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Colours of Autumn: Celebrating classical greats

Georgia Mann plays the best classical music for your morning, with discoveries and surprises rubbing shoulders with familiar favourites.

Georgia Mann plays the best classical music for your morning, continuing a special week in which she celebrates the sounds and colours of autumn. Including the Playlister challenge: our regular listener-created sequence inspired by a different piece of music each day, and a new classical release is in focus for Album of the Week. Plus at midday, a special 20 minutes sequence of words and music on autumnal themes, with poetry and prose read by Anton Lesser and Josette Simon.

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 Colours of Autumn: an indulgent selection of words and music on autumnal themes, with poetry and prose read by Anton Lesser and Josette Simon.
Today's theme centres around the turning of the year, the richness of Autumn colours, and mushrooms.

Joseph Haydn : Autumn: Introduction (The Seasons)
Concentus Musicus Vienna
Nikolaus Harnoncourt (conductor)

Raine Geoghegan: It's Hopping Time (extract)
Read by Josette Simon

Jonathan Dove: Invocation (The Passing of the Year)
Voces8
Jonathan Dove (piano)

John Betjeman: Harrow-on-the-hill
Read by Anton Lesser

Edvard Grieg: Storm, Peer Gynt's Homecoming (Peer Gynt Suite No 2)
Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra
Esa-Pekka Salonen (conductor)

Mary Jean Chan: The Painter
Read by Josette Simon

Kurt Weill arr. Paul Bateman: September Song (Knickerbocker Glory)
Daniel Hope (violin)
Jacques Ammon (piano)
Zurich Chamber Orchestra

Elena Kats-Chernin: Green Leaf (Wild Swans)
Jane Sheldon (soprano)
Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra
Ola Rudner (conductor)

Dante Gabriel Rosetti: Autumn Song
Read by Anton Lesser

Bela Bartok: Night Music (Out of Doors)
Can Çakmur (piano)

Sylvia Plath: Mushrooms
Read by Josette Simon

Simon Armitage: I kicked a mushroom
Read by Josette Simon

Francis Poulenc: The Bad Mushroom (The Story of Barbar, the little elephant)
Melbourne Symphony Orchestra
John Lanchbery (conductor)

Howard Goodall: Poppies (The Seasons Suite, Autumn)
Bozidar Vukotic (cello)
Marianna Szymanowska (harp)
Tippett Quartet

Laurie Lee: Field of Autumn
Read by Anton Lesser

Peter Warlock: Autumn Twilight
John Mark Ainsley (tenor)
Roger Vignoles (piano)

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17 days left to listen

3 hours, 30 minutes

Music Played

  • Antonio Vivaldi

    Violin Concerto in F major RV.293 'Autumn'

    Performer: Fabio Biondi. Ensemble: Europa Galante.
    • Vivaldi: The Four Seasons; Europa Galante, Fabio Biondi.
    • Virgin Classics.
    • 7.
  • Gabriel Fauré

    Barcarolle in G

    Performer: Kathryn Stott.
    • Fauré: The Complete Music for Piano.
    • Hyperion.
    • 2.
  • Frank Bridge

    Seascape (The Sea)

    Orchestra: BBC National Orchestra of Wales. Conductor: Richard Hickox.
    • Chandos.
  • Augusta Holmès

    3 litte pieces: Chanson; Moonlight; Jig

    Performer: Juliette Hurel. Performer: Hélène Couvert.
    • ALPHA.
  • Émile Waldteufel

    Les patineurs, Op. 183 "Skater's Waltz": Les Patineurs, Op. 183

    Orchestra: Royal Scottish National Orchestra. Conductor: Christopher Bell.
    • A Family Christmas.
    • Signum Classics.
    • 1201.
  • Uuno Klami

    The Foggy Morning (Sea pictures)

    Orchestra: Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Leif Segerstam.
    • Finlandia.
  • Ferde Grofé

    Grand Canyon Suite (Sunset)

    Orchestra: Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin. Conductor: Hans-Dieter Baum.
    • Capriccio.
  • William Byrd

    Browning, 'The leaves be green'

    Ensemble: Fretwork.
    • Virgin Classics.
  • Peter Warlock

    Capriol Suite

    Orchestra: Academy of St Martin in the Fields. Conductor: Neville Marriner.
    • DECCA.
  • Eric Whitacre

    Leonardo dreams of his flying machine

    Choir: Ensemble Altera. Conductor: Christopher Lowrey.
    • The Four Elements.
    • Pentatone.
  • Errollyn Wallen

    Peace on Earth

    Performer: Christopher Williams.
    • Still Glides the Stream.
    • Naxos.
    • 114.
  • Uuno Klami

    The Foggy Morning (Sea pictures)

    Orchestra: Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Leif Segerstam.
    • Finlandia.
  • George Frideric Handel

    Harp Concerto in B-Flat (1st mvt)

    Performer: Frances Kelly. Conductor: Roy Goodman. Orchestra: The Brandenburg Consort.
    • Handel: Organ Concertos, Op. 4 & Op. 7.
    • Hyperion.
    • 35.
  • Ralph Vaughan Williams

    The Lark Ascending

    Performer: Tasmin Little. Orchestra: BBC Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Sir Andrew Davis.
    • Vaughan Williams: The Symphonies: BBCSO/Sir Andrew Davis.
    • Warner Classics.
    • 6.
  • Charlotte Sohy

    October

    Performer: Héloïse Luzzati. Performer: Célia Oneto Bensaid.
    • Sohy: Compositrice de la Belle Epoque.
    • La Boîte à Pépites.
    • 11.
  • Trad.

