Classical Music Playlist, July 14, 2026
Claude Debussy (1862-1918)
“Music must be freed from all learned bombast. It must endeavor with modesty to give joy. Exaggerated complication is the opposite of art. Beauty must be sensually perceivable so that it can...penetrate us without us having difficulty understanding it.”
Before Claude Debussy said that in a 1910 interview, he demonstrated it in his compositions. In what might be called his quiet revolution, Debussy consciously rejected traditional form and development in favor of music with a new color and mood. Clair de Lune, Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun, and Pelléas et Mélisande are examples. He was working toward that in 1893 with his only String Quartet. It's today's Midday Masterpiece.
6:00 a.m.
Andrea Zani
Cello Concerto No. 2 in A minor
Cologne Academy; Michael Alexander Willens, conductor Martin Rummel, cello
6:10 a.m.
Etienne-Nicolas Mehul
Symphony No. 2 in D major
Rhenish Philharmonic Orchestra; Jorge Rotter, conductor
6:37 a.m.
Gentil Montana
Suite Colombiana No. 2: III. Bambuco
Jose Antonio Escobar, guitar
6:41 a.m.
Johann Sebastian Bach
Keyboard Concerto No. 4 in A major BWV 1055
Chamber Orchestra of Europe David Fray, piano
6:58 a.m.
Richard Strauss
Serenade in Eb major Opus 7
Seattle Symphony; Gerard Schwarz, conductor
7:08 a.m.
Fredrich Ernst Fesca
Symphony No. 3 in D major Opus 13
NDR Radio Philharmonic Hanover; Frank Beermann, conductor
7:38 a.m.
Santiago de Murcia
Villanos
Richard Savino, guitar; Mauro ReFosco, percussion; Yousif Sheronick, percussion
7:39 a.m.
Florence Price
Fantasie Negre No. 2 in G minor
Michelle Cann, piano
7:49 a.m.
Carl Maria Von Weber
DER FREISCHUTZ: Overture Opus 77 J 277
Tapiola Sinfonietta; Jean Jacques Kantorow, conductor
7:59 a.m.
Fanny Mendelssohn
Piano Trio: I. Allegro molto vivace in D minor
Nash Ensemble
8:10 a.m.
Franz Joseph Haydn
Symphony No. 104 "London" in D major
Heidelberg Symphony; Thomas Fey, conductor
8:40 a.m.
TRADITIONAL
The Lark in the Clear Air
McGill/McHale Trio Demarre McGill, flute; Anthony McGill, clarinet; Michael McHale, piano
8:44 a.m.
Giulio Caccini
Amarilli mia bella
Empire Brass
8:50 a.m.
Ludwig Van Beethoven
Symphony No. 5: I. Allegro con brio in C minor Opus 67
Orchestre Revolutionnaire et Romantique; John Eliot Gardiner, conductor
8:58 a.m.
Franz Schubert
Piano Quintet "Trout" in A major Opus 114 D 667
Emanuel Ax, piano; Pamela Frank, violin; Rebecca Young, viola; Yo Yo Ma, cello; Edgar Meyer, bass
9:37 a.m.
Isaac Albeniz
The Crimson Tower (Torre Bermeja) Opus 92/12
Javier Calderon, guitar
9:43 a.m.
Johann Sebastian Bach
Concerto for four keyboards in A minor BWV 1065
Hamburg Philharmonic; Christoph Eschenbach, conductor Christoph Eschenbach, piano; Justus Frantz, piano; Gerhard Oppitz, piano; Helmut Schmidt, piano
9:55 a.m.
Johann Strauss, Sr.
Radetzky March Opus 228
Vienna Johann Strauss Orchestra; Joseph Francek, conductor
10:00 a.m.
George Friederich Handel
Occasional Suite in D major
The English Concert; Trevor Pinnock, conductor
10:16 a.m.
Benjamin Britten
Temporal Variations: VIII. Polka
Cindy Behmer, oboe; Michael Dauphunais, piano
10:18 a.m.
Ignaz Moscheles
Piano Concerto No. 5 in C major Opus 87
Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra; Howard Shelley, conductor Howard Shelley, piano
10:50 a.m.
Johan Halvorsen
Festival March
Latvian National Symphony; Terje Mikkelsen, conductor
10:54 a.m.
John Williams
Main Title & Overture from Heidi
Boston Pops Orchestra; Keith Lockhart, conductor
10:58 a.m.
Marianna Martines
Sinfonia in C major
La Floridiana; Nicoleta Paraschivescu, conductor
11:11 a.m.
Mohammed Fairouz
Piano Miniature No. 6, Addio
Lara Downes, piano
11:13 a.m.
Fanny Mendelssohn
Melodie (Allegretto) No. 2 in C# minor Opus 4/2
Betty Ann Miller, piano
11:16 a.m.
Florence Price
Symphony No. 4 in D minor
Philadelphia Orchestra; Yannick Nezet-Seguin, conductor
11:51 a.m.
Antonio Vivaldi
Violin Concerto, Op. 3, No. 6 in A minor Opus 3/6 RV 356
Tafelmusik; Jeanne Lamon, conductor Elizabeth Wallfisch, violin
11:59 a.m.
