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Classical music for your journey

Take time out with a 30-minute soundscape of classical favourites, with music by Rachmaninov, Debussy and Amy Beach.

Today's mixtape opens with an understated piano prelude by Rachmaninov, leading into a lyrical piece by Dvorak, arranged for violin and orchestra. The baton is passed to Stanford's juicy choral work The Blue Bird, which melts into the dulcet tones of Beethoven's Pathetique sonata. Philip Glass's haunting Paru River blends into the orchestral version of Debussy's lively Children's Corner, followed by an atmospheric and folk-inflected piece by the Danish String Quartet. Amy Beach's pastoral Berceuse, arranged for clarinet and orchestra, is the penultimate work; the mixtape concludes with a soothing passacaglia for guitar by Silvius Leopold Weiss.

Producer: Phoebe McFarlane

13 days left to listen

30 minutes

Last on

Fri 22 May 2026 19:00
BBC Radio 3

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Music Played

  • Sergey Rachmaninov

    Prelude in G flat major, Op 23 No 10

    Performer: Nikolai Demidenko.
    • Rachmaninov: Preludes, Etudes-Tableaux, Morceaux: Nikolai Demidenko.
    • Helios.
    • 7.

  • Antonín Dvořák

    Humoresque in G flat major, Op 101 No 7 arr Harris

    Performer: Isaac Stern. Music Arranger: Arthur Harris. Orchestra: Columbia Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Milton Katims.
    • Humoresque, Favourite Violin Encores: Stern/Columbia Symphony Orch/Brieff/Katims.
    • Sony Classical.

  • Charles Villiers Stanford

    The Blue bird, Op.119, no.3

    Choir: Choir of New College Oxford. Director: Edward Higginbottom.
    • Bluebird - Music of Contemplation: Choir of New College Oxford/Edward Higginbott.
    • Decca.
    • 2.

  • Ludwig van Beethoven

    Piano sonata No 8 in C minor, Op 13 (Pathetique) - 2nd mvt

    Performer: Nobuyuki Tsujii.
    • Beethoven: Piano Sonata No. 29 \"Hammerklavier\"; An die ferne Geliebte (Arr. Li.
    • Deutsche Grammophon (DG).
    • 11.

  • Philip Glass

    Paru River (Aguas da Amazonia)

    Ensemble: Third Coast Percussion.
    • Glass: Aguas da Amazonia.
    • Rockwell Records.
    • 9.

  • Fredrik Sjölin

    Shore

    Ensemble: Danish String Quartet.
    • Last Leaf.
    • ECM.
    • 2.

  • Amy Beach

    Berceuse (3 Pieces Op.40)

    Music Arranger: Stephan Koncz. Performer: Andreas Ottensamer. Orchestra: Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra. Conductor: Yannick Nézet‐Séguin.
    • DG.

  • Sylvius Leopold Weiss

    Passacaglia

    Performer: Miloš Karadaglić.
    • Passacaglia.
    • Sony Classical.
    • 1.

Broadcast

  • Fri 22 May 2026 19:00
    BBC Radio 3

Music to help you focus

Music to help you focus

Discover the best classical music for study, inspiration and relaxation.