[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 showcase of gem-like masterpieces so beautiful they’ll move you to tears (81–90)
Elegy for Piano and String OrchestraAlla Pavlova
A native of Russia now residing in the United States, Alla Pavlova is a female composer renowned for the romantic quality of her music, which invariably captivates listeners.
The title “Elegy” refers to a literary or musical work that laments sorrow; in Japanese it is rendered as “hika” or “aika” (songs of lament).
The music, dramatic yet imbued with a wistful Russian melody scattered throughout, speaks directly to the audience’s hearts with its sadness and moves them to tears.
It is a piece that combines flowing lyricism with poignant anguish.
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.
Concertino, Op. 107Cécile Chaminade
Cécile Chaminade was a French composer active from the late 19th to the early 20th century.
Her representative work for flute was written in 1902 as an examination piece for the Paris Conservatory.
This single-movement piece is characterized by ornate solo passages and is renowned as a technically demanding work, making it popular in competitions.
Symbolizing romance and passion, the piece draws out the performer’s full expressive range.
It is highly recommended for those who wish to enjoy the flute’s beautiful tone and rich expressiveness.
Summer MorningHeino Kasuki
This is a piano piece by the Finnish composer Heino Kaski, known as Op.
35-1 “Summer Morning.” The work features a beautifully transparent melody that seems to capture the pure air of a Nordic morning in sound.
Its delicate trills evoke the sparkle of sunlight filtering through leaves, and the gentle yet gradually broadening brightness will refresh the listener’s heart.
It has a cool, invigorating quality that makes you forget muggy heat, and it’s perfect for quietly enjoying music.
Believed to have been composed in the early 1920s, it is also included in pianist Izumi Tateno’s acclaimed album “Piano Works.”
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.
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.”
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.
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.
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.
Barcarolle No. 1Gabriel Urbain Fauré
Gabriel Fauré, a French composer known as a pupil of Camille Saint-Saëns, is a composer whose Romantic musical style has been loved worldwide to this day.
His Barcarolle No.
1 is one of his representative works and, among his piano pieces, is known as a challenging piece on par with his Nocturnes and Fantasies.
The first half features a poignant melody, while, reflecting its maritime theme, the second half unfolds into a beautiful and grandiose melody.