A feast of great music
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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Edward Elgar
Salut d'amour
Orchestra: Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra. Conductor: John Wilson. -
Antonín Dvořák
Mazurek in E minor Op.49
Performer: Jan Mráček. Orchestra: Czech National Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: James Judd.- Dvorak Violin Concerto etc..
- ONYX.
- 5.
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Ludwig van Beethoven
Rondino in E flat major WoO.25
Ensemble: Bläserensemble Sabine Meyer.- Beethoven: Octet etc.: Sabine Meyer Wind Ensemble.
- Warner Classics.
- 9.
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Clara Schumann
Gondoliera (3 Part-songs for chorus)
Choir: North German Radio Choir. Director: Philipp Ahmann.- ES-Dur.
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Johannes Brahms
Piano Concerto No.2 in B Flat Major (4th mvt)
Performer: Francesco Piemontesi. Orchestra: Gewandhausorchester Leipzig. Conductor: Manfred Honeck.- Piano Concerto No. 2 & Three Intermezzi Op. 117.
- Pentatone.
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Leroy Anderson
Irish Suite: V. The Last Rose of Summer
Conductor: Leonard Slatkin. Orchestra: ѿý Concert Orchestra.- Anderson, L.: Orchestral Music, Vol. 4 - Irish Suite / Scottish Suite / Alma Mat.
- Naxos.
- 5.
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Johann Sebastian Bach
Keyboard Concerto No 1 in D minor, BWV 1052 (1st mvt)
Performer: Christophe Rousset. Orchestra: Academy of Ancient Music. Director: Christopher Hogwood.- J.S. Bach The Complete Harpsichord Concertos.
- Decca.
- 1.
-
Margaret Bonds
Montgomery Variations (Benediction)
Orchestra: Royal Scottish National Orchestra. Conductor: Kellen Gray.- Linn.
-
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Clarinet Quintet in A Major, K. 581 (3rd mvt)
Performer: Anthony McGill. Ensemble: Pacifica Quartet.- Mozart & Brahms Clarinet Quintets.
- Cedille.
- 3.
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Maurice Ravel
La Valse
Orchestra: Orchestre national de France. Conductor: Cristian Măcelaru.- NAIVE.
-
Orlande de Lassus
Audi tellus [Sacræ cantiones]
Choir: Cappella Amsterdam. Conductor: Daniel Reuss.- Lassus: Inferno.
- harmonia mundi.
- 102.
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Giovanni Bottesini
Reverie for double bass and piano
Performer: Thomas Martin. Performer: Anthony Halstead.- Bottesini: Vol.4.
- ASV.
- 12.
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Sergey Rachmaninov
Symphony no.2 in E minor Op.27 (2nd mvt)
Orchestra: Budapest Festival Orchestra. Conductor: Iván Fischer.- Rachmaninov: Symphony No. 2: Budapest Festival Orchestra, Fischer.
- Channel Classics.
- 2.
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Isabella Leonarda
Sonata VII à tre
Ensemble: Concerto Soave. Director: Jean-Marc Aymes.- AMBRONAY.
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Morten Lauridsen
La rose complète; Dirait-on (Les chansons des roses)
Choir: Polyphony. Performer: Morten Lauridsen. Conductor: Stephen Layton.- Les Chansons Des Roses.
- Hyperion.
- 9-10.
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James Oswald
Airs for the Autumn, Night Shade
Ensemble: The Broadside Band.- Airs for the Seasons.
- Sono Luminus.
- 23.
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Max Richter
Vivaldi Recomposed: Summer 3
Performer: Elena Urioste. Orchestra: Chineke! Orchestra.- The New Four Seasons - Vivaldi Recomposed.
- Deutsche Grammophon (DG).
- 7.
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Edvard Grieg
Holberg Suite, Op 40 (Gavotte; Musette)
Conductor: Neville Marriner. Orchestra: Academy of St Martin in the Fields.- Hanssler.
-
Franz Schubert
Impromptu in A flat major, D.899 no.4
Performer: Radu Lupu.- Schubert: Four Impromptus, D899 & D935: Radu Lupu.
- Decca.
- 3.
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Ernest Tomlinson
2 Miniature Dances: Rigadoon
Conductor: Ernest Tomlinson. Orchestra: Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra.- Tomlinson: First Suite of English Folk-Dances.
- Marco-Polo.
- 1.
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Carl Nielsen
Serenata in vano FS.68
Ensemble: Fibonacci Sequence.- Chamber Music for Horn.
- Deux-Elles.
- 10.
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Gustav Holst
Jupiter, the Bringer of Jollity (The Planets, Op.32)
Orchestra: ѿý Philharmonic Orchestra. Conductor: Sir Andrew Davis.- Holst: Orchestral Works, Volume 2.
- Chandos.
- 13.
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Camille Saint‐Saëns
Piano Concerto No.5 "The Egyptian" in F major, Op.103
Performer: Louis Schwizgebel. Orchestra: ѿý Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Martyn Brabbins.- Saint-Saens: Piano Concertos 2 & 5.
- APARTE.
- 04.
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Vincenzo Bellini
"Casta Diva" from 'Norma'
Performer: Karen Jones. Singer: Angela Gheorghiu. Choir: Chorus of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden. Orchestra: London Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Evelino Pidò.- 'Casta Diva'.
- Warner Classics.
- 1.
-
Louise Héritte-Viardot
Piano Quartet No. 1 in A Major, Op. 9 "Im Sommer": III. Die Schwüle
Ensemble: Kaleidoscope Chamber Collective.- Brahms & Contemporaries, Vol. 2.
- Chandos.
- 103.
-
John Rutter
Suite Lyrique: Rondeau
Performer: Catrin Finch. Orchestra: Sinfonia Cymru. Conductor: John Rutter.- Blessing.
- Deutsche Grammophon (DG).
- 13.
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Johann David Heinichen
Dresden Concerto in F major, S 234
Conductor: Reinhard Goebel. Orchestra: Musica Antiqua Köln.- Archiv Produktion.
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Leonard Bernstein
Candide: Overture
Lyricist: Leonard Bernstein. Lyricist: Richard Wilbur. Lyricist: John Latouche. Lyricist: Dorothy Parker. Lyricist: Stephen Sondheim. Conductor: Yannick Nézet‐Séguin. Orchestra: London Symphony Orchestra.- Maestro: Music by Leonard Bernstein (Original Soundtrack).
- Deutsche Grammophon (DG).
- 20.
Broadcast
- Fri 19 Sep 2025 09:30ѿý Radio 3