[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.

Playlist

[Masterpiece Classics] A special showcase of gem-like masterpieces so beautiful they’ll move you to tears
	Title	Playlist	Review
1	Adagio for StringsSamuel Barber		An arrangement of Barber’s string quartet. Sad and heartrending.
2	Pavane for a Dead QueenMaurice Ravel		The Charm of Ravel’s Masterpiece, Pavane
3	CanonJohann Pachelbel		Pachelbel’s Canon, loved for three hundred years
4	Piano Sonata No. 8 “Pathétique,” Second MovementLudwig van Beethoven		Characteristics and compositional background of Beethoven's Pathétique
5	MoonlightClaude Debussy		Debussy’s masterpiece, expressing silence and beauty
6	String Quartet No. 1, Second Movement: Andante cantabilePyotr Tchaikovsky		A masterpiece that moves you, inspired by a Ukrainian folk song
7	Intermezzo from Cavalleria rusticanaPietro Mascagni		An opera depicting a tragic love story in Sicily
8	Nocturne No. 2 in E-flat major, Op. 9 No. 2Frederic Chopin		Chopin’s most famous nocturne
9	Symphony No. 5 in C-sharp minor, Movement IV: AdagiettoGustav Mahler		Mahler’s masterpiece: delicate musical ideas for strings and harp
10	String Quartet No. 2, Movement 1Alexander Borodin		A sweet and ephemeral masterpiece for string quartet
11	“Nimrod” from Enigma VariationsEdward Elgar		Elgar’s Variations, especially Variation IX “Nimrod,” are used at funerals.
12	Symphony No. 2, Movement IIISergei Rachmaninov		A masterpiece whose beautiful melody stirs the heart
13	Like a melodyJohannes Brahms		Expressing warm, delicate emotions through music
14	Étude Op. 10, No. 3 “Farewell”Frederic Chopin		Emotional expression in Chopin’s masterpiece “Farewell Étude” (Étude Op. 10, No. 3)
15	Hymn No. 320: “Nearer, My God, to Thee”Eliza Flower)		A moving hymn that sings of the desire to draw closer to God
16	Elsa’s Procession to the Cathedral from the opera LohengrinWilhelm Wagner		Solemn music, beautiful melodies, and moving emotion
17	reverieClaude Debussy		Debussy’s representative work of beautiful melodies, “Rêverie”
18	Air on the G StringJ.S.Bach		A work arranged on the G string from a piece by Bach
19	Lascia ch’io pianga (Let me weep) from the opera RinaldoGeorg Friedrich Händel		The sorrowful solo aria of Almirena, a character in the opera Rinaldo
20	Pavane for a Newborn PrincessCharles-Henry		Elegant music that celebrates the birth of life
21	Nocturne No. 20 in C-sharp minor, “Posthumous”Frederic Chopin		A sentimental piano piece depicting Chopin’s first love
22	VocaliseSergei Rachmaninov		Vocalise is a vocal exercise method of singing on vowels.
23	Come, sweet deathJ.S.Bach		Bach’s Church Cantata No. 1
24	“Lacrimosa (Day of Tears)” from the RequiemWolfgang Amadeus Mozart		Mozart’s final piece, Requiem
25	Pavane for a Dead PrincessMaurice Ravel		A song inspired by the portrait of Princess Margarita of Spain
26	Ave verum corpusWolfgang Amadeus Mozart		A miraculous masterpiece, the beauty of prayer
27	Nocturne No. 1 from Three NocturnesSergei Rachmaninov		A work composed by Rachmaninoff at age 14, expressing the anxieties of his youth
28	sighEdward Elgar		Elgar’s beautiful piece that resonates with the heart
29	Adagio in D minor for Strings and OrganRemo Giazotto		Adagio by Albinoni
30	String SerenadePyotr Tchaikovsky		Tchaikovsky's works for string ensemble
31	Fantasiestücke, Op. 3 No. 1: ElegySergei Rachmaninov		Rachmaninoff’s “Élégie” is a tear-jerking masterpiece characterized by a sense of tragic grandeur and melancholy.
