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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.

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8 days left to listen

3 hours, 30 minutes

Last on

Tue 10 Mar 202609:30
BBC Radio 3

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Music Played

  • Ludwig van Beethoven

    Symphony No 2 in D major, Op 36 (4th mvt)

    Conductor: London Classical Players. Conductor: Sir Roger Norrington.
    • Beethoven: Symphonies & Concertos..
    • Warner Classics.
    • 204.

  • Mikhail Ivanovich Glinka

    Valse-Fantaisie

    Orchestra: Detroit Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Neeme Järvi.
    • Favourite Encores!.
    • Chandos.
    • 4.

  • Giovanni Gabrieli

    Canzon duodecimi toni à 8 (Sacrae symphoniae, 1597)

    Ensemble: Oltremontano. Director: Wim Becu.
    • Accent.

  • Camille Saint‐Saëns

    Wedding Cake Op.76

    Performer: Romain Descharmes. Orchestra: Malmö SymfoniOrkester. Conductor: Marc Soustrot.
    • Saint-Saëns: Piano Concertos, Vol. 2.
    • Naxos.
    • 6.

  • Elena Kats‐Chernin

    Blue Rose

    Ensemble: Acacia Quartet.
    • Blue Silence.
    • Vexation840.
    • 19.

  • Antonín Dvořák

    My Homeland Op.62

    Orchestra: Czech Philharmonic. Conductor: Libor Pešek.
    • Dvorak: American Suite, Czech Suite; Overtures and Tone Poems.
    • Warner Classics.
    • 204.

  • Jean Françaix

    Octet (4th mvt)

    Ensemble: The Gaudier Ensemble.
    • Francaix - A Huit; Divertissement; Clarinet Quintet.
    • Hyperion.
    • 4.

  • Henry Purcell

    Chacony in G minor

    Music Arranger: Benjamin Britten. Orchestra: Chamber Orchestra of Europe. Conductor: William Conway.
    • WARNER CLASSICS.

  • Clara Schumann

    Romance, Op.22'2: Allegretto: Mit zartem Vortrage

    Performer: Midori. Performer: Özgür Aydin.
    • Schumann: Violin Concerto & Works for Violin and Piano by Clara and Robert Schum.
    • Pentatone.
    • 113.

  • George Enescu

    Romanian Rhapsody No 2

    Orchestra: London Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Antal Doráti.
    • MERCURY.

  • Antonio Vivaldi

    Concerto for 2 oboes, 2 recorders & 2 violins in C major, RV.557

    Ensemble: La Serenissima. Director: Adrian Chandler.
    • Vivaldi X22.
    • Signum.
    • 1-3.

  • Morten Lauridsen

    O Magnum Mysterium

    Choir: The Sixteen. Conductor: Harry Christophers.
    • Song of the Nativity.
    • CORO.
    • 1.

  • Charlotte Sohy

    Symphony in C sharp minor 'Grand Guerre' (2nd mvt)

    Orchestra: Orchestre national de France. Conductor: Debora Waldman.
    • Compositrices: New Light on French Romantic Women Composers.
    • Bru Zane.
    • 33.

  • Dumisani Maraire

    Mai Nozipo [Mother Nozipo]

    Ensemble: Kronos Quartet.
    • Released 1985-1995 / Unreleased.
    • Nonesuch.
    • 1.

  • Edward MacDowell

    To a Wild Rose (10 Woodland sketches)

    Performer: James Barbagallo.
    • MARCO POLO.

  • Paul Desmond

    Take Five

    Ensemble: The Dave Brubeck Quartet.
    • Hits of the World 1960-61.
    • Polygram.
    • 16.

  • Claude Debussy

    La cathédrale engloutie

    Orchestrator: Henry Wood. Orchestra: London Philharmonic Orchestra. Conductor: Nicholas Braithwaite.
    • Orchestrations by Sir Henry Wood: London Philharmonic Orchestra/Braithwaite.
    • Lyrita.
    • 6.

  • Franz Schubert

    Du Bist Die Ruh D.776

    Performer: Joseph Middleton. Singer: Carolyn Sampson.

  • Henryk Wieniawski

    Polonaise No. 1 in D, Op. 4

    Performer: Leila Josefowicz. Orchestra: Academy of St Martin in the Fields. Conductor: Neville Marriner.
    • Bohemian Rhapsodies.
    • Decca Music Group Ltd..
    • 4.

  • Francisco Garro

    Missa O quam pulchra es - Kyrie

    Choir: Cupertinos. Conductor: Luís Toscano.
    • Garro: Missa O quam pulchra es & Cantate Domino.
    • Hyperion.

  • Frédéric Chopin

    Prelude in D flat major, Op 28 No 15, 'Raindrop'

    Performer: Alban Gerhardt. Performer: Cécile Licad. Music Arranger: Pau Casals.
    • Encores as performed by Pablo Casals: Gerhardt/Licad.
    • Hyperion.
    • 17.

  • Joseph Haydn

    Symphony No 45 in F sharp minor, 'Farewell' (4th movement)

    Orchestra: Anima Eterna. Conductor: Jos van Immerseel.
    • Zig Zag Territories.

  • Sergei Rachmaninov

    Vocalise Op.34 no.14

    Orchestra: Budapest Festival Orchestra. Conductor: Iván Fischer.
    • Rachmaninov: Symphony No. 2 in E minor, Op. 27, etc.: BFO, Fischer.
    • Channel Classics.
    • 5.

  • Cécile Chaminade

    Trio No.1 in G minor (3rd mvt)

    Ensemble: Neave Trio.
    • A Room Of Her Own.
    • Chandos.
    • 5.

  • Johann Sebastian Bach

    Cantata BWV.118 'O Jesu Christ, meins Lebens Licht'

    Choir: Monteverdi Choir. Orchestra: English Baroque Soloists. Conductor: Sir John Eliot Gardiner.
    • J.S. Bach: Cantatas BWV 106; 118/231; 198.
    • Archiv Produktion.
    • 5.

  • Johannes Brahms

    Piano Trio No 3 in C minor, Op 101 (3rd mvt)

    Performer: Nicola Benedetti. Performer: Alexei Grynyuk. Performer: Leonard Elschenbroich.

  • George Gershwin

    Piano Concerto in F major (3rd mvt)

    Performer: Freddy Kempf. Orchestra: Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra. Conductor: Andrew Litton.
    • BIS.

Broadcast

  • Tue 10 Mar 202609:30
    BBC Radio 3