Classical masterpieces. Recommended classical music.
Classical music created by various musicians over a long history.
From pieces whose beautiful melodies bring peace of mind to those whose grandeur overwhelms you, the range is truly diverse.
With so much out there, many people may feel, “I want to listen, but I don’t know where to start.”
For you, we’ve picked out some recommendations to get you started—“Begin with these!”
Please take a moment to enjoy the world of classical music that continues to be loved across the ages.
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Classical masterpieces. Recommended classical music (91–100)
Theme and Variations (from String Sextet No. 1)Johannes Brahms
As the subtitle indicates, this piece is Brahms’s own arrangement of the second movement from his String Sextet, created as a gift for Clara Schumann, Robert Schumann’s wife.
The romantic melody at the beginning is especially memorable.
It is used in Louis Malle’s French film “The Lovers.”
Unaccompanied Cello SonataKodály Zoltán
This is a virtuoso piece performed by changing the cello’s string tuning.
Yo-Yo Ma’s version is famous, but I recommend Starker’s.
The cello is treated not only as a string instrument but also in a percussion-like manner, and I’m left speechless by the wild, Central Asian flavor of the performance.
Piano Sonata No. 23 “Appassionata”Ludwig van Beethoven
Among his many piano works, the Appassionata is considered one of the most intense.
Beethoven, who was teaching piano to Josephine, the sister of his friend Count Brunsvik, master of a palace, fell in love with her.
However, they could not overcome the divide between commoner and aristocrat, and in the end the two were never united.
It is said that the Appassionata was written amid the anguish of this unfulfilled love.
Its boldly and rapidly shifting dynamics and the powerful chords that seem to shatter the melody convey the fierce emotions Beethoven kept hidden in his heart.
Symphony No. 7Ludwig van Beethoven
Among Beethoven’s nine symphonies, Symphony No.
7—often praised as the “most well-balanced”—stands out for its strikingly memorable rhythms and remains popular even today.
Composed when Beethoven was 41, this period of his output features many bright, forward-looking works.
It seems the music reflects Beethoven’s vitality as he embarked on a new chapter in life, having overcome the hardships of war and his heartbreak with his lover, Therese.
Each movement employs distinctive rhythmic patterns, making it an energetic and accessible work.
Ritual Fire Dance from the ballet music El Amor BrujoManuel de Falla
Originally a ballet piece.
The tone is brilliant, and the constantly repeated trills, based on a duple-time accompaniment, evoke the image of flames.
It gradually builds up and rushes into a climax, where the repeated glissandos accurately convey that the festival has reached its peak.
“Gaspard de la nuit” — “The Gallows”Maurice Ravel
The title “Gaspard de la nuit” is taken from the poet Bertrand’s collection of 64 prose poems.
From this collection, Ravel chose three pieces with strong elements of fantasy and the macabre—“Ondine,” “Le Gibet,” and “Scarbo”—and fashioned them into passionate piano works, weaving in extraordinary virtuosity to capture their imagery.
The poem for “Le Gibet” depicts a corpse hanging from the gallows, countless crickets and spiders lurking at its feet, and the continuous tolling of a distant bell, all bathed in the red glow of the setting sun.
It is a piece that superbly conveys the resonant, evocative sound of the bell and a dim, eerie atmosphere.
From 24 Caprices: “24 Quasi-Presto”Niccolò Paganini
A dazzling set of variations unfolds, deploying every conceivable virtuoso technique.
This is the piece that has been reworked by the greatest number of different composers.
Paganini himself was a genius violinist, and it’s said that when Schumann was uncertain about his path, seeing him inspired Schumann to choose the life of a musician.