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The very best of classical music

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

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

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

1030 Essential Carol - introduced by a special guest

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.

1230 Album of the Week

To listen on most smart speakers say "Ask 成人论坛 Sounds to play Essential Classics鈥

25 days left to listen

3 hours, 30 minutes

Last on

Monday 09:30

Music Played

  • Ottorino Respighi

    L'Adorazione dei Magi (Trittico Botticelliano)

    Orchestra: Orpheus Chamber Orchestra.
    • Respighi: Ancient Airs and Dances: Orpheus Chamber Orchestra.
    • Deutsche Grammophon.
    • 15.
  • Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina

    Magnificat primi toni (for 8 voices)

    Choir: Yale Schola Cantorum. Conductor: David Hill.
    • HYPERION.
  • B茅la Bart贸k

    Romanian Christmas carols Sz.57

    Performer: Zolt谩n Kocsis.
    • Philips.
  • Michel Corrette

    Les six symphonies de No毛l (Sinfonia No 1)

    Ensemble: La Fantasia. Director: Rien Voskuilen.
    • Corrette: Le Six SYmphonies de Noel.
    • BRILLIANT.
    • 1-4.
  • Claude Debussy

    The Snow is Dancing (Children's Corner)

    Performer: Pascal Rog茅.
    • A Debussy Recital: Pascal Roge.
    • Decca.
    • 8.
  • Gustav Holst

    A Winter Idyll

    Orchestra: 成人论坛 Philharmonic. Conductor: Sir Andrew Davis.
    • CHANDOS.
  • Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

    German Dance No.3 in C major (Sleigh Ride)

    Orchestra: Academy of St Martin in the Fields. Conductor: Neville Marriner.
    • Philips.
  • Ferruccio Busoni

    Sonatina 'in diem Nativitatis Christi MCMXVII' (No. 4), BV 274

    Performer: Chiyan Wong.
    • LINN.
  • Cornelius

    Three Kings from Persian Lands afar

    Performer: Stephen Cleobury. Choir: Choir of King鈥檚 College, Cambridge.
    • Collins.
  • Johann Strauss II

    Schneegl枚ckchen-Walzer, Op. 143

    Music Arranger: Heinz Sandauer. Orchestra: Vienna Philharmonic. Conductor: Willi Boskovsky.
    • Strauss, J.II: Waltzes, Polkas & Marches.
    • Decca Music Group Ltd..
    • 7.
  • Johann Sebastian Bach

    Canonic Variations on 'Vom Himmel hoch', BWV 769 arr Stravinsky

    Music Arranger: Igor Stravinsky. Singer: Ir猫ne Friedli. Singer: Frieder Lang. Singer: Michel Brodard. Choir: Ch艙ur Pro Arte de Lausanne. Choir: Swiss Romande Chamber Choir. Orchestra: Orchestre de la Suisse Romande. Conductor: Neeme J盲rvi.
    • The Essential Stravinsky.
    • Chandos.
    • 32-37.
  • Antonio Vivaldi

    Violin Concerto in E Major RV.270 "Il riposo, per il Santissimo Natale"

    Performer: Fredrik From. Orchestra: Concerto Copenhagen. Conductor: Lars Ulrik Mortensen.
    • Per la notte di Natale: Italian Christmas Concertos.
    • Naxos.
    • 302.
  • Thomas Tallis

    Magnificat

    Ensemble: Contrapunctus. Conductor: Owen Rees.
    • Virgin and Child - Music from the Baldwin Partbooks II.
    • Signum Classics.
    • 4.
  • Jacques Offenbach

    Boule de neige - overture

    Orchestra: Orchestre de l鈥橭p茅ra de Rouen Normandie. Conductor: Jean-Pierre Haeck.
    • Alpha.
  • Rebecca Dale

    Winter

    Choir: VOCES8. Performer: H氓kon Samuelsen. Performer: Mari Samuelsen. Performer: Huw Watkins.
    • Decca.
  • Georges Bizet

    Jeux d'enfants (Le bal)

    Performer: John Ogdon. Performer: Brenda Lucas.
    • EMI.
  • Edward Elgar

    Nursery Suite: V. The Wagon (Passes) (Allegretto)

    Conductor: Sir Mark Elder. Orchestra: Hall茅.
    • Elgar Wand of Youth.
    • Halle Concerts Society.
    • 19.
  • Trad.

    Sans Day Carol

    Music Arranger: John Rutter. Choir: The Cambridge Singers. Orchestra: City of London Sinfonia. Conductor: John Rutter.
    • John Rutter - The Choral Collection.
    • Decca (UMO).
    • 21.
  • Lars鈥怑rik Larsson

    A Winter's Tale Op.18

    Orchestra: Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra. Conductor: Stig Westerberg.
    • Swedish Society.
  • Ola Gjeilo

    Serenity [O Magnum Mysterium]

    Choir: Choir of King鈥檚 College, Cambridge. Performer: Guy Johnston. Conductor: Stephen Cleobury.
    • KINGS COLLEGE.
  • Heinrich Ignaz Franz von Biber

    Mystery Sonata no.3 in B minor [The Birth of Jesus]

    Ensemble: Cordaria.
    • Biber: Mystery (Rosary) Sonatas for Violin and Continuo.
    • Signum Classics.
    • 301-303.
  • Sergey Prokofiev

    Lieutenant Kije - suite, Op 60

    Orchestra: Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Paavo J盲rvi.
    • Telarc.
  • Michael Praetorius

    Es ist ein Ros entsprungen

    Music Arranger: Jan Sandstr枚m. Choir: VOCES8.
    • DECCA.
  • Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky

    Danses caract茅ristiques (The Nutcracker)

    Music Arranger: Nicolas Economou. Performer: Martha Argerich. Performer: Nicolas Economou.
    • DG.
  • George Whitefield Chadwick

    No毛l, from Symphonic Sketches

    Orchestra: Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra. Conductor: Howard Hanson.
    • Mercury.
  • Johann Sebastian Bach

    Little Prelude No 3 in D minor, BWV 935

    Performer: Angela Hewitt.
    • J.S. Bach, The French Suites: Angela Hewitt.
    • Hyperion.
    • 3.
  • Francesco Manfredini

    Sinfonia da chiesa in D major, Op 2 No 12, 'Sinfonia pastorale'

    Performer: Thorsten Rosenbusch. Performer: Christian Trompler. Performer: Karl-Heinz Schr枚ter. Performer: Harald Winkler. Performer: Raphael Alpermann. Orchestra: Kammerorchester Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach. Conductor: Hartmut Haenchen.
    • Christmas Concertos - Kammerochestrer Carl Phillip Emanuel Bach.
    • Sony Classical.
    • 1.

Broadcast

  • Monday 09:30

Our Classical Century

Our Classical Century

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

Time Travellers: the podcast

Time Travellers: the podcast

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