Classical Music Playlist, February 25, 2026
Self-portrait of Louis Spohr
By the time he was 21 in 1805, German composer Louis (Ludwig) Spohr was one of the most popular composers and violinists in early 19th century Europe and his symphonies were considered second only to Beethoven (and Spohr played violin in the premiere of Beethoven's 7th symphony). Louis Spohr’s 1829 Clarinet Concerto No. 4 is today’s Midday Masterpiece.
Spohr trivia: Over six and a half feet tall, he invented the violin chin-rest and was the first major conductor to use a baton.
6:00 a.m.
Johann Sebastian Bach
Keyboard Concerto No. 4 in A major BWV 1055
Australian Chamber Orchestra; Richard Tognetti, conductor Angela Hewitt, piano
6:14 a.m.
Alexander Borodin
String Quartet No. 2 in D major
Borodin String Quartet
6:44 a.m.
Agustin Barrios
Danzas Paraguayas
David Russell, guitar
6:51 a.m.
Carl Maria Von Weber
PRECIOSA: Overture J 279
Tapiola Sinfonietta; Jean Jacques Kantorow, conductor
7:00 a.m.
Johann Strauss, Jr.
Tales From The Vienna Woods Opus 325 (Geschichten aus dem Wienerwald)
Vienna State Opera Orchestra; Jascha Horenstein, conductor
7:12 a.m.
Luigi Boccherini
Quintet for guitar and strings No. 4 "Fandango" in D major G 448
Pacifica Quartet Sharon Isbin, guitar
7:32 a.m.
Robert Schumann
Concertpiece for 4 horns & orchestra in F major Opus 86
Orchestre Revolutionnaire et Romantique; John Eliot Gardiner, conductor Members of...
7:51 a.m.
Gioachino Rossini
THE BARBER OF SEVILLE: Overture (IL BARBIERE DI SIVIGLIA)
Chamber Orchestra of Europe; Claudio Abbado, conductor
7:59 a.m.
Jan Dismas Zelenka
Capriccio No. 2 in G major Z 183
Bern Camerata; Alexander van Wijnkoop, conductor
8:13 a.m.
Niels Gade
Symphony No. 5 in D minor Opus 25
Danish National Symphony Orchestra; Christopher Hogwood, conductor Ronald Brautigam, piano
8:42 a.m.
Gustav Mahler
Symphony No. 10: III. Purgatorio in F# major
Berlin Philharmonic; Simon Rattle, conductor
8:47 a.m.
Johann Sebastian Bach
Brandenburg Concerto No. 3 in G major BWV 1048
The English Concert; Trevor Pinnock, conductor
9:00 a.m.
Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Suite No. 3 in G major Opus 55
Detroit Symphony Orchestra; Neeme Jarvi, conductor
9:45 a.m.
Francesco Tristano
Toccata
Arctic Philharmonic; Christian Kluxen, conductor Francesco Tristano, piano
9:50 a.m.
Johann Strauss, Jr.
Blue Danube Waltz Opus 314
Chicago Symphony Orchestra; Fritz Reiner, conductor
10:00 a.m.
Henry Purcell
Dioclesian Suite ("The Prophetess")
Parley of Instruments; Roy Goodman, conductor
10:14 a.m.
Carlos Gardel
Guitarra, Guitarra Mia
Franz Halasz, guitar
10:16 a.m.
Scott Joplin
Treemonisha: Prelude Act III
Houston Grand Opera Orchestra; Gunther Schuller, conductor
10:21 a.m.
Antonio Salieri
Triple Concerto for violin, oboe and cello in D major
Bern Camerata; Thomas Furi, conductor Thomas Furi, violin; Heinz Holliger, oboe; Thomas Demenga, cello
10:48 a.m.
Franz Schubert
Rosamunde Overture Opus 26 D 797 (The Magic Harp)
San Francisco Symphony; Herbert Blomstedt, conductor
10:59 a.m.
Francesco Molino
Guitar Concerto in E minor Opus 56
Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields; Iona Brown, conductor Pepe Romero, guitar
11:25 a.m.
Mohammed Fairouz
Piano Miniature No. 6, Addio
Lara Downes, piano
11:27 a.m.
Antonin Dvorak
Poetic Tone Pictures: VII. Furiant Opus 85
Leif Ove Andsnes, piano
11:31 a.m.
George Gershwin
An American in Paris
Boston Pops Orchestra; Arthur Fiedler, conductor
11:49 a.m.
Arnold Bax
Overture to a Picaresque Comedy
Royal Scottish National Orchestra; David Lloyd-Jones, conductor
11:59 a.m.
Francesco Geminiani
Concerto Grosso "La Follia" in D minor
Boston Baroque; Martin Pearlman, conductor
12:11 p.m.
