Main content

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.

To listen on most smart speakers say, 'Ask BBC Sounds to play Essential Classics'.

13 days left to listen

3 hours, 30 minutes

Last on

Thu 5 Feb 202609:30
BBC Radio 3

More episodes

Previous

Relax into the day with classical

Next

A feast of great music

See all episodes from Essential Classics

Music Played

  • Gustav Holst

    St Paul's Suite: Jig

    Orchestra: City of London Sinfonia. Conductor: Richard Hickox.
    • CHANDOS.

  • Sergey Rachmaninov

    Valse (Suite no.2 Op.17)

    Performer: Martha Argerich. Performer: Nelson Freire.
    • PHILIPS.

  • Johann Sebastian Bach

    'Geschwinde, ihr wirbelnden Winde', from Cantata BWV201

    Choir: Bach Collegium Japan Chorus. Orchestra: Bach Collegium Japan. Conductor: Masaaki Suzuki.
    • BIS.

  • Ruth Gipps

    Ambarvalia, Op. 70

    Orchestra: BBC Philharmonic Orchestra. Conductor: Rumon Gamba.
    • Gipps: Orchestral Works Vol. 3.
    • Chandos Records Limited.
    • 02.

  • Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

    Piano Concerto No. 23, K.488 (3rd mvt)

    Performer: Jean‐Efflam Bavouzet. Orchestra: Manchester Camerata. Conductor: Gábor Takács‐Nagy.
    • Mozart: Piano Concerto No. 22, K. 482 & No.23, K. 488.
    • Chandos.
    • 303.

  • Jessie Montgomery

    Starburst

    Music Arranger: Jannina Norpoth. Orchestra: The Knights.
    • FLIGHT: Migration Music Part 2.
    • Rising Sun Records.
    • 4.

  • Camille Saint‐SaĂ«ns

    Serenade, Op 15 (vers. for orchestra)

    Orchestra: Euskadiko Orkestra Sinfonikoa. Conductor: Jun MĂ€rkl.
    • Saint-SaĂ«ns: Orchestral Works.
    • Naxos.
    • 15.

  • Bernhard Crusell

    Divertimento, Op.9

    Performer: Christopher O'Neal. Ensemble: Fibonacci Sequence.
    • DEUX-ELLES.

  • John Ireland

    A Downland Suite - III. Minuet, allegretto grazioso [arr. for strings by Ireland]

    Orchestra: Orchestra of the Swan. Conductor: David Curtis.
    • Naxos.

  • Maurice Ravel

    Piano Trio in A Minor, M. 67: IV. Final. Animé

    Ensemble: Trio Wanderer.
    • Art nouveau: French chamber music around 1900.
    • harmonia mundi.
    • 214.

  • Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina

    Tu es Petrus, a 6

    Choir: Stile Antico.
    • DECCA.

  • Ludwig van Beethoven

    Symphony No 8 in F major, Op 93 (4th mvt)

    Orchestra: London Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Bernard Haitink.
    • LSO Live.

  • Robert Schumann

    Adagio and Allegro in A flat major, Op 70

    Performer: Ben Goldscheider. Performer: Daniel Hill.
    • Debut.
    • Willowhayne Records.

  • AntonĂ­n Dvoƙák

    Carnival Overture, Op 92

    Orchestra: Chicago Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Fritz Reiner.
    • RCA.

  • Isabella Leonarda

    Sonata VII Ă  tre

    Ensemble: Concerto Soave. Director: Jean-Marc Aymes.
    • AMBRONAY.

  • Ēriks Ešenvalds

    Stars

    Choir: VOCES8.
    • Lux.
    • Decca.
    • 7.

  • Isaac AlbĂ©niz

    The Magic Opal Suite. Prelude

    Music Arranger: Joan Trayter. Orchestra: BBC Philharmonic Orchestra. Conductor: Juanjo Mena.
    • CHANDOS.

  • Hoagy Carmichael

    Stardust

    Performer: Wynton Marsalis. Music Arranger: Bob Freedman. Orchestra: Studio Orchestra. Conductor: Bob Freedman.
    • Resolution to Swing.
    • COLUMBIA.
    • 1.

  • Anton Urspruch

    5 Morceaux, Op. 19: No. 4, Caprice. Allegro

    Performer: Maria Linares.
    • Urspruch: Piano Works.
    • Naxos.
    • 104.

  • George Frideric Handel

    Where e'er you walk (Semele)

    Singer: John Mark Ainsley. Orchestra: London Philharmonic Orchestra. Conductor: Sir Andrew Davis.
    • WARNER CLASSICS.

  • Percy Grainger

    Dreamery

    Orchestra: BBC Philharmonic Orchestra. Conductor: Richard Hickox.
    • Grainger: Orchestral Works, Vol. 6, "The Warriors".
    • Chandos.
    • 113.

  • Alexander Glazunov

    Orientale (5 Novelettes Op.15)

    Ensemble: Vertavo Quartet.
    • Les Vendredis.
    • Simax.
    • 12.

  • Samuel Coleridge-Taylor

    Four Characteristic Waltzes (Valse de la reine)

    Orchestra: RTÉ Concert Orchestra. Conductor: Adrian Leaper.
    • Coleridge-Taylor.
    • Marco Polo.
    • 8.

  • CĂ©sar Franck

    Violin Sonata in A major (4th mvt)

    Performer: James Ehnes. Performer: Andrew Armstrong.
    • Franck & Strauss Violin Sonatas.
    • ONYX.
    • 4.

  • Franz Liszt

    Piano Concerto No. 2 in A major, S. 125

    Performer: Alexander Ullman. Orchestra: BBC Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Andrew Litton.
    • RUBICON.

  • Gabriel FaurĂ©

    Cantique de Jean Racine, Op.11

    Choir: Choir of St John’s College, Cambridge. Performer: Stephen Cleobury. Conductor: George Guest.
    • DECCA.

  • Doreen Carwithen

    Suffolk Morris: Ritmico (Suffolk Suite)

    Orchestra: London Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Richard Hickox.
    • Carwithen: Orchestral Music.
    • Chandos.
    • 008.

  • Joseph Haydn

    String Quartet in E flat major Op.76 no.6 (4th mvt)

    Ensemble: Chiaroscuro Quartet.
    • Haydn: String Quartets, Op. 76 Nos. 4-6.
    • BIS.
    • 304.

  • Henry Purcell

    Thanks To These Lonesome Vales (Dido and Aeneas)

    Singer: Emma Kirkby. Choir: Academy of Ancient Music Chorus. Orchestra: Academy of Ancient Music. Conductor: Christopher Hogwood.
    • Purcell: Dido & Aeneas.
    • Decca.
    • 19.

  • Arturo MĂĄrquez

    DanzĂłn no.2

    Orchestra: SimĂłn BolĂ­var Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Gustavo Dudamel.
    • Deutsche Grammophon.

Broadcast

  • Thu 5 Feb 202609:30
    BBC Radio 3