Drop the Needle

Mondays at 7:00 p.m. Eastern

Visit a place where analog sound lives.

Drop the Needle is The Classical Station’s tribute to the timeless artistry of vinyl recordings. Hosted by Vince Tillona, this program brings you hand-selected treasures from the station’s vast archive of over 25,000 albums—a collection that features legendary performances, rare pressings and the warmth of sound that only vinyl can offer.

Each week, Vince carefully curates a listening experience for audiophiles and music lovers alike, reviving recordings that have shaped the classical tradition and rediscovering gems no longer available in modern formats.

Whether you’re a lifelong collector or simply curious about the magic of vinyl, Drop the Needle invites you to savor the depth and authenticity of classical music as it was meant to be heard.

Every episode of Drop the Needle features an array of treasures from our extensive vinyl library. Here are just a few of the selections we’re especially excited to share with listeners this month:

September 2026 on Drop the Needle

9/7/2026

Piece: Manfred Symphony

Composer: Tchaikovsky

Conductor: Yevgeny Svetlanov

Orchestra: USSR Symphony Orchestra

Tchaikovsky Manfred Symphony album cover conducted by Yevgeny Svetlanov with the USSR Symphony Orchestra

9/14/2026

Piece: Piano Concerto No. 3 in C Minor, Op. 37

Composer: Beethoven

Conductor: Josif Conta

Orchestra: The Bucharest Radio Symphony Orchestra

Soloist: Radu Lupu, piano

Beethoven Piano Concerto No. 3 album cover featuring Radu Lupu with Josif Conta and the Bucharest Radio Symphony Orchestra

9/21/2026

Piece: Serenade No. 10 in B-flat Major, K. 361, “Gran Partita”

Composer: Mozart

Orchestra: Orpheus Chamber Orchestra

Mozart Gran Partita album cover performed by the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra

9/28/2026

Piece: The Tender Land Suite

Composer: Copland

Conductor: Aaron Copland

Orchestra: The Boston Symphony Orchestra

Copland The Tender Land Suite album cover conducted by Aaron Copland with the Boston Symphony Orchestra

Elsa Says Thank You For Giving To The Classical Station

Elsa, Vince Tillona's grand-dog and Drop the Needle's unofficial mascot

During the Fall 2025 fund drive, Drop the Needle host Vince Tillona called to make a donation from his three dogs and four cats.

He told the story of how, during announcer training, volunteers were taught to visualize speaking to a single person, not a full audience.

That’s why a picture of Vince’s grand-dog Elsa sits on the desk each week during Drop the Needle—she’s the listener he imagines when he speaks.

As Vince explains, “She always listens and she’s totally non-judgemental. She’s the perfect audience.” (And yes, Elsa is a dog, despite what you may have heard on the air!)

Now Playing

String Sextet in C, Op. 140

Composed by

Louis Spohr (1784-1859)

Performed by

Varga/Papp/New Haydn Quartet

Label

Naxos

Catalog Number

9

Today's Playlist

2:45pm Fantasie in F minor, Op. 49

Composed by

Frederic Chopin (1810-1849)

Performed by

Mikhail Pletnev

3:01pm Piano Concerto in G

Composed by

Josef Haydn (1732-1809)

Performed by

Ax/Liszt Chamber Orchestra

3:23pm Suite from Pelleas et Melisande, Op. 80

Composed by

Gabriel Faure (1845-1924)

Performed by

Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields/Marriner

3:41pm Noble and Sentimental Waltzes

Composed by

Maurice Ravel (1875-1937)

Performed by

Elaine Greenfield

4:00pm Carnival Overture, Op. 92

Composed by

Antonin Dvorak (1841-1904)

Performed by

Cleveland Orchestra/Szell

4:11pm Love-Death (Liebestod) from Tristan and Isolde (for orchestra)

Composed by

Richard Wagner (1813-1883)

Performed by

Berlin Philharmonic/Abbado

4:18pm Pizzicato and Adagietto from Suite in E for Strings, Op. 63

Composed by

Arthur Foote (1853-1937)

Performed by

Indianapolis Symphony/Leppard

4:26pm Suite from Masquerade

Composed by

Aram Khachaturian (1903-1978)

Performed by

London Symphony/Black

4:45pm Concerto No.1 in F, RV 98 "La tempesta di Mare"

