Classical Music Playlist, May 7, 2026
Brahms and Tchaikovsky shared the birthdate of May 7 (1833 & 1840)
Brahms and Tchaikovsky were born on the same date, May 7th, seven years apart. They were even farther apart in their opinions about each other's music which also led them to make judgements about each other's personalities. Until they met, when they pretty much liked each other.
Johannes Brahms was hesitant to write a symphony largely because he felt Beethoven’s shadow always weighing on him. But he finally felt up to the task and completed his Symphony No. 1 at age 43 in 1876, almost fifty years after Beethoven’s death. And in his final movement, Brahms included a theme very reminiscent of the “Ode to Joy” melody from Beethoven’s Ninth as an acknowledgement to the master. The Brahms Symphony No. 1 is today’s Midday Masterpiece with his and Tchaikovsky’s music throughout the day.
6:00 a.m.
Georg Philipp Telemann
Caprice Symphony in G major TWV 50:1
Ensemble Caprice; Matthias Maute, conductor
6:09 a.m.
Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Variations on a Rococo Theme Opus 33
Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra; Mariss Jansons, conductor Truls Mork, cello
6:29 a.m.
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Serenade for Winds in Eb major K 375
Winds of the Chamber Orchestra of Europe
6:54 a.m.
Enrique Granados
Danzas espanolas No. 8 "Asturiana"
New Pro Arte Guitar Trio
7:00 a.m.
Anton Bruckner
Symphony No. 6: I. Majestoso in A major
Concertgebouw Orchestra; Riccardo Chailly, conductor
7:18 a.m.
Johannes Brahms
Piano Concerto No. 2: I. Allegro non troppo in Bb major Opus 83
Cleveland Orchestra; George Szell, conductor Leon Fleisher, piano; Jules Eskin, cello
7:35 a.m.
Johannes Brahms
Piano Concerto No. 2: II. Allegro appassionato in Bb major Opus 83
Cleveland Orchestra; George Szell, conductor Leon Fleisher, piano
7:45 a.m.
Paulinho Nogueira
Bachianinha No. 1
Plinio Fernandes, guitar
7:49 a.m.
Henry Purcell
Timon of Athens: Curtain Tune on a Ground
Collegium Musicum 90; Richard Hickox, conductor
7:52 a.m.
Ralph Vaughan Williams
The Running Set
Royal Liverpool Philharmonic; James Judd, conductor
8:01 a.m.
Camille Saint-Saens
Symphony No. 3 "Organ": Finale in C minor Opus 78
Boston Symphony Orchestra; Charles Munch, conductor Berj Zamkochian, organ
8:11 a.m.
Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Violin Concerto in D major Opus 35
Chicago Symphony Orchestra; Fritz Reiner, conductor Jascha Heifetz, violin
8:44 a.m.
Agustin Barrios
Vals (Waltz) No. 4 in G major Opus 8/4
Jason Vieaux, guitar
8:51 a.m.
Ron Nelson
Rocky Point Holiday
Dallas Wind Symphony; Jerry Junkin, conductor
8:59 a.m.
Johannes Brahms
Symphony No. 2 in D major Opus 73
Chicago Symphony Orchestra; Georg Solti, conductor
9:48 a.m.
Camille Saint-Saens
Carnival of the Animals: The Swan (Le Cygne)
Philharmonia Orchestra; Leonard Slatkin, conductor Han-na Chang, cello
9:54 a.m.
Sebastian Iradier
La Paloma the dove
Pepe Romero, guitar
10:00 a.m.
Gioachino Rossini
THE BARBER OF SEVILLE: Overture (IL BARBIERE DI SIVIGLIA)
Chamber Orchestra of Europe; Claudio Abbado, conductor
10:10 a.m.
Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Piano Trio in A minor Opus 50
Vladimir Ashkenazy, piano; Itzhak Perlman, violin; Lynn Harrell, cello
11:02 a.m.
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
THE MAGIC FLUTE: Overture (Die Zauberflote) K 620
Scottish Chamber Orchestra; Charles Mackerras, conductor
11:11 a.m.
Gerardo Matos Rodriguez
La Cumparsita (Tango)
Canadian Brass
11:17 a.m.
Johannes Brahms
Symphony No. 3 in F major Opus 90
Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra; Riccardo Chailly, conductor
11:55 a.m.
Antonin Dvorak
Slavonic Dance No. 8 in G minor Opus 46
Cleveland Orchestra; Christoph Von Dohnanyi, conductor
12:01 p.m.
