt)

    Orchestra: Le Concert de la Loge. Conductor: Julien Chauvin.
    • APARTE.

  • Christopher Gunning

    Concertino for Flute & Small Orchestra, 3rd Mvt

    Performer: Catherine Handley. Orchestra: Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. Conductor: Christopher Gunning.
    • Gunning: Concerto for Guitar and Orchestra, Concerto for Clarinet and String Orc.
    • Signum Classics.
    • 103.

  • Richard Strauss

    An Alpine Symphony, Op. 64, TrV 233: 1. Night & 2. Sunrise

    Orchestra: NHK Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Paavo J盲rvi.
    • R. Strauss: An Alpine Symphony / Joseph's Legend.
    • Sony Music Labels Inc..
    • 1.

  • Dario Marianelli

    Dawn

    Performer: Jean鈥怸ves Thibaudet.
    • Decca.

  • Edward Elgar

    The Wind at Dawn

    Lyricist: Caroline Alice Elgar. Singer: Roderick Williams. Orchestra: 麻豆社 Philharmonic Orchestra. Conductor: Andrew Davis.
    • Elgar: Falstaff, Orchestral Songs & "Grania and Diarmid".
    • Chandos.
    • 119.

  • George Frideric Handel

    Concerto Grosso in C major, HWV 318, 'Alexander's Feast' (1st mvt)

    Ensemble: Berlin Academy for Early Music. Director: Bernhard Forck.
    • Handel: Ombra mai fu: Andreas Scholl/Akademie fur Alte Musik Berlin.
    • Harmonia Mundi.

  • Felix Mendelssohn

    Symphony no.4 in A major, Op.90 'Italian' (1st mvt)

    Orchestra: City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Edward Gardner.
    • CHANDOS.

  • Bernard Herrmann

    Souvenirs de voyage (3rd mvt)

    Performer: Ma Yue. Orchestra: Singapore Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Joshua Tan.
    • John Williams Flute Concerto 鈥� Bernard Herrmann Souvenirs de Voyage.
    • PENTATONE.

  • William Byrd

    Praise Our Lord, all Ye Gentiles

    Choir: Stile Antico.
    • The Golden Renaissance: William Byrd.
    • Decca Music Group Ltd..
    • 21.

  • Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

    Symphony No 39 in E flat major, K 543 (3rd mvt)

    Orchestra: Scottish Chamber Orchestra. Conductor: Charles Mackerras.
    • Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Symphonies 38 - 41 Scottish Chamber Orchestra Sir Charle.
    • Linn.
    • 6.

  • Camille Saint鈥怱a毛ns

    Piano Concerto No. 3 in E-Flat Major, Op. 29

    Performer: Sir Stephen Hough. Orchestra: City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Sakari Oramo.
    • Saint-Sa毛ns: Piano Concertos Nos. 1-5 etc. (Hyperion Romantic Piano Concerto 27).
    • Hyperion.

  • Samuel Coleridge鈥怲aylor

    African Dance (African Suite)

    Music Arranger: Chris Cameron. Orchestra: Chineke! Orchestra. Conductor: Kevin John Edusei.
    • Coleridge-Taylor.
    • Decca Music Group Ltd..
    • 12.

  • Clara Schumann

    Piano Trio in G minor (3rd mvt)

    Ensemble: Storioni Trio.
    • Ars Produktion.

  • Giacomo Puccini

    Turandot, Act 3: "Nessun dorma!"

    Singer: Pene Pati. Choir: Ch艙urs de l鈥橭p茅ra de Bordeaux. Orchestra: Orchestre National Bordeaux Aquitaine. Conductor: Emmanuel Villaume.
    • Puccini: Turandot: "Nessun dorma".
    • Warner Classics.
    • 1.

  • Jean鈥怋aptiste Lully

    Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme: Air: di Rigori Armata Il Seno

    Ensemble: La Risonanza. Singer: Emanuela Galli. Director: Fabio Bonizzoni.
    • Glossa.

  • Eric Whitacre

    The Seal Lullaby

    Performer: Lavinia Meijer. Choir: VOCES8.
    • Eventide.
    • Decca Music Group Ltd..
    • 5.

Broadcast

  • Wed 5 Aug 2026 09:30
    麻豆社 Radio 3