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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Music Played
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Johann Sebastian Bach
Magnificat BWV 243 Magnificat anima mea
Choir: Bavarian Radio Symphony Choir. Ensemble: Concerto Köln. Conductor: Peter Dijkstra.- Bach: Magnificat & Handel: Dixit Dominus.
- BR-Klassik.
- 9.
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Pauline Hall
Ariettes oubliées (Verlaine Suite)
Orchestra: Norwegian Radio Orchestra. Conductor: Christian Eggen.- Norway in Music: Pauline Hall.
- Simax.
- 003.
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Georges Bizet
Jeux d'enfants, Op.22; Galop - Le Bal
Orchestra: Les Siècles. Conductor: François‐Xavier Roth.- Mirare.
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Franz Liszt
Consolation No 3
Performer: Sheku Kanneh‐Mason. Performer: James Baillieu. Music Arranger: Jules Deswert.- Collaborations.
- Decca.
- 2.
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Sergey Rachmaninov
Piano Concerto no. 3 in D minor Op.30; 1st mvt Allegro ma non tanto
Performer: Sir Stephen Hough. Orchestra: Dallas Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Andrew Litton.- Rachmaninov The piano Concertos.
- Hyperion.
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Frank Loesser
The Inch Worm (from the film Hans Christian Andersen)
Singer: Danny Kaye.- Hans Christian Andersen.
- Geffen.
- 4.
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Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach
Symphony in D major Wq.183`1
Orchestra: Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment. Conductor: Rebecca Miller.- SIGNUM.
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Trad.
The Oak and the Ash
Music Arranger: Gordon Langford. Ensemble: The King’s Singers.- SIGNUM.
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Luigi Boccherini
String Quintet No 11 in E major, G 275 (Minuetto)
Orchestra: Academy of St Martin in the Fields. Conductor: Neville Marriner.- The Best of The Academy.
- EMI Classics.
- 9.
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Lucien Durosoir
Prière à Marie
Performer: Michael Trainor. Performer: Emmanuel Despax.- RESONANCE: Schumann, Farrenc, Durosoir.
- Signum Classics.
- 108.
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Eric Coates
Concert Waltz 'Footlights'
Orchestra: Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra. Conductor: John Wilson.- Avie.
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Frank Loesser
The Inch Worm (from the film Hans Christian Andersen)
Singer: Danny Kaye.- Hans Christian Andersen.
- Geffen.
- 4.
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Margaret Bonds
Montgomery Variations: 4. Dawn in Dixie
Orchestra: Royal Scottish National Orchestra. Conductor: Kellen Gray.- African American Voices II.
- Linn Records.
- 04.
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Johannes Brahms
Intermezzo in E major (7 Fantasies Op.116)
Performer: Víkingur Ólafsson.- From Afar.
- DG.
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Alexander Borodin
Polovtsian dances (Prince Igor)
Orchestra: New York Philharmonic. Conductor: Leonard Bernstein.- SONY CLASSICAL.
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Thomas Tallis
Loquebantur variis linguis
Choir: Stile Antico.- Harmonia Mundi.
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Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Quintet in E flat major K.452 (3rd mvt)
Ensemble: Ensemble 360.- Mozart: Chamber Works.
- ASV.
- 7.
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Malcolm Arnold
The Belles of St Trinian's (Prelude)
Music Arranger: Christopher Palmer. Orchestra: ѿý Philharmonic Orchestra. Conductor: Rumon Gamba.- CHANDOS.
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Arthur Sullivan
The Elements
Lyricist: Tom Lehrer. Singer: Tom Lehrer.- The Songs of Tom Lehrer.
- Kessels.
- 16.
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Philip Glass
Knee Play 1 (Einstein on the Beach)
Ensemble: Philip Glass Ensemble. Conductor: Michael Riesman.- SONY.
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Benjamin Britten
The Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra (Fugue)
Orchestra: ѿý Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Andrew Davis.- Britten: Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra: ѿý SO/Davis.
- Teldec.
- 1.
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Ludwig van Beethoven
Symphony no.1 in C major Op.21 (3rd mvt)
Orchestra: Berliner Philharmoniker. Conductor: Sir Simon Rattle.- Beethoven: Symphonies Nos. 1-9.
- Berliner Philharmoniker.
- 3.
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Amy Beach
Berceuse (3 Pieces Op.40)
Performer: Steven Isserlis. Performer: Sir Stephen Hough.- Children's Cello.
- BIS.
- 17.
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Judith Weir
Still, Glowing
Orchestra: ѿý Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Dalia Stasevska.- Dalia's Mixtape.
- Platoon.
- 3.
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George Frideric Handel
Alcina (Overture)
Orchestra: Il Complesso Barocco. Conductor: Alan Curtis.- Archiv.
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Joseph Canteloube
Baïlèro (Chants d'Auvergne, Set 1)
Singer: Kiri Te Kanawa. Orchestra: English Chamber Orchestra. Conductor: Jeffrey Tate.- Canteloube: Chants d'Auvergne: Kiri Te Kanawa.
- Decca.
- 2.
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Alexander Scriabin
Poem of Ecstasy
Orchestra: Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra. Conductor: Vasily Petrenko.- Lawo.
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Frédéric Chopin
Fantaisie-impromptu in C sharp minor, Op.66
Performer: Alexandre Tharaud.- Chopin: Journal Intime: Alexandre Tharaud.
- Virgin Classics.
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Ralph Vaughan Williams
Scott of the Antarctic (Main Titles; Distant Glacier; Penguin Dance)
Orchestra: ѿý Philharmonic Orchestra. Conductor: Rumon Gamba.- Chandos.
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Madeleine Dring
Take, O take those lips away (7 Shakespeare Songs)
Orchestrator: Roderick Williams. Singer: Roderick Williams. Orchestra: Hallé. Conductor: Mark Elder.- Halle.
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Einojuhani Rautavaara
Notturno e danza for violin and piano: Notturno
Performer: Pekka Kuusisto. Performer: Paavali Jumppanen.- Ondine.
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Einojuhani Rautavaara
Danza (Notturno e Danza)
Performer: Pekka Kuusisto. Performer: Paavali Jumppanen.- Ondine.
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Camille Saint‐Saëns
Saint-Saëns: Carnival of the Animals - Aviary
Performer: Isata Kanneh‐Mason. Performer: Jeneba Kanneh‐Mason. Performer: Braimah Kanneh-Mason. Performer: Ayla Sahin. Performer: Timothy Ridout. Performer: Sheku Kanneh‐Mason. Performer: Toby Hughes. Performer: Adam Walker.- The Kanneh-Masons.
- Universal Music Australia Pty. Ltd..
- 23.
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Richard Addinsell
Warsaw Concerto
Performer: Jean‐Yves Thibaudet. Orchestra: ѿý Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Hugh Wolff.- Addinsell: Warsaw Concerto: Jean-Yves Thibaudet, ѿýSO, Hugh Wolff.
- Decca.
Broadcast
- Wed 3 Sep 2025 09:30ѿý Radio 3