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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.

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3 hours, 30 minutes

Last on

Fri 22 Aug 2025 09:30
蜜芽传媒 Radio 3

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Music Played

  • Dmitry Shostakovich

    Festive Overture, Op.96

    Orchestra: Czech Philharmonic. Conductor: Karel An膷erl.
    • EMI.

  • Johann Sebastian Bach

    Cantata 'Wir m眉ssen durch viel Tr眉bsal', BWV 146: Sinfonia

    Ensemble: Bach Collegium Japan. Conductor: Masaaki Suzuki.
    • Bach, J.S.: Cantatas, Vol. 44 - Bwv 43, 88, 146.
    • BIS.
    • 101.

  • Richard Strauss

    Wiegenlied, Op 41 No 1

    Singer: Christine Sch盲fer. Orchestra: Berliner Philharmoniker. Conductor: Claudio Abbado.
    • Mozart: Arias & R. Strauss: Orchestral Songs - Schafer, Abbado.
    • Deutsche Grammophon.
    • 7.

  • Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

    Piano Sonata in A major, K 331 (2nd mvt)

    Performer: Federico Colli.
    • CHANDOS.

  • Jean Sibelius

    Karelia Suite (Intermezzo)

    Orchestra: Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Jukka鈥怭ekka Saraste.
    • Sibelius: Symphony No.1, Karelia etc: Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra/Saraste.
    • RCA.
    • 6.

  • Camille Saint鈥怱a毛ns

    Calme des nuits (2 Choruses Op.68)

    Choir: Monteverdi Choir. Conductor: Sir John Eliot Gardiner.
    • PHILIPS.

  • Ruth Gipps

    Horn Concerto (3rd mvt)

    Performer: David Pyatt. Orchestra: London Philharmonic Orchestra. Conductor: Nicholas Braithwaite.
    • British Horn Concertos.
    • LYRITA.

  • George Frideric Handel

    "Fra l'ombre e gl'orrori" (Aci, Galatea e Polifemo)

    Singer: Christopher Purves. Orchestra: Arcangelo. Conductor: Jonathan Cohen.
    • Handel's Finest Arias for Base Voice, Vol. 1.
    • Hyperion.
    • 004.

  • Franz Ries

    La Capricciosa

    Performer: Vilde Frang. Performer: Jos茅 Gallardo.
    • Homage.
    • WARNER.
    • 1.

  • Franz Schubert

    Symphony No 3 in D major (4th mvt)

    Orchestra: Budapest Festival Orchestra. Conductor: Iv谩n Fischer.
    • Hungaroton.

  • Johann Sebastian Bach

    Partita No 1 in B flat, BWV 825: Allemande

    Performer: Sir Andr谩s Schiff.
    • DECCA.

  • Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach

    Cello Concerto No 3 in A major, Wq 172 (3rd mvt)

    Performer: Truls M酶rk. Ensemble: Les Violons du Roy. Director: Bernard Labadie.
    • CPE Bach: Cello Concertos - Truls Mork.
    • Virgin Classics.
    • 3.

  • Camille Saint鈥怱a毛ns

    Calme des nuits, Op 68 No 1

    Choir: Monteverdi Choir. Conductor: Sir John Eliot Gardiner.
    • PHILIPS.

  • Edna Bentz Woods

    Valse Phantastique

    Performer: Marc鈥怉ndr茅 Hamelin.
    • HYPERION.

  • Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov

    Scheherazade, Op.35 (The Sea and Sinbad's Ship)

    Performer: Herman Krebbers. Orchestra: Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra. Conductor: Kirill Kondrashin.
    • Rimsky-Korsakov: Scheherazade: Concertgebouw Orchestra, Kondrashin.
    • Philips.

  • Tomaso Giovanni Albinoni

    Concerto 脿 5 in F major, Op 9 No 3 (1st mvt)

    Performer: Anthony Robson. Performer: Catherine Latham. Orchestra: Collegium Musicum 90. Conductor: Simon Standage.
    • Chaconne.

