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The best classical morning music

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 BBC Sounds to play Essential Classics”.

3 hours, 30 minutes

Last on

Wed 25 Feb 202609:30
BBC Radio 3

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Music Played

  • Alexander Borodin

    Dance of the Polovtsian Maidens (Prince Igor)

    Orchestra: Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Esa‐Pekka Salonen.
    • Philips.

  • Ludwig van Beethoven

    Symphony no. 5 in C minor Op.67: IV Allegro

    Orchestra: Insula Orchestra. Conductor: Laurence Equilbey.
    • "Beethoven Extended": Symphony No. 5.
    • harmonia mundi.
    • 104.

  • Sergey Rachmaninov

    Sonata no. 2 in Bb min Op.36: III L'istesso tempo, Allegro Molto

    Performer: Alexander Malofeev.

  • Antonio Vivaldi

    Lute Concerto in D RV.93

    Performer: Thomas Dunford. Ensemble: Jupiter.
    • ALPHA.

  • Edvard Grieg

    In The Hall of the Mountain King (Peer Gynt Op.23)

    Orchestra: Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra. Conductor: Edward Gardner.
    • Chandos.

  • Ale Carr

    Stormpolskan

    Performer: Nikolaj Busk. Performer: Ale Carr. Music Arranger: Danish String Quartet. Ensemble: Danish String Quartet.
    • Keel Road.
    • ECM New Series.
    • 3.

  • Samuel Coleridge-Taylor

    Sea Drift

    Choir: Choir of King’s College, London. Conductor: Joseph Fort.
    • Coleridge-Taylor: Partsongs.
    • Delphian Records.
    • 1.

  • Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

    Rondo for Piano & Orchestra in D major, K382: I – I. Allegretto grazioso

    Performer: Alexandra Dariescu. Ensemble: Academy of St Martin in the Fields.
    • SIGNUM.

  • Carl Maria von Weber

    Clarinet Quintet, Op. 34: II - II. Fantasia - Adagio

    Performer: Sebastian Manz. Performer: Lars Olaf Schaper. Ensemble: Casal Quartett.
    • Berlin Classics.

  • Sergey Prokofiev

    The Love for three oranges - suite Op.33b: March

    Composer: Mstislav Rostropovich. Performer: Alban Gerhardt. Performer: Markus Becker.
    • Rostropovich Encores: A Cello Tribute to Mstislav Rostropovich.
    • Hyperion.
    • 7.

  • Mel Bonis

    Salome Op. 100

    Orchestra: WDR Symphony Orchestra Cologne. Conductor: Joseph Bastian.
    • CPO.

  • Paul Dukas

    Les Sirènes

    Singer: Marie Kalinine. Choir: Vlaams Radiokoor. Orchestra: Brussels Philharmonic. Conductor: Hervé Niquet.
    • BRU ZANE.

  • Antonín Dvořák

    Symphony No. 8 iv Allegro, ma non troppo

    Orchestra: BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Ryan Wigglesworth.

  • Edward Elgar

    Lux aeterna [from 'Nimrod' of 'Enigma' variations]

    Music Arranger: John Cameron. Choir: VOCES8.
    • Lux.
    • Decca Music Group Ltd..
    • 3.

  • Alessandro Piccinini

    Intavolatura di liuto et di chitarrone, 1623: Romanesca folia con variate

    Performer: Elizabeth Kenny.
    • Ars longa: Old and new music for theorbo.
    • Linn Records.
    • 3.

  • Joseph Haydn

    Symphony No. 56 in C Major, Hob. I:56: I. Allegro di molto

    Orchestra: Kammerorchester Basel. Conductor: Giovanni Antonini.
    • Haydn 2032, Vol. 18: Il maestro di scuola.
    • Alpha Classics.
    • 1.

  • Jean Sibelius

    The Tempest: Prelude, Op.109, No.1 

    Orchestra: Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Neeme Järvi.
    • BIS.

  • Jónsi

    Fljótavík (Arr. Lawson for Ensemble)

    Composer: Georg Hólm. Composer: Kjartan Sveinsson. Composer: Orri Páll Dýrason. Lyricist: Jónsi. Lyricist: Georg Hólm. Lyricist: Kjartan Sveinsson. Lyricist: Orri Páll Dýrason. Music Arranger: Geoff Lawson. Ensemble: VOCES8.
    • Fljótavík (Arr. Lawson for Ensemble).
    • Decca Music Group Ltd..
    • 1.

