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Your perfect classical playlist

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.

1140 Friday Groove: Ian plays a record from the BBC's vinyl archives.

1200 Feast of a Piece: indulge your ears with a masterpiece.

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27 days left to listen

3 hours, 30 minutes

Last on

Friday09:30
BBC Radio 3

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Music Played

  • Charles Gounod

    Waltz (Faust, Act 2)

    Music Arranger: Leopold Weninger. Orchestra: Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Neeme Järvi.
    • Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra - Great Recordings.
    • UME - Global Clearing House.
    • 31.

  • Alessandro Scarlatti

    Recit - Aria. Già di fiori per cingemi altera (The Triumph of Grace)

    Singer: Lise Viricel. Singer: Paulin Bündgen. Ensemble: Ensemble Céladon.
    • Il Trionfo della gratia.
    • Ricercar.

  • Takashi Yoshimatsu

    Symphony no.4 Op.82 (4th mvt)

    Orchestra: BBC Philharmonic Orchestra. Conductor: Sachio Fujioka.
    • Yoshimatsu: Symphony No. 4, Trombone Concerto & Atom Hearts Club Suite.
    • Chandos.
    • 104.

  • Franz Liszt

    Concert Study no.3 in D flat major 'Un sospiro'

    Performer: Lang Lang.
    • Sony Classical: 88697891402.
    • Sony Classical.
    • 7.

  • Tomaso Giovanni Albinoni

    Adagio in G minor

    Music Arranger: Remo Giazotto. Orchestra: Richard Hickox Orchestra. Performer: Alastair Ross. Performer: Simon Standage. Conductor: Richard Hickox.
    • Weekend Classics: Baroque Weekend: Pachelbel/Albinoni/Handel/Vivaldi.
    • Decca.
    • 2.

  • Eric Coates

    Covent Garden (London every day suite)

    Orchestra: BBC Concert Orchestra. Conductor: Vernon Handley.
    • The Best Of British Light Music.
    • Sony Classical.
    • 5.

  • Walter Lambe

    Nesciens Mater

    Ensemble: Cardinall's Musick. Director: Andrew Carwood.
    • Gaudeamus.

  • Anton Bruckner

    Symphony No 2 In C Minor (3rd mvt, Scherzo)

    Orchestra: Montreal Metropolitan Orchestra. Conductor: Yannick Nézet‐Séguin.
    • Atma Classique : ACD2 2708.
    • Atma Classique.
    • 3.

  • John Williams

    Main Title/Rebel Blockade Runner

    Orchestra: London Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: John Williams.
    • Arista.

  • Wally Karveno

    The moon-white dress

    Performer: David Kadouch. Singer: Sandrine Piau.
    • Contes.
    • Alpha.

  • Samuel Coleridge‐Taylor

    Othello Suite

    Performer: Chineke! Orchestra. Conductor: Fawzi Haimor.
    • Decca.

  • Joseph Haydn

    Quartet in B-Flat Op 76, No 4 'Sunrise' (3rd mvt Menuetto)

    Ensemble: Kleio Quartet.

  • Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

    Piano Concerto No 20 in D Minor, K466 (2nd mvt: Romance)

    Performer: Kristian Bezuidenhout. Orchestra: Freiburg Baroque Orchestra.
    • Mozart: Piano Concertos K. 175, 449 & 466.
    • harmonia mundi.
    • 102.

  • Edvard Grieg

    Violin Sonata no.3 in C minor Op.45 (3rd mvt)

    Performer: Elena Urioste. Performer: Tom Poster.
    • To the Spring.
    • Orchid Classics.
    • 503.

  • Lionel Bart

    Who Will Buy? (Oliver!)

    Ensemble: The "Oliver! 1994" Company. Conductor: Gregory Bradley.
    • Oliver! (1994 London Palladium Cast Recording).
    • First Night Records.
    • 21.

  • Albert Ketèlbey

    In a Monastery Garden

    Orchestra: The New London Orchestra. Conductor: Ronald Corp.
    • Hyperion.

  • Orlando Gibbons

    The Cryes of London, Part Two

    Choir: Red Byrd. Ensemble: Fretwork.
    • VIRGIN.

  • Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov

    Dance of the tumblers (Snow maiden - suite)

    Music Arranger: WIlfred Heaton. Ensemble: Black Dyke Band. Conductor: Major Peter Parkes.
    • CHANDOS.

  • Mel Bonis

    Piano Quartet No 1 (2nd mvt)

    Ensemble: Quatuor Giardini.
    • Fauré & Bonis: Piano Quartets.
    • Evidence (LTR).
    • 6.

  • Gustav Holst

    Uranus, the Magician (The Planets)

    Orchestra: London Philharmonic Orchestra. Conductor: Vladimir Jurowski.
    • London Philharmonic Orchestra - Holst The Planets - Vladimir Jurowski Conductor.
    • LPO.
    • 6.

  • Georges Bizet

    The Pearl Fishers' Duet

    Performer: Bavarian State Orchestra. Singer: Jonas Kaufmann. Singer: Ludovic Tézier. Conductor: Bertrand de Billy.
    • L'Opéra.
    • Sony Classical.
    • 5.

  • Sergey Rachmaninov

    The Isle of the Dead, Op. 29

    Conductor: John Wilson. Orchestra: Sinfonia of London.
    • Rachmaninoff: Symphony No. 3, Vocalise & The Isle of the Dead.
    • Chandos Records Limited.
    • 01.

  • Charles‐Marie Widor

    Toccata (Organ Symphony No.5 in F minor, Op.42`1)

    Performer: Olivier Latry.
    • BNL.

  • Manuel de Falla

    Fantasia baetica

    Orchestra: Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra. Conductor: Domingo Hindoyan.
    • Onyx.

  • Clara Schumann

    Romance No 1, Op 22

    Performer: Julian Bliss. Performer: James Baillieu. Music Arranger: Julian Bliss.
    • Clara & Robert Schumann: Music for Clarinet and Piano.
    • Signum Records.
    • 10.

  • Thomas Tomkins

    When David heard

    Choir: The Sixteen. Conductor: Harry Christophers.
    • Renaissance - Music for Inner Peace.
    • Decca (UMO).
    • 10.

  • Ennio Morricone

    Gabriel's oboe (The Mission - film score)

    Performer: Renaud Capuçon. Orchestra: Brussels Philharmonic. Conductor: Stéphane Denève.
    • Relaxing Classics.
    • Warner Classics.
    • 26.

Broadcast

  • Friday09:30
    BBC Radio 3