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Celebrating classical greats

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"

3 hours, 30 minutes

Last on

Wed 6 Aug 2025 09:30
蜜芽传媒 Radio 3

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Music Played

  • Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky

    Eugene Onegin (Polonaise)

    Orchestra: Berliner Philharmoniker. Conductor: Seiji Ozawa.
    • EMI.

  • Pietro Locatelli

    Concerto grosso in F major, Op 1 No 7

    Orchestra: Raglan Baroque Players. Director: Nicholas Kraemer.
    • Hyperion.

  • Ethel Smyth

    Serenade in D Major: I. Allegro non troppo

    Conductor: Joshua Weilerstein. Orchestra: Lausanne Chamber Orchestra.
    • American and English Orchestral Music.
    • Claves Records.
    • 10.

  • Camille Saint鈥怱a毛ns

    Tarantelle in A minor Op.6

    Performer: Sharon Bezaly. Performer: Harri M盲ki. Orchestra: Tapiola Sinfonietta. Conductor: Jean鈥怞acques Kantorow.
    • BIS.

  • Franz Liszt

    Les cloches de Gen猫ve (Annees de pelerinage - 1er annee, Suisse S.160)

    Performer: Francesco Piemontesi.
    • Liszt: Ann茅es de p猫lerinage I, S. 160 "Suisse" & L茅gende No. 2.
    • Orfeo.
    • 109.

  • Ludwig van Beethoven

    Fidelio (Overture)

    Orchestra: London Philharmonic Orchestra. Conductor: Vladimir Jurowski.
    • Beethoven: Overture, Fidelio & Symphony No. 3.
    • London Philharmonic Orchestra.
    • 105.

  • Leo Brouwer

    Berceuse

    Performer: John Williams.
    • SONY CLASSICAL.

  • Kod谩ly Zolt谩n

    Intermezzo (Hary Janos Suite, Op.35a)

    Orchestra: Budapest Festival Orchestra. Conductor: Iv谩n Fischer.
    • Kodaly: "Hary Janos" Suite: Fischer.
    • Philips.
    • 15.

  • Johann Sebastian Bach

    Passacaglia & Fugue in C Minor, BWV 582

    Music Arranger: Sir Andrew Davis. Orchestra: 蜜芽传媒 Philharmonic Orchestra. Conductor: Martyn Brabbins.
    • CHANDOS.

  • Louise Farrenc

    Symphony No. 2 in D Major, Op. 35 iii) Scherzo. Vivace

    Orchestra: Insula Orchestra. Conductor: Laurence Equilbey.
    • Erato.

  • George Frideric Handel

    Samson (Awake the trumpet's lofty sound)

    Ensemble: Dunedin Consort. Director: John Butt.
    • Linn.

  • Felix Mendelssohn

    The Hebrides Overture 'Fingal's Cave', Op.26

    Orchestra: Swedish Chamber Orchestra. Orchestra: Swedish Chamber Orchestra. Conductor: Thomas Dausgaard. Conductor: Thomas Dausgaard.
    • BIS.

  • Einojuhani Rautavaara

    Deux Serenades (No. 1 Serenade pour mon amour)

    Performer: Hilary Hahn. Conductor: Mikko Franck. Orchestra: Orchestre philharmonique de Radio France.
    • Deutsche Grammophon.

  • Domenico Scarlatti

    Sonata in G major, Kk.455

    Performer: Yuja Wang.
    • Fantasia.
    • Deutsche Grammophon (DG).
    • 5.

  • Frank Martin

    Mass for Double Choir: Agnus Dei

    Choir: Choir of King鈥檚 College, Cambridge. Conductor: Stephen Cleobury.
    • The Music of King's: Choral Favourites from Cambridge.
    • Kings College Cambridge.
    • 14.

  • John Ireland

    The Bells of San Marie

    Performer: Iain Burnside.
    • Ireland: 5 Poems / We'Ll To the Woods No More / Sea Fever / Santa Chiara (Englis.
    • Naxos.
    • 1.

  • Modest Mussorgsky

    Pictures from an Exhibition (The Great Gate of Kiev)

    Orchestrator: Maurice Ravel. Orchestra: London Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Jacek Kaspszyk.
    • COLLINS CLASSICS.

  • Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

    Symphony No. 40 in G Minor, K. 550: I. Molto allegro

    Conductor: Sir Roger Norrington. Orchestra: WDR Symphony Orchestra Cologne.
    • Orchestral Music: South West German Radio Symphony Orchestra (Norrington) (Best.
    • SWR Classic.
    • 16.

  • Mario Castelnuovo鈥怲edesco

    Guitar Quintet - 2nd mvt

    Performer: Marisa Minder.
    • Hans Haug & Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco: Chamber Works.
    • Naxos.
    • 3.

  • Ludwig van Beethoven

    Piano Concerto No. 2 in B-Flat Major, Op. 19: III. Rondo

    • Beethoven: Piano Concertos Nos.2 & 3.
    • Decca Music Group Ltd..

  • 脡lisabeth Jacquet de La Guerre

    Violin Sonata no.2 in D major

    Performer: Riccardo Minasi. Ensemble: Bizzarrie Armoniche.
    • 狈础脧痴贰.

  • Ottorino Respighi

    Spring (3 Botticelli Pictures)

    Orchestra: Orpheus Chamber Orchestra.
    • Deutsche Grammophon.

  • Robert Schumann

    Cello Concerto in A minor, Op 129

    Performer: Jean鈥怗uihen Queyras. Orchestra: Freiburg Baroque Orchestra. Conductor: Pablo Heras鈥怌asado.
    • Harmonia Mundi HMC 902197.
    • Harmonia Mundi.
    • 001.

  • Johann Strauss II

    Tritsch-Tratsch Polka

    Orchestra: Vienna Philharmonic. Conductor: Willi Boskovsky.
    • DG.

  • Jean鈥怭hilippe Rameau

    Gavotte with 6 variations

    Performer: Bruce Liu.
    • WAVES: Music by Rameau, Ravel, Alkan.
    • DG.
    • 1.

  • Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina

    Sicut cervus

    Choir: Stile Antico.
    • Palestrina: Sicut cervus: I. Sicut cervus.
    • Decca.
    • 1.

  • Susan Spain-Dunk

    Kentonia

    Orchestra: 蜜芽传媒 Scottish Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Stephen Bell.

  • Anton铆n Dvo艡谩k

    Slavonic Dance in G minor, Op 46 No 8

    Orchestra: Czech Philharmonic. Conductor: Ji艡铆 B臎lohl谩vek.
    • Dvor谩k: Slavonic Dances Opp. 46 & 72.
    • Decca.
    • 8.

Broadcast

  • Wed 6 Aug 2025 09:30
    蜜芽传媒 Radio 3

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