Classical Music Playlist, July 3, 2026
Martha Graham and ensemble rehearsing Appalachian Spring | photo: Library of Congress, Music Division
Aaron Copland's 1944 ballet "Appalachian Spring" was co-commissioned by choreographer and dancer Martha Graham. The original music called for only 13 instruments (as the performance space for the premiere was limited). The music won Copland the Pulitzer Prize in 1945. That same year, Copland condensed the music into a suite but for an expanded orchestra. That suite, conducted by Leonard Bernstein, is today's Midday Masterpiece.
6:00 a.m.
Francois Couperin
The Nations: The Piedmont (Les Nations: La Piemontoise)
Hesperion XX; Jordi Savall, conductor
6:24 a.m.
Ludwig Van Beethoven
Piano Sonata No. 21 "Waldstein" in C major Opus 53
Paul Lewis, piano
6:53 a.m.
Alessandro Scarlatti
Concerto Grosso No. 5 in D minor
Europa Galante; Fabio Biondi, conductor
6:59 a.m.
Victor Ewald
Quintet No. 1 in Bb minor Opus 5
Center City Brass Quintet
7:13 a.m.
Erich Korngold
Violin Concerto in D major Opus 35
Los Angeles Philharmonic; Alfred Wallenstein, conductor Jascha Heifetz, violin
7:36 a.m.
Camilla de Rossi
Sinfonia from "Il Sacrifizio de Abramo"
Bay Area Women's Philharmonic; JoAnn Falletta, conductor JoAnn Falletta, lute
7:44 a.m.
Sergei Rachmaninoff
Symphony No. 2: IV. Finale: Allegro vivace in E minor Opus 27
Detroit Symphony Orchestra; Leonard Slatkin, conductor
7:59 a.m.
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Rondo for piano & orchestra in D major K 382
English Chamber Orchestra; Jeffrey Tate, conductor Mitsuko Uchida, piano
8:08 a.m.
Antonin Dvorak
Symphony No. 7 in D minor Opus 70
Cleveland Orchestra; Christoph Von Dohnanyi, conductor
8:46 a.m.
John Williams
Theme from The Patriot
Boston Pops Orchestra; Keith Lockhart, conductor Middlesex County Fifes & Drums
8:55 a.m.
Tielmann Susato
Pavane "La Bataille"
New London Consort; Philip Pickett, conductor
9:01 a.m.
Sergei Prokofiev
Symphony No. 1 "Classical" in D major Opus 25
Atlanta Symphony Orchestra; Yoel Levi, conductor
9:15 a.m.
Joseph Bodin de Boismortier
Ballet No. 2 Opus 52
Le Concert Spirituel; Herve Niquet, conductor
9:25 a.m.
Kevin Puts
Home
Conspirare; Craig Hella Johnson, conductor Mir� Quartet
9:32 a.m.
Florence Price
String Quartet No. 2: III. Juba in A minor
Catalyst Quartet
9:37 a.m.
Anton Bruckner
Symphony No. 4 "Romantic": IV. Finale in Eb major
Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra; Karl Bohm, conductor
10:00 a.m.
John Knowles Paine
Symphony No. 2 "In the Spring": II. Scherzo (May-Night Fantasy) in A major Opus 34
Ulster Orchestra; JoAnn Falletta, conductor
10:10 a.m.
Sergei Rachmaninoff
Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini Opus 43
Dallas Symphony Orchestra; Andrew Litton, conductor Stephen Hough, piano
10:35 a.m.
Alessandro Piccinini
Passacaglia
Ronn McFarlane, lute
10:39 a.m.
Juan Ara��s
A Festive Chaconne (Chacona: "Un sarao de la chacona")
Piffaro Renaissance Band
10:42 a.m.
Gustav Mahler
Symphony No. 5: III. Scherzo in C# minor
Berlin Philharmonic; Claudio Abbado, conductor Gerd Seifert, horn
11:00 a.m.
Karl Goldmark
In Italy Overture Opus 49
Budapest Philharmonic Orchestra; Andras Korodi, conductor
11:14 a.m.
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Piano Concerto No. 21 in C major K 467 (FROM THE RUSSELL KLETZING COLLECTION)
Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields; Neville Marriner, conductor Alfred Brendel, piano
11:41 a.m.
Philipp Friedrich Boddecker
Violin Sonata, from Sacra Partitura in D minor RISM A/I: B 3263
Carrie Krause, baroque violin; John Lenti, theorbo
11:50 a.m.
