Today's Classics: Recommended classical music and great performances to listen to today

Overture from the opera “La gazza ladra” (The Thieving Magpie)Gioachino Rossini

Markevitch, Rossini: Overture to The Thieving Magpie

It’s a piece that appears in Haruki Murakami’s The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle.

The protagonist whistles along to it while listening to FM radio and boiling spaghetti.

The Thieving Magpie is introduced as the piece that signals the beginning of the story.

If you’re not into opera, you probably wouldn’t have many chances to hear it, but I imagine many people bought the CD after reading the novel.

Symphony No. 9 “Choral”Ludwig van Beethoven

Seiji Ozawa conducts “Ode to Joy” for the first time in 15 years: Beethoven: Symphony No. 9 “Choral” [On Sale Now!]

Beethoven’s exceedingly famous Symphony No.

9 in D minor, Op.

125 “Choral” is a monumental masterpiece that, while possessing a comprehensive quality reminiscent of a summation of pre-Classical music, also served as a signpost for the coming era of Romantic music.

The fourth movement is performed with soloists and chorus and is well known as the “Ode to Joy.” Although the original lyrics are in German, they have been translated into virtually every language around the world.

Conceived by Beethoven from the age of 22, the work was, so to speak, a lifelong endeavor, and its impact on not only the world of music but also on culture and the arts is immeasurable.

Scene from the ballet music Swan LakePyotr Tchaikovsky

Tchaikovsky - Swan Lake - Scene

This is ‘Scene’ from Swan Lake, the ballet music composed by Pyotr Tchaikovsky.

As a popular composer known for his melancholic melodies and lavish orchestration, Tchaikovsky seems to move listeners’ emotions directly.

Because it is frequently performed in classical concerts, it also puts conductors’ abilities to the test.

Along with The Sleeping Beauty and The Nutcracker, it is regarded as one of the three great ballets.

String SerenadePyotr Tchaikovsky

Tchaikovsky Serenade for Strings in C major, Op. 48

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.

The Tale of the Bamboo CutterKishi Koichi

Composed by Koichi Kishi: 'The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter' — Katsumi Matsumoto (violin), Bessera Perovska (piano)

A violin piece by Koichi Kishi, who was also a violinist, in which Western-style and Japanese-style melodies blend naturally and effortlessly, making it very easy to listen to.

It became world-famous when it was performed at the celebration party for Hideki Yukawa’s Nobel Prize.

Nirvana SymphonyMayuzumi Toshirō

Toshiro Mayuzumi, Nirvana Symphony

A single piece that’s almost too avant-garde: by Toshiro Mayuzumi—composer and the first and longest-serving host of “Untitled Concert”—it tries to produce bell-like sounds with an orchestra, and even brings in Buddhist shōmyō chanting mid-piece.

Listening to it feels almost trance-inducing.

Clair de Lune from Suite bergamasqueClaude Debussy

Debussy: Clair de Lune — Suite bergamasque, No. 3

From the title “Clair de Lune,” one might imagine an otherworldly moonlit night.

However, what Debussy sought to portray was not merely a scene of moonlight.

The piece draws inspiration from “Clair de Lune,” a poem in French poet Verlaine’s collection Fêtes galantes.

In this poem, an ambiguous world is depicted, where opposing elements—joy and sorrow—are intricately intertwined.

Captivated by the poem, Debussy depicted this ambiguous world of “moonlight” without using words.

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Symphony No. 5 “Revolution”Dmitri Shostakovich

Mravinsky – Shostakovich Symphony No. 5

A rare symphony in which every movement is relatively well-known, thanks to appearances in films, TV dramas, and anime.

At the time it was composed, friends and acquaintances of Shostakovich were caught up in Stalin’s Great Purge, and Shostakovich’s own position was quite precarious, but the success of this piece safely restored his reputation.

Rhapsody in BlueGeorge Gershwin

Rhapsody in Blue Bernstein 1976

This piece became popular from the scene in Nodame Cantabile where the protagonist, Megumi Noda, performs wearing a mongoose costume.

Though it’s considered classical, its premiere was in 1924, so it’s relatively recent.

It has jazz elements and a piano concerto vibe, making it a fun piece.

Symphony No. 9 in D minor, Op. 125 “Choral,” from the 4th movement: “Ode to Joy”Ludwig van Beethoven

Daiku for 10,000 People 2020 🎹 | A moving chorus! Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9, Fourth Movement

An immortal masterpiece woven by a grand orchestra and chorus.

Ludwig van Beethoven completed it over the course of about nine years while battling his lost hearing.

At its premiere in May 1824, the audience erupted in thunderous applause, but the already deaf Beethoven did not notice until a singer turned him around—an episode that has been passed down as deeply moving.

In Japan, this work is also known for being performed nationwide at the end of the year.

It is a piece that resonates with the heart, one that sends off life’s farewells not only with sorrow, but with gratitude for the path traveled and with hope.