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

regretTaki Rentarō

Rentaro Taki – Posthumous Work – Grudge (Regret) / Rentaro Taki – Regret – Eiko Okuno

The posthumous work of Rentarō Taki, famed for his children’s songs.

He was also the first Japanese composer to write a piano solo piece, and this work is likewise for piano.

The title may sound ominous, but the music unfolds with a sad yet beautiful melody, as if sublimating the regret brought on by illness.

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.

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.