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The ideal mix of classical music

Ian Skelly plays the best in classical music, with discoveries and surprises rubbing shoulders with familiar favourites.

Ian Skelly plays the best in classical music, with discoveries and surprises rubbing shoulders with familiar favourites.

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

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

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

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

1230 Album of the Week

To listen on most smart speakers say "Ask ѿý Sounds to play Essential Classics”

25 days left to listen

3 hours, 30 minutes

Music Played

  • Felix Mendelssohn

    Symphony no.4 in A major Op.90 'Italian' (1st mvt)

    Orchestra: Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich. Conductor: Paavo Järvi.
    • ALPHA CLASSICS.
  • Maria Theresia von Paradis

    Sicilienne

    Music Arranger: Samuel Dushkin. Performer: Elena Urioste. Performer: Tom Poster.
    • BIS.
  • William Grant Still

    Symphony no. 2 "Song of a new race" (1st mvt)

    Orchestra: Detroit Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Neeme Järvi.
    • CHANDOS.
  • Carlo Gesualdo

    O crux benedicta

    Choir: Monteverdi Choir. Conductor: Jonathan Sells.
    • Bruckner & Gesualdo: Motets.
    • SDG.
    • 106.
  • Arthur Bliss

    Lambs (Meditations On A Theme By John Blow)

    Orchestra: ѿý Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Andrew Davis.
    • CHANDOS.
  • Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

    Le nozze di Figaro, K492: Overture

    Ensemble: Manchester Camerata. Conductor: Gábor Takács‐Nagy.
    • Chandos.
  • Edward MacDowell

    Piano Concerto No.1 in A minor, Op.15 (2nd mvt: Andante tranquillo)

    Performer: Seta Tanyel. Orchestra: ѿý Scottish Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Martyn Brabbins.
    • MacDowell: Piano Concertos Nos. 1 & 2 etc. (Hyperion Romantic Piano Concerto 25).
    • Hyperion.
    • 2.
  • James Oswald

    Sonata on Scots Tunes

    Performer: Ingrid Siefert. Performer: Richard Gwilt. Performer: Charles Medlam. Performer: John Toll.
    • Scotland's Music.
    • Linn Records.
    • 002.
  • Cécile Chaminade

    L'anneau d'argent

    Singer: Anne Sofie von Otter. Performer: Bengt Forsberg.
    • Clara Schumann & Great Female Composers.
    • UME - Global Clearing House.
    • 33.
  • Aram Khachaturian

    Masquerade - suite (Waltz)

    Orchestra: London Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Stanley Black.
    • Khachaturian - Spartacus.
    • Decca.
    • 4.
  • Gustav Holst

    Good Friday (Six Choruses, Op 53)

    Choir: Holst Singers. Orchestra: The Holst Orchestra. Conductor: Hilary Davan Wetton.
    • Holst: The Evening Watch: Holst Singers & Orchestra, Hilary Davan Wetton.
    • Hyperion.
    • 4.
  • Robert Schumann

    Symphony no.3 in E flat major Op.97 'Rhenish' (2nd mvt)

    Orchestra: Staatskapelle Berlin. Conductor: Daniel Barenboim.
    • Schumann: The Symphonies.
    • DG.
    • 2.
  • Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges

    Violin Concerto in G major Op.8 no.2 (1st mvt)

    Performer: Randall Goosby. Orchestra: London Contemporary Orchestra.
    • Hollywood Records.
  • Zoltán Kodály

    Intermezzo (Hary Janos Suite Op.35a)

    Performer: Laurence Kaptain. Orchestra: Chicago Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Neeme Järvi.
    • Kodaly: Hary Janos Suite: Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Jarvi.
    • Chandos.
  • Camille Saint‐Saëns

    Piano Trio no. 1 in F major Op.18 (1st mvt)

    Ensemble: Helios Trio.
    • Un matin de printemps.
    • Mirare.
    • 1.
  • Hugh Roberton

