Cool classical masterpieces. Recommended classical music.

March for the Turkish Ceremony from the ballet music The Bourgeois GentlemanLully

March for the Turkish Ceremony from the ballet “Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme” (Beginner): Lully

A masterpiece that showcases the brilliance of Jean-Baptiste Lully, a master of 17th-century French court music.

Born in Italy in 1632, Lully later moved to France, became a naturalized citizen, and rose to prominence as a favorite of Louis XIV.

This work is part of Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme, composed in 1670, and it superbly fuses the splendor of Baroque music with the vogue for “Turquerie.” The music, which accompanies the comic tale of a townsman striving to become a nobleman, deftly captures both the social satire of the time and the refined entertainment of the court.

It’s a recommended piece for those interested in Baroque music and history, and for anyone who wants to experience 17th-century court culture through music.

Dies Irae from RequiemGiuseppe Verdi

Verdi – Requiem: Dies Irae / Karajan, La Scala

The main melody often heard in movies and dramas, the “Dies Irae.” It plays when a scene takes a dramatic turn or when tension rises.

Its composer, Verdi, was an Italian musician who mainly wrote operas.

Prelude from Le Tombeau de CouperinJoseph-Maurice Ravel

Kazekawa Jitsukawa / Ravel: “Le Tombeau de Couperin” – Prelude

Le Tombeau de Couperin is a piano suite in six movements composed by the French composer Maurice Ravel between 1914 and 1917.

The word tombeau, literally translated as “tomb,” is used here in the sense of a piece written in memory of the deceased.

The first movement, Prélude, features a flowing 12/8 melody that passes unobtrusively through various tonalities.

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Rhapsodies, No. 2Johannes Brahms

Ragna Schirmer – Brahms Rhapsody op.79/2

While it unfolds delicate, beautiful melodies characteristic of Brahms, it is a fiercely passionate piano piece.

Even as it takes on dramatic developments, it maintains an unbroken sense of continuity—truly masterful.

The piece was dedicated to Heinrich, formerly Brahms’s piano pupil, and his bride.

SinfoniettaLeoš Janaček

Leoš Janáček – Sinfonietta

This is one of Janáček’s final orchestral works.

It’s also well known for appearing in Haruki Murakami’s novel 1Q84.

The first movement, which begins with a striking trombone melody and features the brass in full force, is extremely sensational.

Another hallmark is the expansive fanfare written in a pentatonic scale.

Caprice No. 24Niccolò Paganini

Paganini: Caprice No. 24 [Naxos Classic Curation #Cool] / Niccolò Paganini: 24 Caprices, Op. 1 No. 24 in A minor

This piece is famous for its virtuosic violin technique.

Even those who haven’t listened to the entire work have likely heard its well-known theme somewhere.

With its catchy melody and strikingly sudden shifts in tempo and dynamics, it stands as one of Paganini’s signature masterpieces.

Mephisto Waltz No. 1, S.514 “Dance in the Village Inn”Franz Liszt

Liszt – Mephisto Waltz No. 1, S. 514 [André Laplante]