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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Poignant masterpieces of classical music. Recommended classical pieces (21–30)
My belovedNicolo Paganini
Paganini was a violinist and composer.
He wrote many works that make use of dazzling virtuosity, and one of them was used as the theme song for the film “The Devil’s Violinist.” Strictly speaking, it is the second movement from his Violin Concerto No.
4, and in Japan it is well known under the title “My Beloved.”
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.
Heart-wrenching classical masterpieces. Recommended classical music (31–40)
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.
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.
Clair de Lune, the third piece of the Suite bergamasqueClaude Debussy
The Suite bergamasque consists of four pieces: Prelude, Menuet, Clair de Lune, and Passepied, with the third piece, Clair de Lune, being one of the most famous.
It is a nocturne performed mostly pianissimo, characterized by a gentle and wistful atmosphere.
It has been widely beloved, including in Stokowski’s orchestral arrangement and through its use in Disney films.
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.
ChaconneTomaso Antonio Vitali
Vitali was an Italian composer and violinist.
Among his works, the Chaconne is particularly famous.
A chaconne is originally a type of dance from the Baroque period (c.
1600–1750), characterized by a gentle triple meter.
After a piano introduction, a song-like melodic theme is presented.
This theme is then woven through twenty variations, undergoing key changes and ornamentation—one of the defining features of the piece.
It showcases a wide range of violin techniques, resulting in a piece that is both poignant and dazzling.