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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Recommended Classical Masterpieces for Autumn (41–50)
Autumn Moon Over the Calm LakeLü Wencheng
The piece by Lü Wencheng, a master of traditional Chinese music, is a masterpiece that paints the beautiful scenery of West Lake in sound.
Skillfully blending Cantonese music with the silk-and-bamboo traditions of Zhejiang Province, it depicts the autumn moon reflected on the tranquil lake surface with flowing, elegant melodies.
Composed in the 1930s, the work has been highly acclaimed in the Chinese music world and performed by many pianists.
Its richly expressive tones, conveying serenity and the beauty of nature, bring deep comfort to listeners.
It is a recommended piece for those who wish to immerse themselves in music with a calm heart on a long autumn night.
Classic masterpieces recommended for autumn (51–60)
Pictures at an ExhibitionModest Mussorgsky
Pictures at an Exhibition is a piece composed by Modest Mussorgsky, a Russian composer known as one of the “Mighty Handful.” Originally a piano suite, it was neither performed nor published during Mussorgsky’s lifetime, but it became widely known after the French composer Maurice Ravel orchestrated it in 1922.
Even if you don’t recognize the title, you might recognize the melody of the Promenade.
Fans of 1970s progressive rock may also be familiar with Emerson, Lake & Palmer’s arrangement.
There’s also an electronic synthesizer version by Isao Tomita, so it’s fun to listen and enjoy the differences among these interpretations.
Dreaming (Träumerei) from Scenes from ChildhoodRobert Schumann
Speaking of Robert Schumann, he is a composer who represents the so-called German Romantic school and left numerous works across a wide range of genres.
Among Schumann’s works, his songs and piano pieces are especially highly regarded, and Scenes from Childhood, which we are introducing here, is one of them.
Of the collection’s thirteen pieces, the most famous is the seventh, Träumerei.
Many people seem to remember hearing this piece played after school in elementary school.
As its title suggests, it is a beautiful work with a dreamy atmosphere that brings a sense of calm.
According to Schumann himself, this piece is “a work for adults depicting a child’s world.” Why not let its nostalgic melody be your background music as you drift into thought on an autumn evening?
Symphonic Poem “Finlandia”Sibelius
It is a symphonic poem composed in 1899 by Finnish composer Jean Sibelius.
It is perhaps one of the most famous pieces among his works.
At the time this piece was written, Finland was suffering under the oppression of Imperial Russia, and an independence movement was underway.
The imperial Russian government banned performances of the piece on the grounds that it stirred patriotic feelings toward Finland.
That shows just how effectively the piece expressed Finnish patriotism, doesn’t it?
The Seasons: I. AutumnThea Musgrave
As a piece that depicts an autumnal scene through music, I would like to introduce an orchestral work by the Scottish composer Thea Musgrave.
Composed in 1988, the piece was inspired by a painting.
Taking as its motif Piero di Cosimo’s Renaissance painting The Hunt, it is marked by fierce music that evokes wild hunting and the foreboding of a storm.
A hunting-horn motif recurs throughout, culminating in a development that seems to be swallowed by the storm.
Rather than the calm of autumn, the work foregrounds the harshness of nature and the fragility of human existence.
Employing weighty harmonies and shifts in tempo to emphasize the darker side of autumn, this piece seeks, with deep emotion and symbolism, to convey the essence of the season to its listeners.
Variations on “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star”Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Speaking of Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star, I think it’s a song that just about everyone in Japan has sung at least once.
Originally, though, it was a popular late-18th-century French chanson that spread around the world as a children’s song, to which Japanese lyrics were later added for introduction.
The piece known as Mozart’s Variations on “Ah! vous dirai-je, maman,” commonly associated with Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star, was actually composed before the Japanese lyrics of “Twinkle, Twinkle” existed, based on the chanson’s theme.
It begins with the presentation of the famous theme and consists of 12 variations; unless you’re familiar with classical music, you might not have listened to the entire work.
For those of you thinking, as the autumn art season arrives, of returning to the piano you learned long ago—why not start by trying just the theme’s phrase?
Oboe ConcertoWolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Here is the concerto for oboe and orchestra that Mozart composed in 1777.
It is said to have been written at the request of the Italian oboist Giuseppe Ferlendis.
This demanding piece requires advanced technique and is often used in professional orchestra auditions for oboists.
Many people, even those who aren’t classical music fans, may have heard it because Kuroki, the oboist character, performed it in the popular manga and TV series Nodame Cantabile.