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The best classical morning 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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4 days left to listen

3 hours, 30 minutes

Music Played

  • Johann Sebastian Bach

    Magnificat in E flat major BWV.243a (Magnificat anima mea)

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

    Leggenda

    Performer: Francesco de Angelis. Orchestra: La Scala Philharmonic. Conductor: Riccardo Chailly.
    • Decca.
  • Emmanuel Chabrier

    Impromptu

    Performer: Angela Hewitt.
    • Hyperion.
  • Hugo Alfvén

    Festival Overture Op.52

    Ensemble: Swedish Wind Ensemble. Conductor: Christian Lindberg.
    • BIS.
  • Johannes Brahms

    Hungarian Dance No.1 in G minor

    Orchestra: London Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Charles Mackerras.
    • Kaleidoscope: An Orchestral Extravaganza: Mackerras, LSO.
    • Mercury.
    • 6.
  • Florence Price

    Honeysuckle (A Southern Sky)

    Performer: Kirsten Johnson.
    • Florence Price: Piano Music.
    • Guild.
    • 15.
  • Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

    Allegro for clarinet and string quartet in B flat major K. Anh. 91

    Ensemble: Camerata RCO.
    • GUTMAN RECORDS.
  • Dobrinka Tabakova

    The Quest: II. Horizons

    Performer: Ksenija Sidorova. Conductor: Normunds Šnē. Orchestra: Sinfonietta Rīga.
    • ALPHA.
  • Claude Debussy

    Arabesque no.1 in E major

    Performer: Jean‐Yves Thibaudet.
    • Debussy, Preludes etc.: Jean-Yves Thibaudet.
    • Decca.
    • 16.
  • Antonín Dvořák

    Slavonic Dance in A flat major Op.46 no.3

    Orchestra: Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra. Conductor: Bernard Haitink.
    • Brahms: Hungarian Dances &Dvorak: Slavonic Dances: Haitink.
    • Philips.
    • 16.
  • Anonymous

    Magnificat ottavo tono

    Ensemble: Musica Secreta. Director: Laurie Stras.
    • Lucky.
  • Jacques Ibert

    Trois pièces brèves

    Performer: Philharmonisches Bläserquintett Berlin.
    • Francaix: Wind Quintet No. 1 / Milaud: La Cheminee du roi Rene.
    • Bis.
    • 1.
  • Joseph Haydn

    Piano Trio in E flat major, H.15.29 (3rd mvt)

    Ensemble: The Florestan Trio.
    • Haydn: Piano Trios - Volume 2: Hob XV: 28-31.
    • Hyperion.
    • 6.
  • Manuel de Falla

    El Sombrero de tres picos - suite no. 2

    Orchestra: Orchestre national d’Île‐de‐France. Conductor: Enrique Mazzola.
    • Manuel de Falla.
    • NoMadMusic.
    • 19-21.
  • Nadia Boulanger

    Le Ciel en Nuit s'est déplié

    Performer: Malcolm Martineau. Singer: Johanna Wallroth.
  • Anon.

    Galliard and Allemande

    Ensemble: Hespèrion XXI. Director: Jordi Savall.
    • Alia Vox.
  • Amy Beach

    Honeysuckle (From Grandmother's Garden, Op 97)

    Performer: Kirsten Johnson.
    • Guild.
  • Fats Waller

    Honeysuckle Rose

    Performer: Count Basie. Lyricist: Andy Razaf. Singer: Ella Fitzgerald. Orchestra: The Count Basie Orchestra.
    • Ella And Basie!.
    • Verve Records.
  • George Gershwin

    An American in Paris

    Music Arranger: Jascha Heifetz. Performer: Tamsin Waley-Cohen. Performer: Huw Watkins.
    • An American In Paris: Tamsin Waley-Cohen/Huw Watkins.
    • Champs Hill.
    • 5.
  • César Franck

    Les eolides

    Orchestra: Orchestre de la Suisse Romande. Conductor: Ernest Ansermet.
    • DECCA.
  • Antônio Carlos Jobim

    Modinha/Olha Maria

    Performer: Fergus McCreadie. Performer: Santiago Cañón-Valencia.
  • Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov

    Dance of the Tumblers (Snow Maiden)

    Performer: Grimethorpe Colliery Band. Music Arranger: Derek Ashmore. Conductor: Garry Cutt.
    • Classic Brass.
    • RCA/Sony Masterworks.
    • 4.
  • Joaquín Rodrigo

    Fantasia para un Gentilhombre

    Performer: Miloš Karadaglić. Orchestra: London Philharmonic Orchestra. Conductor: Yannick Nézet‐Séguin.
    • DG.
  • Gabriel Fauré

    Fantaisie Op.79

    Performer: Emmanuel Pahud. Performer: Eric Le Sage.
    • ALPHA.
  • Hildegard von Bingen

    O viridissima virga

    Ensemble: Gothic Voices. Director: Christopher Page.
    • Hyperion.
  • Jacques Offenbach

    Belle nuit, o nuit d'amour (The Tales of Hoffmann)

    Conductor: Jesús López Cobos. Singer: Hong Hei-Kyung. Singer: Jennifer Larmore. Orchestra: Munich Radio Orchestra.
    • Bellezza Vocale: Hong/Larmore.
    • Teldec.
    • 1.
  • Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges

    Concertante Quartet in C major, Op 15 No 3: second movement (Rondeau)

    Ensemble: Levare String Quartet.
  • Domenico Scarlatti

    Sonata in F minor, K 481

    Performer: Alexandre Tharaud.
    • D. Scarlatti: Sonatas: Alexandre Tharaud.
    • Virgin Classics.
    • 9.
  • Georges Bizet

    L'Arlésienne - Suite No 1 (Minuetto)

    Orchestra: Orchestre national de France. Conductor: Seiji Ozawa.
    • The Best of Bizet.
    • Philips.
    • 2.

Broadcast

  • Wed 8 Oct 2025 09:30