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A classical soundtrack for your morning

Georgia Mann plays the best in classical music for your morning, 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.

Including, as Radio 3 reflects the BBC's partnership with V&A East Museum's The Music is Black, we have the final play this week of 'On the Shoulders of Aunties and Uncles", Segun Akinola's new piece paying tribute to past generations of musicians across genres.

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 a masterpiece.

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

23 days left to listen

3 hours, 30 minutes

Last on

Last Friday 09:30
BBC Radio 3

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Music Played

  • William Walton

    Spitfire Prelude and Fugue - concert version (Fugue)

    Orchestra: Academy of St Martin in the Fields. Conductor: Neville Marriner.
    • Walton: Battle of Britain Suite etc.: ASMF/Marriner.
    • Chandos.
    • 2.

  • Joseph Haydn

    Piano Sonata No 31 in A flat major, H XVI 46, 'Divertimento' (2nd mvt)

    Performer: Jean‐Efflam Bavouzet.
    • Haydn Piano Sonatas, Vol. 1: Jean-Efflam Bavouzet.
    • Chandos.
    • 8.

  • Ralph Vaughan Williams

    A Sea Symphony (1st mvt - conclusion)

    Singer: Masabane Cecilia Rangwanasha. Singer: Will Liverman. Choir: London Symphony Chorus. Orchestra: London Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Sir Antonio Pappano.
    • LSO LIVE.

  • Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

    Symphony no.39 in E flat major K.543 (4th mvt)

    Orchestra: Scottish Chamber Orchestra. Conductor: Charles Mackerras.
    • Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Symphonies 38 - 41 Scottish Chamber Orchestra Sir Charle.
    • Linn.
    • 7.

  • Jean Françaix

    Ode à la gastronomie (excerpt)

    Ensemble: I Fagiolini. Conductor: Robert Hollingworth.
    • Amuse-Bouche.
    • DECCA.
    • 3.

  • Errollyn Wallen

    Dances for Orchestra (Dance I)

    Orchestra: BBC Concert Orchestra. Conductor: John Andrews.
    • Errollyn Wallen: Orchestral Works.
    • Resonus Classics.
    • 1.

  • Charles Avison

    Concerto Grosso in F major, Op 10 No 2

    Performer: Pavlo Beznosiuk. Ensemble: Avison Ensemble.
    • The Avison Ensemble: Avison: Concerti Grossi, op. 9 & op. 10.
    • Divine Art.
    • 16.

  • Erich Wolfgang Korngold

    Symphony in F sharp Op.40 (4th mvt)

    Orchestra: Sinfonia of London. Conductor: John Wilson.
    • CHANDOS.

  • Léo Delibes

    Pizzicato (Sylvia)

    Music Arranger: Sir Stephen Hough. Performer: Sir Stephen Hough.
    • French Album: Stephen Hough.
    • Hyperion.
    • 16.

  • Ruairí Dall Ó Catháin

    Give me your hand

    Performer: Max Baillie. Performer: Alistair Vennart. Performer: Hadewych van Gent. Performer: Sam Becker. Performer: Leif Kaner‐Lidström.
    • DECCA.

  • Segun Akinola

    On the Shoulders of Aunties and Uncles

    Orchestra: BBC National Orchestra of Wales. Conductor: Luis Castillo-Briceño.

  • Johann Sebastian Bach

    Easter Oratorio BWV.249 (Sinfonia)

    Orchestra: English Baroque Soloists. Conductor: Sir John Eliot Gardiner.
    • SDG.

  • Antonín Dvořák

    Sonatina (3rd mvt)

    Performer: Gil Shaham. Performer: Orli Shaham.
    • Dvorák for Two.
    • DG.

  • Johannes Brahms

    Symphony no.2 in D major Op.73 (4th mvt)

    Orchestra: Gewandhausorchester Leipzig. Conductor: Herbert Blomstedt.
    • Brahms: Symphony No. 2 & Academic Festival Overture.
    • PENTATONE.
    • 4.

  • George Gershwin

    Embracable You

    Performer: Wayne Marshall.
    • A Gershwin Songbook & Improvisations.
    • VIRGIN CLASSICS.
    • 10.

  • Marcel Lanquetuit

    Toccata in D Major

    Performer: Alexander Ffinch.
    • Expectations.
    • Divine Art.

  • William Walton

    Praise ye (Belshazzar's Feast)

    Singer: Bryn Terfel. Choir: BBC Symphony Chorus. Orchestra: BBC Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Andrew Davis.
    • Warner Apex.

  • Bohuslav Martinů

    Prologue (La Revue de cuisine)

    • Martinu: Sinfonietta 'La Jolla'/La revue de cuisine, etc..
    • Decca.
    • 4.

  • Lionel Bart

    Food, glorious food! (Oliver!)

    Choir: Original London Cast. Orchestra: Oliver! Orchestra.
    • DECCA.

  • François‐Joseph Gossec

    Tambourin (Le Triomphe de la Republique)

    Music Arranger: Charles Gerhardt. Performer: James Galway. Orchestra: National Philharmonic Orchestra. Conductor: Charles Gerhardt.
    • James Galway - Celebrating 70 - A collection of Personal Favourites.
    • RCA.
    • 3.

  • Philip Herbert

    Elegy [In Memoriam Stephen Lawrence]

    Orchestra: Chineke! Orchestra. Conductor: Anthony Parnther.
    • Spark Catchers.
    • NMC.

  • Felix Mendelssohn

    Songs Without Words: Book II, No 1

    Performer: Bertrand Chamayou.
    • ERATO.

  • Cole Porter

    Night and Day (Gay Divorce)

    Singer: Kenneth Nelson.

  • Georg Philipp Telemann

    Recorder Sonata in B flat major (2nd mvt)

    Performer: Pamela Thorby. Performer: Alison McGillivray. Performer: Elizabeth Kenny. Performer: Marcin Swaitkiewicz.
    • Telemann: Recorder Sonatas and Fantasias.
    • Linn Records.
    • 5.

  • Frédéric Chopin

    Fantasie-impromptu in C sharp minor Op.66

    Performer: Daniil Trifonov.
    • DG.

  • Ralph Vaughan Williams

    The House of Life

    Orchestrator: Roderick Williams. Singer: Roderick Williams. Orchestra: Hallé. Conductor: Sir Mark Elder.
    • A Shropshire Lad: English Songs Orchestrated by Roderick Williams.
    • HALLE.
    • 12.

  • Georges Bizet

    Farandole (L'Arlesienne Suite no.2)

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

  • Florent Schmitt

    3 Danses: No 3 Danse de corde

    Orchestra: BBC Philharmonic Orchestra. Conductor: Yan Pascal Tortelier.
    • CHANDOS.

  • Cécile Chaminade

    Guitare Op.32

    Performer: Eric Parkin.
    • Chaminade: Piano Works - Eric Parkin.
    • Chandos.
    • 11.

  • Henry Balfour Gardiner

    Evening Hymn

    Choir: St Paul's Cathedral Choir. Performer: Andrew Lucas. Conductor: John Scott.
    • The English Anthem 1: Stainer, Stanford, Bairstow, Ireland, Finzi etc..
    • Hyperion.
    • 3.

  • Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov

    Scheherazade: The Story of the Kalender Prince

    Performer: Herman Krebbers. Orchestra: Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra. Conductor: Kirill Kondrashin.
    • Rimsky-Korsakov: Scheherazade; Strauss: Don Juan (Herman Krebbers Edition, Vol..
    • PHILIPS.

Broadcast

  • Last Friday 09:30
    BBC Radio 3