[Classical] Introducing Recommended Moving/Touching Pieces
Music is truly wonderful—some people may even say a single song saved their life.
Among such music, there are pieces with lyrics and pieces without.
In this article, we introduce moving works from the world of classical music, where pieces without lyrics are common.
There are things you can feel precisely because there are no words—only melody and resonance—and at times they can move you deeply.
Whether you’re a classical music fan or someone who doesn’t often have the chance to listen to it, we hope this article helps you savor the charm of classical music.
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[Classical] Introducing Moving/Touching Recommended Pieces (21–30)
Pavane for a Dead PrincessMaurice Ravel
This work, captivating for its delicate beauty, is a gem composed by Maurice Ravel in his youth.
It was born in 1899 as a piano piece and later arranged for orchestra.
Its graceful melody resonates softly, leaving a deep impression on the listener.
Although Ravel said that the title carries no special meaning, he is said to have depicted a vision of a little princess dancing the 16th-century Spanish court dance, the pavane.
The beautiful tones of the horn, flute, and oboe are especially striking, making it ideal for those who wish to bask in a gently subdued atmosphere.
When you want to enjoy music in a calm mood, why not give it a listen?
Violin Sonata in F minor, Op. 4Felix Mendelssohn
Mendelssohn was a German composer.
The Violin Sonata in F minor, Op.
4, was written when Mendelssohn was 14 years old, during the period he was living in Berlin with his family.
The piece is suffused with a graceful atmosphere tinged with sorrow.
Symphony No. 8 in B minor, D. 759 “Unfinished”Franz Schubert
Schubert was an Austrian composer.
No one knows why his Symphony No.
8 in B minor is unfinished.
Schubert handed the score of the unfinished Symphony No.
8 in B minor to his friend Hüttenbrenner.
About forty years later, Hüttenbrenner found the incomplete score at the back of a desk drawer and gave it to Johann Herbeck, the conductor of the Vienna Philharmonic, where it received great acclaim at its Vienna premiere in 1865.
Enigma Variations ~ NimrodEdward Elgar
One of the signature works by British composer Edward Elgar—also known for “Pomp and Circumstance”—is his orchestral set of variations, the Enigma Variations.
The piece is notable for its unique origins: it was inspired by Elgar’s interactions with his friends and grew out of an improvisation.
The Ninth Variation, dedicated to deep friendship, begins with a quiet string harmony and gradually builds to a grand emotional climax that deeply moves listeners.
This solemn and beautiful melody has been cherished as music emblematic of ceremony and visual storytelling, having been performed at the 1997 funeral of Diana, Princess of Wales, and quoted in the film Dunkirk.
Its dignified, reverent tone makes it an ideal choice for focused work or as calming nighttime background music.
From the symphonic poem cycle My Fatherland, No. 2: The MoldauBedrich Smetana
Smetana was a composer from the Czech Republic.
While working as a piano teacher in Sweden, he grew nostalgic for his homeland and composed the cycle of symphonic poems Má vlast (My Homeland).
In Vltava (The Moldau), the course of the Vltava River is depicted as it flows from south to north through central Bohemia, interwoven with myth, legend, and history.
Hungarian Dances (Orchestral Version)Johannes Brahms
Brahms was a German composer.
In his youth, during a concert tour with the Hungarian violinist Reményi, Brahms became acquainted with Hungarian Gypsy music.
In his Hungarian Dances, the somewhat plaintive rhythms and melodies of Gypsy music are strongly present.
Symphony No. 9 in D minor, Op. 125 “Choral,” from the 4th movement: “Ode to Joy”Ludwig van Beethoven
An immortal masterpiece woven by a grand orchestra and chorus.
Ludwig van Beethoven completed it over the course of about nine years while battling his lost hearing.
At its premiere in May 1824, the audience erupted in thunderous applause, but the already deaf Beethoven did not notice until a singer turned him around—an episode that has been passed down as deeply moving.
In Japan, this work is also known for being performed nationwide at the end of the year.
It is a piece that resonates with the heart, one that sends off life’s farewells not only with sorrow, but with gratitude for the path traveled and with hope.