Cool classical masterpieces. Recommended classical music.

Erlkönig (arranged by Hector Berlioz)Franz Schubert

Schubert–Berlioz: Erlkönig

The sound of a horse’s hooves racing through the darkness of a deep forest is vividly portrayed by the orchestra’s powerful resonance.

The son’s anxious cries, the father’s desperate encouragement, and the eerie, seductive whispers of the Erlking are all masterfully expressed through the orchestra’s varied timbres, stirring the listener’s heart.

In the arrangement crafted by Berlioz around 1860, the flute voices the Erlking’s honeyed enticements, while the strings generate the sensation of a galloping horse, further heightening the tension inherent in the original.

With its universal themes of parental love and the inevitability of death, this work—through its dramatic development and rich musical expression—is highly recommended for those seeking narrative-driven music or wishing to savor the full allure of orchestral sound.

The Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra (Variations and Fugue on a Theme by Purcell)Benjamin Britten

Britten: The Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra (Variations and Fugue on a Theme of Purcell)

The Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra is a work by the British composer Britten that introduces each of the instruments used in the orchestra through actual performance.

It features a highly memorable main theme—dramatic yet heroic—and is famous as an introductory piece to the orchestra.

Cantata “The Human Face”PLANK

“Figure humaine” – Valsts Akadēmiskais koris LATVIJA / State Choir LATVIJA | Francis Poulenc

Many people were probably shocked to discover that a choral piece could be this cool.

The poem was written in Paris under Nazi occupation, and it conveys anger at the loss of humanity brought about by the war, along with a strong hope for freedom.

Elsa’s Procession to the Cathedral from the opera LohengrinRichard Wagner

R. Wagner / Elsa’s Procession to the Cathedral

Wagner, famous for grand and dramatic works such as the Ride of the Valkyries.

This piece is no exception—it’s monumental—but the woodwind melody at the beginning also conveys a pure, understated beauty.

It gradually builds in intensity, and the climax is, as expected, majestic.

In the Hall of the Mountain King from Peer Gynt Suite No. 1Edvard Grieg

Markevitch: Peer Gynt — In the Hall of the Mountain King 0001

Grieg was a Norwegian composer, and Morning from the suite Peer Gynt is extremely famous.

This piece is one of the numbers from Peer Gynt Suite No.

1, Op.

46, arranged in 1891.

Even people who don’t usually listen to classical music will likely think, “Oh, this one,” when they hear the main melody.

It has a mood that would also fit perfectly as background music for anime or video games.