A poignant classic masterpiece. Recommended classical music.
Introducing heartrending classical pieces in one go!
Even when we say “heartrending classical music,” the moods and styles vary widely.
This time, we’ve picked out a range of moving masterpieces—from piano and violin works to miniatures, chamber music, concertos, and orchestral pieces.
Alongside the classics, we’ve lined up a wide selection that includes lesser-known, more obscure works that even avid classical listeners might not immediately recognize.
Whether you’re just getting into classical music or already deeply immersed, there’s plenty to enjoy—so please relax and read to the end!
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Heart-wrenching classical masterpieces. Recommended classical music (31–40)
Symphonic Poem “Má vlast” No. 2 “Vltava (The Moldau)”Bedrich Smetana
The second piece of the symphonic poem Má vlast, Vltava (The Moldau), is the most famous of Smetana’s works.
It depicts two small streams merging into a single current that flows through forests and meadows, past the ruins of a castle, widening as it goes, and finally disappearing into a larger river.
The opening theme has become familiar in arrangements for solo song and chorus, and has also been adapted into jazz, rock, and popular music.
Sorrowful WaltzSibelius
Sibelius composed incidental music called Valse Triste for the play Kuolema (Death), written by his brother-in-law, the playwright Arvid Järnefelt.
He revised one of the numbers and published it as an independent piece—this very work.
The waltz depicts a scene in the play in which a mother, lured by a vision of Death, rises from her sickbed and dances.
The sorrow and dreamlike quality of one facing death, along with a touch of madness, are portrayed through Sibelius’s distinctive techniques.
MeditationJules Massenet
It is the intermezzo between Scenes 1 and 2 of Act II of the opera Thaïs, originally performed by orchestra with a solo violin.
Known as a staple encore piece, it also exists in arrangements for instruments other than the violin, and is frequently performed by soloists on cello, flute, euphonium, and trumpet.
Ancient Airs and Dances for Lute, Suite No. 3Respighi
Respighi, the Italian composer whose wife was also a well-known composer, crafted a stunning melody in his Ancient Airs and Dances for Lute, Suite No.
3, where the beauty of the harmonies is truly captivating.
Many people have probably heard it at least once, even if they don’t know the title.
If that’s you, be sure to check out the full piece here.
Arabesque VarsandMischa Levitzki
Levitsky was a pianist from Ukraine who was active mainly in the United States.
It is said that rather than pursuing the background in which a piece was composed or the composer’s intent, his performances captured the work’s style and individuality, clarifying the technique without becoming emotional.
Although he is not well known as a composer, he produced numerous piano arrangements throughout his life.
This piece draws on the atmosphere and distinctive rhythms of Gypsy music, whose allure lies in the wistful tones of the violin and guitar and its energetic dances.
Symphony No. 7, Second MovementAnton Bruckner
Symphony No.
7 is regarded as the first of Bruckner’s symphonies to have a successful premiere and, alongside the Fourth, is one of his most popular works.
While composing the second movement, his beloved Wagner became critically ill; Bruckner continued writing with a premonition of Wagner’s death, and when Wagner passed away, he added a coda as a “funeral music” in his honor.
Air on the G StringJ.S.Bach
Johann Sebastian Bach, whose portrait was almost invariably displayed in music rooms, is regarded as a composer at the very end of the Baroque era and is highly esteemed among classical composers.
The Air on the G String is one of the six Brandenburg Concertos and is an instrumental work widely beloved in Japan.
Piano Concerto, First MovementRobert Schumann
This is the only piano concerto that Schumann completed.
While he composed many piano pieces and songs, around this time he also began working on various orchestral works, including his four symphonies.
The first movement was finished first, and the second and third movements were completed four years later.
At times the piano takes on an accompanying role to the orchestra or trades melodies with it, reflecting Schumann’s approach of treating the piano as one of the orchestral instruments.
Partita No. 2 for Solo Violin, V. ChaconneJ.S.Bach
Composed by Bach—known as the “Father of Music”—when he was 35, this work remains one of the most important solo pieces in the violin repertoire.
Among the six pieces that make up the Sonatas and Partitas for Solo Violin, the Chaconne from the Second Partita is the most famous.
Originally, a chaconne refers to a slow, triple-meter dance style of Italian origin, and in Bach’s time it was often used for variation forms that assumed improvisation, known as an ostinato bass.
In this piece as well, a short bass theme is variously ornamented, giving rise to a majestic musical world.
Summer MorningHeino Kasuki
This is a piano piece by the Finnish composer Heino Kaski, known as Op.
35-1 “Summer Morning.” The work features a beautifully transparent melody that seems to capture the pure air of a Nordic morning in sound.
Its delicate trills evoke the sparkle of sunlight filtering through leaves, and the gentle yet gradually broadening brightness will refresh the listener’s heart.
It has a cool, invigorating quality that makes you forget muggy heat, and it’s perfect for quietly enjoying music.
Believed to have been composed in the early 1920s, it is also included in pianist Izumi Tateno’s acclaimed album “Piano Works.”