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 (51–60)
Piano Concerto No. 23, 3rd MovementWolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Since the Piano Concerto No.
23 does not use trumpets or timpani, the overall sonority sounds like chamber music.
It is also unique in that clarinets are used instead of oboes.
The second movement is in the rarely used key of F-sharp minor for Mozart, marked Adagio, and features a tranquil melody based on a siciliano rhythm.
Piano Sonata No. 14 “Moonlight”Ludwig van Beethoven
Composed when Beethoven was 30, it was published together with Piano Sonata No.
13 under the title “Sonata quasi una fantasia.” The nickname “Moonlight” did not come from Beethoven; it stems from a comment made after his death by a German music critic and poet, who likened the impression of the first movement to “a small boat rocking on the moonlit waves of Lake Lucerne in Switzerland.”
ZigeunerweisenPablo de Sarasate
Here is a solo violin piece with orchestral accompaniment composed by the Spanish violinist Sarasate and completed in 1878.
In Japan, it’s often used like a sound effect in scenes that convey various kinds of misfortune, so even those who aren’t classical music fans have probably heard it at least once.
It’s also frequently used in figure skating programs.
The piece offers plenty of violin techniques and showy moments, making it a captivating and wonderful work.
Etude, Op. 2 No. 1Alexander Scriabin
Alexander Scriabin was a late Romantic composer who was called the “Chopin of the Cossacks.” It is said that he composed this piece when he was 14 years old—an astonishing talent.
With its beautiful melody, it is very popular and often performed by renowned pianists.
Why not immerse yourself fully in this classical masterpiece?
Sorrow of LoveKreisler=Rachmaninov
Sergei Rachmaninoff, the greatest Russian composer of the 20th century, arranged Fritz Kreisler’s piece of the same title, Liebesleid (Love’s Sorrow)—originally by the Austrian composer-violinist who was Rachmaninoff’s contemporary—into a solo piano version.
In Japan, it drew attention when it was featured as an insert piece in the 2016 live-action film adaptation of the manga Your Lie in April.
While the piece is imbued with sorrow, it also exudes a certain brilliance that suggests hope and longing, creating a captivating, enigmatic atmosphere that makes it an exceptionally attractive work.
Serenade, No. 4 from SchwanengesangFranz Peter Schubert
Swan Song is a collection of 14 songs compiled by publishers and friends after Schubert’s death.
The fourth song, Serenade, is sung over an accompaniment that evokes a mandolin, expressing feelings for a lover.
Liszt’s piano arrangement and Mertz’s guitar arrangement are also well loved.
Nocturne No. 18 in E major, Op. 62 No. 2Frederic Chopin
A late masterpiece by Frédéric Chopin, a leading composer of the Romantic era.
Published in 1846, this work is a gem in which Chopin’s mature virtuosity and profound sensitivity are fused.
Its meditative melody, reminiscent of the stillness of night, seeps into the listener’s heart.
The piece is also interpreted as symbolizing Chopin’s acceptance of an inescapable fate; even amid its air of melancholy and resignation, its beautiful harmonies and delicate melodic lines shine.
It is a recommended work for those wishing to become acquainted with classical music or seeking music to soothe the soul.
Adagio by AlbinoniRemo Giazotto
This piece is a work for string ensemble and organ composed by Remo Giazotto, and it is also performed with string ensemble alone.
It has been thought to be an arrangement of a piece by Tomaso Albinoni and has been known as “Albinoni’s Adagio,” but it is said that it contains none of the Albinoni material alleged to be the original source.
Concierto de Aranjuez, Second MovementJoaquín Rodrigo
The second movement is famous for its beautiful, wistful melody.
Rodrigo composed it with a wish for peace after witnessing the damage the Spanish Civil War inflicted on Aranjuez, the old capital of Spain.
It is also said that the second movement, in particular, contains prayers for his ailing wife and the child he lost.
There are arrangements in popular classical and jazz styles, and the versions with lyrics—“Aranjuez, Mon Amour” and “My Heart Sings of Aranjuez”—are also well known.
String Quartet No. 1, Second Movement: Andante cantabilePyotr Tchaikovsky
This is a gem of a masterpiece inspired by a Ukrainian folk song.
The serene melody born from the harmony of the strings evokes deep emotion in the listener.
Its beautiful tune, which gently enfolds the feelings of a young person in love, delicately portrays the subtleties of human emotion.
There is an anecdote that even Russia’s great literary giant Tolstoy was moved to tears by this work.
masterfully expressing both the anxieties and hopes of love, it is a piece that offers solace to those troubled by romance.
The moving performance at a special concert in December 1876 was recorded by the composer in his diary as a lifelong source of pride.