Henry Litolff
Concerto Symphonique No. 4: II. Scherzo Opus 102
San Francisco Symphony; Michael Tilson Thomas, conductor Yuja Wang, piano
12:11 p.m.
Mikhail Glinka
RUSLAN AND LUDMILA: Overture
Chicago Symphony Orchestra; Fritz Reiner, conductor
12:19 p.m.
Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Swan Lake Suite Opus 20
Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra; Herbert Von Karajan, conductor
12:48 p.m.
Florence Price
Dances in the Canebrakes
Chicago Sinfonietta; Mei-Ann Chen, conductor
1:00 p.m.
Johannes Brahms
Piano Quartet No. 3 in C minor Opus 60
Krystian Zimerman, piano; Maria Nowak, violin; Katarzyna Budnik, viola; Yuya Okamoto, cello
1:36 p.m.
Dmitri Shostakovich
Festive Overture Opus 96
Dallas Symphony Orchestra; Andrew Litton, conductor
1:45 p.m.
Isaac Albeniz
Majorca (Mallorca) Opus 202
Pepe Romero, guitar
1:54 p.m.
William Grant Still
Lyric Quartet: III. The Jovial One
Catalyst Quartet
2:00 p.m.
Johannes Brahms
Symphony No. 1 in C minor Opus 68
Chicago Symphony Orchestra; Georg Solti, conductor
2:51 p.m.
Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Sleeping Beauty: Waltz from Act I
Philadelphia Orchestra; Riccardo Muti, conductor
2:58 p.m.
Antonio Vivaldi
Flute Concerto No. 2 "The Night" (La Notte) in G minor Opus 10 RV 439
Australian Chamber Orchestra; Richard Tognetti, conductor Emmanuel Pahud, flute
3:10 p.m.
Zoltan Kodaly
Dances of Galanta
Seattle Symphony; Gerard Schwarz, conductor
3:30 p.m.
Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Romeo and Juliet Fantasy Overture
Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra; Mariss Jansons, conductor
3:52 p.m.
Camargo Mozart Guarnieri
Brazilian Dance (Dansa Brasiliera)
New York Philharmonic; Leonard Bernstein, conductor
3:54 p.m.
Johannes Hanssen
Valdres March
Boston Pops Orchestra; Arthur Fiedler, conductor
3:59 p.m.
Johannes Brahms
Tragic Overture Opus 81
Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra; Riccardo Chailly, conductor
4:12 p.m.
Johannes Brahms
Academic Festival Overture Opus 80
Berlin Philharmonic; Claudio Abbado, conductor
4:25 p.m.
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Serenade No. 10 for winds "Gran Partita": III. Adagio in Bb major K 361
Sabine Meyer Wind Ensemble
4:30 p.m.
Antonin Dvorak
Poetic Tone Pictures: VII. Furiant Opus 85
Leif Ove Andsnes, piano
4:36 p.m.
George Friederich Handel
Water Music Suite No. 2 in D major HWV 349
Les Violons du Roy; Bernard Labadie, conductor
4:50 p.m.
Claude Debussy
La Mer: III. Dialogue of the Wind and the Sea
Cleveland Orchestra; Vladimir Ashkenazy, conductor
5:00 p.m.
Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Symphony No. 2 in C minor Opus 17
Philharmonia Orchestra; Riccardo Muti, conductor
5:35 p.m.
Frederic Chopin
Polonaise No. 6 "Heroic" in Ab major Opus 53
Lang Lang, piano
5:44 p.m.
Scott Joplin
Treemonisha Overture
Houston Grand Opera Orchestra; Gunther Schuller, conductor
5:55 p.m.
Percy Grainger
The Gum Suckers March
Dallas Wind Symphony; Jerry Junkin, conductor
6:00 p.m.
Johannes Brahms
String Quintet No. 2 in G major Opus 111
Takacs Quartet Lawrence Power, viola
6:32 p.m.
Clara Schumann
Piano Concerto: III. Finale in A minor Opus 7
Estonian National Symphony Orchestra; Neeme Jarvi, conductor Anna Shelest, piano
6:43 p.m.
Mel Bonis
Cleopatra's Dream Opus 180 Le Songe de Cl�op�tre
WDR Symphony Orchestra; Joseph Bastian, conductor
6:51 p.m.
Zhen Chen
Springfield
Zhen Chen, piano; Jiaju Shen, pipa; Feifei Yang, erhu
6:54 p.m.
Yoko Shimomura
Valse Di Fantastica
Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra; Irene Delgado-Jimenez, conductor Esther Abrami, violin
