Recommended classical masterpieces for autumn
Introducing recommended classical masterpieces that evoke the feeling of autumn!
There are many works in classical music that take the four seasons as their theme.
This time, we’ve picked pieces ranging from those that explicitly focus on “autumn” to those that simply evoke an autumnal mood.
From darker tones to brighter ones, we’ve selected a variety of styles, so you’re sure to find a piece that matches your preferred atmosphere!
We’re also sharing episodes and fun little facts, so if you love classical music, be sure to read to the end!
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Classic masterpieces recommended for autumn (11–20)
“The Four Seasons” — 12 Characteristic Pieces, Op. 37bis: October, “Autumn Song”Pyotr Tchaikovsky
The Seasons is a collection of twelve piano pieces depicting Russian scenes.
The tenth piece, October: Autumn Song, composed as the work for October, is a melancholy piece filled with wistful sadness.
The Seasons was created by Pyotr Tchaikovsky for a serialized feature in a music magazine, each piece paired with a poem by a Russian poet evocative of that month.
Autumn Song is accompanied by a poem that portrays a sorrowful scene of colored leaves fluttering down on the wind.
It conveys a poignant sense of “autumn” that differs from Japan’s vividly colored fall foliage.
Autumn GardenEinojuhani Rautavaara
When people hear “classical music,” they tend to picture works up to around the 19th century, but of course many masterpieces by outstanding composers have emerged in contemporary music from the 20th century onward.
The composer introduced here, Einojuhani Rautavaara, is highly regarded as one of Finland’s leading contemporary composers, and until his death in 2016 he produced a vast body of work, making him a towering figure.
Among his pieces, Autumn Gardens, composed in 1999, is said to be one of his most frequently performed works.
It is a dramatic and elegant orchestral composition in three movements, perfectly suited to listening on a long autumn night.
According to Rautavaara himself, he likened his compositional process to gardening—an organic entity that grows freely like an English garden—so listening with that background in mind may reveal new discoveries in the piece.
No. 10 in F minor, Op. 213 “In Autumn”Joseph Joachim Raff
He may not be one of those textbook-famous classical composers everyone knows, but in recent years Joachim Raff, a Swiss-born composer, has been reappraised, and his talent and achievements have become widely recognized.
Active in the 19th century as a so-called Romantic composer, he even served as a kind of secretary and assistant to Franz Liszt, working on tasks such as orchestrating Liszt’s compositions.
Among Raff’s works, let me introduce a piece that’s perfect for listening to in the fall: Symphony No.
10 in F minor, Op.
213, “In Autumn.” Composed in 1879, it’s not the kind of piece marked by tricky developments or an overpowering display of the composer’s idiosyncrasies.
Rather, it offers a classically balanced, flowing orchestral style rooted in tradition—making it an excellent recommendation for newcomers to classical music.
Autumn from “Folk Songs of the Four Seasons”Ralph Vaughan Williams
Ralph Vaughan Williams, a British composer active in the early 20th century, is regarded as a pivotal figure who helped revive British music in the first half of the century.
He published works across a variety of genres in a distinctive style he forged through studies of his homeland’s folk songs and of Tudor church music in medieval England.
The work introduced here, Folk Songs of the Four Seasons, was composed in 1950 for women’s chorus and orchestra on a commission from the National Federation of Women’s Institutes.
As its title suggests, it is also an important piece for understanding his deep affection for folk music.
Folk songs vividly express each nation’s character, its culture, and the scenery of the seasons, so by all means, listen to this piece and experience an English autumn!
September from Four Last SongsRichard Strauss
Richard Strauss, a German composer said to represent the late Romantic era, left many masterpieces in the realms of tone poems and opera.
Film enthusiasts may know his name from the famous opening of Also sprach Zarathustra, which was used in 2001: A Space Odyssey.
In the postwar year of 1948, he composed a song cycle titled Four Last Songs.
From it, I would like to introduce September, the second song, set to a poem by Hermann Hesse.
With lyrics that richly depict the end of summer and the arrival of autumn, and a beautifully lyrical melody, it is truly a perfect piece to listen to in the fall.
Préludes, Book II, No. 2 “Dead Leaves”Claude Debussy
Claude Debussy, the French composer who left behind numerous works as delicate and beautiful as paintings, wrote 24 pieces as Preludes.
Among the two books, each consisting of 12 pieces, “No.
2: Dead Leaves” from Book II is notable for its mood that evokes the melancholy of autumn.
With its succession of harmonies that convey a sense of instability and leave the listener with a curious, elusive feeling, this piece offers a quintessential experience of Debussy’s uniquely French Impressionist world.
Classic masterpieces recommended for autumn (21–30)
La CampanellaFranz Liszt
Franz Liszt is a musician who represents Hungary, known not only as a pianist and composer but also as an educator and critic.
Speaking of Liszt, he is renowned for his astounding virtuosity as a pianist, and I’d like to introduce La Campanella, a work where you can savor his exceptional technique.
It is an arrangement of the theme from the Rondo “La Campanella,” the third movement of Italian violinist Niccolò Paganini’s Violin Concerto No.
2; the most famous version is No.
3 from Liszt’s Grandes Études de Paganini.
Its brilliant melodies are perfectly suited to the artistic spirit of autumn, and it’s fascinating to explore the many celebrated performances by great pianists around the world who have taken on this masterpiece.