Five O’Clock Favorite

Hosted by
Christa Wessel

Five O’Clock Favorite

Every weekday at 5:00 PM PT

Every weekday at 5:00 PM PT, All Classical Radio and host Christa Wessel invite listeners to be part of the programming. During the Five O’Clock Favorite, you’ll hear a listener-suggested piece of music along with a personal story about their choice. With pieces that are fun and familiar, music for remembrance and reflection, and everything in between, the Five O’Clock Favorite is a perfect way to ease your commute, end your workday, or start off your evening soundtrack on All Classical Radio. 

graphic for five o clock fav

Your Host
Christa Wessel

Weekdays at 5:00, you’ll find me in my happy place on the radio: sharing your Five O’Clock Favorite. This special program is an opportunity for me to celebrate listeners’ memories and favorite pieces of classical music. Our stories connect us to each other, and this daily segment allows us to hear what’s in the hearts of our friends and neighbors. I hope you’ll submit your suggestion for a future Five O’Clock Favorite!

Christa Wessel
woman with glasses sitting on a blue couch, leaning slightly forward — Photo by Christine Dong

Submit your favorite piece:
Suggestions are easiest to honor if they’re 20 minutes or less.

Recent Favorites

Air date: February 10, 2025

Piano Sonata No. 14, “Moonlight”, Ludwig van Beethoven

Suggested by Elizabeth in Milwaukie, Oregon

My mother, Frances, who passed away a little over a week ago, played the piano beautifully. At 14 I took an interest in the piano and while lessons were not something we could afford, she tried to teach me to play. Moonlight Sonata was one of her favorites she played on our old upright piano. I would dearly love to hear a pianist of your choice play Moonlight Sonata in her honor. I am her twin, musically speaking, with the exception of a crazy love for bagpipes. She loved music, cooking, gardening, birds, reading and old musicals. Thank you to everyone at All Classical for enriching my life. I listen to the station in the car and the kitchen when I prepare meals.

Air date: February 6, 2025

The Promise of Living, Aaron Copland

Suggested by Ben in Salem, Oregon

There are very few pieces of music that bring me or nearly bring me to tears every time I listen. This is one of them. This piece makes me think of my children and the world I want them to live in and the promise I have given to them to do the very best I can to prepare them to live in that world.

Air date: February 5, 2025

An Die Musik, Franz Schubert

Suggested by Katharine in Portland, Oregon

I first heard this piece sung at a memorial service for an opera singer, which was held at a Unitarian Universalist fellowship in Pennsylvania. I fell in love with it immediately - both for the beautiful music and the meaningful words. I’d love to hear it sung by Elisabeth Schwarzkopf.

Air date: February 4, 2025

Fantasy On Japanese Woodprints, Alan Hovhaness

Suggested by Sarah in Brush Prairie, Washington

My sister and I were born in Japan, and are half Japanese on our mother's side. My dad, though, is 100% PNW American (he wears a raincoat in the rain, while Japanese people universally use umbrellas.) He was the one who introduced us to classical music, including this piece by Hovhaness. He has always said that Hovhaness represents the wonderful cultural mix of the PNW. So I would like to hear this piece, especially the exciting end.

Air date: February 3, 2025

Partita in D minor: Chaconne, J.S. Bach

Suggested by Ken in Portland, Oregon

I'm from LA, and on a trip down there some 7 years ago, I found myself driving on Sunset Blvd westward toward the I-405 freeway. As I negotiated the curves passing all the mansions, the classical radio station there was playing Bach's Chaconne for solo violin (part of Partita No. 2), and the whole listening experience was magical for me. I kept my eyes on the road as I continued my drive, but I was transported by the music. Now, as LA continues to deal with the horrors & challenges of the wild fires, I'd love to hear this Chaconne again, and hope it will offer us all some solace and serenity.

Air date: January 31, 2025

Appalachian Spring, Aaron Copland

Suggested by Elizabeth in Portland, Oregon

Many people know Appalachian Spring as an orchestral piece by Aaron Copland. I know it as an integral piece of American Dance History. "Appalachian Spring" originated as a ballet composed by Aaron Copland and choreographed by Martha Graham; it was originally commissioned as a dance piece for her company and was well received at its debut in 1944. The Martha Graham Dance Company is the oldest dance company in the U. S. celebrating 100 years this season. They are currently touring the US and recently performed at the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall in Portland. During that performance, highlights from Appalachian Spring were performed with excerpts of letters from Martha to Aaron, read aloud by the Artistic Director; giving light to the creative collaboration that resulted in this masterpiece. Martha Graham is one of my favorite American Dance Pioneers, and this pivotal piece contributes to Aaron Copland being one of my favorite composers!

Air date: January 30, 2025

Christ on the Mount of Olives: Hallelujah, Ludwig van Beethoven

Suggested by Dave in Canby, Oregon

I first heard this piece as I was recovering from a life threatening injury 49 years ago. It immediately became one of my favorites. This is one of the all time great choruses. I consider it to be on a par with Handel's Hallelujah Chorus; it is so beautiful and majestic. I consider this also to be as good as his chorus in the 9th symphony which I also love. Beethoven was truly a master of great music and his reputation as such is well deserved. Thank you for playing this.

Air date: January 29, 2025

Piano Sonata No. 31, Ludwig van Beethoven

Suggested by Manu in Cornelius, Oregon

It was my Dad’s favorite! He could whistle sonatas, symphonies, overtures. He LOVED classical music and I grew up listening to it with my family in the evenings while my mom knitted our sweaters, I did homework, dad rested with his eyes closed after a day of seeing patients in their homes, (YES! Doctors did see patients in their homes in Italy where I grew up)
I love to sing along with the melodies when I hear a well known concerto on All Classical, driving in my car... not so much in the house as I don’t want to drive my husband crazy! I love that you are doing these suggestions from listeners, Christa!

