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 Too Beautiful. Recommended Classical Music (71–80)
Violin Concerto in E minor, Op. 64Felix Mendelssohn
A work that, along with Beethoven’s Op.
61 and Brahms’s Op.
77, is hailed as one of the three great violin concertos.
The sweet, plaintive, and emotionally charged opening melody for solo violin is so famous that many people have likely heard it at least once.
It combines both joy and melancholy, and its bright, brilliant yet gentle and expressive beautiful melodies leave a lasting impression.
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.
Nocturne No. 2, Op. 9 No. 2Frederic Chopin
Among Chopin’s 21 Nocturnes, this is the most famous.
The left hand maintains the same accompaniment pattern throughout, over which the right hand sings the melody.
The beautiful melody is aria-like, and Chopin—who loved vocal music—actively incorporated contemporary operatic aria performance practices into piano playing.
Owing to its captivating beauty, numerous arrangements for violin, cello, and voice, among others, were produced after Chopin’s death.
Air on the G StringJ.S.Bach
This is an arrangement of the “Air” from the second movement of Bach’s Orchestral Suite No.
3.
The G string refers to the lowest of the violin’s four strings, and because this piece can be performed using only that string, it is known as “Air on the G String.” The original is in D major, but it was transposed in an arrangement by the violinist August Wilhelmj, making performance on the G string alone possible.
Each instrument intertwines with the others while presenting its own beautiful melody; every part takes a leading role, combining to create a richly beautiful sound world.
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.
Brandenburg Concerto No. 6J.S.Bach
The Brandenburg Concertos are a collection of six concertos featuring various instrumentations and styles.
They are thought to have been composed by Bach during his tenure as Kapellmeister at the court of Prince Leopold of Köthen, for the court orchestra there.
Later, they were compiled and dedicated to the Margrave of Brandenburg, which is why they are called the Brandenburg Concertos.
Prince Leopold was very fond of music and maintained, for the time, a relatively large and highly skilled orchestra.
Because Bach wrote these works for performance by that ensemble, they are pieces of high density both technically and musically, putting the soloists’ abilities to the test.
Forgotten Images: No. 2, “Memories of the Louvre”Claude Debussy
Consisting of three pieces, Images oubliées was published roughly 55 years after Claude Debussy’s death.
The second piece, Souvenir du Louvre, is a very beautiful work that combines grandeur and elegance.
The indication “with even the feeling of a slightly faded portrait commemorating memories of the Louvre” shows that the piece evokes an artwork whose gravitas deepens over time.
Within a single piece, you can enjoy a variety of expressions—delicacy, brilliance, and a touch of melancholy.
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.
Water MusicHenderu
A work in which majestic and resplendent orchestral melodies resound with beauty.
Composed by Handel for a boating party on the River Thames in July 1717, this piece musically depicts the gentle flow of the river.
The rich sonorities woven by a variety of instruments—such as horns, oboes, and strings—create an elegant, soothing atmosphere, like light shimmering on the water’s surface.
Even today, its universal appeal is evident in its use as the theme music for NHK-FM’s “Enjoying Early Music” and as the departure melody at Kyoto Station.
It is a recommended piece for tasks or study that require concentration, or whenever you wish to quietly calm your mind.
Barcarolle No. 2 in F-sharp minor from Songs Without Words, Book IIFelix Mendelssohn
Felix Mendelssohn, a German composer who left behind many delicate and graceful works, is especially known for his collection of short piano pieces called Songs Without Words.
The collection is divided into eight volumes, and the melancholy melody of Venetian Boat Song No.
2 in F-sharp minor, included in the second volume, is a celebrated piece that brings tears to the eyes.
Although all 48 pieces have titles, Mendelssohn himself named only five of them.
Venetian Boat Song No.
2 in F-sharp minor is one of those and is cherished as an exceptionally beautiful and striking work among the Songs Without Words.