  • Björn Ulvaeus & Benny Andersson

    SOS

    Music Arranger: Bo Wiget. Ensemble: Lautten Compagney. Conductor: Wolfgang Katschner.
    • Dancing Queen - Rameau meets ABBA.
    • Deutsche Harmonia Mundi.
    • 18.

  • Manuel de Falla

    El sombrero de tres picos: Danza del molinero

    Performer: Sean Shibe.
    • Camino: Spanish and French repertoire for guitar.
    • PENTATONE.
    • 1.

  • George Frideric Handel

    Organ Concerto No. 2 in B-Flat Major, Op. 4 No. 2, HWV 290: II. Allegro

    Performer: Marie‐Claire Alain. Orchestra: Orchestre de Chambre Jean-François Paillard. Conductor: Jean‐François Paillard.
    • Handel: Organ Concertos.
    • Warner Classics.
    • 2.

  • Robert Schumann

    Piano Sonata No. 1 in F-Sharp Minor, Op. 11: III. Scherzo

    Performer: Radu Lupu.
    • The Unreleased Recordings (Decca Masters and Radio Tapes 1970-2002).
    • Universal Music Operations Limited.
    • 6.

  • Dora Pejačević

    Piano Trio in C Major (2nd mvt)

    Ensemble: Neave Trio.
    • In Her Hands.
    • Chandos.
    • 106.

  • Giovanni Battista Pergolesi

    Stabat Mater dolorosa

    Lyricist: Jacopone da Todi. Singer: Giulia Semenzato. Singer: Lucile Richardot. Orchestra: Ensemble Resonanz. Conductor: Riccardo Minasi.
    • Pergolesi: Stabat Mater - Rossell: Salve Regina.
    • harmonia mundi.
    • 101.

  • Gabriela Montero

    Beyond Bach

    Music Arranger: Ksenija Sidorova. Music Arranger: George Morton. Performer: Ksenija Sidorova.
    • Crossroads.
    • Alpha Classics.
    • 6.

  • Pyotr Tchaikovsky

    1812 Overture, Op. 49

    Choir: Chorus of the Academy of Santa Cecilia. Orchestra: Orchestra of the Academy of Santa Cecilia. Conductor: Sir Antonio Pappano.
    • EMI.

  • Léon Boëllmann

    6 Motets: No. 1, Ave Maria

    Performer: Manon Galy. Performer: Yann Dubost. Performer: Anaïs Gaudemard. Performer: Lucile Dollat. Lyricist: Anonymous. Singer: Cyrille Dubois.
    • Motets romantiques.
    • Alpha Classics.
    • 10.

  • Johannes Brahms

    21 Hungarian Dances (nos 4 and 5)

    Performer: Katia Labèque. Performer: Marielle Labèque.
    • PHILIPS.

  • Conradin Kreutzer

    Grand Septet in E-Flat Major, Op. 62: VI. Finale. Allegro vivace

    Performer: Sebastian Manz. Performer: Theo Plath. Performer: Felix Klieser. Performer: Franziska Hölscher. Performer: Haesue Lee. Performer: Andrei Ioniţă. Performer: Dominik Wagner.
    • Beethoven - C. Kreutzer: Septets.
    • CAvi-music.
    • 12.

  • Florence Price

    Piano Concerto: Adagio cantabile

    Performer: Jeneba Kanneh‐Mason. Orchestra: Chineke! Orchestra. Conductor: Leslie Suganandarajah.
    • Decca.

  • Erich Wolfgang Korngold

    Marietta's Song (Die Tote Stadt)

    Performer: Yo‐Yo Ma. Performer: Kathryn Stott.
    • Songs of Comfort and Hope.
    • Sony Classical.
    • 15.

  • Gustav Holst

    St Paul's Suite, Op 29 no 2

    Orchestra: Orchestral Ensemble Seoul. Conductor: Yong-Yun Kim.
    • Chandos.

Broadcast

  • Wed 25 Feb 202609:30
    BBC Radio 3