Composed by

Antonio Vivaldi (1678-1741)

Performed by

Antonini/Il Giardino Armonico Milan

4:52pm Waltz from Act I, Swan Lake, Op. 20

Composed by

Peter I. Tchaikovsky (1840-1893)

Performed by

NY Philharmonic/Masur

5:00pm Overture to Hansel and Gretel

Composed by

Engelburt Humperdinck (1854-1921)

Performed by

Philharmonia/Klemperer

5:10pm Bella Mazurka

Composed by

Emile Waldteufel (1837-1915)

Performed by

Cincinnati Pops/Kunzel

5:15pm Symphony No. 3 in C

Composed by

William Boyce (1711-1779)

Performed by

English String Orchestra/Boughton

5:22pm Flight of the Bumblebee from The Tale of Tsar Saltan

Composed by

Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov (1844-1908)

Performed by

Lloyd Webber/English Chamber Orchestra/Cleobury

5:24pm Barcarolle from The Tales of Hoffmann

Composed by

Jacques Offenbach (1819-1880)

Performed by

Dresden State Orchestra/Varviso

5:29pm Viennese Good Nature Waltz

Composed by

Johann Strauss Sr. (1804-1849)

Performed by

Gaudier Ensemble

5:36pm Deux arabesques, L. 74

Composed by

Claude Debussy (1862-1918)

Performed by

Tetreault/Hebert-Bouchard

5:47pm Symphony No. 016 in B flat

Composed by

Josef Haydn (1732-1809)

Performed by

Austro-Hungarian Haydn Orchestra/Fischer

6:00pm Prelude to La traviata, Act III

Composed by

Giuseppe Verdi (1813-1901)

Performed by

Berlin Philharmonic/Karajan

6:06pm Liebestraum No. 3 in A flat

Composed by

Franz Liszt (1811-1886)

Performed by

Van Cliburn

6:11pm Pictures at an Exhibition

Composed by

Modest Mussorgsky (1839-1881), orch. Maurice Ravel

Performed by

French National Orchestra/Inbal

6:45pm Cordoba from Spanish Songs, Op. 232

Composed by

Isaac Albeniz (1860-1909)

Performed by

Julian Bream

6:53pm Music selected by the announcer

7:01pm Drop The Needle with Vince Tillona

Performed by

Vince Tillona

7:03pm Drop the Needle with Vince Tillona

8:00pm Danube Legends

Composed by

Julius Fucik (1872-1916)

Performed by

Czech Philharmonic/Neuman

8:12pm Double Concerto for Violin & Cello in A minor, Op 102

Composed by

Johannes Brahms (1833-1897)

Performed by

Mutter/Fernandez/Czech Philharmonic Orchestra/Honeck

8:49pm Toccata and Fugue in D minor, BWV 565

Composed by

Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750), orchestrated by Leopold Stokowski

Performed by

Czech Philharmonic/Stokowski

9:01pm Symphonic Variations, FWV 46

Composed by

Cesar Franck (1822-1890)

Performed by

Moravec/Czech Philharmonic/Neumann

9:19pm Piano Concerto No. 1 in C, Op. 15

Composed by

Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827)

Performed by

Sherman/Czech Philharmonic/Neumann

9:57pm Cello Concerto in B minor, Op. 104

Composed by

Antonin Dvorak (1841-1904)

Performed by

du Pre/Swedish Radio Symphony/Celibidache

10:44pm Toccata from Le Tombeau de Couperin

Composed by

Maurice Ravel (1875-1937)

Performed by

Elaine Greenfield

10:51pm Concert Waltz No. 1, Op. 47

Composed by

Alexander Glazunov (1865–1936)

Performed by

Moscow Symphony/Golovschin

11:01pm Symphony No. 085 in B flat, "The Queen"

Composed by

Josef Haydn (1732-1809)

Performed by

Tafelmusik/Weil

11:24pm Variations on a Theme of Handel, Op. 107

Composed by

Mauro Giuliani (1781-1829)

Performed by

Celedonio Romero

11:33pm Sonata for Flute, Viola and Harp

Composed by

Claude Debussy (1862-1918)

Performed by

Boston Symphony Chamber Players

11:52pm Music selected by the announcer