Cool classical masterpieces. Recommended classical music.
A showcase of awesome classical masterpieces, all in one place!
From super-cool staples to slightly lesser-known, stylish pieces, we’ve picked a wide range.
We’re featuring not only piano solo works from the classics to more recent pieces, but also orchestral masterpieces performed by large ensembles.
We’ve selected classical works that are thrilling to listen to and make performances look cool too—from film-score-like pieces and RPG battle-scene vibes to avant-garde sounds reminiscent of progressive rock!
Be sure to read to the end!
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Cool classical masterpieces. Recommended classical music (41–50)
Symphony No. 4 “The Immortal”Carl Nielsen
Subtitled “The Inextinguishable,” this is one of Nielsen’s most popular symphonies.
It is cast as a single-movement symphony.
The spotlight is on the duel between two sets of timpani, whose performance in Part IV is especially thrilling.
Overall, it is a dramatic and beautiful work.
Transcendental Étude “Mazeppa”Franz Liszt
Liszt, who himself became renowned as a pianist possessing exceptional technique and ability worthy of the title “virtuoso,” composed numerous works of transcendental difficulty.
The title “Mazeppa” refers to a real historical figure.
As a teenager, Liszt read and was deeply moved by Victor Hugo’s epic poem about Ivan Mazepa, who is celebrated as a Ukrainian hero.
This piece captivates with its luxurious, heroic music that boldly presses forward, perfectly fitting the word “hero,” interwoven at times with beautifully lyrical melodies.
Piano Concerto No. 2Sergei Rachmaninov
Rachmaninoff, one of Russia’s most renowned composers, wrote a total of four piano concertos, and this Second Concerto is the most popular, the work that brought him to worldwide prominence.
After the piano evokes the sound of bells inspired by the Russian Orthodox Church, the first movement is followed by a weighty orchestra that conjures the vast Russian landscape; the second movement is marked by a sweet, heartrending melody; and the third movement is brilliant and grand.
Across all three movements, the work conveys both the grandeur of Russia and Rachmaninoff’s deepest emotions.
Symphonic Poem “Night on Bald Mountain” (arr. by Rimsky-Korsakov)Modest Mussorgsky
The nine minutes of intensity and tension never let up in Symphonic Poem “Night on Bald Mountain” (arr.
Rimsky-Korsakov), which was published in 1886 by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov.
The piece was originally composed by Modest Mussorgsky, but since it had remained unpublished, Rimsky-Korsakov arranged it out of a desire to bring it to the world.
The theme depicts earth spirits throwing a wild revel with sprites and ghosts on the eve of St.
John’s Day.
Its bold and stylish arrangement is highly recommended even for those who don’t usually listen to classical music.
In fact, it was used in Disney’s Fantasia and has been covered by numerous bands, so you may have heard it at least once.
Ride of the Valkyries from the music drama The ValkyrieRichard Wagner
This piece is the prelude to Act III of the music drama Die Walküre, the First Day of the cycle The Ring of the Nibelung.
It is a rousing, heroic work, and it was used in the film Apocalypse Now, which depicts the Vietnam War, during the scene of U.S.
military helicopters in flight.
In that scene, the music is not merely background score; it is portrayed as being blasted at high volume from the helicopters to boost the soldiers’ morale and instill fear in the Vietnamese being attacked.
Symphony No. 2, Movement IIISergei Rachmaninov
A symphony composed by the Russian composer Sergei Rachmaninoff between 1906 and 1907.
This third movement is the most widely known of the four movements, a beautifully lyrical slow movement that is quintessentially Rachmaninoff.
Its flowing, Slavic-tinged melody sings as if imbued with a fleeting sense of longing.
Please enjoy the smooth, sensuous world of Rachmaninoff.
Hungarian Dance No. 5Johannes Brahms
This is a collection of dances that Johannes Brahms arranged based on Gypsy music he came to admire while touring Germany.
Wanting to honor the folk music of the Gypsies, Brahms transcribed and compiled these pieces rather than composing them himself, so many listeners may feel they have a slightly different character from his usual works.
Among them, No.
5 is especially famous.
It has appeared many times in commercials, so even those who aren’t classical music fans have likely heard it.
