Classics Count - The world's greatest music

Prokofiev: Love of Three Oranges 3rd movement March - hear the surreal story about those oranges! Rossini: The Italian Girl in Algiers Overture – a comic opera about Isabella’s trip to rescue her lover Londoro Prokofiev: Troika from Lieutenant Kije – not just a Christmas song Sofia Piccoli Hemel Symphony orchestra interview about their concert Winter Dreams on 7th February Khachaturian: Spartacus...

Sofia Piccoli talks about her role with Hemel Symphony Orchestra and their upcoming concert.

This Sunday, we welcome acclaimed conductor, composer and cellist Edward Longstaff for a new weekly feature where he will be sharing his knowledge of a short piece of music in Edward’s Insights Handel: Water Music Suite No 2 in D major 2nd movement Allegro alla Hornpipe – a regal start to the show originally premiered on the River Thames in 1717 Grieg: Peer Gynt Suite No 2 Solveig’s Song – listen...

Reflections on music with Edward Longstaff looks at Giovanni Gabrieli's Canzona No.9 as an example of wonderful music from the glory days of Venice.

Sibelius: Karelia Suite 3rd movement Alla Marcia – listen in to find out where Karelia is Mendelssohn: Nocturne from A Midsummer Night’s Dream – hear the bassoon and horn in this tranquil piece Mozart: Concertone for 2 Violins and Orchestra in C major K190 2nd movement Andante grazioso – this was started in Italy while Mozart was on an extended trip and completed in Salzburg in May 1774 Delius: On...

Hear composer, conductor and cellist Edward Longstaff, share his insight into this beautiful piece of music by Saint-Saens' Carnival of the Animals - The Swan

Join Martin Clarke and Heather Harrison from 10am on wycombesound.org.uk playing some outstanding classical music to make it the perfect soundtrack to your Sunday morning They welcome back George Vass into the studio to talk about the Bushey Symphony Orchestra concert on Sunday 18th January at 3pm Clarendon Muse, Watford. George is a renowned British composer, conductor and percussionist. He studi...

Beethoven: Symphony No 1 in C major 3rd movement Menuetto allegro molto e vivace – a cheerful and playful piece coming away from the classical style of slower third movements Faure: Pavane – taking its title and rhythm from a 16th century dance performed at weddings Glazunov: The Seasons Winter – the 2026 Classics Count offering to mark the passing of the months in music Mendelssohn: Symphony No 5...

Bach: In Dulci Jubilo – popularised by John Mason Neale’s Good Christian Men Rejoice and by Mike Oldfield Adam: Giselle movement 5 – from the composer of the dearly oved Christmas carol O Holy Night Good King Wenceslas – listen in to find out who Wencelas was Elgar: Pomp and Circumstance March in G major No 4 - a tune to bob up and down to as per the Last Night of the Proms J Strauss II: Die Flede...

Christmas: Jingle Bells – originally written in1857 for Thanksgiving Christmas: Away in a Manger – written in America in the 1880s Tchaikovsky: Nutcracker Suite Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy – listen to the celeste in this ethereal piece Tchaikovsky: Nutcracker Suite Dance of the Mirlitons or Reed Pipes – find out what a mirliton actually is Listen to The Nutcracker The story narrated by Heather a...

Christmas: Leroy Anderson Sleigh Ride – sleigh bells at the ready for a festive start Brahms: Variations on a theme by Joseph Haydn Chorale St Anthony Andante – with 8 distinct variations before the glorious finale Haydn: Symphony No 104 in D major 4th movement – one of 12 London symphonies composed during 2 spells of living in the capital Interview with Chris Hartgroves – double bass player and p...

God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen – a festive start to today’s show Tchaikovsky: Nutcracker Suite Waltz of the Flowers – listen in to hear what Tchaikovsky told fellow musicians Rossini: La Cenerentola Overture – an astonishingly good piece from the story of Cinderella where values replace the features of the traditional fairy tale Raffaele Pagano violinist and Goncalo Pires cellist (pictured) play the...

Albinoni: Concerto in B flat Allegro moderato – an upbeat start from this Italian Baroque composer Bach: Air on a G String Orchestral Suite No 3 in D – listen in to find out why the piece was given this title Binge: Elizabethan Serenade – originally published as Andante Cantabile but changed when Elizabeth came to the throne Tchaikovsky (pictured): The Seasons Suite December Christmas – our season...

