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Relax into the day with classical

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 an orchestral 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

  • Maurice Ravel

    Le tombeau de Couperin (Prelude)

    Orchestra: The Cleveland Orchestra. Conductor: Pierre Boulez.
    • Boulez conducts Debusy and Ravel.
    • Deutsche Grammophon.
    • 3.

  • Giuseppe Antonio Brescianello

    Sinfonia No 2 in G major, Op 1 No 4

    Ensemble: La Serenissima. Conductor: Adrian Chandler.
    • "Behind Closed Doors", Giuseppe Antonio Brescianello, Vol. 1: Opus 1 Concerti &.
    • Signum Classics.
    • 401-402.

  • Mario Castelnuovo‐Tedesco

    Guitar Concerto no.1 in D major Op.99 (1st mvt)

    Performer: Kazuhito Yamashita. Orchestra: London Philharmonic Orchestra. Conductor: Leonard Slatkin.
    • RCA.

  • Louise Farrenc

    Piano Quintet No 2 in E major, Op 31 (3rd mvt)

    Ensemble: The Schubert Ensemble.
    • Louise Farrenc: The Two Piano Quintets.
    • ASV.
    • 7.

  • Henry Litolff

    Concerto Symphonique No.4: Scherzo

    Performer: Dame Moura Lympany. Orchestra: Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. Conductor: Malcolm Sargent.
    • IVORY CLASSICS.

  • Ralph Vaughan Williams

    Distant Glacier (Scott of the Antarctic)

    Orchestra: BBC Philharmonic Orchestra. Conductor: Rumon Gamba.
    • Film Music Vol. 1.
    • CHANDOS.
    • 11.

  • Felix Mendelssohn

    String Symphony No 6 (1st mvt)

    Orchestra: Munich Radio Orchestra. Conductor: Henry Raudales.
    • Felix Mendelssohn: The Complete String Symphonies.
    • BR-Klassik.
    • 601.

  • Airat Ichmouratov

    Viola Concerto No.1 Op.7; 3. Allegro

    Performer: Elvira Misbakhova. Orchestra: London Symphony Orchestra.

  • François Couperin

    La sultane

    Performer: Susanna Pell. Ensemble: The Purcell Quartet.
    • CHANDOS.

  • Fritz Kreisler

    Praeludium and Allegro in the style of Pugnani

    Performer: Midori. Performer: Robert McDonald.
    • SONY.

  • Sergey Rachmaninov

    4 Piano Pieces No. 3, Mélodie

    Performer: Boris Giltburg.

  • Jean Sibelius

    The Oceanides

    Orchestra: City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Sir Simon Rattle.
    • EMI.

  • Henryk Wieniawski

    Polonaise brillante No 1 in D major, Op 4

    Performer: Maxim Vengerov. Performer: Ian Brown.
    • EMI.

  • Johannes Brahms

    Double Concerto (3rd mvt)

    Performer: Christian Tetzlaff. Performer: Tanja Tetzlaff. Orchestra: Berliner Symphoniker. Conductor: Paavo Järvi.
    • Brahms: Double Concerto, Viotti: Violin Concerto No. 22; Dvorák: Silent Woods.
    • Ondine.
    • 103.

  • William Byrd

    Da mihi auxilium

    Choir: Alamire. Director: David Skinner.
    • Tallis & Byrd: Cantiones Sacrae 1575: Alamire, David Skinner.
    • Obsidian.
    • 4.

  • Edward Elgar

    The Snow, Op.26 no.1

    Choir: London Symphony Chorus. Orchestra: Royal Northern Sinfonia. Conductor: Richard Hickox.
    • Elgar: The Spirit of England.
    • EMI.
    • 6.

  • Frank Bridge

    Winter Pastorale

    Performer: Mark Bebbington.
    • SOMM RECORDINGS.

  • Henry Purcell

    King Arthur, Z.628: What Power Art Thou aka the Cold Song

    Performer: Tim Mead. Ensemble: Les Musiciens de Saint-Julien. Director: François Lazarevitch.
    • ALPHA.

  • Johann Nepomuk Hummel

    Trumpet Concerto in E flat major (3rd mvt)

    Performer: Alison Balsom. Orchestra: The Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen.
    • Haydn, Hummel etc: Trumpet Concertos: Alison Balsom.
    • Warner Classics.
    • 3.

  • Claude Debussy

    Fantasie for piano and orchestra (iii. Allegro molto)

    Performer: Martha Argerich. Ensemble: Staatskapelle Berlin. Conductor: Daniel Barenboim.

  • Edward Elgar

    The Dream of Gerontius, Op. 38, Pt. 2: XIII. Angel's Farewell

    Lyricist: John Henry Newman.
    • Elgar: The Dream of Gerontius.
    • Hyperion.
    • 14.

  • Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

    Symphony No 41 in C major, K 551, 'Jupiter' (4th mvt)

    Orchestra: English Chamber Orchestra. Conductor: Jeffrey Tate.
    • Mozart: Complete Symphonies: Jeffrey Tate.
    • EMI.
    • 8.

  • Maurice Ravel

    Daphnis et Chloé Suite No 2

    Orchestra: London Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: André Previn.
    • Ravel: Bolero/Daphnis et Chloe/Pavane: LSO/Previn.
    • EMI.
    • 2.

  • Gabriel Pierné

    Scherzo-caprice

    Performer: Stephen Coombs. Orchestra: BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Ronald Corp.
    • Pierne: The Complete Works for Piano and Orchestra: Stephen Coombs, BBCSSO, Corp.
    • Hyperion.

  • Edvard Grieg

    Holberg suite Op.40 (Rigaudon)

    Orchestra: Oslo Camerata. Conductor: Stephan Barratt-Due.
    • Naxos.

  • George Frideric Handel

    Trio Sonata in G minor, HWV 393, 'Dresden'

    Performer: Elizabeth Wallfisch. Performer: Anthony Robson. Performer: Richard Tunnicliffe. Performer: Paul Nicholson. Ensemble: Convivium.
    • Handel, Trio Sonatas for Oboe and Violin: Convivium.
    • Hyperion.
    • 23.

  • Carlos Salzedo

    Salzedo: Chanson de la Nuit

    Performer: Marisa Robles.
    • The World of The Harp.
    • Decca Music Group Ltd..
    • 10.

  • 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.

Broadcast

  • Yesterday09:30
    BBC Radio 3