  • Samuel Barber

    Concerto for Violin and Orchestra Op.14: III. Presto in moto perpetuo

    Performer: Joshua Bell. Orchestra: Baltimore Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: David Zinman.
    • DECCA.

  • Edward Elgar

    Chanson de nuit, Op 15 No 1 arr for chamber orchestra

    Orchestra: London Philharmonic Orchestra. Conductor: Hilary Davan Wetton.
    • Elgar: Enigma variations etc: London Philharmonic/Hilary Davan-Wetton.
    • Collins Classics.

  • Franz Schubert

    Im Abendrot, D 799

    Performer: Elly Ameling. Performer: Dalton Baldwin.
    • PHILIPS.

  • Arthur Sullivan

    The Long Day Closes

    Composer: Henry F. Chorley. Choir: The Sixteen. Conductor: Harry Christophers.
    • Sirens' Song.
    • CORO.
    • 24.

  • Bedrich Smetana

    The Bartered Bride (Overture)

    Orchestra: Pro Arte Orchestra. Conductor: Charles Mackerras.
    • Janacek: Sinfonietta etc: Pro Arte Orchestra/Mackerras.
    • EMI.
    • 11.

  • Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

    Clarinet Quintet in A Major (2nd mvt)

    Performer: Julian Bliss. Ensemble: Carducci String Quartet.
    • Mozart: Clarinet Quintet in Major, K. 581 - Weber: Clarinet Quintet in B-Flat Ma.
    • Signum Classics.
    • 202.

  • Giuseppe Verdi

    Dio, che nell'alma infondere (Don Carlos)

    Singer: Jos茅 Carreras. Singer: Piero Cappuccilli. Orchestra: Berliner Philharmoniker. Conductor: Herbert von Karajan. Choir: Deutsche Oper Berlin Choir.
    • Opera Arias.
    • Warner Classics.
    • 102.

  • Wilhelm Fitzenhagen

    Perpetuum mobile

    Performer: Leonid Gorokhov. Performer: Colin Stone.
    • OLYMPIA.

  • C茅cile Chaminade

    Concertino, Op.107

    Performer: Sharon Bezaly. Orchestra: Residentie Orkest. Conductor: Neeme J盲rvi.
    • Great works for flute and orchestra.
    • BIS.
    • 007.

  • Gustav Mahler

    Symphony No 4 (3rd mvt)

    Orchestra: Budapest Festival Orchestra. Conductor: Iv谩n Fischer.
    • Mahler: Symphony No. 4.
    • Channel Classics.
    • 3.

  • Fr茅d茅ric Chopin

    Polonaise in A major 'Military' (2 Polonaises Op.40)

    Performer: Maurizio Pollini.
    • Chopin: Polonaises: Maurizio Pollini.
    • Deutsche Grammophon.
    • 3.

  • Giovanni Gabrieli

    Canzon duodecimi toni 脿 10, C178

    Ensemble: Wallace Collection. Conductor: Simon Wright.
    • Gabrieli and St.Marks: Venetian Brass Music: The Wallace Collection/Wallace/Wrig.
    • Nimbus.
    • 1.

  • Samuel Coleridge-Taylor

    La Tarantelle Fretillante from Petite Suite de Concert, Op.77

    Orchestra: RT脡 Concert Orchestra. Conductor: Adrian Leaper.
    • Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, orchestral works.
    • MARCO POLO.
    • 5.

  • Herbert Howells

    Te Deum and Jubilate 'Collegium regale' (Te Deum)

    Choir: The Choir Of Trinity College, Cambridge. Performer: Owain Park. Conductor: Stephen Layton.
    • HYPERION.

  • Charles Ives

    Symphony no.3 'The Camp Meeting' (Children's Day)

    Orchestra: Los Angeles Philharmonic. Orchestra: Los Angeles Philharmonic. Conductor: Gustavo Dudamel. Conductor: Gustavo Dudamel.
    • DG.

  • Igor Stravinsky

    Firebird (conclusion)

    Orchestra: London Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Sir Simon Rattle.
    • LSO LIVE.

Broadcast

  • Fri 22 Aug 2025 09:30
    蜜芽传媒 Radio 3