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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 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 蜜芽传媒 Sounds to play Essential Classics鈥�

3 hours, 30 minutes

Last on

Thu 7 Aug 2025 09:30
蜜芽传媒 Radio 3

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Music Played

  • Giuseppe Verdi

    Anvil Chorus (Il trovatore)

    Choir: Hall茅 Choir. Orchestra: Hall茅. Conductor: Owain Arwel Hughes.
    • Much Loved Music: Coburn/Halle Orchestra & Choir/Hughes.
    • EMI.
    • 3.

  • Claude Debussy

    La cath茅drale engloutie (Preludes, Book 1)

    Performer: Jean鈥怑fflam Bavouzet.
    • Debussy: Complete works for piano vol.1: Bavouzet.
    • Chandos.
    • 10.

  • Anon.

    Galliard

    Ensemble: Hesp猫rion XXI. Director: Jordi Savall.
    • Alia Vox.

  • Charles Villiers Stanford

    Clarinet Concerto in A Minor, Op. 80: III. Allegro moderato

    Composer: Charles Villiers Stanford. Performer: Robert Plane. Performer: Robert Plane. Orchestra: Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra. Orchestra: Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: David Lloyd-Jones. Conductor: David Lloyd-Jones.
    • Stanford, C.V.: Symphonies, Vol. 4 (No. 1, Clarinet Concerto).
    • Naxos.
    • 3.

  • Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

    Symphony no.39 in E flat major K.543 (1st mvt)

    Ensemble: Ensemble Resonanz. Conductor: Riccardo Minasi.
    • Mozart: Symphonies Nos. 39, 40 & 41 "Jupiter".
    • harmonia mundi.
    • 101.

  • John Tavener

    The Lamb

    Choir: Choir of New College Oxford. Conductor: Edward Higginbottom.
    • Agnus Dei: Choir of New College, Oxford/Higginbottom.
    • Erato.

  • Franz Schubert

    String Quintet in C Major, D. 956: III. Scherzo & Trio

    Performer: Gautier Capu莽on. Ensemble: Quatuor 脡b猫ne.
    • Schubert: Quintet and Lieder.
    • Erato/Warner Classics.
    • 103.

  • Mel Bonis

    厂补濒辞尘茅

    Orchestra: Orchestre national du Capitole de Toulouse. Conductor: Leo Hussain.
    • Compositrices: New Light on French Romantic Women Composers.
    • Bru Zane.
    • 3.

  • Giovanni Gabrieli

    Canzon primi toni 脿 8

    Ensemble: Philip Jones Brass Ensemble.
    • DECCA ELOQUENCE.

  • Dmitry Shostakovich

    Foxtrot (Suite for Jazz Band no.1)

    Orchestra: Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra. Conductor: Riccardo Chailly.
    • Shostakovich: The Jazz Album - Brautigam, Masseurs.
    • Decca.
    • 3.

  • Johann Sebastian Bach

    Prelude (from Prelude & Fugue, BWV. 552, 'St Anne')

    Orchestra: 蜜芽传媒 Philharmonic Orchestra. Conductor: Andrew Davis.
    • King of Kings.
    • Chandos.
    • 013.

  • Fanny Mendelssohn

    Character Piece no.3 in B major

    Performer: B茅atrice Rauchs.
    • BIS.

  • Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina

    Tu es Petrus, a 6

    Choir: Stile Antico.
    • DECCA.

  • Edward Elgar

    Introduction & Allegro

    Orchestra: Sinfonia of London. Conductor: John Wilson.
    • CHANDOS.

  • Antonio Vivaldi

    Concerto in F major RV.433, Op.10`1 'La Tempesta di mare'

    Performer: Emmanuel Pahud. Orchestra: Australian Chamber Orchestra. Conductor: Richard Tognetti.
    • Warner Classics.

  • Ralph Vaughan Williams

    Ten Blake Songs: No. 5, The Lamb

    Performer: Mark Baigent. Singer: James Gilchrist.
    • What plaintive melodies are these?.
    • Oboe Classics.
    • 25.

  • George Shearing

    Lullaby of Birdland

    Music Arranger: Wilhelm Kaiser-Lindemann. Ensemble: The 12 Cellists of the Berlin Philharmonic.
    • Warner.

  • Joseph Haydn

    The Creation: Straight Opening Her Fertile Womb

    Singer: Neal Davies. Ensemble: Gabrieli Ensemble. Conductor: Paul McCreesh.
    • Haydn: The Creation.
    • ARCHIV.
    • 21.

  • Niccol貌 Paganini

    Moto perpetuo, Op.11

    Music Arranger: Donald Hunsberger. Performer: Wynton Marsalis. Ensemble: Eastman Wind Ensemble. Conductor: Donald Hunsberger.
    • Carnaval: Wynton Marsalis.
    • Sony.
    • 5.

  • George Frideric Handel

    Violin Sonata in D minor, Op 1 No 1

    Performer: Bojan 膶i膷i膰. Performer: Steven Devine.
    • Delphian.

  • Adrian Sutton

    Polperro Beach (5 Miniatures)

    Orchestra: 蜜芽传媒 Philharmonic Orchestra. Conductor: Michael Seal.
    • CHANDOS.

  • Florence Price

    Piano Sonata in E minor (2nd mvt)

    Performer: Althea Waites.
    • Black Diamonds.
    • Cambria.
    • 002.

  • Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky

    The Sleeping Beauty (Suite)

    Orchestra: Berliner Philharmoniker. Conductor: Mstislav Rostropovich.
    • Tchaikovsky: Ballet Suites (Swan Lake; The Sleeping Beauty; The Nutcraker).
    • Deutsche Grammophon (DG).
    • 7.

  • Nils Lindberg

    Shall I Compare Thee To a Summer麓s Day

    Conductor: Simon Phipps.
    • Shakespeare Songs and Sonnets.
    • Naxos Sweden.
    • 11.

  • Christian Sinding

    Suite for violin and orchestra in A minor

    Performer: Itzhak Perlman. Orchestra: Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Andr茅 Previn.
    • EMI.

  • Frank Merrick

    Suite in the Eighteenth-Century Style; 1. Ritornelle

    Performer: Steven Isserlis.
    • British Solo Cello Music: Britten Suite No. 3, Walton, Gardner, Merrick & Ad.
    • Hyperion.

  • Percy Grainger

    Handel in the Strand

    Performer: Philip Martin. Orchestra: Bournemouth Sinfonietta. Conductor: Kenneth Montgomery.
    • CHANDOS.

  • Francesco Geminiani

    Concerto grosso in E minor Op.3`3

    Orchestra: Concerto Italiano. Conductor: Rinaldo Alessandrini.
    • NAIVE.

  • George Gershwin

    Summertime [from 'Porgy And Bess']

    Singer: Claron McFadden. Orchestra: Anima Eterna Brugge. Conductor: Jos van Immerseel.
    • Gershwin: Rhapsody in Blue & Catfish Row.
    • Alpha.
    • 6.

Broadcast

  • Thu 7 Aug 2025 09:30
    蜜芽传媒 Radio 3

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