Timelessly beautiful classical masterpieces. Recommended classical music.
A showcase of stunningly beautiful classics, all at once!
There are so many beautiful pieces in classical music, aren’t there?
This time, I’ve selected works that are especially beautiful—“classics that are just too beautiful.”
It’s a lineup of masterpieces that have been passed down through a long history.
When you think of beautiful classical music, many people imagine something calm and refreshing, but I’ve also picked pieces not only for solo piano but also for voice and full orchestra.
Now then, please take your time and enjoy!
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Masterpieces of classical music that are simply too beautiful. Recommended classical music (61–70)
The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book I, No. 1, Prelude, BWV 846J.S.Bach
Despite its very simple structure of regularly repeated broken chords, Johann Sebastian Bach’s The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book I, No.
1, Prelude in C major, BWV 846 soothes the heart with its beautiful harmonic changes.
Charles Gounod’s Ave Maria, which uses this piece as its accompaniment, is also well-known.
When you want to calm your anger, steady your impatience, or dwell in sorrow, listening to this piece helps your mind grow still and composed.
It’s a true classic that perfectly embodies the phrase “unadorned beauty.”
Brandenburg Concerto No. 3J.S.Bach
This is a signature work by Bach, one of the foremost musicians of 18th-century Germany, notable for its brilliant string timbres and rich expressiveness.
The joyous melodies woven by three groups of strings are perfect for a refreshing study break.
Its intricate counterpoint and lush harmonies are pleasing to the ear and help enhance concentration.
Presented in March 1721 to the Margrave of Brandenburg, this piece—scored solely for strings—conveys a noble, almost celestial quality.
Recommended as a quiet companion for long hours of study or reading, when you want to calm and center the mind.
The Swan from The Carnival of the AnimalsCamille Saint-Saëns
One of the fourteen pieces in The Carnival of the Animals, a suite composed by Camille Saint-Saëns, a leading French composer.
Among the movements featuring animals like lions and elephants, The Swan shines like a jewel of the cello repertoire.
It appears at the very end, after the lively animals.
Over a piano accompaniment that evokes the surface of a lake, the cello portrays a swan gliding gracefully, scattering droplets as it swims.
Beloved for its beautiful melody, it is the most popular piece in the suite.
Nocturne No. 1Frederic Chopin
“Nocturne” is called “yasoukyoku” (night piece) in Japanese.
Chopin’s nocturnes are said to be strongly influenced by the Irish composer John Field.
They often use a technique in which the right hand sings a sweet, sentimental melody over a stereotypical left-hand accompaniment.
It is as if the endlessly flowing, luscious melodies are written down just as they pour forth, making these works the ones that best reflect the side of Chopin known as the “poet of the piano.” With their dimly lit mood and exquisitely romantic, beautiful melodies, they are very accessible and approachable pieces.
ariosoJ.S.Bach
It is the second movement of Bach’s Harpsichord Concerto No.
5 in F minor, and its beautiful melody has been arranged for various instruments such as cello, piano, and guitar.
“Arioso” is a musical term in Italian meaning “in a singing style,” and it is also a type of solo vocal style in opera.
This piece uses the same melody as the sinfonia from Bach’s Cantata No.
156, “Ich steh mit einem Fuß im Grabe” (“I stand with one foot in the grave”), and thus has the character of a vocal work.
Gymnopédie No. 1Erik Satie
Gymnopédie No.
1 from the three piano pieces composed in 1888 by the French composer Erik Satie.
Subtitled “Lent et douloureux” (“Slow and painful”), the first piece is the most famous of the three and can be considered one of Satie’s signature works.
Although the music overflows with a transparent clarity that evokes a watercolor painting, the occasional anguished chords that surface amid its gentle, unhurried flow convey a sense of suffering and poignancy.
It is a calm piece that quietly seeps into the heart, making it perfect for listening before sleep or whenever you want to soothe your mind.
Piano Sonata No. 21 in B-flat major, D. 960: II. Andante sostenutoFranz Schubert
This final piano work of the composer’s life is a gem, suffused with a meditative atmosphere and profound emotion.
The theme in C-sharp minor begins with the resonance of a quiet prayer, then modulates to A major in the middle section, revealing a transformation of character as if bathed in warm light.
Composed in September 1828, the piece strongly reflects the late Franz Schubert’s sense of life’s transience and his views on life and death.
It is recommended for those who wish to explore the profound meaning of life through music or immerse themselves in introspective moments.
Its gently penetrating melody and delicate shifts in harmony stir the listener’s soul.