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!
- [Orchestra] Introducing famous and popular pieces
- [Masterpiece Classics] A special showcase of gem-like masterpieces so beautiful they’ll move you to tears
- Timelessly beautiful classical masterpieces. Recommended classical music.
- [Violin] A curated selection of beloved classic masterpieces and popular pieces that continue to be cherished across eras
- Classical masterpieces. Recommended classical music.
- A poignant classic masterpiece. Recommended classical music.
- Classical Masterpieces: Recommended Works You Should Hear at Least Once
- [For Piano Recitals] Simple yet Cool Classical Pieces
- Today's Classics: Recommended classical music and great performances to listen to today
- Masterpieces of the bolero. Recommended popular pieces in bolero form and outstanding performances.
- Dvořák’s masterpiece. Popular classical music.
- Popular classical piano pieces. A collection of masterful performances by Japanese pianists.
- Disney classics to enjoy in a classical arrangement: recommended popular songs
Cool classical masterpieces. Recommended classical music (1–10)
Etude Op. 10 No. 12 in C minor “Revolutionary”Frederic Chopin
One of Chopin’s études known as the “Revolutionary Étude.” This work was dedicated to his friend Franz Liszt, who gave it the title “Revolutionary.” Around 1831, when the piece was composed, the November Uprising—an armed rebellion against the rule of the Russian Empire—broke out in Poland and Lithuania.
Many Poles took part in the uprising, but the physically frail Chopin could not join the insurrection; it is said that he expressed his anger through this music.
It is a piece that conveys the intense emotions Chopin held in his heart.
Piano Sonata No. 14 “Moonlight,” 3rd MovementLudwig van Beethoven
Beethoven’s “Moonlight” Sonata is performed very frequently in concerts.
While the first movement is especially famous, the third movement—driven at a rapid tempo from start to finish and brimming with thrilling intensity—is also often featured.
From the very beginning of the movement, the restless motion of non-melodic arpeggios, along with increasingly compressed sforzandos and shifting harmonies, builds a mounting sense of exhilaration.
At the time he composed the “Moonlight,” Beethoven had become acutely aware of abnormalities in his hearing.
One can sense both his determination to break with convention and his inner turmoil—haunted by the specter of death—over an ear ailment that could be fatal to a musician’s career.
Symphony No. 5 “Revolution,” Fourth MovementDmitrii Dmitrievich Shostakovich
Dmitri Shostakovich’s Fifth Symphony was premiered in 1937.
In Japan, this piece is called “Revolution,” but that is not a title he gave it himself.
At the time, the Soviet Union was in social turmoil, and under Stalin’s Great Purge, people close to Shostakovich were being arrested and executed one after another.
If you listen to the work with that background in mind, it offers another layer of interest.
Please check it out.
Mars, the Bringer of War (from The Planets Suite)Gustav Holst
The grand musical world created by Gustav Holst.
Active in early 20th-century Britain, Holst influenced later generations with his unique compositional style.
This work is a powerful movement depicting Mars, the god of war.
Completed in 1914, it exudes an ominous atmosphere that seems to foreshadow the tensions of World War I.
The music, woven from a five-beat rhythm and a chromatic theme, portrays the terror of war as mechanical and inhuman.
It’s a recommended piece for those who want to discover new charms in classical music or seek the epic scale of film scores.
“The Hut on Fowl’s Legs (Baba Yaga)” from the suite “Pictures at an Exhibition”Modest Mussorgsky
Modest Mussorgsky’s masterpiece “The Hut on Fowl’s Legs (Baba Yaga)” from his suite Pictures at an Exhibition is based on a Russian folktale.
The original tale, “Baba Yaga’s Hut,” is akin to Japan’s yamamba stories and is compelling for its eerie, sinister developments.
The music itself is crafted to evoke fear and anxiety through its melodies.
It’s a work notable for its complex structure, one that would hold up even in contemporary noise music and contemporary classical music.
Symphony No. 9 “From the New World”Antonín Dvořák
Composed by Dvořák while he was staying in America in 1893, the title “New World” refers to the United States.
Because the Black music he heard in America resembled the music of his homeland, Bohemia, the symphony is said to have been written from the New World toward Bohemia.
Listening with that in mind, you may feel as if the landscapes of old-time America are revived before your eyes.
This piece is also known for featuring the cymbals only once across the entire symphony.
Heroic PolonaiseFrederic Chopin
Among Frederic Chopin’s piano works, the Polonaise No.
6 in A-flat major, Op.
53—affectionately known as the “Heroic Polonaise”—is especially popular.
Its chromatic ascending passages and powerful rhythms make a strong impression.
Most distinctive of all is the succession of octaves in the middle section! Because even professional pianists find this passage difficult to execute perfectly, it’s by no means easy.
A good approach is to first enjoy the character of the piece using an arrangement that omits the octave technique, and then, once your technique has developed, challenge yourself with the original version.
