[Classical Piano Masterpieces] A carefully selected collection of moving pieces that will bring you to tears
Have you ever had a musical experience where a beautiful melody or harmony moved you to your core?
In this article, we introduce classic piano masterpieces that can bring tears to your eyes just by listening—and that become even more moving when you play them yourself.
Naturally, works written for the piano do not have lyrics.
However, the composers’ thoughts and wishes are undoubtedly embedded in each note.
By learning about the background of the pieces and the lives of the composers, your performance will gain greater depth.
When you take on these pieces, be sure to deepen your understanding of the composers and the works—including the anecdotes shared in each piece’s commentary here—before you begin practicing.
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[Classical Piano Masterpieces] Carefully Selected Tear-Jerking, Moving Pieces (11–20)
Sorrow of LoveKreisler=Rachmaninov
Fritz Kreisler’s masterpiece “Liebesleid” (Love’s Sorrow).
This work for violin and piano was composed as a counterpart to “Liebesfreud” (Love’s Joy).
Whether performed as a piano solo or a violin solo, it is not particularly difficult, yet it is renowned for its strong performing impact and continues to be frequently played by many musicians today.
Together with this piece, “Liebesfreud,” and “Schön Rosmarin,” it forms a trilogy, so please listen to them as a set.
La CampanellaFranz Liszt
The delicate melody, modeled after the sound of bells, is striking, with beautiful leaps and ornaments in the high register resonating throughout.
The piano piece, revised in 1851, is characterized by passionate expressiveness that embodies the essence of Romantic music and by virtuosic performance demands.
Inspired by Niccolò Paganini’s playing in 1831, Franz Liszt arranged the theme of a violin concerto for piano.
Frequently used as background music in films and television shows, it has captivated many listeners.
This work is recommended for those who want to study in a quiet environment with focus.
Its bell-like, transparent timbre will calm the mind while maintaining a moderate sense of tension.
Nocturne No. 2 in E-flat major, Op. 9 No. 2Frederic Chopin
There’s a gem of a piano piece by Frédéric Chopin that will make you forget the summer heat.
Composed between 1830 and 1832, it’s included in the renowned collection Nocturnes, Op.
9, and is praised for its exquisitely sweet and wistful melody.
The singing right-hand line sparkles like stars in the night sky, gently supported by the left-hand accompaniment.
Listening to it feels purifying to the soul.
It has been memorably used in the film 127 Hours (2010) and the anime Girls’ Last Tour (2017), so many of you may already know it.
This work is a perfect choice for anyone who wants to feel a cool, tranquil mood through the beautiful tones of the piano on a quiet night.
Three Romances, Op. 11 No. 1Clara Schumann
A piano piece that conceals profound lyricism within restrained expression.
Opening a set of three romantic miniatures, this work was written in 1839, when the composer was nineteen, imbued with feelings for her fiancé, Robert Schumann.
The theme, sung over extended arpeggios, seems to delicately reflect a love and longing kept within.
The piece also appears in the film “Geliebte Clara,” serving as a crucial key to portraying Clara Schumann’s inner world.
It is an ideal piece for a quiet, contemplative night, when you want to listen to the singing tone of the piano and take time to face your own heart.
Serenade from SchwanengesangFranz Schubert
This is a piece included in Franz Schubert’s renowned song collection Schwanengesang, which he worked on from August 1828 onward.
Its sweet yet heartrending melody is striking, as if whispering hidden feelings to a beloved in the stillness of the night.
The delicate piano accompaniment captures the protagonist’s trembling heart and even the touch of the night breeze, drawing listeners into the world of the story.
It is also known for its use in the 1933 film Gently My Songs Entreat.
The wistfulness that pervades this work gently accompanies nights when one is overwhelmed by sorrow, making it a masterpiece you should listen to when you wish to indulge in sentiment.
Nocturne No. 19 in E minor, Op. 72 No. 1, “Posthumous”Frederic Chopin
Composed around 1827, this nocturne is imbued with a depth of melancholy that seems far beyond the work of a mere seventeen-year-old.
The left hand’s unceasing triplet arpeggios convey the tremors of the heart, while the simple, plaintive melody in the right hand gently voices feelings kept hidden within.
Although the piece begins in E minor, it is notable for closing quietly in a warm major key, suggesting a calm solace after tears.
It was also used in the TV drama Fringe.
It’s a piece that accompanies those moods when you want to spend a sentimental night in quiet contemplation.
[Classical Piano Masterpieces] A Handpicked Selection of Deeply Moving, Tear‑Jerking Pieces (21–30)
Melody Op. 4-2Fanny Mendelssohn
A short piece in C-sharp minor, notable for its melody that sings as if it were a song.
This work is included in Fanny Mendelssohn’s piano collection “6 Melodies, Op.
4,” in which she explored a distinctive pianistic style different from her brother Felix’s.
The dense harmonies layered over the delicate melody are quintessentially Fanny Mendelssohn, conveying a nuanced emotional sensitivity; even the slightest misjudgment in expression can risk diminishing the piece’s introspective allure.
Published under her own name in 1846, it quietly yet unmistakably reveals her firm resolve.
It is a piece one would especially want to savor alone on a night when one wishes to sink deeply into sorrow.
When performing it, the paramount key is how you make the melody sing.