Songs to Listen to and Play on Halloween! A Selection of Recommended Piano Pieces

Piano Sonata No. 14 “Moonlight,” 3rd MovementLudwig van Beethoven

Moonlight Sonata, 3rd Movement / Piano Sonata / Beethoven / Classic Piano / Classical / CANACANA

A piano work by Ludwig van Beethoven famous for its quiet, sorrowful melody.

But on Halloween night, the third movement—with a ferocity as if anger were exploding—is the perfect pick.

The opening figure that shoots upward like flying sparks is nothing short of breathtaking! Its relentless thrill feels like hurling the listener into the eye of a raging storm, leaving no time to catch one’s breath.

This chillingly intense melody is ideal for creating an eerie atmosphere as party background music.

Published in 1802, the piece continues to captivate across eras, even being quoted in the J-pop group °C-ute’s song “Mugen Climax.” Master it on the piano, and you’re sure to bring the house down with applause.

Forgotten Melodies, Op. 39 – No. 5: Tragic SonataNikolai Medtner

Medtner – Sonata Tragica Op. 39 No. 5 (Tozer, Sudbin)

A dramatic piano piece where storm-like, fierce passion sweeps through.

It’s a work by the Russian composer Nikolai Medtner, included in the cycle Forgotten Melodies, Op.

39, and published in 1922.

Composed in 1919 amid the Russian Civil War, its background further heightens the work’s tragic atmosphere.

The breathless, impassioned development feels like the climax of a Gothic horror film.

Play it on Halloween night, and it’s sure to amplify the mysterious mood! Why not bring your party to life by telling this thrilling story at the piano?

Prelude in C-sharp minor “The Bells”Sergei Rachmaninov

Rachmaninoff – Prelude in C Sharp Minor (Op. 3 No. 2)

With chords that resound like solemn, heavy tolling bells, this piece instantly draws listeners into a majestic and mysterious world.

Composed by the Russian composer Sergei Rachmaninoff, it captivates with the contrast between its ethereal melodies and the dramatic developments that seem to express intense inner turmoil.

There’s even an anecdote that it was inspired by a dream in which he found himself inside a coffin, making it a perfect fit for Halloween’s slightly eerie atmosphere.

The piece is one of the works from the 1892 suite Cinq Morceaux de fantaisie and is widely known for being used in figure skater Mao Asada’s program.

If you play it on piano, focus on the contrast between stillness and motion and perform as if telling a story—your Halloween party is sure to come alive.

Lux AeternaClint Mansell

Requiem for a Dream – Lux Aeterna (Piano Version)

Its grand and dramatic tone is striking.

It’s a piece by the English composer Clint Mansell.

Included on the soundtrack album Requiem for a Dream, released in September 2000, it remains enduringly popular.

The repetitive phrases played by the strings draw you in as they steadily heighten the tension.

Though there are no lyrics, the sense of tragic fate—like a story swept along by an inescapable destiny—perfectly suits the mysterious atmosphere of Halloween.

This work is also famous for its arranged version used in the trailer for The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers.

It’s a great recommendation for a Halloween party where you want to create a grand and slightly eerie world.

Fairies’ DanceEdvard Grieg

[Recommended for Piano Recitals] Fairy Dance ♪ Grieg / Fairy Dance, Op. 12 No. 4, Grieg

This piece conjures up a scene of tiny fairies dancing deep within a Nordic forest under the moonlight.

Amid its light and charming atmosphere, the distinctive, mysterious color of the minor key mingles in, making it a perfect choice to illuminate the magical night of Halloween.

It’s included in Lyric Pieces, Op.

12, a collection of piano miniatures published in 1867 by Norway’s foremost composer, Edvard Grieg.

You can hear it on albums such as Ingrid Fujiko Hemming’s Grieg: Piano Masterpieces.

It’s guaranteed to create a stylish, uncanny ambience as background music for a Halloween party! If you perform it yourself, try to capture the fairies’ light footsteps while cherishing a subtly shadowed expression throughout.

Reading Dante: Sonata-FantasiaFranz Liszt

Vitaly Pisarenko plays Liszt – Après une lecture du Dante – Fantasia quasi sonata, S161/7

Inspired by depictions of hell in literary works, Franz Liszt’s grand masterpiece is perfect when you want to create a Halloween atmosphere that’s not just scary but profoundly evocative.

From the very beginning, the dissonance known as the “Devil’s interval” resounds, instantly dragging listeners into an unsettling world.

Records show that the work’s prototype was performed in Vienna in November 1839; it was later revised and included in the album Années de pèlerinage, Deuxième année: Italie.

Famous interpretations by Alfred Brendel and Georges Cziffra are well known.

As a piano piece it is extremely challenging, and the key is to bring out the dramatic contrast between infernal torment and heavenly redemption.

Aim to express a grand, story-like world.

Children’s Album, Op. 39 – No. 20: The WitchPyotr Tchaikovsky

Tchaikovsky”Polka” Op.39 No.14 with score (from Album for the Young) | Ayato Sunabe

Steeped in an ominous atmosphere that suggests something bad is about to happen, this piece is one of the works from Pyotr Tchaikovsky’s piano collection Album pour enfants, Op.

39, dedicated to his nephew.

The collection is said to have been a heartfelt gift, with sketches for all the pieces completed by May 1878.

In this piece, the witch’s uncanny aura and comically terrifying character are portrayed amid a rapid tempo, making it perfect for the Halloween mood.

The first edition of the collection, including this piece, was published in October 1878.

It’s great as background music, but if you play it on the piano, it’s sure to liven up any party.

Aim for a dramatic performance with a sense of speed and crisp articulation, as if a witch were darting through the air!