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.

Playlist

Classical Masterpieces: Recommended Works You Should Hear at Least Once
	Title	Playlist	Review
1	Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor, Op. 18Sergei Rachmaninov		The appeal and popularity of Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 2
2	Symphony No. 9 in E minor, Op. 96, “From the New World”Antonín Dvořák		Introduction to Dvořák's Symphony From the New World
3	Symphony No. 9 in D majorGustav Mahler		Mahler’s final symphony embodies reflections on death.
4	BoleroMaurice Ravel		Characteristics of Ravel’s masterpiece orchestral work, Boléro
5	CanonJohann Pachelbel		Pachelbel’s elegant masterpiece
6	Pictures at an ExhibitionModest Mussorgsky		Mussorgsky Pictures at an Exhibition Russian classics
7	La CampanellaFranz Liszt		It was precisely because Liszt had large hands that La Campanella was completed.
8	Symphony No. 5 “Fate”Ludwig van Beethoven		From Suffering to Joy in Beethoven’s Symphony of Fate
9	Piano Concerto No. 1 in B-flat minor, Op. 23Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky		Tchaikovsky’s masterpiece, Piano Concerto No. 1
10	The Rite of SpringIgor Stravinsky		A representative work by Stravinsky and a hallmark of primitivism
11	Clair de Lune, No. 3 from Suite bergamasqueClaude Debussy		The appeal of Debussy’s representative works, such as Clair de Lune
12	Pavane for a Dead PrincessMaurice Ravel		Ravel’s graceful masterpiece, Pavane
13	Jesu, Joy of Man’s DesiringJ.S.Bach		Bach’s masterpieces continue to captivate people’s hearts to this day.
14	Violin Concertos, Op. 8 Nos. 1–4 “The Four Seasons”Antonio Vivaldi		Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons is a bright and splendid masterpiece.
15	From Symphony No. 9 in D minor, Op. 125 — Fourth Movement “Ode to Joy”Ludwig van Beethoven		The Ninth is a famous symphony performed at the end of the year.
16	Chaconne from Partita No. 2 in D minor, BWV 1004, for solo violinJ.S.Bach		Bach’s masterworks for solo violin
17	VocaliseSergei Rachmaninov		A song in which Rachmaninoff’s emotion and virtuosity are fused
18	NocturneFrederic Chopin		Chopin’s Complete Collection of 21 Piano Pieces
19	Ballet Suite ‘Swan Lake’Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky		Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake
20	Rhapsody on a Theme of PaganiniSergei Rachmaninov		Rachmaninoff's Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini
21	Symphony No. 5 in C-sharp minorGustav Mahler		Mahler’s purely instrumental symphony, from anguish to exultation
22	Symphony No. 1 in C minor, Op. 68Johannes Brahms		Brahms’s Symphony No. 1, completed after twenty-one years of conception
23	“Hallelujah Chorus” from the oratorio MessiahGeorg Friedrich Händel		Handel’s “Messiah” conducted by Solti
24	RequiemGiuseppe Verdi		Verdi Requiem conducted by Toscanini
25	Symphony No. 6 in B minor, Op. 74 “Pathétique”Pyotr Tchaikovsky		Tchaikovsky’s final symphony, Pathétique, Third Movement
26	ValkyrieRichard Wagner		Wagner created the music drama
27	PhoenixIgor Stravinsky		The Firebird that Stravinsky created in a primitivist style
28	Symphonie Fantastique, Op. 14Hector Berlioz		A musical work that depicts fantasies born from Berlioz’s heartbreak
29	Symphony No. 4, Op. 54 “Poem of Ecstasy”Скрябiн		Scriabin mystic music composition
30	RequiemGabriel Urbain Fauré		A distinct French current within German-centered music
31	MessiahGeorg Friedrich Händel		Italian Baroque music and Handel’s Messiah
32	Ave MariaJosquin Des Prez		Religious works by great composers of the Renaissance
33	Toccata and Fugue in D minorJ.S.Bach		The most beloved piece among Bach’s organ works
34	Music for Strings, Percussion and CelestaBartók Béla		Bartók created new compositional techniques from his research into folk music.
35	Piano Sonata No. 14 “Moonlight”Ludwig van Beethoven		Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata: a work imbued with feelings of love
36	Purified NightArnold Schönberg		A mystical piece composed by Schoenberg
37	Impromptu in G-flat major, Op. 90 No. 3Franz Schubert		Romanticism is a music style that prioritizes emotion
38	troutFranz Schubert		Was called the king of German lieder
39	Opera ‘The Valkyrie’Richard Wagner		In the late Romantic period, tonality collapsed and performance durations became longer.
40	The Marriage of FigaroWolfgang Amadeus Mozart		An old recording of Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro
41	ChaconneHenry Purcell		The life and musical style of the English Baroque composer Purcell
42	Symphonic Suite “Scheherazade”Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov		An orchestral piece by Korsakov. The Scheherazade theme is developed.
43	Symphonies Nos. 1–5Felix Mendelssohn		Complete Mendelssohn Symphonies, conducted by Abbado
44	String Quartet No. 66 in G major “Lobkowitz”, Op. 77, No. 1, Hob. III:81Franz Joseph Haydn		Haydn Works by the Kuijken String Quartet
45	Fantaisie-Impromptu, Op. 66Frederic Chopin		Romantic music gave rise to distinctive performers
46	TafelmusikGeorg Philipp Telemann		Telemann’s Tafelmusik works
47	Scenes from Childhood, Op. 15Robert Schumann		Schumann is a Romantic composer.
48	Symphonic Poem “Finlandia”Jean Sibelius		Karajan conducts Sibelius’s patriotic masterpiece
49	Pavane of TearsJohn Dowland		Development of Instrumental Music and Lute Music
50	String Quartet No. 19 in C major, K. 465 “Dissonance”Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart		String Quartets composed by Mozart.
51	Symphony No. 2, Movement IIISergei Rachmaninov		A masterpiece whose beautiful melody stirs the heart
52	Five Piano Pieces, Op. 23Arnold Schönberg		Through the twelve-tone technique, atonal music that overturned traditional composition methods was born.
53	Overture CollectionGioachino Rossini		Rossini Overtures Collection Performance Album
54	GymnopédieErik Satie		Characteristics of Impressionist music by Fauré and Satie
55	Turandot: “Nessun dorma”Giacomo Puccini		Puccini’s final opera, an unfinished work
56	Brandenburg Concerto No. 5J.S.Bach		A masterful performance that vividly harmonized Bach's music
57	Symphonic Poem ‘Thus Spoke Zarathustra’Richard Strauss		Strauss Works by the Berlin Philharmonic Conducted by Karajan
58	Symphony No. 101 in D major “The Clock”Franz Joseph Haydn		The Classical period developed the symphony and sonata form.