Today's Classics: Recommended classical music and great performances to listen to today
If you’re reading this article, you probably love classical music.
You likely know a fair number of composers and performers already—and to be honest, you might be a bit tired of some of them—so perhaps you’re also on the lookout for pieces and composers you don’t yet know.
In this article, for everyone enjoying a wonderful classical-music life, we introduce daily reviews of recommended composers and performers, as well as timeless masterpieces and great performances from across the ages.
Alongside symphonies, you’ll sometimes find concertos, sometimes solo piano or violin, and perhaps even contemporary works or pieces for wind band!
You’re sure to discover classical music that will brighten your day.
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- Masterpieces of Ballet Music: Introducing Classic Favorites
- Cello Masterpieces: A comprehensive introduction to exquisite classical works that let you savor its profound timbre
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- [Masterpiece Classics] A special showcase of gem-like masterpieces so beautiful they’ll move you to tears
- Morning Classics | A selection of classic masterpieces recommended for those who want to wake up feeling great
[Today’s Classics] Recommended classical music to listen to today and a collection of great performances (21–30)
Symphonia Tapkaara, Movement III: VivaceIfukube Akira
This is a powerful orchestral work by Akira Ifukube, who left an important mark on the Japanese music scene.
Inspired by Ainu culture, it was composed in 1954 and premiered by the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra in January 1955.
Characterized by pulsating rhythms and bold use of percussion, it evokes scenes of Ainu dances and festivals.
The vividly performed music by the entire orchestra has an intensity reminiscent of a film battle scene.
Recommended for those seeking a fresh breath in classical music or interested in the fusion of Japanese tradition and Western music.
Concerto for Percussion and OrchestraAndré Jolivet
A piece by Jolivet—dubbed the “Jekyll and Hyde of music” for his work spanning avant-garde to commercial music—in which his Varèse-like obsession with percussion explodes.
Incidentally, when he visited Japan, he reportedly got so hooked on pachinko and slot machines that he even composed a “Pachinko for Two Pianos” (a straightforward work of contemporary music).
HumoresqueAntonín Dvořák
Humoresque was composed while he was staying at his villa in Vysoká.
It is performed more often as a violin piece than as a piano work.
In this piece, the violin has a very lustrous tone.
Depending on the listener, it leaves different impressions: it can feel as fleeting as the night sky, or warm and nostalgic like midday.
Even after a single listen, it lingers clearly in the ear.
A romantic piece I highly recommend.
Symphony No. 9 “From the New World,” Second MovementAntonín Dvořák
Known as “Ieji” or “The Day Sets Beyond the Distant Hills,” it has Japanese lyrics.
In some municipalities it is often played as music to signal evening, and in some stores it is used as the tune to announce closing time.
Transcendental Étude No. 4 in D minor, “Mazeppa”Franz Liszt
It was used in the commercial for Casio’s digital piano, Privia.
The video includes sheet music, so I hope you’ll check it out.
I’m completely overwhelmed—both visually and aurally—by the densely packed notes and the torrent of sound.
Overture from the opera “La gazza ladra” (The Thieving Magpie)Gioachino Rossini
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.
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.