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Your perfect classical playlist

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 a masterpiece.

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29 days left to listen

3 hours, 30 minutes

Last on

Yesterday09:30
BBC Radio 3

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Music Played

  • Franz Schubert

    Symphony No 5 in B flat major, D 485 (1st mvt)

    Orchestra: Freiburg Baroque Orchestra. Conductor: Pablo Heras‐Casado.
    • Harmonia Mundi.

  • Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina

    Sicut Cervus

    Choir: The Bevan Family Consort. Director: Graham Ross.
    • Vidi Speciosam: Sacred Choral Music.
    • Signum Classics.
    • 102.

  • William Lloyd Webber

    Serenade for Strings

    Orchestra: City of London Sinfonia. Conductor: Richard Hickox.
    • Lloyd Webber: Invocation.
    • Chandos.
    • 1.

  • Pyotr Tchaikovsky

    The Nutcracker Suite, Op 71a (Waltz of the Flowers)

    Orchestra: Philharmonia Orchestra. Conductor: Michael Tilson Thomas.
    • Tchaikovsky: Nutcracker Suite: Philharmonia/Tilson Thomas.
    • CBS.
    • 8.

  • Erik Satie

    Descriptions automatiques: Sur un casque

    Performer: Noriko Ogawa.
    • Satie: Piano Music, Vol. 1.
    • BIS.
    • 903.

  • Zoltán Kodály

    Dances of Galanta

    Orchestra: Budapest Festival Orchestra. Conductor: Iván Fischer.
    • Kodaly: Psalmus hungaricus, Marosszék Dances, Galánta Dances: Fischer.
    • Hungaroton.
    • 3.

  • John Dowland

    Lady Hunsdon's Puffe

    Performer: Jakob Lindberg.
    • Dowland - Selected Lute Music.
    • BIS.
    • 9.

  • Camille Saint‐Saëns

    Bacchanale (Samson et Dalila)

    Orchestra: Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra. Conductor: James DePreist.
    • Saint-Saens: Organ Symphony etc: Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra/DePreist.
    • BIS.
    • 5.

  • Edvard Grieg

    Lyric Pieces, Book VII, Op. 62: No. 2, Takk

    Performer: Peter Donohoe.
    • Grieg: Lyric Pieces, Vol. 2.
    • Chandos.
    • 223.

  • Dobrinka Tabakova

    Suite in Old Style, for solo viola, harpsichord and strings: no.2 The rose garden by moonlight

    Performer: Maxim Rysanov. Performer: Vaiva Eidukaitytė-Storastienė. Orchestra: Lietuvos kamerinis orkestras. Conductor: Maxim Rysanov.
    • ECM.

  • George Frideric Handel

    Trio Sonata in G minor HWV.393 'Dresden no.2'

    Ensemble: Ensemble Zefiro.
    • Deutsche Harmonia Mundi.

  • Max Bruch

    Violin Concerto no.1 in G major, Op.26 (3rd mvt)

    Performer: Alexandra Soumm. Orchestra: Rheinland-Pfalz State Philharmonic. Conductor: Georg Mark.
    • Claves.

  • Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov

    Quintet in B flat major (3rd mvt)

    Ensemble: Nash Ensemble.
    • CRD.

  • Julius Fucik

    Entry of the Gladiators

    Orchestra: Royal Scottish National Orchestra. Conductor: Neeme Järvi.
    • Chandos.

  • Joby Talbot

    The Mad Hatter's Tea Party (Alice's Adventures in Wonderland - suite)

    Orchestra: Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. Conductor: Christopher Austin.
    • Signum.

  • Darius Milhaud

    Le boeuf sur le toit

    Performer: Jack Gibbons. Orchestra: The New London Orchestra. Conductor: Ronald Corp.
    • Carnaval D'Aix - Carnaval De Londres etc New London Orchestra/Ronald Corp.
    • Hyperion.
    • 45.

  • Ralph Vaughan Williams

    March Past of the Kitchen Utensils (The Wasps)

    Orchestra: Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra. Conductor: James Judd.
    • Vaughan Williams: Piano Concerto.
    • Naxos.
    • 3.

  • Arthur Sullivan

    The Pirates of Penzance (Overture)

    Orchestra: Academy of St Martin in the Fields. Conductor: Neville Marriner.
    • Sullivan: Overtures.
    • Decca Music Group Ltd..
    • 6.

  • Johann Heinrich Schmelzer

    Balletto à 4, Die Fechtschule

    Ensemble: Oslo Circles.
    • Bizzarrie!.
    • Lawo Classics.
    • 30.

  • Elfrida Andrée

    Fritiof's Sea Journey (Fritiof Suite)

    Orchestra: Stockholm Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Gustaf Sjökvist.
    • Sterling.

  • Aaron Copland

    Hoe-down (Rodeo)

    Orchestra: Philharmonia Orchestra. Conductor: Marin Alsop.

  • Jean Sibelius

    Pelléas and Melisande (incidental music)

    Orchestra: Tapiola Sinfonietta. Conductor: Tuomas Hannikainen.
    • Sibelius, J.: Pelleas and Melisande / Cassazione / Presto / Suite Mignonne / Sui.
    • Ondine.
    • 1-9.

  • Edward Elgar

    Pomp and Circumstance March No 1 in D major, Op 39

    Orchestra: BBC Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Andrew Davis.
    • Elgar: Symphony no.1, Pomp and circumstance Marches: BBCSO, Davis.
    • Teldec.
    • 5.

  • Andrea Tarrodi

    String quartet no.2 "Madárdal" (1st mvt)

    Ensemble: The Dahlkvist Quartet.
    • Andrea Tarrodi: String Quartets.
    • db Productions.
    • 3.

  • Johann Sebastian Bach

    Overture in the French style, BWV 831 (Gigue)

    Performer: Sir András Schiff. Orchestra: Chamber Orchestra of Europe. Director: Sir András Schiff.
    • Piano Masterworks The World's Favourite Piano Classics.
    • Decca.
    • 15.

  • Ludwig van Beethoven

    Symphony no. 9 (Op.125) in D minor "Choral"; Mvt 2 Scherzo

    Orchestra: Philharmonia Orchestra. Conductor: Benjamin Zander.
    • Brattle Media.

Broadcast

  • Yesterday09:30
    BBC Radio 3