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.
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Recommended classical masterpieces for background music. Soothing classical music (31–40)
Jesu, Joy of Man’s DesiringJ.S.Bach
Johann Sebastian Bach, known as the “Father of Music.” The chorale that closes his church cantata Herz und Mund und Tat und Leben, composed in 1723, is likely something everyone has heard at least once.
Its warm yet majestic sonorities evoke a deep sense of peace and unwavering hope.
Beloved as a staple at celebrations such as weddings, it is also widely known in the piano arrangement by Myra Hess.
Its quiet, refined harmonies won’t disrupt your thoughts; rather, they gently enhance your concentration.
Give it a listen as background music to clear your mind while studying or doing desk work.
Tufted puffinHakasé Tarō
A beautiful instrumental piece inspired by the image of an auk swooping through the sky.
Taro Hakase’s emotionally rich violin weaves a grand melody that brilliantly captures the breath of nature and the pulse of life.
It was also used as the ending theme for the MBS/TBS program Jonetsu Tairiku, leaving a deep impression on many listeners.
The piece is notable for its structure: it begins in the calm of morning and unfolds as if depicting powerful, soaring wingbeats.
It’s a song to listen to when you’re about to take a new step forward or when you need courage.
Adagio, 2nd movement from the Alaphense ConcertoJoaquín Rodrigo
Among classical works, this is a relatively new piece: a guitar concerto composed in 1939.
It is imbued with prayers and a longing for peace in the wake of the devastation of the Spanish Civil War.
Consisting of three movements, the first is in a classical style, while the second is said to express prayers to God for the composer’s lost child and gravely ill wife.
It carries a sense of melancholy, so it might work well as background music for flashback scenes in dramas or films.
Ode to Joy from the NinthLudwig van Beethoven
In Japan, Beethoven’s symphonies are so famous that there’s hardly anyone who doesn’t know them.
His Ninth Symphony is performed almost without fail at the end of the year—so much so that “the Ninth means year’s end, and year’s end means the Ninth” is a familiar saying.
The tradition began after the war, when orchestras in Japan, struggling with low income, started performing the ever-popular Ninth at year’s end to ensure audiences.
True to its title, the piece is full of hope and welcomes the New Year.
While the fourth movement is immensely famous, the opening of the first movement has the feeling of emerging, wandering out of darkness, and the third movement can be listened to calmly at a relaxed pace.
Listening from the first movement through to the fourth anew reveals a grand tale of joy that sets the heart in motion!
Gold and SilverFranz Lehar
This piece, “Gold and Silver,” is a beautiful work that conveys a hidden strength within its elegance.
The title is said to come from a grand ball held during the 1902 carnival, where the hall was silver and the ceiling was gold—truly a sumptuous affair.
It somehow evokes the image of Cinderella arriving at the ball in her pumpkin carriage.