Malcolm Forsyth
Golyardes' Grounde
Canadian Brass
11:53 a.m.
Johan Halvorsen
Entry March of the Boyars
Bergen Philharmonic; Neeme Jarvi, conductor
11:59 a.m.
George W. Chadwick
Symphonic Sketches: Jubilee
Cincinnati Pops; Erich Kunzel, conductor
12:08 p.m.
Ludwig Van Beethoven
Symphony No. 7 in A major Opus 92
Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra; Riccardo Chailly, conductor
12:47 p.m.
Samuel Barber
Adagio for Strings Opus 11
Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra; Leonard Slatkin, conductor
12:56 p.m.
Aaron Copland
Fanfare for the Common Man
New York Philharmonic; Leonard Bernstein, conductor
1:00 p.m.
Florence Price
Dances in the Canebrakes
Chicago Sinfonietta; Mei-Ann Chen, conductor
1:11 p.m.
George Gershwin
Piano Concerto in F major
Philadelphia Orchestra; Yannick Nezet-Seguin, conductor Daniil Trifonov, piano
1:43 p.m.
Johann Sebastian Bach
Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring
Empire Brass Douglas Major, organ
1:46 p.m.
Elena Kats-Chernin
Re-Inventions: Re-Invention No. 1
La Pieta; Angele Dubeau, conductor
1:52 p.m.
Gustav Mahler
Symphony No. 8 "Symphony of a Thousand": Chorus mysticus from PART II in Eb major
Chicago Symphony Orchestra; Georg Solti, conductor Vienna State Opera Chorus
2:00 p.m.
Aaron Copland
Appalachian Spring
New York Philharmonic; Leonard Bernstein, conductor
2:25 p.m.
George Friederich Handel
Music for the Royal Fireworks HWV 351
The English Concert; Trevor Pinnock, conductor
2:44 p.m.
Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky
1812 Overture Opus 49
Chicago Symphony Orchestra; Georg Solti, conductor
3:01 p.m.
Samuel Barber
Violin Concerto Opus 14
Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra; Leonard Slatkin, conductor Elmar Oliveira, violin
3:26 p.m.
John Williams
Liberty Fanfare
Cincinnati Pops; Erich Kunzel, conductor
3:31 p.m.
William Bolcom
Ghost Rag: I. Graceful Ghost
Spencer Meyer, piano
3:36 p.m.
Scott Joplin
The Entertainer
Lara Downes, piano
3:40 p.m.
Georges Bizet
L'Arlesienne Suite No. 1
Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra; Jesus Lopez-Cobos, conductor
3:59 p.m.
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Piano Concerto No. 25 in C major K 503
English Chamber Orchestra; Murray Perahia, conductor Murray Perahia, piano
4:32 p.m.
Gustav Holst
The Planets: Jupiter, the Bringer of Jolity Opus 32
Atlanta Symphony Orchestra; Yoel Levi, conductor
4:41 p.m.
Astor Piazzolla
Libertango
Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra; Edward Gardner, conductor Alison Balsom, trumpet
4:45 p.m.
Ron Nelson
Rocky Point Holiday
Dallas Wind Symphony; Jerry Junkin, conductor
4:51 p.m.
Charles-Marie Widor
Organ Symphony No. 5: Toccata Opus 42
Simon Preston, organ
4:58 p.m.
Ludwig Van Beethoven
Symphony No. 3 "Eroica" in Eb major Opus 55
German Chamber Philharmonic; Paavo Jarvi, conductor
5:44 p.m.
Samuel Coleridge-Taylor
Five Negro Melodies: 2. I was way down a-yonder
Neave Trio
5:48 p.m.
Adolphus Hailstork
Fanfare on Amazing Grace
Virginia Symphony Orchestra; JoAnn Falletta, conductor
5:53 p.m.
Florence Price
Violin Concerto No. 1: III. Allegro in D major
Philadelphia Orchestra; Yannick Nezet-Seguin, conductor Randall Goosby, violin
5:59 p.m.
Aaron Copland
Symphony No. 3
Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra; Leonard Slatkin, conductor
6:43 p.m.
Amy Beach
FOUR SKETCHES: 3. Dreaming Opus 15
Anna Shelest, piano
6:48 p.m.
Teresa Carreno
Un reve en mer A dream at sea
Sarah Cahill, piano
6:54 p.m.
Richard Einhorn
Freedom
The Nashville Symphony; Kenneth Schermerhorn, conductor
