Main content

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.

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 days left to listen

3 hours, 30 minutes

Last on

Mon 9 Feb 202609:30
BBC Radio 3

More episodes

Previous

A feast of great music

Next

Great classical music for your morning

See all episodes from Essential Classics

Music Played

  • Giuseppe Verdi

    La forza del destino (Overture)

    Orchestra: West–Eastern Divan Orchestra. Conductor: Daniel Barenboim.
    • Warner Classics.

  • Caroline Shaw

    And the swallow

    Conductor: Paul Hillier. Choir: Ars Nova Copenhagen.
    • ...and....
    • Naxos.
    • 1.

  • Frederick Delius

    Late swallows

    Music Arranger: Eric Fenby. Orchestra: Sinfonia of London. Conductor: John Wilson.
    • Chandos.

  • Joseph Haydn

    String Quartet in D major, Op.64`5 'The Lark' (1st mvt)

    Ensemble: Danish String Quartet.
    • AVI MUSIC.

  • Maurice Ravel

    Five O'Clock Foxtrot (L'enfant et les sortilèges)

    Orchestrator: Christopher Palmer. Orchestra: Philharmonia Orchestra. Conductor: Geoffrey Simon.
    • Ravel: Orchestral Works - volume 2: Philharmonia, Geoffrey Simon.
    • Cala.

  • Edvard Grieg

    Symphonic Dance No 2

    Orchestra: Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra. Conductor: Edward Gardner.
    • Grieg: Symphonic Dances.
    • Chandos.
    • 2.

  • Johann Sebastian Bach

    Violin Concerto in E major BWV1042 (1st mvt)

    Performer: Fredrik From. Orchestra: Concerto Copenhagen. Director: Lars Ulrik Mortensen.
    • CPO.

  • Frédéric Chopin

    2 Nocturnes Op.27 (no.2 in D flat major)

    Performer: Nelson Freire.
    • Nelson Freire: Chopin, Villa-Lobos.
    • Warner Classics.

  • Franz Schubert

    Winterreise (nos 2-5)

    Music Arranger: Hans Zender. Singer: Allan Clayton. Orchestra: Aurora Orchestra. Conductor: Nicholas Collon.
    • Schubert's Winterreise: A Composed Interpretation.
    • Signum Classics.
    • 105.

  • Igor Stravinsky

    Scherzo fantastique, Op 3

    Orchestra: Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra. Conductor: Riccardo Chailly.
    • Rimsky: Royal Concertgebouw, Chailly.
    • Decca.
    • 5.

  • Rebecca Clarke

    Viola Sonata (1st mvt)

    Performer: Pamela Frame. Performer: Barry Snyder.
    • Koch.

  • Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

    Symphony no.36 in C major K.425 'Linz' (4th mvt)

    Orchestra: English Chamber Orchestra. Conductor: Jeffrey Tate.
    • Mozart The Collectors Edition 50 CDs The Masterpieces The Greatest Artists.
    • EMI Classics.

  • Antonín Dvořák

    String Quartet No 13 in G major, Op 106 (3rd mvt)

    Ensemble: Pavel Haas Quartet.
    • Dvorak String Quartets - Pavel Haas Quartet.
    • Supraphon.
    • 3.

  • 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.

  • Bohuslav Martinů

    La Revue de cuisine: Prologue

    • Martinu: Sinfonietta 'La Jolla'/La revue de cuisine, etc..
    • Decca.
    • 4.

  • John Adams

    The Chairman Dances

    Orchestra: San Francisco Symphony. Conductor: Edo de Waart.
    • John Adams: The Chairman Dances: San Francisco SO, Edo de Waart.
    • Elektra Nonesuch.
    • 1.

  • Antonio Vivaldi

    Mandolin Concerto in C major, RV 425

    Performer: Giovanni Scaramuzzino. Orchestra: Europa Galante. Director: Fabio Biondi.
    • Vivaldi: Concerti per mandolini: Europa Galante/Biondi.
    • Virgin Veritas.
    • 16-18.

  • Wilhelm Stenhammar

    Semtimental Romance in F minor, Op.28 no.2

    Performer: Johan Dalene. Performer: Nicola Eimer.

  • Claude Debussy

    Tarantelle styrienne

    Orchestrator: Maurice Ravel. Orchestra: Ulster Orchestra. Conductor: Yan Pascal Tortelier.
    • Debussy and Ravel: Orchestral Works.
    • Chandos.
    • 7.

  • Hildegard von Bingen

    O nobilissima viriditas

    Ensemble: Ensemble for Medieval Music.
    • deutsche harmonia mundi.

  • Sergey Rachmaninov

    Rhapsody on a theme of Paganini

    Performer: Sir Stephen Hough. Orchestra: Dallas Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Andrew Litton.
    • Rachmaninov: The Piano Concertos: Hough/Dallas Symphony Orchestra/Litton.
    • Hyperion.

  • Bastian Chilese

    Canzon in echo à 8

    Ensemble: Hespèrion XXI. Director: Jordi Savall.
    • Battaglie and Lamenti: 1600-1660 Monteverdi, Peri, Fontei, Strozzi.
    • Alia Vox.
    • 5.

  • Edward Elgar

    Salut d'amour

    Orchestra: Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra. Conductor: John Wilson.
    • AVIE.

  • Dora Pejačević

    Symphony in F sharp minor, Op 41 (4th mvt, Allegro appassionato)

    Orchestra: German State Philharmonic of Rhineland-Pfalz. Conductor: Ari Rasilainen.
    • Dora Pejacevic Symphony.
    • CPO.
    • 004.

  • Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach

    Harp sonata in G Major, Wq.139 (2nd mvt)

    Performer: Anaïs Gaudemard.
    • Anaïs Gaudemard: Solo - harmonia nova #6.
    • harmonia mundi.
    • 4.

  • Johann Strauss II

    Wiener Blut - waltz Op.354

    Orchestra: Wiener Johann Strauss Orchester. Conductor: Jack Rothstein.
    • By The Beautiful Blue Danube: The Johann Strauss Orchestra.
    • Chandos.

Broadcast

  • Mon 9 Feb 202609:30
    BBC Radio 3