Claude Debussy
The Girl with the Flaxen Hair (from Preludes, Book I: No. 8)
Jeneba Kanneh-Mason, piano
12:13 p.m.
Sonny Kompanek
Killer Tango
Canadian Brass
12:18 p.m.
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Symphony No. 38 "Prague" in D major K 504
Prague Chamber Orchestra; Charles Mackerras, conductor
12:54 p.m.
Edward MacDowell
Piano Concerto No. 2: II. Presto Giocoso in D minor Opus 23
Chicago Symphony Orchestra; Walter Hendl, conductor Van Cliburn, piano
1:00 p.m.
Hugo Wolf
Italian Serenade in G major
Orpheus Chamber Orchestra
1:09 p.m.
Emmanuel Chabrier
Pastoral Suite (Suite Pastorale)
Ulster Orchestra; Yan Pascal Tortelier, conductor
1:30 p.m.
Jules Massenet
Suite No. 7 "Alsatian Scenes" (Scenes Alsaciennes)
New Zealand Symphony Orchestra; Jean-Yves Ossonce, conductor
1:53 p.m.
Niels Gade
Symphony No. 6: III. Allegro Moderato e Energico in G minor Opus 32
Stockholm Sinfonietta; Neeme Jarvi, conductor
2:00 p.m.
Louis Spohr
Clarinet Concerto No. 4 in E minor WOO 20
Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields; Kenneth Sillito, conductor Sabine Meyer, clarinet
2:25 p.m.
Philipp Friedrich Boddecker
Violin Sonata, from Sacra Partitura in D minor RISM A/I: B 3263
Carrie Krause, baroque violin; John Lenti, theorbo
2:34 p.m.
Ludwig Van Beethoven
Symphony No. 1 in C major Opus 21
German Chamber Philharmonic; Paavo Jarvi, conductor
3:00 p.m.
Carl Maria Von Weber
Concertpiece for piano and orchestra in F minor Opus 79 (Konzertstuck)
Scottish Chamber Orchestra; Charles Mackerras, conductor Nikolai Demidenko, piano
3:17 p.m.
Gentil Montana
Suite Colombiana No. 2: II. Guabina Viajera (Traveller Guabina)
Jose Antonio Escobar, guitar
3:23 p.m.
Joe Hisaishi
Rain
La Pieta Angele Dubeau, violin
3:29 p.m.
George Friederich Handel
Saul: Sinfonia HWV 53
The English Concert; Trevor Pinnock, conductor Trevor Pinnock, organ
3:47 p.m.
Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Overture in F major
Russian National Orchestra; Mikhail Pletnev, conductor
3:59 p.m.
Johann Sebastian Bach
Concerto No. 1 (originally for violin) in A minor BWV 1041
Elias String Quartet Xuefei Yang, guitar
4:14 p.m.
Vincent d'Indy
Symphony on a French Mountain Air
Boston Symphony Orchestra; Charles Munch, conductor Nicole Henriot-Schweitzer, piano
4:41 p.m.
Johannes Brahms
Hungarian Dance No. 5 in G minor
Berlin Philharmonic; Claudio Abbado, conductor
4:43 p.m.
Antonin Dvorak
Slavonic Dance No. 9 in B major Opus 72
Czech Philharmonic Orchestra; Vaclav Neumann, conductor
4:49 p.m.
Charles Stanford
Symphony No. 4: IV. Finale in F major Opus 31
Ulster Orchestra; Vernon Handley, conductor
4:59 p.m.
Jacques Offenbach
LA BELLE HELENE: Overture
BBC Philharmonic Orchestra; Yan Pascal Tortelier, conductor
5:09 p.m.
Edvard Grieg
Symphonic Dances Opus 64
Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra; Neeme Jarvi, conductor
5:41 p.m.
Louise Farrenc
Souvenirs de Hugenots
Joanne Polk, piano
5:48 p.m.
Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Violin Concerto: III. Allegro vivacissimo (Finale) in D major Opus 35
Concertgebouw Orchestra; Bernard Haitink, conductor Henryk Szeryng, violin
5:59 p.m.
Ferdinand Ries
Piano Concerto No. 9 in G minor Opus 177
New Zealand Symphony Orchestra; Uwe Grodd, conductor Christoper Hinterhuber, piano
6:30 p.m.
Alan Hovhaness
Prelude and Quadruple Fugue Opus 128
Seattle Symphony; Gerard Schwarz, conductor
6:39 p.m.
Alan Thomas
Sephardic Trio: III. Una Matica de Ruda (traditional wedding song)
Cavatina Duo [flute & guitar] David Cunliffe, cello
6:43 p.m.
Ferenc Farkas
Old Hungarian Dances
Vienna Quintet
6:52 p.m.
Bill Evans
Peace Piece
Igor Levit, piano
