[Masterpiece Classics] A special showcase of gem-like masterpieces so beautiful they’ll move you to tears
Masterpieces of classical music are played on TV, in movies, and in shopping malls, permeating our daily lives as background music.
There are many times when a piece that mysteriously brings you to tears turns out to be a work of classical music.
This time, from among such classical works, we’ve carefully selected timeless masterpieces under the theme “so heartbreakingly beautiful they’ll make you cry.”
Please enjoy to your heart’s content the profound sonorities unique to classical music, which combines both delicacy and boldness.
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Masterpiece Classics: A Special Showcase of Exquisitely Beautiful Gems That Will Move You to Tears (71–80)
The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book I, No. 1, Prelude, BWV 846J.S.Bach
Johann Sebastian Bach’s The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book I, No.
1, Prelude in C major, BWV 846, has an extremely simple structure in which broken chords are regularly repeated, yet its beautiful harmonic shifts are soothing to the soul.
Charles Gounod’s Ave Maria, which uses this piece as its accompaniment, is also well known.
When you want to calm your anger, steady your impatience, or dwell in sorrow, hearing this piece brings a sense of quiet and composure.
It’s a classic masterpiece that perfectly embodies the phrase “unadorned beauty.”
Méditation from the opera ThaïsJules Massenet
Here is a piece composed by the French composer Jules Massenet, born in 1842.
It was written as an intermezzo between Scene 1 and Scene 2 of Act II in the opera Thaïs, which premiered in 1894.
Although the piece was created with a religious connotation, its sweet, characteristically French melody possesses a different kind of charm from what is generally considered religious music.
Also popular as a violin solo, this famous piece is likely one that even those who are not classical music fans have heard at least once.
Prelude and Allegro in the Style of PugnaniFritz Kreisler
A short piece for violin and piano by Fritz Kreisler, one of the world’s leading violinists of the 20th century.
The “Pugnani” in the title refers to Gaetano Pugnani, an 18th-century Italian violinist.
The Allegro theme, introduced at the opening with only marcato quarter notes, carries a powerful resolve and a sense of tragedy, as if to shake the listener’s soul.
It is followed by virtuosic variations centered on sixteenth notes, driving toward a dramatic climax with cascading phrases that make full use of double stops.
[Masterpiece Classics] A showcase of gem-like masterpieces so beautiful they’ll move you to tears (81–90)
Etude Op. 25 No. 11 “Winter Wind”Frederic Chopin
Affectionately known as the “Winter Wind” Etude, it is one of Chopin’s most popular works and a masterpiece of the highest artistry among his etudes.
The word “etude” means “study,” and this piece demands especially advanced technique even among Chopin’s 27 etudes.
In both technique and musicality, it can be considered one of the pinnacles of his etudes.
Its rapidly flowing right-hand broken chords are striking, while the melody is carried by the left hand.
True to the name “Winter Wind,” the piece evokes a strong, icy wind that lifts fallen leaves and a mood tinged with melancholy.
Three Novelettes No. 3Francis Poulenc
This piece is composed based on a theme from the ballet music El amor brujo by the Spanish composer Falla.
A single theme is colored in various ways, resulting in a beautiful work that conveys a melancholic expression.
While dynamic, the piece also shows a wistful character, giving the impression of passion smoldering beneath the surface.
It was dedicated to Gibson, a friend of Poulenc.
Incidentally, the title “Novelette” is French for “short story.”
Moments Musicaux No. 4Sergei Rachmaninov
Sergei Rachmaninoff, a Russian-born composer who epitomizes modern classical music, had his musical talent recognized as early as age four and completed his Symphony No.
1 by the time he was twenty-two.
Like Jascha Heifetz, Russia has produced many precocious geniuses.
Among Rachmaninoff’s masterworks, Moments Musicaux No.
4—published in 1896—gained popularity for its beautiful melodies, influenced by composers such as Schubert, Chopin, and Liszt.
Its blend of poignancy and beauty is superb, making it highly recommended for fans of Romantic-era music.
The Carnival of the Animals, No. 13: The SwanCamille Saint-Saëns
A celebrated work by Camille Saint-Saëns, based on a melody from the suite Le Carnaval des animaux.
Originally conceived as one of the pieces in a suite intended as entertainment for Carnival in early 1886, it was the only movement the composer allowed to be published during his lifetime.
The flowing melody played by the cello evokes the elegant figure of a swan gliding over the water and conjures the dreamlike imagery of the legendary “swan song.” The ballet The Dying Swan, created by Anna Pavlova in 1905 to this music, is renowned worldwide, and figure skater Yuzuru Hanyu’s exhibition performance to the piece also moved many audiences.
This is a piece for those who want to immerse themselves in the beautiful tone of the cello—a sound that seems to make you forget the summer heat and refresh the spirit.