    The Foggy Foggy Dew

    Performer: Benjamin Britten. Music Arranger: Benjamin Britten. Singer: Peter Pears.
    • Peter Pears - Anniversary Tribute.
    • Decca Music Group Ltd..
    • 1.
  • George Gershwin

    A Foggy Day in London Town

    Singer: Ella Fitzgerald. Orchestra: Orchestra.
    • STYLUS MUSIC.
  • Leoš Janáček

    In the Mists (1st mvt)

    Performer: Rolf Hind.
    • Country Music: Rolf Hind.
    • Factory.
    • 9.
  • Malcolm Arnold

    The Padstow Lifeboat

    Music Arranger: Philip Lane. Orchestra: BBC Philharmonic Orchestra. Conductor: Rumon Gamba.
    • Chandos.
  • Domenico Zipoli

    Elevazione

    Orchestra: Consort of London. Conductor: Robert Haydon Clark.
    • Classical Music Compilation.
    • Silent Star Music.
    • 15.
  • Léon Boëllmann

    Toccata (Gothic Suite)

    Performer: Kerry Beaumont.
    • The Grand Organ of Coventry Cathedral.
    • Priory.
  • James MacMillan

    A Child's Prayer

    Choir: Gabrieli Consort. Conductor: Paul McCreesh.
    • SIGNUM.
  • Frédéric Chopin

    'Raindrop' Prelude in D flat major (24 Preludes Op.28)

    Performer: Ingrid Fliter.
    • Ingrid Fliter: Frederic Chopin - Preludes.
    • LINN.
    • 15.
  • Joseph Haydn

    Autumn: Introduction (The Seasons)

    Orchestra: Concentus Musicus Vienna. Conductor: Nikolaus Harnoncourt.
    • Haydn: Die Jahreszeiten (The Seasons).
    • Deutsche Harmonia Mundi.
    • 19.
  • Jonathan Dove

    Invocation (The Passing of the Year)

    Performer: Jonathan Dove. Choir: VOCES8.
    • Equinox.
    • VCM Records.
    • 08.
  • Edvard Grieg

    Storm, Peer Gynt's Homecoming (Peer Gynt Suite No 2)

    Orchestra: Oslo Philharmonic. Conductor: Esa‐Pekka Salonen.
    • SONY.
  • Kurt Weill

    September Song

    Music Arranger: Paul Bateman. Performer: Daniel Hope. Performer: Jacques Ammon. Orchestra: Zürcher Kammerorchester.
    • Daniel Hope For Seasons.
    • Deutsche Grammophon.
  • Elena Kats‐Chernin

    Green Leaf (Wild Swans)

    Singer: Jane Sheldon. Orchestra: Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Ola Rudner.
    • Wild Swans.
    • Decca Music Group Ltd..
    • 1.
  • Béla Bartók

    Night Music (Out of Doors)

    Performer: Can Çakmur.
    • Beethoven, Schubert, Haydn & Others: Piano Works.
    • BIS.
    • 504.
  • Francis Poulenc

    The Bad Mushroom (The Story of Babar, the little elephant)

    Orchestra: Melbourne Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: John Lanchbery.
    • Naxos.
  • Howard Goodall

    Poppies (The Seasons Suite, Autumn)

    Performer: Božidar Vukotić. Performer: Marianna Szymanowska. Ensemble: Tippett Quartet.
    • Howard Goodall The Seasons.
    • EMI Classics.
    • 4.
  • Peter Warlock

    Autumn Twilight

    Singer: John Mark Ainsley. Performer: Roger Vignoles.
    • Songs by Peter Warlock.
    • Hyperion.
    • 015.
  • Pyotr Tchaikovsky

    Symphony No 4 in F Minor (4th mvt)

    Orchestra: Orchestra of the Academy of Santa Cecilia. Conductor: Sir Antonio Pappano.
    • EMI.
  • Tomaso Antonio Vitali

    Chaconne in G Minor

    Music Arranger: Esther Abrami. Music Arranger: Max Knoth.
    • Amour.
    • Sony Classical/Sony Music.
    • 17.
  • Frederic Longàs i Torres

    Aragón

    Performer: Sir Stephen Hough.
    • Hyperion.
  • John Williams

    Superman (Main theme)

    Orchestra: London Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: John Williams.
    • Rhino.

Broadcast

  • Wed 21 Oct 202609:30