[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 showcase of exquisitely beautiful gems that will move you to tears (11–20)
“Nimrod” from Enigma VariationsEdward Elgar
One of the signature works by the British composer Edward Elgar—also known for Pomp and Circumstance—is the Enigma Variations.
Officially titled Variations on an Original Theme, this piece was composed as a set of orchestral variations and is notable for its unique genesis: Elgar improvised variation-like passages while thinking of his friends, and later developed them into a full orchestral work.
The piece consists of 14 variations, the most famous of which is Variation IX, “Nimrod.” There are performances of it on its own, as well as arrangements that isolate “Nimrod,” and perhaps because of its grand yet wistfully beautiful melody, it is frequently used in the UK for funerals and memorials.
Although it was not composed with that intention, listening to it can vividly conjure images of a climactic scene in a film or ceremony—one of the fascinating aspects of how music can affect us.
Symphony No. 2, Movement IIISergei Rachmaninov
A moving melody woven from beauty and melancholy seeps into the heart.
Beginning with a clarinet solo and expanding to the full orchestra, the sonic world shakes the listener’s soul.
Its lyrical line, which evokes nostalgia and distant memories, feels as if it were singing of a beloved person.
It is also featured in the film “Bridget Jones’s Diary,” known as a classic that colors romantic scenes.
Recommended for those who wish to heal the pain of heartbreak or to bask in memories with someone dear.
Premiered in January 1908 to great success, it is also famous as a work that symbolizes the composer’s rebirth.
Étude Op. 10, No. 3 “Farewell”Frederic Chopin
The opening melody is especially famous, and surely everyone has heard it at least once.
Because this piece was used in the 1934 German film about Chopin’s life, Farewell to Spring (released in Japan as “Wakare no Kyoku,” or “Farewell Song”), it has become widely known in Japan by that title.
Around the time he composed this work, Chopin left his homeland of Poland and moved his base to Paris.
Suffused with both yearning and passion, the piece overlays the feelings of “dreaming of success in Paris” with “nostalgia for the countryside,” conveying the complex state of mind Chopin likely experienced.
Hymn No. 320: “Nearer, My God, to Thee”Eliza Flower)
The hymn based on Jacob’s dream is a work themed around the desire to draw closer to God.
Set to a beautiful melody by Eliza Flower, it has continued to move listeners deeply.
Its lyrics convey the meaning of approaching God even through hardship, and it is also known from the Titanic episode.
In Japan, it has been used in the final episode of A Dog of Flanders and at funerals, and is cherished as a song of parting tinged with poignancy.
This piece is recommended for those facing life’s trials and for anyone seeking a hymn that resonates with the heart.
Since its publication in 1841, it has become a classic sung around the world.
Like a melodyJohannes Brahms
This work, set to a poem by Klaus Groth, a friend of Johannes Brahms, is characterized by a warmly embracing quality.
The wide intervals within the phrases and skillful modulations lend the piece delicacy and depth.
Its melody, deeply intertwined with the poem’s content, conveys an attempt to express emotions and thoughts beyond words through the power of music.
Beginning with broad, arpeggiated progressions and unfolding into long-breathed, beautiful melodic lines, this piece is recommended for those who wish to explore the deepest emotions of the heart through music.
Composed in 1886 and published in 1888, this song, written when Brahms was 53, has continued to be cherished by many performers and audiences.
Elsa’s Procession to the Cathedral from the opera LohengrinWilhelm Wagner
This piece, with its majestic and sacred atmosphere, unfolds at a leisurely tempo and is distinguished by its rich orchestration.
The harmony between brass and strings is beautiful, leaving listeners deeply moved.
Premiered in August 1850, the work depicts a scene from an opera, superbly conveying the protagonist’s purity and the solemnity of the ritual.
It is often used as background music for weddings and religious ceremonies and is beloved by many.
It is recommended not only for those interested in classical music but also for anyone seeking a beautiful melody that resonates with the heart.
reverieClaude Debussy
Claude Debussy, the French composer whose unconventional works profoundly influenced modern music, exemplifies a free approach to harmony unbound by functional tonality.
Though he wrote many pieces with beautiful melodies, one I especially recommend is Reverie.
Composed under financial duress out of necessity, it nonetheless features a graceful, untroubled melodic line.
In his later years, Debussy judged the piece harshly, but today it is cherished by many listeners as a beloved classic.
Air on the G StringJ.S.Bach
This piece is an arrangement of the “Air” from the second movement of Bach’s Orchestral Suite No.
3.
The G string refers to the lowest of the four strings on the violin, and because it can be performed using only this string, it is known as “Air on the G String.” Originally in D major, it was transposed and arranged by the violinist August Wilhelmj, making performance solely on the G string possible.
Each instrument weaves its own beautiful melody, interlacing and competing while interacting with the others, so that every part takes a leading role and together they create a beautiful, unified world.
Nocturne No. 20 in C-sharp minor, “Posthumous”Frederic Chopin
Set against a left-hand arpeggiated accompaniment, the right hand sings a sweet and sentimental melody—one piece that vividly showcases the talent of Chopin, known as the “poet of the piano.” Around the time he composed this work, Chopin was deeply in love with a young soprano, Konstancja Gładkowska.
However, because she was the daughter of a royal official and thus of high social status, Chopin never confessed his feelings, and his first love came to an end.
This piece conveys the bittersweet ache and fresh innocence of unrequited love.
Pavane for a Newborn PrincessCharles-Henry
Characterized by an elegant and serene melody, this piece is filled with joy and hope celebrating the birth of new life.
Despite its brief duration of about 1 minute and 25 seconds, it demands delicate touch and expressive nuance.
The key to performance lies in conveying the work’s grace and joy through subtle changes in phrasing and dynamics.
Often featured in piano education settings, it is recommended for those wishing to cultivate expressiveness or seeking an encore piece for a recital.
In May 2023, a concert including this piece was held at the Paris Conservatoire, captivating the audience.