Johann Sebastian Bach
Concerto in G minor BWV 1056
Amsterdam Bach Solisten; Thomas Zehetmair, conductor Thomas Zehetmair, violin
12:11 p.m.
Gustav Holst
The Planets: Uranus, the Magician Opus 32 6. Uranus, the Magician
Atlanta Symphony Orchestra; Yoel Levi, conductor
12:18 p.m.
Robert Schumann
Symphony No. 1 "Spring" in Bb major Opus 38
Orchestre Revolutionnaire et Romantique; John Eliot Gardiner, conductor
12:50 p.m.
Craig Armstrong
Glasgow Love Theme (from LOVE ACTUALLY)
English Chamber Orchestra; Stuart Morley, conductor Claire Jones, Harp
12:53 p.m.
Jules Massenet
THAIS: Meditation
Yo Yo Ma, cello; Kathryn Stott, piano
1:00 p.m.
Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Capriccio Italien Opus 45
Dallas Symphony Orchestra; Jaap van Zweden, conductor
1:17 p.m.
George Gershwin
I Got Rhythm Variations
Cincinnati Pops; Erich Kunzel, conductor William Tritt, piano
1:27 p.m.
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Violin Concerto No. 3 in G major K 216
Deutsche Radio Philharmonie; Bruno Weil, conductor Lena Neudauer, violin
1:50 p.m.
Frederic Chopin
Impromptu No. 3 in Gb major Opus 51
Garrick Ohlsson, piano
1:56 p.m.
Leo Delibes
Sylvia: Pizzicato Polka
New Philharmonia Orchestra; Richard Bonynge, conductor
2:00 p.m.
Claude Debussy
String Quartet in G minor Opus 10
Quatuor Ebene
2:27 p.m.
Heitor Villa-Lobos
Prelude no. 1 in E minor
Julian Bream, guitar
2:32 p.m.
Georg Philipp Telemann
Concerto for flute, oboe and viola d'amore in E major
New York Collegium; Stanley Ritchie, conductor Sandra Miller, traverso; Stephan Hammer, oboe; Lisa Rautenberg, viola
2:51 p.m.
Jean Sibelius
Finlandia Opus 26
Helsinki Philharmonic; Paavo Berglund, conductor
3:00 p.m.
Joaquin Rodrigo
Concierto Andaluz for 4 guitars
Internationale Philharmonie; Horst-Hans Backer, conductor Amadeus Guitar Duo; Eden-Stell Guitar Duo
3:26 p.m.
Sade Adu
Love Is Stronger Than Pride
Carlos Simon, piano
3:30 p.m.
Johann Sebastian Bach
Art of the Fugue: Contrapunctus No. 9 BWV 1080
Les Violons du Roy; Bernard Labadie, conductor
3:33 p.m.
Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges
Symphony in G Major in G major
Tafelmusik; Jeanne Lamon, conductor
3:49 p.m.
Hamilton Harty
In Ireland
Ulster Orchestra; Bryden Thomson, conductor Colin Fleming, flute; Denise Kelly, harp
3:59 p.m.
Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Piano Concerto No. 1: III. Finale in Bb minor Opus 23
Berlin Philharmonic; Herbert Von Karajan, conductor Evgeny Kissin, piano
4:08 p.m.
Georges Bizet
Symphony No. 1 in C major
Orpheus Chamber Orchestra
4:41 p.m.
Hildur Gudnadottir
Chernobyl: Vichnaya Pamyat Memory Eternal
Homin Lviv Municipal Choir
4:47 p.m.
Paul Dukas
La Peri: Fanfare
Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra; Jesus Lopez-Cobos, conductor
4:49 p.m.
Antonio Vivaldi
Four Seasons: Summer (L'Estate) in G minor Opus 8/2 RV 315
Venice Baroque Orchestra Avi Avital, mandolin
5:00 p.m.
George Friederich Handel
Concerto Grosso No. 3 in G major Opus 3/3 HWV 314
Academy of Ancient Music; Richard Egarr, conductor
5:09 p.m.
Agustin Barrios
Danzas Paraguayas
David Russell, guitar
5:14 p.m.
Franz Schubert
Moments Musicaux No. 6 in Ab major Opus 94 D 780
Radu Lupu, piano
5:23 p.m.
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Symphony No. 25 in G minor K 183
Danish National Chamber Orchestra; Adam Fischer, conductor
5:49 p.m.
Georg Philipp Telemann
Concerto for horn and strings in D major
St. Luke's Chamber Ensemble Stewart Rose, horn
5:59 p.m.
Henriette Renie
Trio for harp, violin and cello
Emily Levin, harp; Julia Choi, violin; Christine Lamprea, cello
6:30 p.m.
Johann Sebastian Bach
Prelude in E major BMV 1006a
Sharon Isbin, guitar
6:35 p.m.
Dave Brubeck
Rising Sun
John Salmon, piano
6:39 p.m.
Max Richter
Spring 3
Berlin Chamber Orchestra; Andre de Ridder, conductor Daniel Hope, violin
6:43 p.m.
Nino Rota
Orchestra Rehearsal (Prova d'orchestra)
Orchestra of La Scala, Milan; Riccardo Muti, conductor
6:53 p.m.
Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco
Prelude and Fugue No. 3 in A minor Opus 199
Brasil Guitar Duo