32	La CampanellaFranz Liszt		A virtuosic work that is a piano arrangement of a piece by Paganini
33	Slavonic Dance, Op. 72 No. 2Antonín Dvořák		Dvořák's Slavonic Dances
34	Starry NightClaude Debussy		A study that paved the way for Debussy’s Impressionist music
35	Angel’s SerenadeGaetano Braga		Braga’s song is a mother–child dialogue about an angel’s song.
36	ChaconneTomaso Antonio Vitali		Became famous for Vitali’s piece and arrangement.
37	Cantabile in B-flat majorFrederic Chopin		A gem-like miniature by Chopin, with a singing, deeply urgent melody that moves the heart.
38	Largo in E-flat majorFrederic Chopin		A melancholy masterpiece imbued with Chopin’s patriotism
39	Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, Op. 43, Variation 18: Andante cantabileSergei Rachmaninov		An Inspiring Collection of Masterpieces by Rachmaninoff
40	EARTHMuramatsu Takatsugu		An inspiring piece that plays the beauty of nature
41	Symphony No. 6 “Pathétique”Pyotr Tchaikovsky		Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 6 “Pathétique”
42	Ave MariaGiulio Caccini		A work whose simple lyrical melody resonates with the heart
43	From ‘The Seasons’: ‘October – Autumn Song’Pyotr Tchaikovsky		A collection of 12 piano pieces themed on Russia’s seasonal scenes
44	Liebesträume No. 3Franz Liszt		The set “Liebesträume” was originally songs and was later arranged for piano.
45	Memories of the AlhambraFrancisco Tárrega		Tárrega’s masterpiece, Recuerdos de la Alhambra
46	Impromptu No. 15 “Hommage à Édith Piaf”Francis Poulenc		Francis Poulenc’s homage piece to Édith Piaf
47	Oboe Concerto in D minor, 2nd movement: Adagio — Love of VeniceAlessandro Marcello		Marcello’s beautiful and heartrending oboe concerto
48	“The Spruce” from “The Trees Suite”Sibelius		The spruce from Sibelius’s suite The Trees, with its powerful form
49	Åse’s Death from Peer Gynt Suite No. 1Edvard Grieg		Incidental music for a sorrowful play depicting the death of a mother
50	From “Fantasy Miniatures,” No. 1: ElegySergei Rachmaninov		The beauty of the Elegy from Rachmaninoff’s Fantasie Pieces
51	Violin Concerto in E minor, First MovementFelix Mendelssohn		Introduction to Mendelssohn's Violin Concerto
52	Dance of the Blessed Spirits from the opera Orfeo ed EuridiceChristoph Willibald Gluck		A love story in which Orpheus saves his wife
53	“Dreaming” from “Scenes from Childhood”Robert Schumann		The famous piece from Schumann’s “Kinderszenen,” No. 7
54	Two Elegiac MelodiesEdvard Grieg		A Northern, sorrowful melody arranged by Grieg
55	String Quartet No. 2, Movement 3: NocturneAlexander Borodin		Composed by Borodin, A Commemorative Piece for His Love for His Wife
56	String Quartet No. 77 in C major, Op. 76 No. 3, Hob. III:77, II. “God Save Emperor Francis”Franz Joseph Haydn		A masterpiece among Haydn's string quartets that uses a national anthem as its theme
57	SicilianaGabriel Urbain Fauré		Fauré’s Sicilienne, an elegant chamber piece
58	Violin Concerto No. 4 in D minor, MS 60, II. MovementNiccolò Paganini		Paganini’s emotionally rich violin works
59	Memories of the AlhambraFrancisco Tárrega		Tárrega’s masterpiece, the poignancy of Spanish music
60	Vocalise, Op. 34 No. 14Sergei Rachmaninov		Rachmaninoff’s melancholy-laden masterpiece
61	Fantaisie-ImpromptuFrederic Chopin		The appeal and characteristics of Chopin’s Fantaisie-Impromptu
62	Symphonic poem ‘Les Préludes (The Preludes)’Franz Liszt		Liszt's symphonic poem, depicting life and death
