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Relax into the day with classical

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 [email protected].

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

Thu 27 Nov 202509:30
BBC Radio 3

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Music Played

  • Maurice Ravel

    Menuet antique for piano

    Orchestra: Stuttgart Radio Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Stéphane Denève.
    • HAENSSLER CLASSIC.

  • Jean‐Philippe Rameau

    Dardanus: Act V; Chaconne

    Ensemble: Les Musiciens du Louvre. Conductor: Marc Minkowski.
    • ARCHIV.

  • Marianna Martines

    Overture [Symphony] in C major

    • DEUTSCHE HARMONIA MUNDI.

  • Edward Elgar

    La Capricieuse Op.17 for violin and piano

    Performer: Leonidas Kavakos. Performer: Enrico Pace.
    • DECCA.

  • Michael Nyman

    The Draughtsman's contract - music for the film

    Ensemble: Michael Nyman Band. Conductor: Michael Nyman.
    • ARGO.

  • Lorenzo Allegri

    Canario

    Ensemble: L’Arpeggiata. Director: Christina Pluhar.
    • VIRGIN CLASSICS.

  • Nicolay Andreyevich Rimsky-Korsakov

    Sheherazade - symphonic suite Op.35

    Orchestra: Berliner Philharmoniker. Conductor: Lorin Maazel.
    • DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHON.

  • Felix Mendelssohn

    Symphony no. 3 in A minor Op.56 (Scottish)

    Orchestra: London Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Sir John Eliot Gardiner.
    • LSO LIVE.

  • Peter Maxwell Davies

    Farewell to Stromness, arr. Arr. Campbell for Violin, Guitar, Accordion & Cello

    Music Arranger: Paul Campbell. Performer: Nicola Benedetti. Performer: Plínio Fernandes. Performer: Samuele Telari. Performer: Thomas Carroll.
    • DECCA.

  • Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

    Divertimento in F major K.247: 1st mvt; Allegro

    Ensemble: The Gaudier Ensemble.
    • HYPERION.

  • Hildegard von Bingen

    Kyrie

    Ensemble: Tiburtina Ensemble. Director: Barbora Kabátková.
    • RICECAR.

  • Claude Debussy

    Premiere rhapsodie for clarinet and piano

    Performer: Annelien Van Wauwe. Orchestra: Orchestre national de Lille. Conductor: Alexandre Bloch.
    • PENTATONE.

  • Dmitry Shostakovich

    Festive overture Op.96

    Orchestra: Dallas Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Andrew Litton.
    • DELOS.

  • Antonín Dvořák

    Concerto in A minor Op.53 for violin and orchestra - 3rd mvt; Finale

    Performer: Tasmin Little. Orchestra: Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra. Conductor: Vernon Handley.
    • EMI.

  • George Frideric Handel

    Acis and Galatea, HWV 49a; Act 1 No 2, chorus; ‘Oh the pleasure of the plains’

    Ensemble: Les Arts Florissants. Conductor: William Christie.
    • ERATO.

  • Caroline Shaw

    Plan & elevation: Plan & Elevation arr. for string quartet: 4th mvt; The Orangery

    Ensemble: Attacca Quartet.
    • NONESUCH.

  • Percy Grainger

    Blithe bells - a free ramble on Bach's aria 'Sheep may graze

    Orchestra: Adelaide Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: John Hopkins.
    • ABC CLASSICS.

  • Kristina Arakelyan

    Dreamland for alto, chorus and piano

    Performer: Ellie Blewitt. Choir: Choir of King’s College, London. Performer: Kristina Arakelyan. Conductor: Joseph Fort.
    • SIGNUM.

  • Jean Sibelius

    Lemminkainen suite Op.22: no.4; Lemminkainen's return

    Orchestra: Los Angeles Philharmonic. Conductor: Esa‐Pekka Salonen.
    • SONY.

  • Ludwig van Beethoven

    Concerto no. 3 in C minor Op.37 for piano and orchestra

    Performer: Paul Lewis. Orchestra: BBC Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Jiří Bělohlávek.
    • HARMONIA MUNDI.

  • Heinrich Ignaz Franz von Biber

    Sonata - 1683 no. 4 in G minor for 2 vn, 2 va & bc [Fidicinium sacro-profanum]

    Ensemble: The Purcell Quartet.
    • CHANDOS.

  • Ottorino Respighi

    Trittico Botticelliano for small orchestra [complete]

    Orchestra: Orpheus Chamber Orchestra.
    • DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHON.

  • Sir Stephen Hough

    Nocturne (September 10, 2001) for piano

    Performer: Elisabeth Brauss.
    • BBC RECORDING.

  • Johann Sebastian Bach

    Brandenburg concerto no. 3 (BWV.1048) in G major; 1st mvt

    Orchestra: The English Concert. Director: Trevor Pinnock.
    • ARCHIV.

  • Ethel Smyth

    Serenade (Symphonic serenade) in D major; Finale

    Orchestra: Lausanne Chamber Orchestra. Conductor: Joshua Weilerstein.
    • CLAVES.

  • Frédéric Chopin

    3 Waltzes for piano (Op.64), no.1 in D flat major; "Minute"

    Performer: Vladimir Ashkenazy.
    • LONDON.

  • Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky

    The Sleeping beauty - ballet Op.66: Act 1, no.8a; Rose adagio

    Orchestra: Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden. Conductor: Mark Ermler.
    • SONY CLASSICAL.

Broadcast

  • Thu 27 Nov 202509:30
    BBC Radio 3