[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.
- A poignant classic masterpiece. Recommended classical music.
- 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
- Cool classical masterpieces. Recommended classical music.
- Masterpieces of classical piano that are too beautiful for words. A gathering of delicate tones that cleanse the soul.
- [Orchestra] Introducing famous and popular pieces
- 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
- Classical Masterpieces: Recommended Works You Should Hear at Least Once
- [Ultra-Advanced] Even challenging for advanced players! A curated selection of highly difficult piano pieces
- Gabriel Fauré | Introduction to His Famous and Representative Works
- Masterpieces for Harp: A curated selection of distinguished works featuring noble and delicate tones
- Today's Classics: Recommended classical music and great performances to listen to today
[Masterpiece Classics] A comprehensive selection of exquisitely beautiful gems that will move you to tears (21–30)
String SerenadePyotr Tchaikovsky
Many of the melodies in works by Pyotr Tchaikovsky, the world-renowned composer born in Russia, are both beautiful and suffused with sorrow.
There are many Tchaikovsky pieces suitable for introduction in this article, but the one featured here is a work for string ensemble that he composed in 1880.
While Swan Lake and The Nutcracker may be better known, the melodic beauty and poignancy of this piece are equally remarkable, unfolding with a flowing, melancholic character centered on the rich sonorities of the strings.
Frequently used on Japanese TV, this work offers an excellent opportunity to engage with classical music.
Starry NightClaude Debussy
This is an early study from the youth of Claude Debussy, a composer who epitomizes French Impressionism.
Composed when he was around 18, the work is regarded as an important piece that paved the way for his later impressionist style.
Gentle harmonies embrace a poem that depicts dreaming beneath the starry sky, creating a calm and fantastical world.
The piano part features compound chords and the tender nuances of diminished seventh chords, showcasing Debussy’s characteristic delicacy of tone to full effect.
It is a piece you can savor for its quintessential Debussian sound—why not listen to it at leisure while gazing at the stars?
[Masterpiece Classics] A showcase of exquisitely beautiful gems that will move you to tears (31–40)
Angel’s SerenadeGaetano Braga
Gaetano Braga was an Italian cellist and composer active in the 19th century.
Although it is often performed with piano and string instruments, it was originally a song, with the vocal melody added above these instruments.
The story unfolds in the form of a dialogue between a mother and her child, centered on the mysterious angelic singing heard by the child on their deathbed.
It bears the subtitle “From the Legend of Wallachia,” and Wallachia is the name of a region in southern Romania; the piece was composed based on a legend from that area.
sighEdward Elgar
A work by the English composer Edward Elgar, known for the violin’s beautiful, moving melody in Salut d’Amour.
In 1914, on the eve of World War I, it was composed for string ensemble with harp and organ.
Behind the richly layered strings, the subtly played harp lends a poignant hue, making it a piece that deeply resonates with the heart.
The harp part is also performed on the piano.
It’s enjoyable to listen to performances by various ensembles and appreciate how the instrumentation changes the color of the sound.
Adagio in D minor for Strings and OrganRemo Giazotto
It’s a piece for string orchestra and organ composed by the Italian musician Remo Giazotto and published in 1958.
The work is also known as “Adagio in G minor” (often called “Albinoni’s Adagio”).
It was once believed that Giazotto had elaborated on a fragment by the Baroque composer Tomaso Albinoni, who was born in Italy in 1671, but it is now understood that the entire piece was composed by Giazotto himself.
When we think of organ music, we tend to picture the Baroque era, but newer works like this are wonderful too.
Ave MariaGiulio Caccini
A work that maintains a solemn and poignant atmosphere throughout.
Both the lyrics and the melody are simple, but precisely because of their simplicity, the piece has the power to resonate directly with the heart.
This piece has been known as “Caccini’s Ave Maria,” and, together with Schubert’s Ave Maria and Gounod’s Ave Maria, was once referred to as one of the “three great Ave Marias.” However, it is now suspected that the work may actually be by the former Soviet musician Vavilov.
He was a 20th-century guitarist and lutenist who had no formal training in composition, and it is said that he hesitated to publish works under his own name; as a result, he may have released the piece under Caccini’s name.
Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, Op. 43, Variation 18: Andante cantabileSergei Rachmaninov
The great composer Sergei Rachmaninoff.
Also active as a pianist, he created many masterpieces during his lifetime.
Among them, one particularly moving work is the Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, Op.
43, Variation 18 “Andante cantabile.” Another masterpiece with an equally beautiful melody is Vocalise, but whereas that piece carries a wistful, sorrowful tune, this one is crafted with an inspiring melody that instills a sense of hope.