Air date: January 28, 2025

Quintet for String Quartet And Double Bass: Movement 1, Edgar Meyer

Suggested by Darrell in Portland, Oregon

Every time I hear this it provokes in me a different story. One with twists and turns and meaning. I will listen to this piece over and over again for as long as I live.

Air date: January 27, 2025

Violin Concerto No. 1: Movement 4 – Burlesque, Dmitri Shostakovich

Suggested by Emma in Brush Prairie, Washington

Many years ago, as a high school student, I played tuba at a summer music camp. I was a French horn player by nature but since there was often a satisfactory number of hornists and frequently a lack of tubaists my band teacher often asked me to switch hit between tuba and horn. That summer music program was transformational for me. We performed Shostakovich's Violin Concerto no. 1, movements 3 and 4. The beauty of the 3rd movement, with the bass ostinato, and the pure energy of the 4th, won me over completely. Ever since then my family describe me as a "Shostakovich fanboy". I wear the tag proudly.

Air date: January 24, 2025

Ye Jacobites By Name, Robert Burns

Suggested by Barbara in Vancouver, Washington

With Robert Burns' birthday tomorrow (Jan 25, 1759), I would like to share one of his poems set to music. When I was in Scotland, we visited the 1746 battle site at Culloden. As we walked the paths and rough turf, the wind and rain buffeted us, and I imagined my Scottish and English ancestors in brutal battle. "Ye Jacobites" was originally a Scottish folk song, but Robert Burns rewrote it to reflect the disillusionment and exhaustion of war. Culloden is still a rocky, desolate, windswept field of pale heather and willow, sharp prickly thistle, and yellow gorse and yarrow, and the poem is still timely. As we drove back to Inverness, our guide played Eddi Reader's version of "Ye Jacobites." It haunts me to this day.

Air date: January 23, 2025

Scottish Fantasy, Max Bruch

Suggested by Nancy in Lake Oswego, Oregon

I play violin (not well enough to play this!) and have always loved this piece. Years ago, I took the Michigan Bar Exam to become an attorney. When I got in my car to return home after the last exam, I popped my "Scottish Fantasy" CD in the player and blasted it all the way home. And I passed the exam, too. Now, many years later, I play an arrangement of the slow movement on my mountain dulcimer... and I still can't play the violin part!

Air date: January 22, 2025

Symphony No. 7: II. Allegretto, Ludwig van Beethoven

Suggested by Al in Portland, Oregon

The first time I had ever heard Beethoven's 7th was via radio, when I was 10 years old. Hearing this particular recording -conducted by Leonard Bernstein- on my local classical music radio station is a formative memory. Any other version now seems too uptempo for me -- it's almost appropriate as a somber march. Nothing will compare.

Air date: January 21, 2025

Piano Sonata No. 14, “Moonlight”, Ludwig van Beethoven

Suggested by Philip in Portland, Oregon

When living in Chicago, age probably 5-10 years old, my father would play Moonlight Sonata every night for me to go to sleep by. When older, I reached the point where I could play the first 2 movements always thinking about Dad while playing!

Air date: January 20, 2025

Brandenburg Concerto No. 2, J.S. Bach

Suggested by Joe in Portland, Oregon

I love all of Bach's Brandenburg Concertos, but this one -with the high trumpet part- makes my jaw drop. The technical demands asked of the soloist are just incredible.

Air date: January 17, 2025

Alexander Nevsky, Cantata: V. Battle on the Ice, Sergei Prokofiev

Suggested by Mark in Portland, Oregon

When I was in college in Boston I frequently walked across the Mass Ave bridge to stand in line for rush tickets at Symphony Hall. One of my earliest memories of doing this was buying rush tickets to hear Seiji Ozawa and Boston Symphony perform Sergei Prokofiev's score to the Sergei Eisenstein film Alexander Nevsky. This, however, was before I learned to ask for an "unobstucted seat", and so I was sitting behind one of the pillars that supported the first balcony. But this did nothing to diminish the drama and tension of the music.

Air date: January 16, 2025

The Four Seasons: “Winter”: I. Allegro non molto, Antonio Vivaldi

Suggested by Matthew in Salem, Oregon

I have been listening to classical music for most of my life and have always loved the "Winter" concerto from Vivaldi's famous Four Seasons ... but I have never heard a more compelling and beautiful version than this one, arranged by Gottfried Von Der Goltz. I first heard it when I picked up a used copy of a CD called "Vivaldi's Greatest Hit" which is a patchwork of different arrangements of each of the four pieces. The album features artwork by cartoonist and author Patrick McDonnell. It's track 19 on the compilation, and I think I had it on single repeat for the better part of an entire morning. It's fast, dramatic, and brilliant!

Air date: January 15, 2025

Nocturne No. 20, Frederic Chopin

Suggested by Pie in Portland, Oregon

I heard this in the film The Pianist and have loved it ever since.

Air date: January 14, 2025

Danzon No. 2, Arturo Marquez

Suggested by Kim in Portland, Oregon

This piece is so fun... it always pulls me out of hard spaces. I love the version by the Simon Bolivar Youth Orchestra; the fact that these young orchestra members were given the opportunity to have music in their lives gives me hope.

Air date: January 13, 2025

The Sunken Cathedral, Claude Debussy

Suggested by Steve in Portland, Oregon

This piano piece tells the story of a great church --a cathedral-- that is under water. The music tells the story how the church rises up out of the water. Hear the monks chanting, tolling of the bell, the organ. Eventually the church goes back under the water with the sounds still audible from under the water. It's amazing.
I also love the orchestral version arranged by Leopold Stokowski. He was an organist before he became a conductor, and it's amazing to hear how he made the orchestra sound like an organ.

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