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: 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.

Air date: January 10, 2025

Variations on “America”, Charles Ives

Suggested by Jeff in Portland, Oregon

I love all these variations, especially the one that sounds like a tango and the one that presages the clippity-clop of burro's hooves in "On the Trail" from Ferde Grofe's Grand Canyon Suite composed thirty years later! But most of all I like the final coda where the original theme comes back triumphant. Always good for a tear in the eye and a lump in the throat.

This piece has a fascinating provenance: composed for organ in 1891 when Charles Ives was only 17 years old it had limited performance until E. Power Biggs rediscovered it in 1949. My favorite version is that for full orchestra created in 1962. That's what I'd like you to play.

Air date: January 9, 2025

Songs My Mother Taught Me, Antonin Dvorak

Suggested by Liz in Portland, Oregon

During the Pandemic I was living alone and isolated as many other people were. Prior to the shutdown I had participated in dancing of all types. I had done Balkan, Scandinavian, and Israeli folk dancing. I had also enjoyed Latin dancing as well as swing and waltz dance. I missed all forms of dancing terribly. Since I couldn't go out to dance I decided to teach myself to choreograph modern and contemporary dances in my living room which has a beautiful hardwood floor and lots of room. The first piece I chose was Songs My Mother Taught Me by Anton Dvorak. Its so emotionally moving, gentle and contemplative. I worked four months and had fun inventing dance moves to the song. When I felt it was completed I invited a few friends over to watch. I have gone on to choregraph five other dances to classical music pieces that I first heard on All Classical.

Air date: January 8, 2025

Song of India, Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov

Suggested by John in Corvallis, Oregon

While working in East Africa I was able to hear Rimsky-Korsakov's music performed at an outdoor venue overlooking the Indian Ocean. This piece brings back fond memories of sunny days, beautiful white beaches, and azure blue seas on the Kenyan Coast. My wife and I would both enjoy hearing this.

Air date: January 7, 2025

William Tell Overture: Finale, Gioachhino Rossini

Suggested by Norma in Vancouver, Washington

We arrived at our new assignment at Royal Air Force (RAF) Lakenheath in England after a 20 hour flight and checked in to billeting. Our internal clocks were in jet lag mode and it was a struggle to settle in to sleep, so at 0200 (2:00am) we were still wide awake. And that is when the William Tell overture started over the loud speakers ALL OVER the base to signal the beginning of an alert calling active duty personnel to their posts. Leaning out the windows to watch all the action alongside the music was quite the memory maker. (We learned afterward that the American forces agreed not to sound the usual air raid sound to call the alert out of respect for the reaction of neighboring civilians who had lived through WWll.) It was the most exhilarating alert call we experienced in all our 22 years!

Air date: January 6, 2025

Ride of the Valkyries, Richard Wagner

Suggested by Jeff in Ridgefield, Washington

I’m seventy now, but this suggestion is me paying penance to my middle school music teacher. Mr Bauch must have seen potential in me back then, I’ve no idea why. He was persistent and so was I. I still see Mr Bauch’s face light up at the sight of the apple on his desk, a feeling of appreciation. BUT if you had previously taken said apple, and gently tapped it on a table top, the center turns to mush while the skin stays intact. So, when Mr. Bauch picked it up and discovered the ploy, in frustration, he threw the apple at the back wall of the classroom, where it splattered. As I look back, I do recall him playing “Ride of the Valkyries” and “Night on Bald Mountain” on the school’s vinyl turntable, so here you go: cheers to you Mr Bauch.

Air date: January 1, 2025

La Boheme: Che gelida manina, Giacomo Puccini

Suggested by Victoria in Milwaukie, Oregon

La Boheme introduced me to opera; this song touched my heart. It seems to be tailor-made for Pavarotti.

Air date: December 30, 2024

Horn Concerto No. 3, W. A. Mozart

Suggested by Tom in Auburn, Alabama

It's just fun to hear, and the scoring is different ---the winds consist of pairs of clarinets and bassoons, not the usual oboes and horns.

Air date: December 27, 2024

Symphony No. 5: 2. Larghetto, Ludwig van Beethoven

Suggested by Victoria in Milwaukie, Oregon

My first impression of Beethoven was of an angry genius. This particular passage offered a glimpse of his deep humanity, and his love for the world.

Air date: December 26, 2024

Four Motets on Gregorian Themes: 1. Ubi caritas et amor, Maurice Durufle

Suggested by George in Sherwood, Oregon

In 1971, I was privileged to be a member of the Oregon State University Choralaires during a European choir tour. In Rome, we were invited to park our backpacks and other luggage at a Monastery dedicated to Pope Gregory. The chapel was very ornate and had a high ceiling made with Roman arches. The head monk gave us a short tour and told us some of the history. We learned that Pope Gregory was associated with the development of Gregorian Chant. After the tour, many of us went back into the chapel to drink in the fact that we were standing right where Gregorian Chant began. We spontaneously broke into singing Ubi Caritas. It was ethereal, and the sounds will stay with me forever.

Air date: December 19, 2024

Star Wars – Throne Room and End Titles, John Williams

Suggested by Dave in Woodburn, Oregon

Hey Christa! Edmund Stone will appreciate this story too. There I was... it is 1977 and I am stationed in Germany flying the mighty McDonnell Douglas F-4E All Weather Supersonic Fighter Bomber (mostly bomber) with the United States Air Force. My mother, knowing I am a science fiction fanatic sent me a newspaper clipping showing people lined up around the block waiting to get in to see this new movie called Star Wars. Well, I checked with the local Armed Forces movie theater and although they had an arrangement with the major movie companies to get first release movies at no or low cost to show to the troops (dating back to World War II), for whatever reason Star Wars was not going to be released into the military movie system. So a quick check of the International Herald Tribune (our 1977 substitute for the internet) revealed it was playing in London. Well. One Friday I and another lieutenant borrowed a Phantom and flew it cross country to RAF Lakenheath about 80 miles northeast of London. We were in the habit of checking in with the RAF Eastern Radar and offering ourselves as a target for practice intercepts from British-based fighters so we did that. As we crossed over the Dutch coast into the North Sea we descended to 500 feet and accelerated to 600 knots - just shy of supersonic as we often overflew civilian ships and ferries and did not want to blow out windows... And Eastern Radar was happy to scramble their Quick Reaction Alert on us and they ran a perfect intercept and proceeded to escort us to RAF Lakenheath where we put on an arrival airshow... Quick change into civiies, we popped into the Officer's Club for a short snort and bumped into retired Brigadier General Robin Olds of all people (who we knew from the Air Force Academy) and spent far too much time drinking Scotch and telling tall tales... we almost missed the last train to London, but did make it to the movie house just in time to catch the last showing for the day of Star Wars. It was fabulous! A most memorable weekend!

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