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The very best of classical music

Georgia Mann plays the best in classical music, with familiar favourites alongside new discoveries and musical surprises.

Georgia Mann plays the best in classical music, with familiar favourites alongside new discoveries and musical surprises.

1000 Playlist starter 鈥 listen and send us your ideas for the next step in our musical journey today.

1030 Song of the Day 鈥 harnessing the magic of words, music and the human voice.

1115 Playlist reveal 鈥 a sequence of music suggested by you in response to our starter today.

1145 Slow Moment 鈥 time to take a break for a moment's musical reflection.

To listen on most smart speakers say "Ask 大象传媒 Sounds to play Essential Classics鈥

20 days left to listen

3 hours, 30 minutes

Last on

Mon 24 Feb 2025 09:30

Music Played

  • Gioachino Rossini

    The Thieving Magpie (Overture)

    Orchestra: London Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Claudio Abbado.
    • Deutsche Grammophon.
  • Johannes Brahms

    Rhapsodie in E flat major, op.119 no.4

    Performer: Nelson Freire.
    • Decca.
  • Sergey Rachmaninov

    Men's Dance (Aleko)

    Orchestra: Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra. Conductor: Vasily Petrenko.
    • EMI.
  • William Byrd

    Libera me, Domine, et pone me juxta te

    Choir: Alamire. Director: David Skinner.
    • Tallis & Byrd: Cantiones Sacrae 1575: Alamire, David Skinner.
    • Obsidian.
    • 5.
  • Arthur Bliss

    The Red Knight's Mazurka (Checkmate)

    Orchestra: Ulster Orchestra. Conductor: Vernon Handley.
    • A Colour Symphony.
    • Chandos.
    • 8.
  • Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

    Sonata in C major K.545 for piano 'Simplice' arr. for 2 pianos: 1st mvt; Allegro

    Performer: Martha Argerich. Performer: Piotr Anderszewski. Music Arranger: Edvard Grieg.
    • WARNER.
  • Maurice Ravel

    Une barque sur l'ocean (Miroirs)

    Orchestra: Berliner Philharmoniker. Conductor: Pierre Boulez.
    • DG.
  • Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach

    Symphony in F major Wq.175

    Orchestra: Academy for Ancient Music Berlin.
    • Harmonia Mundi.
  • Camille Saint鈥怱a毛ns

    Danse Macabre

    Performer: Dylan Perez. Singer: William Thomas.
  • Leos Jan谩膷ek

    Overture: Jealousy

    Orchestra: Czech Philharmonic. Conductor: Ji艡铆 B臎lohl谩vek.
    • Janacek: Taras Bulba/Fiddler's Child etc..
    • Chandos.
    • 5.
  • Fran莽ois Couperin

    La sultane

    Performer: Susanna Pell. Ensemble: Purcell Quartet.
    • CHANDOS.
  • Jean Sibelius

    Lemminkainen's Return (Lemminkainen Suite, Op.22)

    Orchestra: Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Hannu Lintu.
    • Sibelius and the Kalevala.
    • Ondine.
    • 101.
  • Fr茅d茅ric Chopin

    Waltz in A flat major, Op 42

    Performer: Kathryn Stott.
    • Chopin: Piano works.
    • Chappell.
    • 10.
  • Joseph Haydn

    Symphony No 103 in E flat (2nd mvt)

    Orchestra: Orchestra of the Eighteenth Century. Conductor: Frans Br眉ggen.
    • Haydn: London Symphonies.
    • Philips.
    • 10.
  • Joby Talbot

    The Queen Of Hearts' Tango (Alice's Adventures in Wonderland - suite)

    Orchestra: Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. Conductor: Christopher Austin.
    • Alice's Adventures In Wonderland.
    • SIGNUM CLASSICS.
    • 6.
  • Gabriel Faur茅

    Sicilienne Op.78

    Performer: Michael Collins. Performer: Michael McHale.
    • The Lyrical Clarinet Vol 3.
    • Chandos.
    • 05.
  • Jean Sibelius

    Pelleas et Melisande Op.46 (At the Castle Gate)

    Orchestra: Iceland Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Petri Sakari.
    • Sibelius - Incidental Music.
    • Chandos.
    • 1.
  • Sergey Prokofiev

    Dance of the Knights (Romeo and Juliet)

    Orchestra: The Cleveland Orchestra. Conductor: Lorin Maazel.
    • Prokofiev: Romeo and Juliet: The Cleveland Orchestra, Lorin Maazel.
    • Decca.
    • 11.
  • Antonio Vivaldi

    Concerto in C major for 2 trumpets, RV.537

    Performer: Alison Balsom. Performer: Crispian Steele鈥怭erkins. Ensemble: The Parley of Instruments. Conductor: Peter Holman.
    • Music for two trumpets from the Italian Baroque.
    • Hyperion.
    • 33.
  • Felix Mendelssohn

    String Quartet no.3 in D major Op.44 no.1 (4th mvt)

    Ensemble: Quatuor Psophos.
    • Mendelssohn: Quartets: Quatuor Psophos.
    • Zig Zag Territories.
    • 8.
  • George Frideric Handel

    Ombre, piante (Rodelinda)

    Singer: Suzie LeBlanc. Orchestra: Arion Orchestre Baroque. Conductor: Stephen Stubbs.
    • Handel: Love Duets.
    • ATMA Classique.
    • 10.
  • Henry Purcell

    Sonata in four parts no.9 in F major Z.810 'Golden'

    Performer: Neville Marriner. Performer: Granville Jones. Performer: Peter Gibbs. Performer: Desmond Dupr茅. Performer: George Malcolm.
    • VANGUARD.
  • Dmitry Shostakovich

    Piano Concerto no.2 in F major, Op.102

    Performer: Simon Trpceski. Orchestra: Jan谩膷kova filharmonie Ostrava. Conductor: Cristian M膬celaru.
    • LINN.
  • Richard Strauss

    Serenade in E flat major, Op.7

    Ensemble: Ensemble 脿 vent Paris Bastille. Director: Fran莽ois Leleux.
    • Francois Leleux - Richard Strauss.
    • Sony Classical.
    • 4.
  • John Adams

    China Gates

    Performer: James McVinnie.
    • PENTATONE.
  • B茅la Bart贸k

    Hungarian Sketches

    Orchestra: Budapest Festival Orchestra. Conductor: Iv谩n Fischer.
    • Bartok: Orchestral Works Vol.1: Budapest Festival Orchestra/Fischer.
    • Philips.
    • 3.
  • Franz Schubert

    Octet in F major, D 803 (3rd mvt)

    Ensemble: Nash Ensemble.
    • Schubert: Octet: The Nash Ensemble.
    • Virgin Classics.
    • 3.

Broadcast

  • Mon 24 Feb 2025 09:30

Our Classical Century

Our Classical Century

Radio 3 explores 100 key musical moments that shaped us, from 1918 to the present day.

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Time Travellers: the podcast

Eleanor Rosamund Barraclough presents quirky tales gathered from the corners of history.