Classical Music Playlist, May 4, 2026
Each movement of Erich Korngold’s 1945 Violin Concerto builds on themes he composed for his earlier 1930s scores to films with stars such as Errol Flynn, Bette Davis and Claude Rains. The 1947 premiere with soloist Jascha Heifetz was a smashing success and the Concerto soon entered the standard repertoire. It’s today’s Midday Masterpiece with violin soloist Gil Shaham.
6:00 a.m.
Georg Philipp Telemann
Suite "The Hunt" (La Chasse) in F major
Berlin Academy of Ancient Music
6:14 a.m.
Charles Gounod
Symphony No. 1 in D major
Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra; Christopher Hogwood, conductor
6:42 a.m.
Camille Saint-Saens
Concert Piece for harp & orchestra (Concertstucke) in G major Opus 154
Bulgarian National Radio Orchestra; Rossen Milanov, conductor Elizabeth Hainen, harp
6:59 a.m.
Anton Arensky
Piano Quintet: Scherzo Opus 51
Ying Quartet Adam Neiman, piano
7:09 a.m.
Ludwig Van Beethoven
Symphony No. 5 in C minor Opus 67
Orchestre Revolutionnaire et Romantique; John Eliot Gardiner, conductor
7:42 a.m.
John Williams
STAR WARS - A NEW HOPE: Binary Sunset
London Symphony Orchestra; John Williams, conductor
7:44 a.m.
John Williams
STAR WARS - THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK: The Asteroid Field
London Symphony Orchestra; John Williams, conductor
7:50 a.m.
Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Symphony No. 6 "Pathetique": III. Molto Vivace in B minor Opus 74
Philharmonia Orchestra; Riccardo Muti, conductor
8:00 a.m.
Johann Sebastian Bach
Concerto No. 1 (originally for violin) in A minor BWV 1041
Elias String Quartet Xuefei Yang, guitar
8:15 a.m.
Francis Poulenc
Piano Concerto
Paris Concert Society Orchestra; Georges Pretre, conductor Gabriel Tacchino, piano
8:36 a.m.
John Williams
STAR WARS - THE RETURN OF THE JEDI: Main Title (The Main Story Continues)
London Symphony Orchestra; John Williams, conductor
8:42 a.m.
John Williams
STAR WARS - THE RETURN OF THE JEDI: The Emperor Arrives
London Symphony Orchestra; John Williams, conductor
8:45 a.m.
Cesar Franck
The Accursed Huntsman (Le Chasseur Maudit)
Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra; Jesus Lopez-Cobos, conductor
9:01 a.m.
Johann Nepomuk Hummel
Piano Concerto No. 3 in B minor Opus 89
English Chamber Orchestra; Bryden Thomson, conductor Stephen Hough, piano
9:38 a.m.
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
LA CLEMENZA DI TITO Overture K 621
Tafelmusik; Bruno Weil, conductor
9:42 a.m.
Dmitri Kabalevsky
Colas Breugnon: Overture
Minnesota Orchestra; Eiji Oue, conductor
9:48 a.m.
Wilhelm van Wassenaer
Concerto Armonico No. 5 in F minor
Combattimento Consort; Jan Willem de Vriend, conductor
10:00 a.m.
Marianna Martines
Sinfonia in C major
La Floridiana; Nicoleta Paraschivescu, conductor
10:12 a.m.
Adam Larrabee
24 Preludes for Banjo: No. 12 "Waltz" in g minor
John Bullard, banjo
10:15 a.m.
Ernesto Nazareth
Perigoso
Estela Olevsky, piano
10:20 a.m.
Niels Gade
Symphony No. 2 in E major Opus 10
Danish Radio Symphony Orchestra; Christopher Hogwood, conductor
10:48 a.m.
Johann Sebastian Bach
Harpsichord Concerto in D minor BWV 974
Vikingur Olafsson, piano
10:59 a.m.
Louis Theodore Gouvy
Symphony No. 5 in Bb major Opus 30
Saarbrucken Radio Philharmonic Orchestra; Jacques Mercier, conductor
11:24 a.m.
Alexander Scriabin
Fantasy in B minor Opus 28
Oda Voltersvik, Piano
11:35 a.m.
Joaquin Rodrigo
Concierto de Aranjuez
Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields; Neville Marriner, conductor Pepe Romero, guitar
12:00 p.m.
George Friederich Handel
Concerto Grosso No. 5 in D major Opus 6/5 HWV 323
Handel & Haydn Society; Christopher Hogwood, conductor
12:16 p.m.
Claude Debussy
Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun
Cleveland Orchestra; Pierre Boulez, conductor
12:26 p.m.
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Piano Concerto No. 16 in D major K 451
English Baroque Soloists; John Eliot Gardiner, conductor Malcolm Bilson, fortepiano
12:50 p.m.
John Williams
STAR WARS - A NEW HOPE: Cantina Band
London Symphony Orchestra; John Williams, conductor
12:53 p.m.
