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Refresh your morning with a great selection of classical music

Hannah French plays the best in classical music, with discoveries and surprises rubbing shoulders with familiar favourites.

Hannah French 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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5 days left to listen

3 hours, 30 minutes

Last on

Fri 10 Oct 2025 09:30
蜜芽传媒 Radio 3

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Music Played

  • L茅o Delibes

    Les chasseresses (Sylvia)

    Orchestra: New Philharmonia Orchestra. Conductor: Richard Bonynge.
    • Delibes: The 3 Ballets: Richard Bonynge.
    • Decca.

  • John Dowland

    The King of Denmark's Galliard; Can she excuse my wrongs?

    Singer: Lea Desandre. Singer: Jess Dandy. Singer: Laurence Kilsby. Singer: Alex Rosen. Ensemble: Jupiter. Director: Thomas Dunford.
    • Songs of Passion.
    • ERATO.

  • Richard Strauss

    Ein Heldenleben: I. The Hero

    Orchestra: City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Andris Nelsons.
    • R. Strauss: Der Rosenkavalier Suite & Ein Heldenleben.
    • Orfeo.
    • 1.

  • Scott Joplin

    Peacherine rag for piano

    Performer: Benjamin Loeb.
    • Joplin: Piano Rags, Vol. 2.
    • Naxos.
    • 1.

  • 脡douard Lalo

    Symphonie espagnole (2nd mvt)

    Performer: Augustin Hadelich. Orchestra: London Philharmonic Orchestra. Conductor: Omer Meir Wellber.
    • Tchaikovsky: Violin Concerto - Lalo Symphonie Espagnole.
    • London Philharmonic Orchestra.
    • 105.

  • William Walton

    Spitfire Prelude and Fugue - concert version

    Orchestra: Orchestra of Opera North. Conductor: Paul Daniel.
    • Walton: Spitfire Prelude and Fugue: Sinofnia concertante.
    • Naxos.
    • 1.

  • Joseph Haydn

    The Seasons (Autumn: Thus Nature rewards our toil!)

    Singer: Carolyn Sampson. Singer: Jeremy Ovenden. Singer: Andrew Foster鈥怶illiams. Choir: Gabrieli Consort. Choir: Ch贸r NFM. Ensemble: Gabrieli Consort & Players. Orchestra: Wroclaw Baroque Orchestra. Conductor: Ben Palmer. Conductor: Paul McCreesh.
    • Haydn: The Seasons.
    • Signum Classics.
    • 202.

  • Maurice Ravel

    Piano Trio in A Minor (2nd mvt)

    Ensemble: Sitkovetsky Trio.
    • Ravel & Saint-Sa毛ns: Piano Trios.
    • BIS.
    • 102.

  • Richard Wagner

    Parsifal (Act 1 Prelude)

    Orchestra: The Philadelphia Orchestra. Conductor: Christian Thielemann.
    • DG.

  • Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky

    The Nutcracker (Tea)

    Orchestra: London Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Andr茅 Previn.
    • Tchaikovsky: Swan Lake, Sleeping Beauty, Nutcracker: LSO, Previn.
    • EMI Classics.
    • 17.

  • Anonymous

    Messa sopra Je le lerray: Agnus Dei

    Choir: Musica Secreta. Director: Laurie Stras.
    • LUCKY MUSIC.

  • Jules Massenet

    Overture: Le Roi de Lahore

    Orchestra: Orchestre de la Suisse Romande. Conductor: Neeme J盲rvi.
    • CHANDOS.

  • Reinhard Keiser

    Croesus (Overture)

    Orchestra: Academy for Ancient Music Berlin. Conductor: Ren茅 Jacobs.
    • Keiser: Croesus: Rene Jacobs.
    • Harmonia Mundi.

  • Teresa Carre帽o

    Vals gayo

    Performer: Clara Rodriguez.
    • Teresa Carreno: Clara Rodriguez.
    • Nimbus.
    • 13.

  • Claude Debussy

    Pr茅lude 脿 l'apr猫s-midi d'un faune

    Orchestra: Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra. Conductor: Bernard Haitink.
    • Debussy: Orchestral Music: Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Haitink.
    • Decca.

