Rush Hour

Regardless of if you commute in the car, on the train, on your bike, or on your feet – or if your commute simply takes you from your bed to your desk – this playlist will get you up and running in the morning and hand you a pick-me-up in the afternoon doldrums. Listening to concert music on the go can be tough! In so much of it, I've found, a big portion of the experience is lost when I can't hear everything that's going on. When I find a piece that feels at home in my ears alongside the clacking of subway wheels or honking traffic, I like to hang onto it. This playlist consists of some of my tried-and-tested commuting favorites. From Baroque concertos by Bach and Telemann, to Smetana's rolling tone poem 'The Moldau' to Elena Ruehr's soaring 'Ladder to the Moon' and the high-octane electronic fantasy of Francesco Tristano's 'Tokyo Stories' – you should be able to hear this music over whatever's happening around you.*

*If the "showtime" dancers pop up on your train, all bets are off.