    All in the April Evening

    Choir: Glasgow Phoenix Choir. Conductor: murdo cameron.
    • BGS.
    • CDITV926.
  • Claude Debussy

    The Little Shepherd (Children's Corner)

    Performer: Zoltán Kocsis.
    • Debussy: Preludes Books I & II: Zoltan Kocsis.
    • Philips.
    • 17.
  • Traditional English

    2 English Folksongs; No.1 Searching for lambs

    Music Arranger: Ralph Vaughan Williams. Performer: Leo Phillips. Singer: John Mark Ainsley. Ensemble: Nash Ensemble.
    • HYPERION.
  • George Frideric Handel

    Messiah: Worthy is the Lamb - Amen

    Ensemble: Les Arts Florissants. Director: William Christie.
    • HARMONIA MUNDI.
  • Joseph Haydn

    Cello Concerto no.1 in C major H.7b.1 (1st mvt)

    Performer: Alisa Weilerstein. Ensemble: TrondheimSolistene.
    • Pentatone.
  • Ludwig van Beethoven

    Wind Octet in E flat major, Op 103 (1st mvt)

    Ensemble: Mozzafiato. Conductor: Charles Neidich.
    • Beethoven: Chamber music for wind instruments: Mozzafiato/Neidich.
    • Sony Classical.
    • 1.
  • Tomás Luis de Victoria

    Tenebrae Responsories - Matins Responsories for good Friday: Nocturn III - Calig

    Conductor: Robert Hollingworth. Ensemble: I Fagiolini.
    • Victoria: Tenebrae Responsories.
    • CORO.
    • 12.
  • George Frideric Handel

    Sinfonia, 'Arrival of the Queen of Sheba' (Solomon)

    Orchestra: Academy of Ancient Music. Conductor: Christopher Hogwood.
    • Pachelbel/Handel/Vivaldi/Gluck: Academy of Ancient Music/Hogwood.
    • L'Oiseau-Lyre.
    • 5.
  • Clara Schumann

    Konzertsatz in F minor

    Performer: Lucy Parham. Orchestra: ѿý Concert Orchestra. Conductor: Barry Wordsworth.
    • CIRRUS CLASSICS.
  • Francis Poulenc

    Stabat Mater, FP 148: XII. Quando corpus

    Performer: Catherine Dubosc. Choir: Westminster Singers. Orchestra: City of London Sinfonia. Conductor: Richard Hickox.
    • Poulenc Gloria Stabat Mater.
    • Warner Classics.
    • 18.
  • Edward Elgar

    Romance for bassoon & orchestra

    Performer: Graham Salvage. Orchestra: Hallé. Conductor: Sir Mark Elder.
    • HALLE.
  • Igor Stravinsky

    Pulcinella Suite: Sinfonia

    Orchestra: Mahler Chamber Orchestra. Conductor: Pablo Heras‐Casado.
    • Stravinsky: Pulcinella Suite - Falla: El Retablo de Maese Pedro & Harpsichord Co.
    • HARMONIA MUNDI.
    • 114.
  • Dieterich Buxtehude

    Membra Jesu nostri, BuxWV 75: No. 6, Ad cor

    Ensemble: Göteborg Baroque. Conductor: Magnus Kjellson.
    • Buxtehude: Membra Jesu nostri, BuxWV 75.
    • Proprius.
    • 106.
  • Johann Sebastian Bach

    Prelude and Fugue in C sharp major, BWV.848

    Performer: Sir András Schiff.
    • DECCA.
  • Johannes Brahms

    Clarinet Sonata in E flat major Op.120`2 (3rd mvt)

    Performer: Michael Collins. Performer: Michael McHale.
    • Chandos.
  • Alexander Glazunov

    Symphony No 7 in F major, Op 77 (3rd mvt)

    Orchestra: ѿý National Orchestra of Wales. Conductor: Tadaaki Otaka.
    • Bis.

Broadcast

  • Friday 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

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