John Williams
STAR WARS - A NEW HOPE: The Throne Room & End Title
London Symphony Orchestra; John Williams, conductor
1:00 p.m.
Antonin Dvorak
Symphony No. 9 "From the New World": III. Scherzo in E minor Opus 95
Los Angeles Philharmonic; Gustavo Dudamel, conductor
1:09 p.m.
Ludwig Van Beethoven
Piano Sonata No. 8 "Pathetique": II. Adagio cantabile in C minor Opus 13
John O'Conor, piano
1:13 p.m.
Stanley Myers
Cavatina
Jason Vieaux, guitar
1:18 p.m.
William Grant Still
Africa: Symphonic Poem
Fort Smith Symphony; John Jeter, conductor
1:47 p.m.
Gioachino Rossini
WILLIAM TELL: Overture (GUILLAUME TELL)
Chamber Orchestra of Europe; Claudio Abbado, conductor
2:00 p.m.
Erich Korngold
Violin Concerto in D major Opus 35
London Symphony Orchestra; Andre Previn, conductor Gil Shaham, violin
2:26 p.m.
Richard Strauss
Also sprach Zarathustra: Fanfare Opus 30
Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra; Lorin Maazel, conductor
2:28 p.m.
Johann Strauss, Jr.
Blue Danube Waltz Opus 314
Chicago Symphony Orchestra; Fritz Reiner, conductor
2:37 p.m.
Paul Dukas
The Sorcerer's Apprentice
Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra; Jesus Lopez-Cobos, conductor
2:49 p.m.
John Williams
STAR WARS: Main Theme
London Symphony Orchestra; John Williams, conductor
2:56 p.m.
Johann Sebastian Bach
Concerto for two violins (Double Concerto) in D minor BWV 1043
Academy of Ancient Music; Andrew Manze, conductor Andrew Manze, violin; Rachel Podger, violin
3:12 p.m.
Luis Narvaez
Variations on "Guardame las Vacas"
Narciso Yepes, guitar
3:17 p.m.
Santiago de Murcia
La Jota
Richard Savino, guitar; Mauro ReFosco, percussion; Yousif Sheronick, percussion
3:20 p.m.
Antonin Dvorak
The Golden Spinning Wheel Opus 109
Berlin Philharmonic; Simon Rattle, conductor John Ogdon, piano
3:49 p.m.
Ralph Vaughan Williams
Serenade to Music
London Philharmonic Orchestra; Vernon Handley, conductor
4:01 p.m.
Franz Joseph Haydn
Symphony No. 104 "London" in D major
Collegium Musicum 90; Richard Hickox, conductor
4:29 p.m.
Alfonso Montes
Milonga in the Style of Piazzolla (Milonga a Piazzolla)
Castellani Andriaccio Duo
4:33 p.m.
Clara Schumann
Soirees Musicales: II. Notturno Opus 6/2
Leanne Rees, piano
4:39 p.m.
Antonio Vivaldi
Concerto No. 2 in G minor Opus 3 RV 578
Tafelmusik; Jeanne Lamon, conductor
4:49 p.m.
Carl Nielsen
Masquerade Overture
San Francisco Symphony; Herbert Blomstedt, conductor
4:53 p.m.
Hugo Alfven
Festival Overture Opus 25
Royal Scottish National Orchestra; Niklas Willen, conductor
5:00 p.m.
Hector Berlioz
Symphonie Fantastique: V. Witches' Sabbath Opus 14
BBC Symphony Orchestra; Andrew Davis, conductor
5:10 p.m.
John Williams
STAR WARS - THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK: Imperial March
London Symphony Orchestra; John Williams, conductor
5:13 p.m.
William Walton
Crown Imperial
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra; Andre Previn, conductor
5:21 p.m.
Franz Krommer
Symphony No. 2 in D major Opus 40
London Mozart Players; Matthias Bamert, conductor
5:50 p.m.
Gabriela Lena Frank
Leyendas: VI. Coqueteos
Del Sol String Quartet
5:53 p.m.
Bedrich Smetana
BARTERED BRIDE: Dance of the Comedians
Janacek Philharmonic; Theodore Kuchar, conductor
6:00 p.m.
Florence Price
Symphony No. 3
Philadelphia Orchestra; Yannick Nezet-Seguin, conductor
6:32 p.m.
Ignaz Holzbauer
Symphony in G major
L'Orfeo Barokorkester; Michi Gaigg, conductor
6:40 p.m.
Johann Sebastian Bach
Prelude & Fugue No. 2 in C Minor (from the Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 1) in C minor BWV 847
Mahan Esfahani, harpsichord
6:44 p.m.
Bela Bartok
Piano Concerto No. 3: I. Allegretto SZ 119
Helsinki Philharmonic; Susanna Malkki, conductor Andreas Haefliger, piano
6:53 p.m.
John C. Williams
Aeolian Suite: Double Dance
Studio Orchestra; William Goodchild, conductor John Williams, guitar
6:55 p.m.
Connor Chee
Navajo Vocable No. 9
Emanuele Arciuli, piano
