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”.

27 days left to listen

3 hours, 30 minutes

Last on

Thursday09:30
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

  • Gioachino Rossini

    The Thieving Magpie (Overture)

    Orchestra: Chamber Orchestra of Europe. Conductor: Claudio Abbado.
    • Rossini OverturesThe Chamber Orchestra Of Europe.
    • Deutsche Grammaphon.
    • 7.

  • Rebecca Clarke

    Lullaby

    Performer: Jonathan Rees. Performer: Kathron Sturrock.
    • Rebecca Clarke: Songs.
    • Gamut Classics.
    • 21.

  • Sergey Rachmaninov

    Symphony no.1 in D Minor, Op.13 (2nd mvt)

    Orchestra: London Philharmonic Orchestra. Conductor: Vladimir Jurowski.
    • Rachmaninoff: Symphony No. 1 & Isle of the Dead.
    • London Philharmonic Orchestra.
    • 3.

  • Michael William Balfe

    Come into the garden, Maud

    Lyricist: Lord Alfred Tennyson. Singer: Stuart Burrows. Performer: John Constable.
    • Stuart Burrows: The World of Favourite Ballads.
    • DECCA.
    • 6.

  • Maurice Ravel

    Pavane pour une infante defunte

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

  • Cecilia McDowall

    Standing as I do before God

    Choir: Tenebrae. Conductor: Nigel Short. Singer: Emma Walshe.
    • Standing as I do before God.
    • Signum Records.
    • 1.

  • Frank Bridge

    The Sea (Moonlight)

    Performer: Janice Graham. Orchestra: BBC National Orchestra of Wales. Conductor: Richard Hickox.
    • Bridge: Orchestral Works: Hickox.
    • Chandos.
    • 11.

  • Robert Schumann

    Piano Quartet in E flat major, Op 47 (4th mvt)

    Performer: Christophe Gaugué. Ensemble: Trio Wanderer.
    • Robert Schumann: Complete Piano Trios, Quartet & Quintet.
    • harmonia mundi.
    • 104.

  • Emmanuel Chabrier

    Habanera

    Orchestra: Orchestre Lamoureux. Conductor: Yutaka Sado.
    • WARNER ELATUS.

  • Emmerich Kálmán

    Mondd meg hogy imádom a pesti noket (Vienna so gay) (from Grafin Mariza)

    Singer: Jonas Kaufmann. Conductor: Dirk Kaftan. Orchestra: Magyar Állami Operaház zenekara.
    • Magische Töne.
    • Sony Classical.
    • 3.

  • Pauline Hall

    Ariettes oubliées (Verlaine Suite)

    Orchestra: Norwegian Radio Orchestra. Conductor: Christian Eggen.
    • Norway in Music: Pauline Hall.
    • Simax.
    • 003.

  • Franz Liszt

    Consolation No 3

    Performer: Sheku Kanneh‐Mason. Performer: James Baillieu. Music Arranger: Jules Deswert.
    • Collaborations.
    • Decca.
    • 2.

  • Trad.

    The Oak and the Ash

    Music Arranger: Gordon Langford. Ensemble: The King’s Singers.
    • SIGNUM.

  • Antonio Vivaldi

    Concerto in B minor for 4 violins and cello, RV 580

    Ensemble: Le Concert des Nations. Director: Jordi Savall.
    • Vivaldi: La Viole de gambe in Concerto: Savall.
    • Alia Vox.

  • Eric Coates

    Concert Waltz 'Footlights'

    Orchestra: Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra. Conductor: John Wilson.
    • Avie.

  • Dmitry Shostakovich

    Football (Russian River Suite, Op 66)

    Performer: Rustem Hayroudinoff.
    • Chandos.

  • Edward Elgar

    The Dream of Gerontius; Take me away

    Singer: David Butt Philip. Choir: Huddersfield Choral Society. Orchestra: Orchestra of Opera North. Conductor: Martyn Brabbins.
    • Elgar: The Dream of Gerontius.
    • Hyperion.
    • 13.

  • Maurice Ravel

    Prelude (Le tombeau de Couperin)

    Performer: Steven Osborne.
    • Ravel: The Complete Solo Piano Music: Steven Osborne, Piano.
    • Hyperion.
    • 1.

  • John Adams

    The Wound Dresser for Baritone and Orchestra

    Performer: Georg Nigl. Orchestra: Berlin Philharmonic. Conductor: Kirill Petrenko.
    • Berliner Philharmoniker: John Adams.
    • Berliner Philharmoniker Recordings.
    • 6.

  • 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.

  • Joseph Haydn

    Piano Trio in E flat major, H.15.29 (3rd mvt)

    Ensemble: The Florestan Trio.
    • Haydn: Piano Trios - Volume 2: Hob XV: 28-31.
    • Hyperion.
    • 6.

  • William Grant Still

    Serenade

    Orchestra: Royal Scottish National Orchestra. Conductor: Avlana Eisenberg.
    • Still: Orchestral Works.
    • Naxos.
    • 7.

  • Georges Bizet

    Prière, ô doux souffle de l'ange ! (from Clovis et Clotilde)

    Singer: Elsa Dreisig. Conductor: Massimo Zanetti. Orchestra: Orchestra del teatro Carlo Felice di Genova.
    • Invocation.
    • Warner Classics.
    • 17.

  • Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

    Piano Concerto no.20 in D minor, K.466 (2nd mvt)

    Performer: Mitsuko Uchida. Orchestra: The Cleveland Orchestra. Director: Mitsuko Uchida.
    • Mozart: Piano Concertos 20, K466 & 27, K595; Mitsuko Uchida, The Cleveland Orche.
    • Decca.
    • 2.

  • Pyotr Tchaikovsky

    Swan Lake (Suite)

    Orchestra: Berlin Philharmonic. Conductor: Mstislav Rostropovich.
    • Centenary Edition 1913 - 2013 Berliner Philharmoniker.
    • Deutsche Grammophon (DG).
    • 50-55.

  • Franz Liszt

    Liebesträume, S. 541: No. 3 in A-Flat Major, Oh Lieb, so lang du lieben kannst

    Performer: Lang Lang.
    • Sony.

  • Johannes Brahms

    Symphony No.2 in D - Final Movement

    Orchestra: BBC Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Sakari Oramo.

  • Madeleine Dring

    Take, O take those lips away (7 Shakespeare Songs)

    Orchestrator: Roderick Williams. Singer: Roderick Williams. Orchestra: Hallé. Conductor: Mark Elder.
    • Halle.

  • Pablo de Sarasate

    Navarra Op.33

    Performer: Nicola Benedetti. Performer: Yume Fujise. Performer: Plínio Fernandes. Performer: Samuele Telari. Performer: Thomas Carroll.
    • DECCA.

  • Karl Jenkins

    The Armed Man - A Mass For Peace: X. Agnus Dei

    Conductor: Karl Jenkins. Orchestra: London Philharmonic Orchestra. Choir: National Youth Choir.
    • The Armed Man: A Mass For Peace.
    • Decca (UMO) (Classics).
    • 10.

Broadcast

  • Thursday09:30
    BBC Radio 3