A feast of great music
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'.
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Music Played
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Ludwig van Beethoven
Symphony No 3, 'Eroica' (3rd mvt)
Orchestra: Chamber Orchestra of Europe. Conductor: Nikolaus Harnoncourt.- Beethoven: Symphonies 1-9: Harnoncourt, Chamber Orchestra of Europe.
- Teldec.
- 7.
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Barbara Strozzi
Silenzio nocivo
Ensemble: Orlando di Lasso Ensemble.- Thorofon.
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Franz Liszt
Hungarian Rhapsody No 6 in D major (Carnival in Pest)
Orchestra: Budapest Festival Orchestra. Conductor: Iván Fischer.- The Liszt Collection.
- Deutsche Grammophon (DG).
- 6.
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Johann Sebastian Bach
Brandenburg concerto no.2 in F major BWV.1047
Orchestra: Academy for Ancient Music Berlin.- J.S. Bach: Orchestral Music: Akademie fur Alte Musik Berlin.
- Harmonia Mundi.
- 4.
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Luciano Berio
Ritirata notturna di Madrid [after Boccherini]
Composer: Luigi Boccherini. Orchestra: Orchestra Sinfonica di Milano Giuseppe Verdi. Conductor: Riccardo Chailly.- Berio: Orchestral transcriptions: Orchestra Sinfonica di Milano Guiseppe Verdi.
- Decca.
- 3.
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Anna Clyne
Seascape (Abstractions)
Orchestra: Baltimore Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Marin Alsop.- Anna Clyne: Abstractions.
- Naxos.
- 104.
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Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Sonata in F major for piano duet, K 497 (3rd mvt)
Performer: Christoph Eschenbach. Performer: Justus Frantz.- Mozart: Music for Piano Duet: Justus Frantz, Christoph Eschenbach.
- Deutsche Grammophon.
- 3.
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Jean Sibelius
At the Castle Gate; Entr'acte (Pelléas et Mélisande)
Orchestra: Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Neeme Järvi.- BIS.
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Arcangelo Corelli
Violin Sonata in F major, Op.5 no.4
Performer: Rachel Barton Pine. Performer: David Schrader. Performer: John Mark Rozendaal. Performer: Brandon Acker.- CEDILLE RECORDS.
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Igor Stravinsky
Symphony No 1 in E flat, Op 1; 4th mvt - finale
Orchestra: St. Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra. Conductor: Vladimir Ashkenazy.- Stravinsky: The Complete Ballets & Symphonies.
- Decca Music Group Ltd..
- 5.
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Antonín Dvořák
Czech Suite Op.39 (Polka)
Orchestra: Scottish Chamber Orchestra. Conductor: Joseph Swensen.- Dvorak: Violin concerto etc: Scottish Chamber Orchestra/Swensen.
- Linn.
- 5.
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Frédéric Chopin
Grande Valse Brillante in E flat major Op.18
Performer: Ingrid Fliter.- Chopin: Complete Waltzes.
- EMI Classics.
- 1.
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Nancy Dalberg
Scherzo for string orchestra, Op 6
Orchestra: Danish National Chamber Orchestra. Conductor: Frans Rasmussen.- DA CAPO.
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Anthony Holborne
The Night Watch (Alamaine)
Ensemble: Concerto Scirocco. Director: Giulia Genini.- Arcana.
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Enrique Granados
Epilogo (Goyescas)
Performer: Garrick Ohlsson.- Granados: Goyescas: Ohlsson.
- Hyperion.
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Edward Elgar
Nursery Suite - The Wagon Passes
Orchestra: Ulster Orchestra. Conductor: Bryden Thomson.- Chandos.
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Maurice Ravel
Menuet antique
Orchestra: London Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Claudio Abbado.- Ravel: Complete Orchestral Works.
- Deutsche Grammophon.
- 7.
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Jean‐Philippe Rameau
Concert en sextuor No 4 in B flat major
Orchestra: Les Talens Lyriques. Director: Christophe Rousset.- Rameau: Six Concerts en Sextuor: Les Talens Lyriques/Rousset.
- Decca.
- 11-13.
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Ketil Bjørnstad
Serene
Performer: Svante Henryson. Performer: Ketil Bjørnstad.- Ketil Bjørnstad & Svante Henryson: Night Song.
- ECM.
- 10.
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Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Eugene Onegin (Waltz)
Choir: Chorus of the National Academy of Santa Cecilia. Orchestra: Orchestra of the Academy of Santa Cecilia, Rome. Conductor: Sir Antonio Pappano.- EMI.
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Kodály Zoltán
Concerto for Orchestra
Orchestra: Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra. Conductor: JoAnn Falletta.- Kodály: Orchestral Works.
- Naxos.
- 201.
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Clara Schumann
Abendfeier in Venedig (3 Part-songs)
Ensemble: Studio Vocale Karlsruhe. Conductor: Werner Pfaff.- Schumann - Die Chorwerke Vol. 2.
- EBS.
- 1.
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Johann Pachelbel
Canon and Gigue in D major
Ensemble: Academy of Ancient Music. Director: Christopher Hogwood.- Pachelbel: Canon - Academy of Ancient Music/Hogwood.
- DECCA.
- 1.
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Erich Wolfgang Korngold
Schauspiel Overture Op.4
Orchestra: BBC Philharmonic Orchestra. Conductor: Matthias Bamert.- CHANDOS.
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Muzio Clementi
Keyboard Sonata in D major, Op 10 No 2
Performer: Howard Shelley.- Hyperion.
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Emmanuel Chabrier
Habanera
Orchestra: Orchestre Lamoureux. Conductor: Yutaka Sado.- WARNER ELATUS.
Broadcast
- Wednesday09:30BBC Radio 3

