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.
- [Orchestra] Introducing famous and popular pieces
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- Mozart: An Introduction to His Signature and Popular Works
- Classical Masterpieces: Recommended Works You Should Hear at Least Once
- Debussy’s masterpiece. Popular classical music.
- Timelessly beautiful classical masterpieces. Recommended classical music.
- Brahms's masterpieces. Popular classical music.
- Classical music by Japanese composers. Recommended classical music.
- [Violin] A curated selection of beloved classic masterpieces and popular pieces that continue to be cherished across eras
- [Masterpiece Classics] A special showcase of gem-like masterpieces so beautiful they’ll move you to tears
- A poignant classic masterpiece. Recommended classical music.
- [François Couperin] Introducing famous and popular pieces by the composer who loved the harpsichord
- Classic masterpieces recommended for women
Classical masterpieces. Recommended classical music (21–30)
CanonJohann Pachelbel
The original title is “Canon and Gigue in D major for three violins and basso continuo.” The Canon is the first movement.
It is arguably Pachelbel’s most well-known piece.
Since it plays during the interlude of Tatsuro Yamashita’s ‘Christmas Eve,’ it’s a piece you’re sure to hear at Christmastime.
Rhapsody in BlueGeorge Gershwin
Highly regarded as “symphonic jazz,” a fusion of jazz and classical music, this piece propelled Gershwin’s name onto the world stage.
Inspired, it’s said, by the rhythm of a train while he was traveling to Boston, the rhapsody vividly evokes a steam locomotive on the verge of departure and then steadily gathering speed.
With its sprightly, jazz-inflected orchestral rhythms, the rich palette of timbres from diverse wind techniques, and a near-improvisatory piano cadenza, it offers countless highlights for listeners.
Piano Concerto No. 1 in B-flat minor, Op. 23Pyotr Tchaikovsky
When it comes to piano concertos, this piece is the quintessential classic—surely there are hardly any people who haven’t heard it.
Many performers have played it and left landmark recordings.
From beginning to end, it gives not only the piano but almost every instrument in the orchestra a moment to shine.
If you’ve never listened through to the third movement, I strongly encourage you to hear it all the way to the end.
Symphonic Poem “La Mer”: Three Symphonic Sketches — III. Dialogue of the Wind and the SeaClaude Debussy
This is the climactic movement from Claude Debussy’s orchestral masterpiece La Mer, a work that brilliantly renders the ocean’s grandeur and mystery in sound.
In this piece, a powerful yet beautiful natural drama unfolds as if the wind and sea are conversing.
The surging strings, the piercing timbres of the woodwinds, and the brass and percussion in unison create a vividly compelling sonic tableau.
Premiered in October 1905, the work carries a refreshing coolness that seems to make one forget the summer heat.
It is recommended for those who wish to immerse themselves in the orchestra’s rich palette of colors, as well as for listeners who want to experience the grandeur of classical music through wind band arrangements and other adaptations.
Triumphal March from the opera AidaGiuseppe Verdi
The “Triumphal March” is a piece that appears in Act 2, Scene 2 of Verdi’s opera Aida.
Part of it is also famous as a soccer chant, so even people unfamiliar with classical music may have heard it.
In the piece, so-called fanfare trumpets are used and are performed on stage rather than in the orchestra pit.
Fugue in D minorJ.S.Bach
This piece, affectionately known as the “Little Fugue in G Minor,” is surely one of the most popular works by Bach, the father of music.
Structured as a four-voice fugue, it is meticulously crafted using counterpoint.
With its strong role as music dedicated to God in church, its solemn and majestic sonority becomes ever more magnificent the more you listen, and it never grows tiresome.
String SerenadePyotr Tchaikovsky
It’s a famous piece that was used in a temp agency’s TV commercial long ago.
Even though the first movement is composed in the plain key of C major, I can’t help but wonder how it becomes such a sumptuous and weighty melody.
I also love how that melody returns in the fourth movement.