Classical Masterpieces: Recommended Works You Should Hear at Least Once
Classical music, the foundation of all music.
It began with chants sung in churches and led to the birth of countless composers and works.
In Japan, classical music remains close to us even today—taught in music classes and played as background music in a variety of settings.
In this article, we’ll introduce a wide range of classical pieces: from famous works you’ve likely heard somewhere at least once, to lesser-known pieces that will still linger in your ears.
Please enjoy these masterpieces of classical music—performed in many forms, from sacred music and symphonies to piano solos and concertos, including works arranged for different instruments.
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Classical Masterpieces | Recommended Works You Should Hear at Least Once (21–30)
Symphony No. 1 in C minor, Op. 68Johannes Brahms
Brahms’s First Symphony, which he finally completed after the age of forty, came to fruition only after twenty-one years of deliberation from conception to completion in his effort to create a symphony worthy of succeeding Beethoven.
Crafted with fearsome care and burning passion, the work earned such high praise for its perfection that conductor Hans von Bülow called it “Beethoven’s Tenth Symphony.” Steeped in dramatic tension that seems to reflect Brahms’s own struggles, it embodies the trajectory “from suffering to victory.”
Symphony No. 6 in B minor, Op. 74 “Pathétique”Pyotr Tchaikovsky
It is Tchaikovsky’s final symphony, and the subtitle “Pathétique” was chosen by the composer himself.
Tchaikovsky experienced as many as twelve bouts of depression in his life, and some say this work may reflect that state of mind.
Although the Pathétique is shrouded in a dark atmosphere overall, the third movement is enveloped in a glittering mood.
It fuses a scherzo with a march, beginning with a light, airy melody and culminating in a resplendent finale at the climax.
Symphonie Fantastique, Op. 14Hector Berlioz
The best-known piece by the Romantic composer Berlioz.
The music unfolds according to the titles and program notes supplied by the composer himself, and according to these, the piece depicts a young artist, heartbroken, who takes opium to commit suicide; the dose is not fatal, and he instead experiences bizarre hallucinations.
The “young artist” is Berlioz himself, and the “beloved” is Harriet Smithson, the leading actress of a Shakespearean troupe.
Each of the five movements has a subtitle, giving the work a strong sense of narrative.
ValkyrieRichard Wagner
Conducted by Hans Knappertsbusch and performed by the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra.
Raised in an environment rich in theater and music, Wagner was inspired by Beethoven and created the “music drama,” an opera in the form of a symphony.
MessiahGeorg Friedrich Händel
While the German Baroque, home to composers like Bach, is characterized by strong religious and scholarly elements, Italy also saw a flourishing of opera in addition to sacred music.
Handel, famous as an Italian opera composer, wrote Messiah, which is one of his signature works and is centered on the figure of Christ.
Ave MariaJosquin Des Prez
The French composer Josquin des Prez is said to be the greatest composer of the Renaissance.
In addition to sacred music such as Masses and motets, he wrote secular works like chansons and a small number of instrumental pieces, and he enjoyed extremely high acclaim even during his lifetime.
This piece is thought to have been composed toward the end of the 15th century, and it unfolds through successive imitations of melodies based on the Gregorian chant “Ave Maria.” It is a very beautiful work composed in a quintessential Renaissance style, incorporating partial homophony within a polyphonic texture.
“Hallelujah Chorus” from the oratorio MessiahGeorg Friedrich Händel
Handel’s Messiah conducted by Georg Solti with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.
Along with Bach, he is a representative composer of the Baroque era.
He primarily wrote music for the theater, such as operas and oratorios.
“Messiah” refers to the Savior and tells the story of Jesus Christ.