Main content
Sorry, this episode is not currently available

Essential Classics for a rainy day

An hour of cheerful classical music to brighten your mood whatever the weather, including Mozart, Copland, Elgar and Joplin.

Don鈥檛 let those grey clouds get you down. Turn up the volume and blow them all away with an hour of uplifting, sunny classical music. Follow the glistening, flowing waters of Smetana's Vltava River, relax in the sun-drenched guitar music of Brazil and let your hair down for a cowboy party with Copland!

Release date:

1 hour

Music Played

  • Bedrich Smetana

    Vltava (M谩 vlast)

    Orchestra: Berliner Philharmoniker. Conductor: Ferenc Fricsay.
    • Dvorak: Symphony No. 9: Berlin Philharmoniker, Ferenc Fricsay.
    • Deutsche Grammophon.
    • 5.
  • Sergey Prokofiev

    Dance of the Knights (Romeo and Juliet)

    Orchestra: The Cleveland Orchestra. Conductor: Lorin Maazel.
    • Prokofiev: Romeo and Juliet: The Cleveland Orchestra, Lorin Maazel.
    • Decca.
    • 11.
  • Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

    Piano Sonata No 11 in A major, K 331 (3rd mvt)

    Performer: Mitsuko Uchida.
    • Mozart: Complete Piano Sonatas: Mitsuko Uchida.
    • Philips.
    • 9.
  • Elena Kats鈥怌hernin

    Eliza's Aria (Wild Swans)

    Singer: Jane Sheldon. Orchestra: Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Ola Rudner.
    • Elena Kats-Chernin - Wild Swans.
    • ABC.
    • 2.
  • Gabriel Faur茅

    Pavane, Op 50

    Choir: Seattle Symphony Chorus. Orchestra: Seattle Symphony. Conductor: Ludovic Morlot.
    • Seattle Symphony Media.
  • Marianna Martines

    Symphony in C Major (1st mvt)

    Ensemble: Salzburger Hofmusik. Conductor: Wolfgang Brunner.
    • Martines: Symphony in C Major, Psalms 110 & 151.
    • CPO.
    • 201.
  • Gustav Holst

    Mercury, the Winged Messenger (The Planets)

    Orchestra: The National Youth Orchestra. Conductor: Edward Gardner.
    • Holst - The Planets / Strauss - Also sprach Zarathustra.
    • Chandos.
    • 12.
  • Heitor Villa鈥怢obos

    Suite Populaire Bresilienne [Mazurka (Choro)]

    Performer: F谩bio Zanon.
    • Villa-Lobos: Complete Solo Guitar Works.
    • MUSIC MASTERS.
    • 6.
  • Felix Mendelssohn

    Violin Concerto in E minor, Op.64 (3rd mvt)

    Performer: Janine Jansen. Orchestra: Gewandhausorchester Leipzig. Conductor: Riccardo Chailly.
    • Mendelssohn/Bruch - Violin Concertos; Romance: Janine Jansen.
    • Decca.
  • Scott Joplin

    The Entertainer

    Performer: Dick Hyman.
    • Scott Joplin - Piano Works, 1899-1904.
    • RCA.
    • 7.
  • Aaron Copland

    Hoe-down (Rodeo - 4 Dance Episodes)

    Orchestra: San Francisco Symphony. Conductor: Michael Tilson Thomas.
    • Copland: Appalachian Spring, Rodeo, Billy the Kid: San Francisco SO, Tilson Thom.
    • RCA Red Seal.
    • 006.
  • Erik Satie

    Gymnop茅die no.1 in D major

    Performer: Joanna MacGregor.
    • The Music of Erik Satie; Joanna MacGregor.
    • Collins Classics.
    • 6.
  • Benjamin Britten

    Simple Symphony (Playful Pizzicato)

    Orchestra: Slovensk媒 komorn媒 orchester Bohdana Warchala. Conductor: Bohdan Warchal.
    • Britten: Music for Sting Orchestra: Dohdan Warchal.
    • Campion Records.
  • Quincy Jones

    Soul Bossa Nova

    Performer: Astrig Siranossian. Performer: Nathana毛l Gouin.
    • ALPHA.
  • Edward Elgar

    The Wand of Youth Suite No 1

    Conductor: Neville Marriner. Orchestra: Academy of St Martin in the Fields.
    • Capriccio.