  • Robert Schumann

    Piano Quintet in E flat major Op.44 (3rd mvt)

    Performer: Alexander Melnikov. Ensemble: Jerusalem Quartet.
    • Schumann: Piano Quinete and Quartet: Melnikov, Jerusalem Quartet.
    • Harmonia Mundi.

  • Henry Purcell

    Come Ye Sons of Art: See nature rejoicing

    Ensemble: Tavener Consort. Conductor: Andrew Parrott.
    • ERATO.

  • Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky

    The Seasons: October. Autumn Song

    Performer: Bruce Liu.
    • Tchaikovsky: The Seasons.
    • DG.
    • 10.

  • Leonard Bernstein

    Make Our Garden Grow (Candide)

    Singer: Jerry Hadley. Singer: June Anderson. Singer: Adolph Green. Orchestra: London Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Leonard Bernstein.
    • Bernstein - Candide.
    • Deutsche Grammophon.
    • 016.

  • Sergey Prokofiev

    The Love for Three Oranges: March

    Performer: Sarah Chang. Performer: Sandra Rivers.
    • EMI.

  • Johannes Brahms

    Ein Deutsches Requiem (3rd mvt)

    Singer: St茅phane Degout. Ensemble: Pygmalion. Conductor: Rapha毛l Pichon.
    • HARMONIA MUNDI.

  • Gabriela Montero

    Adagio (after the 2nd movement of Bach's Violin Concerto in E major, BWV 1042)

    Performer: Gabriela Montero.
    • Bach and Beyond.
    • Warner Classics.
    • 6.

  • Antonio Vivaldi

    Violin Concerto in D major, RV.214 (3rd mvt)

    Music Arranger: Dani毛l Br眉ggen. Ensemble: Amsterdam Loeki Stardust Quartet.
    • Extra Time.
    • Decca.
    • 12.

  • Dmitry Shostakovich

    Symphony no.9 in E flat major Op.70 (1st mvt)

    Orchestra: Berliner Philharmoniker. Conductor: Kirill Petrenko.
    • Shostakovich: Symphony No. 9.
    • Berliner Philharmoniker Recordings.
    • 101.

  • Giuseppe Verdi

    La donna 猫 mobile (Rigoletto)

    Singer: Rolando Villaz贸n. Orchestra: Munich Radio Orchestra. Conductor: Marcello Viotti.
    • Italian Opera Arias: Rolando Villazon/Munchner Rundfunkorchester/Viotti.
    • Virgin Classics.
    • 10.

  • Ludwig van Beethoven

    Piano Concerto No 5 'Emperor' (1st mvt)

    Performer: Vladimir Ashkenazy. Orchestra: Chicago Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Georg Solti.
    • Beethoven: Piano Concertos.
    • DECCA.

  • Tarik O鈥橰egan

    Scattered Rhymes (3rd mvt)

    Ensemble: Orlando Consort. Choir: Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir. Conductor: Paul Hillier.
    • HARMONIA MUNDI.

  • Georges Bizet

    Farandole (L'Arlesienne Suite no.2)

    Ensemble: Les Musiciens du Louvre. Conductor: Marc Minkowski.
    • Naive.

  • Samuel Coleridge-Taylor

    Humoresque (Fantasiest眉cke Op.5)

    Ensemble: Catalyst Quartet.
    • Azica Records.

  • Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

    Rondo in A minor, K 511

    Performer: Mariam Batsashvili.

  • John Sheppard

    In manus tuas Domine I

    Choir: The Sixteen. Director: Harry Christophers.
    • The Voice of the Turtle Dove.
    • Coro.
    • 5.

  • Anton铆n Dvo艡谩k

    Symphony No.8 in G major (4th mvt)

    Orchestra: Los Angeles Philharmonic. Conductor: Gustavo Dudamel.
    • Dvo艡谩k: Symphonies Nos. 7-9.
    • DG.
    • 8.

Broadcast

  • Fri 10 Oct 2025 09:30
    蜜芽传媒 Radio 3