Handel: Music for the Royal Fireworks in D Bourree – a lively French dance to start our show Borodin : String Quartet No 2 in D major 3rd movement Notturno andante – a passionate melody from the illegitimate son of a Russian prince Dvorak: Symphony No 8 in G major 3rd movement allegretto grazioso – composed on holiday and demonstrating the joy he found when inspired by his surroundings Mozart:The...

Barber: Adagio for Strings – originally the slow movement of a string quartet written in Rome in 1936 Albinoni: Adagio in G minor for strings and organ – listen in to found out who the real composer is thought to be Faure: Pavane – based on a 16th century court dance performed in pairs Elgar: Nimrod – the 9th of his 14 Enigma Variations and synonymous with Remembrance Mascagni: Cavelleria Rustican...

Bach: Orchestral Suite No 2 in B minor Badinerie – instead of using scherzo Bach used badinerie, the French for jesting, for this piece Michael Nyman: The Piano The heart asks for pleasure first – from the contemporary composer and filmmaker Avril Coleridge Taylor (pictured): Piano Concerto in F major 2nd movement Adagio – a piece from the daughter of Samuel, tune in to find out how she proved her...

Punto: Horn Concerto No 11 in E major 2nd movement – a stately start from the Czech horn player and composer of the classical era Elgar: Enigma Variation No 9 – Nimrod, composed for one of Elgar’s closest friends AJ Jaegar Mozart: Sinfonia Concertante for Violin, Viola and Orchestra in E flat major K364 – written to showcase equality between the two stringed instruments A Musical Journey Through t...

Elgar: Pomp and Circumstance March in G major No 4 – listen in to find out how Elgar’s Marches got their name Hummel: Trumpet Concerto in E flat major 2nd movement Andante - composed for a Viennese trumpeter who developed a keyed trumpet Chopin: Berceuse in D flat major – meaning lullaby and written in summer 1843 for Louisette but who was she? Binge: Sailing By – played before the 00:45 shipping...

Charles Avison (pictured): Concerto Grosso No 5 in D minor Largo – a superb start from Newcastle born composer, conductor and organist considered to be the best English concerto composer of the 18th century Beethoven: Symphony No 1 in C major 3rd movement Menuetto allegro molto e vivace – dedicated to a Dutch-born Austrian diplomat and patron Shostakovitch: Piano Concerto No 2 in F major 2nd movem...

Brahms: Hungarian Dance No 5 in G minor Allegro – one of 21 dances composed after meeting famous gypsy violinist Eduard Remenyi Vivaldi: Concerto in D major for Four Guitars 1st movement Allegro – originally composed for the lute Schumann: Symphony No 4 in D minor 2nd movement Allegro – from the German Romantic composer who lived between 1810 and 1856 Shostakovich: Jazz Suite No 2 Waltz 2 – famous...

Handel: Arrival of the Queen of Sheba – get in the mood with the pomp of this majestic piece Chris Hopkins, Artistic Director of the Amersham Festival of Music - interview Delius: On hearing the first cuckoo in Spring – based on an old Norwegian folk song Mozart: Piano Concerto No 23 in A K488 2nd movement Adagio – Mozart seduced the public back into loving his piano concerti with this tantalising...

Purcell : Trumpet Tune and Air – a rousing tune from Baroque composer Henry Purcell Albinoni: Oboe Concerto in D minor No 2 1st movement Allegro e non presto and 2nd movement Adagio – from one of Tomaso Albinoni’s 12 concerti for oboe Mozart: Flute and harp concerto in C major andantino with the Academy of St Martin in the Fields conducted by Sir Neville Mariner and with soloists Sir James Galway...

Verdi (pictured): Prelude from La Traviata – an evocative and moving piece from this wonderful opera Saint Saens: La Princesse Jaune Overture - a story of dreams from the Land of the Rising Sun Debussy: Clair de Lune from the Bergamasque Suite - Debussy’s most popular piece from this Suite Hamish MacCunn: The Land of the Mountain and the Flood Overture – an uplifting musical portrait by this Scott...

During the show's Italian tour...There was a stirring melody from Sibelius’ Karelia Suite, John Barry’s evocative Dances with Wolves film theme & soulful Massenet. Which one was used in a news programme?

The latest Classics Count took us on a musical journey. From Schubert’s playful symphonic twists to Holst’s serene Venus, and Smetana’s flowing Ma Vlast Vltava. Plus Mascagni (pictured) and Mozart in the coffee break...