63	‘Solveig’s Song’ from Peer Gynt Suite No. 2Edvard Grieg		Grieg’s representative work “Solveig’s Song”
64	BirdsongPablo Casals		Casals performs a Catalan folk song in a plea for peace
65	Symphony No. 1 in C minor, Op. 68 – Fourth MovementJohannes Brahms		Brahms’s First Symphony, completed after 21 years
66	Sorrow of LoveKreisler=Rachmaninov		Kreisler’s famous piece “Liebesleid” (Love’s Sorrow)
67	Jesu, Joy of Man’s DesiringJ.S.Bach		Church cantata composed by Bach in 1723
68	48 Motif Collection — Esquisse, Op. 63 No. 1 in C major “Phantasm”Charles Valentin Alkan		Alkan, a collection of 49 pieces in 24 keys
69	Waltz of SorrowOskar Nedbal		A famous piece by the Czechoslovak composer Nedbal
70	Suite ‘Mirrors’: A Boat on the OceanClaude Debussy		The melody of Debussy’s graceful little boat
71	Swan of TuonelaJean Sibelius		The graceful melody of Sibelius’s Swan
72	24 Preludes No. 4Frederic Chopin		The sad rain piece performed at Chopin's funeral
73	Prelude and Allegro in the Style of PugnaniFritz Kreisler		Kreisler's Violin Pieces
74	Méditation from the opera ThaïsJules Massenet		Intermezzo from the opera Thaïs, composed by Massenet
75	Gymnopédie No. 1Erik Satie		The Appeal of Satie’s Masterpiece, Gymnopédie No. 1
76	Old Clock Tower, Op. 48-2Heino Kaski		Introduce the representative works of the Finnish composer Kaski
77	Concertino, Op. 107Cécile Chaminade		A difficult masterpiece for flute composed by Chaminade
78	SarabandeGeorg Friedrich Händel		Handel's music, appealing to the emotions on the harpsichord
79	Ballade No. 1Frederic Chopin		Popular ballades composed by Chopin
80	The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book I, No. 1, Prelude, BWV 846J.S.Bach		Bach’s Well-Tempered Clavier soothes the soul
81	24 Preludes, Op. 28 No. 15 in D-flat major “Raindrop Prelude”Frederic Chopin		About Chopin's Raindrop Prelude
82	Elegy for Piano and String OrchestraAlla Pavlova		A song that sings of the sorrow of the Russian-born composer Pavlova
83	Etude Op. 25 No. 11 “Winter Wind”Frederic Chopin		A masterpiece by Chopin. It expresses the mood of a wintry, withering wind.
84	Ave MariaCamille Saint-Saëns		Saint-Saëns’s fantastical and beautiful Ave Maria
85	Three Novelettes No. 3Francis Poulenc		A beautiful piece based on Falla’s theme
86	Joy of LoveFritz Kreisler		Introduction to Kreisler's violin pieces
87	Summer MorningHeino Kasuki		The clear tones of a summer morning
88	The Carnival of the Animals, No. 13: The SwanCamille Saint-Saëns		Swan Melody: an elegant and moving masterpiece
89	Moments Musicaux No. 4Sergei Rachmaninov		Rachmaninoff’s Moments Musicaux are achingly beautiful.
90	Melancholy FP 105Francis Poulenc		The Appeal of Poulenc’s 1940 Piano Piece
91	Barcarolle No. 1Gabriel Urbain Fauré		Fauré’s Barcarolles are difficult and grand
92	Barcarolle No. 2 in F-sharp minor from Songs Without Words, Book IIFelix Mendelssohn		The Appeal of Mendelssohn’s Masterpiece “Songs Without Words”
93	Nocturne No. 4 in A majorJohn Field		John Field invented the nocturne.
94	Song cycle “Three Melodies,” Op. 7: No. 1, “Après un rêve”Gabriel Fauré		Recommend Fauré’s song “Après un rêve”
95	Minuet from the opera ‘The Woman of Arles’Georges Bizet		Bizet’s bright masterpiece of the pastoral landscapes of southern France
96	Liebestod (Isolde’s Love-Death) from Tristan und IsoldeRichard Wagner		Liszt’s piano arrangement of the Liebestod from Wagner’s opera
97	Waltz No. 10Frederic Chopin		A waltz composed by Chopin where wistfulness and happiness intertwine