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The best classical morning music

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.

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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27 days left to listen

3 hours, 30 minutes

Last on

Wednesday 09:30
BBC Radio 3

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Music Played

  • George Frideric Handel

    Zadok the Priest

    Choir: Choir of King’s College, Cambridge. Ensemble: Academy of Ancient Music. Conductor: Stephen Cleobury.
    • Glorious Majesty.
    • Warner Classics.
    • 1.

  • Cecil Armstrong Gibbs

    Dusk (Fancy Dress suite, Op 82 No 3)

    Orchestra: The New London Orchestra. Conductor: Ronald Corp.
    • British Light Music Classics, Vol. 1.
    • Hyperion.
    • 10.

  • Fanny Mendelssohn

    Piano Quartet in A flat major (1st mvt: Allegro moderato)

    Ensemble: Kaleidoscope Chamber Collective.
    • Fanny and Felix Mendelssohn: Piano Sextet; Piano Quartet; Piano Trio.
    • Chandos.
    • 9.

  • Franz Schubert

    Symphony No 1 in D major, D 82 (3rd mvt)

    Conductor: Claudio Abbado. Orchestra: Chamber Orchestra of Europe.
    • Schubert: 8 Symphonies: Chamber Orchestra of Europe/Abbado.
    • Deutsche Grammophon.
    • 3.

  • Gabriel Fauré

    Cantique de Jean Racine, Op 11

    Choir: Choir of New College Oxford. Performer: Matthew Halls. Performer: Christopher Hughes. Ensemble: Capricorn. Conductor: Edward Higginbottom.
    • Agnus Dei: Choir of New College, Oxford/Higginbottom.
    • Erato.

  • Claude Debussy

    L'isle joyeuse

    Performer: Zoltan Kocsis.
    • Debussy: Images, Arabesques: Kocsis.
    • Philips.
    • 8.

  • Heinrich Ignaz Franz von Biber

    Battalia

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

  • Aram Khachaturian

    Adagio of Spartacus and Phrygia (Spartacus)

    Orchestra: Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Kirill Karabits.
    • Onyx.

  • Reynaldo Hahn

    L'Heure exquise (Les Chansons grises, No.5)

    Performer: Juliette Hurel. Performer: Isabelle Moretti.
    • Élégance: French music for flute and harp.
    • harmonia mundi.
    • 18.

  • Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

    Horn Concerto no.4 in E flat K.495

    Performer: Alessio Allegrini. Orchestra: Orchestra Mozart. Conductor: Claudio Abbado.
    • Mozart: Horn Concertos: Allegrini/Orchestra Mozart/Claudio Abbado.
    • Deutsche Grammophon.
    • 6-8.

  • Henry Purcell

    Hear my prayer, O Lord

    Choir: Armonico Consort. Director: Christopher Monks.
    • Naked Byrd two: Armonico Consort.
    • Signum Classics.
    • 5.

  • Richard Wagner

    The Flying Dutchman (Overture)

    Orchestra: Hallé. Conductor: Mark Elder.
    • Wagner: Halle/Sir Mark Elder.
    • Halle.
    • 3.

  • Clara Schumann

    Piano Sonata in G Minor: I. Allegro

    Performer: Isata Kanneh‐Mason.
    • Romance – The Piano Music of Clara Schumann.
    • Decca Music Group Ltd..
    • 13.

  • Thomas Adès

    L'embarquement (Arcadiana)

    Ensemble: Endellion Quartet.
    • Ades: Living Toys.
    • EMI Classics.
    • 13.

  • Francis Poulenc

    L'embarquement pour Cythère

    Performer: Lucille Chung. Performer: Alessio Bax.
    • Poulenc: Works for Piano Solo and Duo.
    • Signum Classics.
    • 22.

  • Herbie Hancock

    Cantaloupe Island

    Performer: Herbie Hancock. Performer: Freddie Hubbard. Performer: Ron Carter. Performer: Tony Williams.
    • Cantaloupe Island.
    • Blue Note.
    • 01.

  • Elena Kats‐Chernin

    Eliza's Aria (Wild Swans)

    Singer: Jane Sheldon. Orchestra: Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Ola Rudner.
    • Elena Kats-Chernin - Wild Swans.
    • ABC.
    • 2.

  • Ludwig van Beethoven

    Coriolan Overture, Op 62

    Orchestra: Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Colin Davis.
    • Beethoven: Overtures: Sir Colin Davis.
    • CBS.
    • 2.

  • Jule Styne

    At the Fair: III. Don't Rain on My Parade

    Lyricist: Bob Merrill. Music Arranger: Barbara Hannigan. Music Arranger: Bill Elliott. Conductor: Barbara Hannigan. Orchestra: Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra.
    • An American Dream?.
    • Alpha Classics.
    • 14.

  • Thomas Linley (the younger)

    Arise! Ye spirits of the storm (The Tempest)

    Choir: The Parley of Instruments. Orchestra: The Parley of Instruments. Conductor: Paul Nicholson.
    • HELIOS.

  • Antonín Dvořák

    Piano Quintet no.2 in A major Op.81 (3rd mvt)

    Performer: Boris Giltburg. Ensemble: Pavel Haas Quartet.
    • SUPRAPHON.

  • Igor Stravinsky

    Pulcinella Suite

    Orchestra: Mahler Chamber Orchestra. Conductor: Pablo Heras‐Casado.
    • Stravinsky: Pulcinella Suite - Falla: El Retablo de Maese Pedro & Harpsichord Co.
    • Harmonia Mundi.

  • Joseph Haydn

    Symphony No 94 in G major "Surprise" (2nd mvt)

    Orchestra: The Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen. Conductor: Paavo Järvi.
    • RCA.

  • Cheryl Frances-Hoad

    Vocalise for flute, clarinet and harp

    Ensemble: Korros Ensemble.
    • Convivium.

  • Frédéric Chopin

    Barcarolle in F sharp major Op.60

    Performer: Maurizio Pollini.
    • Chopin: Late works Opp. 59-64.
    • Deutsche Grammophon.
    • 1.

  • Giovanni Gabrieli

    Canzon duodecimi toni à 10, C.179

    Ensemble: Empire Brass Quintet and friends. Conductor: Rolf Smedvig.
    • Gabrieli: Empire brass quintet/Smedvig.
    • TELARC.
    • 001.

  • Edward Elgar

    La Capricieuse Op 17 for violin and piano

    Performer: Leonidas Kavakos. Performer: Enrico Pace.
    • DECCA.

Broadcast

  • Wednesday 09:30
    BBC Radio 3