[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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- Popular classical piano pieces. A collection of masterful performances by Japanese pianists.
- Cello Masterpieces: A comprehensive introduction to exquisite classical works that let you savor its profound timbre
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- Gabriel Fauré | Introduction to His Famous and Representative Works
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- Today's Classics: Recommended classical music and great performances to listen to today
[Masterpiece Classics] A showcase of gem-like masterpieces so beautiful they’ll move you to tears (81–90)
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.”
Ave MariaCamille Saint-Saëns
Camille Saint-Saëns, one of France’s most celebrated composers, was known as a prodigy—said to have mastered the piano by the age of two and begun composing at three.
He was also an organist, and his works for keyboard instruments were highly esteemed even in his own time.
Among his renowned masterpieces is this “Ave Maria.” There are many versions of Ave Maria, but Saint-Saëns’s setting is crafted with a particularly otherworldly, dreamlike quality.
Rather than evoking sorrow, it is a piece that moves listeners to tears through its beauty.
24 Preludes, Op. 28 No. 15 in D-flat major “Raindrop Prelude”Frederic Chopin
Often called the “poet of the piano,” the genius Chopin has written works that even those not well-versed in classical music have likely heard at least once, and because many of his pieces feature beautiful melodies, they’re quite approachable for beginners.
Among Chopin’s many masterpieces, the piece introduced here is the Prelude in D-flat major, Op.
28, No.
15, commonly known as the “Raindrop” Prelude.
The Op.
28 set consists of relatively short pieces, and the “Raindrop” is the longest among them.
The Japanese nickname “Amadare” (raindrops) has a romantic yet somewhat wistful ring that seems to foreshadow the character of the piece.
There’s an anecdote that Chopin conceived it while imagining the sound of rain on the island of Mallorca; the solemnly repeated A-flat in the left hand is said to evoke falling raindrops, which is how the nickname arose—though it was not given by Chopin himself.
The way the music shifts from a somewhat heavy, oppressive mood in the middle back to the quiet sound of rain at the end is profoundly lyrical and poetic, and it can move listeners so deeply that tears may well up without their even realizing it.
Joy of LoveFritz Kreisler
Here is a piece composed by the world-renowned violinist Fritz Kreisler, who was born in Vienna in 1875.
It incorporates elements of the Viennese waltz and is often performed together with his composition Liebesleid (Love’s Sorrow).
Both are famous works, so many of you have likely heard them.
It’s a piece that truly conveys the violin’s charm—something only a violinist could write—while also featuring memorable, catchy elements.
Kreisler is also known for his friendship with Sergei Rachmaninoff, and their collaborative recordings are highly recommended.
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.
Barcarolle No. 2 in F-sharp minor from Songs Without Words, Book IIFelix Mendelssohn
Felix Mendelssohn, a German composer who left behind many delicate and graceful works, is especially known for his collection of short piano pieces called Songs Without Words.
The collection is divided into eight volumes, and the melancholy melody of Venetian Boat Song No.
2 in F-sharp minor, included in the second volume, is a celebrated piece that brings tears to the eyes.
Although all 48 pieces have titles, Mendelssohn himself named only five of them.
Venetian Boat Song No.
2 in F-sharp minor is one of those and is cherished as an exceptionally beautiful and striking work among the Songs Without Words.
[Masterpiece Classics] A comprehensive introduction to gem-like masterpieces so beautiful they bring you to tears (91–100)
Song cycle “Three Melodies,” Op. 7: No. 1, “Après un rêve”Gabriel Fauré
Gabriel Fauré, the great French composer known for his fantastical works.
Among his pieces, the one I especially recommend as a deeply moving work for classical piano is “Après un rêve,” No.
1 from the song cycle Three Mélodies, Op.
7.
Although this piece is often performed as a cello solo, it also possesses a profound, wistful allure as a piano work.
Each version has its own appeal, so try comparing different arrangements—voice and piano, cello solo, and piano solo.