Recommended classical masterpieces for BGM. Soothing classical music.
Classical music has been used in many settings: as church music for religious services, live performances at aristocratic banquets, and as operatic incidental music depicting beautiful landscapes and people.
Even with pieces I already know, when I revisit them after learning their background, I often feel they were originally close in character to background music.
This time, I’ve gathered classical masterpieces that are perfect as BGM for everyday relaxation, commuting to work or school, and lunchtime or dinnertime.
You can rediscover world-famous pieces everyone knows, as well as lesser-known hidden gems—there’s a wide variety to choose from.
I hope you find a new favorite track.
Recommended classical masterpieces for BGM: Healing classical music (1–10)
Morning Mood from Peer GyntEdvard Grieg
“Morning” from the incidental music to Henrik Ibsen’s 1867 play Peer Gynt, completed in 1875 by Norwegian composer Edvard Grieg.
Because it was written as incidental music, it has a background music–like quality: gentle rays of morning light filtering through the trees, a peaceful awakening, and a deeply soothing character.
Many elementary and junior high schools seem to have played this piece.
With eyes closed, you can almost hear the wind, the murmuring of a stream, and the breeze rustling through the trees—music that lets you feel the beauty of nature.
It truly is perfect as a school morning BGM.
Symphony No. 2, Movement 3Sergei Rachmaninov
As a musician, the Russian composer Sergei Rachmaninoff suffered a disastrous premiere of his Symphony No.
1, in which he had great confidence, leading to a nervous breakdown and a complete loss of self-confidence.
The work that helped him recover from that psychological pain was the successful Symphony No.
3.
From the gentle clarinet and flute in the opening to the majestic string writing in the middle, it is thoroughly compelling.
Around this time, Rachmaninoff married and had children, and his private life was fulfilling—good circumstances truly do nurture talent.
With its striking contrasts, it would make excellent background music for scenes in nature that evoke the vitality of wild animals.
CanonJohann Pachelbel
Composed around 1680 by the German Baroque composer Johann Pachelbel.
Its formal title is “Canon and Gigue in D major for three violins and basso continuo,” movement I—but that’s quite a mouthful to remember.
It’s nicknamed “Canon” because multiple parts play the same melody in imitation, so you can hear the same tune coming from different registers.
It begins in the lower voices, but in the later Gigue the pattern is repeated starting in the higher voices, making it very easy to remember and widely loved.
In Japan, it’s often used for ceremonial occasions and is also famous as an entry point to classical music.
It might make nice background music for lunchtime.
Nocturne Op. 9 No. 2Frederic Chopin
It’s a piano piece that exudes an elegant atmosphere.
Its gentle, beautiful melody seems to capture the stillness of the night.
Composed by Chopin in 1831 and published the following year, it is known as one of the works that established the nocturne as a genre for solo piano.
It has also been used as insert music in the anime “ClassicaLoid” and as BGM in the game “Eternal Sonata,” making it well-loved by many.
It’s perfect for a relaxing night or when you want to calm your mind.
Wrapped in its soothing tones, you’re sure to enjoy a comforting time.
Pictures at an ExhibitionModest Mussorgsky
It’s the piece Pictures at an Exhibition by Modest Mussorgsky that became famous in the orchestral version by the French composer Claude Debussy.
The trumpet in the introduction is striking, as if preparing to welcome something.
Originally, it was a piano work by the Russian composer Modest Mussorgsky, expressing in music a walk through ten posthumous paintings by his friend Viktor Hartmann.
As a result, it has humorous touches as well as lavish moments, with multiple distinct expressions that make it easy on the ears.
It’s definitely the piece for award ceremonies.
Divertimento in D major, K. 136, I. AllegroWolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Composed by Mozart in his youth, this piece captivates with its light and cheerful atmosphere.
The elegant resonance of the strings is pleasing to the ear, making it perfect as background music.
Created in Salzburg in 1772, it showcases the full breadth of Mozart’s talent at the age of sixteen.
Its rich melodies unfold one after another, lifting the listener’s spirits.
It is said to have been written for informal musical gatherings, so it’s recommended when you want to relax or refresh your mood.
It’s a piece you can enjoy in many everyday moments—on your commute to work or school, during lunch, and more.
Minuet from L’Arlésienne Suite No. 2Georges Bizet
This is a work by the French composer Georges Bizet.
In the second suite, there are the Minuet and the Farandole—titles that might not immediately ring a bell, but they’re pieces you’ve almost certainly heard somewhere.
The Farandole is bold and expansive in scale, while the Minuet, in contrast, has a gentle and calm character.
The flute’s tender lines are especially lovely, and it might even make for a refreshing morning wake-up BGM.
Although originally scored for orchestra, it’s also a staple in the flute repertoire and is often performed as a flute solo in concerts.
With a harp accompaniment, it becomes even more elegant!
Je te veuxErik Satie
It is a sweet and romantic piece by Erik Satie.
Characterized by a sensual yet elegant style, it sings of a powerful longing for a lover.
Set to a waltz rhythm, it expresses deep passion for the beloved and serves as a fine example of the “simplicity” and “refinement” that Satie’s music embodies.
Composed in 1897 and officially published in 1903, it was later arranged for solo piano as well.
Often featured in classical concerts and film scores, it is beloved by many.
It’s perfect as background music for a quiet evening with your partner or a leisurely teatime.
Piano Sonata No. 14 “Moonlight,” First MovementLudwig van Beethoven
This is one of Beethoven’s signature works, depicting a magical scene where the night’s silence and moonlight are reflected on the surface of a lake.
The beautiful melody woven by the left hand’s octaves and the right hand’s triplets soothes the listener and leaves a deep impression.
Completed in 1801 and dedicated in 1802 to one of Beethoven’s students, the piece departs from conventional movement arrangement, giving the whole work a distinctive sense of motion.
Performance directions calling for delicate playing with the damper raised further heighten its ethereal, dreamlike atmosphere.
It’s a perfect choice as quiet nighttime background music or for moments when you want to relax.
Joy of LoveFritz Kreisler
This is a brilliant and popular piece for violin and piano composed by the world-renowned Austrian violinist Fritz Kreisler.
Its striking feature is the ascending passage using double-stops—tilting the bow to play chords on two strings—which, true to its title, conveys a sense of joy.
Fritz Kreisler was born in Vienna and began the violin at the age of three.
Thanks to his prodigious aptitude, he was exceptionally admitted to a music school at seven and, remarkably, graduated at the top of his class at just ten.
For a time he followed in the footsteps of his father, a practicing physician, and pursued medicine, but it did not suit him, and he returned to a career in music.
‘Liebesfreud’ (Joy of Love) is also often used as entrance music at weddings.