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Celebrating classical greats

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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13 days left to listen

3 hours, 30 minutes

Last on

Fri 12 Jun 202609:30
BBC Radio 3

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Music Played

  • Georges Bizet

    Les Toréadors (Carmen)

    Orchestra: Sinfonia of London. Conductor: John Wilson.
    • French Orchestral Favourites.
    • Chandos.
    • 106.

  • Henry Purcell

    Remember not, Lord, our offences

    Ensemble: Vox Luminis. Director: Lionel Meunier.
    • RICERCAR.

  • Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach

    Symphony in E flat major, Wq 179 (3rd mvt)

    Orchestra: Arte dei Suonatori. Conductor: Marcin Świątkiewicz.
    • C.P.E. Bach: Berlin Symphonies I.
    • BIS.
    • 103.

  • Franz Liszt

    Sposalizio (Années de pèlerinage - Italie)

    Performer: Louis Lortie.
    • Liszt: Annees de Pelerinage - Lortie.
    • Chandos.
    • 10.

  • Felix Mendelssohn

    A Midsummer Night's Dream (Overture)

    Orchestra: Berlin Philharmonic. Conductor: Claudio Abbado.
    • Mendelssohn: Midsummer Night's Dream (excerpts) etc: Berliner Philharmoniker/Abb.
    • Sony Classical.
    • 1.

  • Luigi Boccherini

    Symphony No 4 in D minor 'La casa del diavolo' (4th mvt)

    Orchestra: Il Giardino Armonico. Conductor: Giovanni Antonini.
    • NAIVE.

  • Cécile Chaminade

    Scherzo for piano, Op.35 no.1

    Performer: Peter Jacobs.
    • Chaminade: Piano Music - 1, Peter Jacobs.
    • Helios.
    • 7.

  • Igor Stravinsky

    Symphony in E flat, Op 1 (1st mvt)

    • Stravinsky: The Complete Ballets & Symphonies.
    • DECCA.
    • 2.

  • Francisco Tárrega

    Recuerdos de la Alhambra

    Performer: Thibaut Garcia.
    • Leyendas.
    • Warner Classics.
    • 16.

  • Trad.

    My Love Is Like a Red, Red Rose

    Music Arranger: Simon Carrington. Choir: The Gesualdo Six. Conductor: Owain Park.
    • Wishing Tree.
    • Hyperion.
    • 20.

  • Dmitry Shostakovich

    Symphony No 5 (2nd mvt)

    Conductor: Manfred Honeck. Orchestra: Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra.
    • Shostakovich: Symphony No. 5, Op. 47 - Barber: Adagio for Strings, Op. 11 (Live).
    • Reference Recordings.
    • 102.

  • Johann Sebastian Bach

    Wie zittern und wanken (Cantata no.105)

    Singer: Miah Persson. Orchestra: Bach Collegium Japan. Director: Masaki Suzuki.
    • Bach for Japan.
    • BIS.
    • 13.

  • Gustav Mahler

    Symphony No 1 (1st mvt)

    Orchestra: London Philharmonic Orchestra. Conductor: Vladimir Jurowski.
    • Mahler: Symphony No. 1.
    • London Philharmonic Orchestra.
    • 101.

  • Kevin Day

    Cello Sonata No 1 (3rd mvt)

    Performer: Sterling Elliott. Performer: Gabriele Strata.

  • Iain Farrington

    Celebration (Fiesta!)

    Performer: Christopher Herrick.
    • Organ Fireworks 10: Létourneau Organ of the Winspear Centre, Edmonton, Canada.
    • Hyperion.
    • 13.

  • Bernard Herrmann

    Psycho (Prelude)

    Orchestra: National Philharmonic Orchestra. Conductor: Bernard Herrmann.
    • Herrmann: Music for Psycho: National Philharmonic Orchestra, Herrmann.
    • Unicorn-Kanchana.
    • 1.

  • György Ligeti

    Études, Book 2: XIII. L'escalier du diable (The Devil's Staircase)

    Performer: Danny Driver.
    • Ligeti: The 18 Études for Solo Piano.
    • Hyperion.

  • Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

    Don Giovanni: "Don Giovanni, a cenar teco"

    Singer: Johannes Weisser. Singer: Alessandro Guerzoni. Singer: Lorenzo Regazzo. Choir: RIAS Chamber Choir. Orchestra: Freiburg Baroque Orchestra. Conductor: René Jacobs.
    • Mozart: Don Giovanni.
    • HARMONIA MUNDI.

  • John Barry

    Out of Africa (Main Title)

    Orchestra: Studio Orchestra. Conductor: John Barry.
    • MCA Records.

  • Jessica Horsley

    Cycle of Peace: No 3 Blesséd

    Choir: Tenebrae. Conductor: Nigel Short.
    • in between: Choral works by Jessica Ulusoy-Horsley.
    • Signum Classics.
    • 107.

  • Johan Halvorsen

    Passacaglia on a Theme of Handel

    Performer: Julia Fischer. Performer: Daniel Müller‐Schott.
    • ORFEO: C 902 161 A.
    • Orfeo.
    • 12.

  • Richard Wagner

    Tristan und Isolde - Prelude

    Orchestra: Oslo Philharmonic. Conductor: Mariss Jansons.
    • Wagner: Overtures and Preludes from the Operas.
    • Warner Classics.
    • 102.

  • Frédéric Chopin

    Piano Sonata No 3 in B minor

    Performer: Martha Argerich.
    • WARNER.

  • Pyotr Tchaikovsky

    Eugene Onegin (Act 2 Waltz)

    Orchestra: French Radio Philharmonic Orchestra. Conductor: Paavo Järvi.
    • ERATO.

  • Sally Beamish

    April

    Performer: Sally Beamish. Performer: Ryan Corbett.
    • DELPHIAN.

  • Tomás Luis de Victoria

    O quam gloriosum

    Choir: Westminster Cathedral Choir. Conductor: James O’Donnell.
    • Hyperion.

  • Benjamin Britten

    Being Beauteous (Les Illuminations Op.18)

    Singer: Felicity Lott. Orchestra: Royal Scottish National Orchestra. Conductor: Bryden Thomson.
    • Britten: Les Illuminations etc.
    • Chandos.
    • 8.

  • Johannes Brahms

    Symphony No 2 (4th mvt)

    Orchestra: Gewandhausorchester Leipzig. Conductor: Riccardo Chailly.
    • DECCA.

Broadcast

  • Fri 12 Jun 202609:30
    BBC Radio 3