Lovely classics

[Orchestra] Introducing famous and popular pieces

Graduated from a music school / 21 years of piano experiencesatomi
I began playing the piano at the age of four and spent six years at a conservatory, focusing mainly on classical music while honing my skills. In addition to solo performance, I studied extensively in chamber music and two-piano repertoire, and I had the opportunity to perform twice on stage as a soloist in piano concertos. While not to the same extent as classical, I also learned jazz and pop through practical performance. I was active as a pianist in various settings, including instrumental and vocal/choral accompaniment, performance assistance for other departments, and recording sessions. Beyond the piano, I devoted five years to the trombone in a wind ensemble. I hope to draw on these experiences to share the charm of music with many people.
Former vocal coach specializing in Western musicRyo
With the motto “Learn the basics and enjoy putting them into practice,” I worked as a vocal coach specializing in Western music. As a teen, I questioned the idea that “Western music equals English,” and started listening to songs from around the world. Today, I devour music from over 80 countries and run a personal blog introducing tracks. I often listen to genres like nuevo flamenco, bolero, canzone, and R&B. I’ll keep updating articles daily to find the one perfect song you’re looking for!

Among classical music, the orchestra is the most opulent and offers the widest range of expression.

When a variety of instruments, each infused with the performer’s own sensibility, come together to create a single piece of music, it produces a unique allure found nowhere else.

In this article, we’ve picked out famous and popular orchestral pieces.

Even within orchestral music, there are many genres—from symphonies and concertos to operas.

We’re introducing everything from pieces everyone has heard to works well-known among classical enthusiasts, so be sure to check them out.

[Orchestra] Introducing Famous and Popular Pieces (101–110)

Dies Irae from RequiemGiuseppe Verdi

“Dies Irae” from Requiem / Verdi

Dies Irae from RequiemGiuseppe Verdi

A Requiem is a Mass for the dead (a funeral mass).

Verdi composed it to mourn Alessandro Manzoni, the Italian literary giant whom he deeply admired.

Its original title is “Requiem to Commemorate the Anniversary of the Death of Manzoni.” The powerful low-register resonance of the chorus of over one hundred singers is truly overwhelming.

Raise the rankinglower

Report a problem

Piano Concerto No. 21Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Seong-Jin Cho Mozart Piano Concerto No.21

Piano Concerto No. 21Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

In Japan, it was used in Kourakuen’s commercial “Yabai Chuka Soba Classic.” It’s perfect as background music for cooking.

Boiling the noodles, taking them out of the pot and rinsing them with water… then into the soup and plated in a bowl… It beautifully portrays the process of a dish coming together.

Even the act of picking up the noodles with chopsticks and slurping them looks artistic thanks to the power of this piece.

Raise the rankinglower

Report a problem

RequiemWolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Mozart Requiem High-Quality Audio

RequiemWolfgang Amadeus Mozart

This piece is the one Mozart continued composing right up until the very brink of his death.

Because he died while working on it, the remaining sections were written and completed by his pupil Franz Xaver Süssmayr.

In 1791, he was commissioned by an unknown man to compose a Requiem in exchange for a large fee, and Mozart wrote in a letter that, when he received this commission, he thought, “This piece is my own Requiem.”

Raise the rankinglower

Report a problem

Symphony in D minorCésar Franck

Franck: Sinfonie d-Moll ∙ hr-Sinfonieorchester ∙ Marc Minkowski

Symphony in D minorCésar Franck

Franck was a composer active in France, but he was actually born in Belgium.

This piece consists of three movements.

The first movement has a rather dark feeling right from the opening.

It begins with a dark, heavy mood, yet it gives the impression of rising upward.

Raise the rankinglower

Report a problem

ScheherazadeNikolai Rimsky-Korsakov

Rimsky-Korsakov: Symphonic Suite “Scheherazade” — Stokowski

ScheherazadeNikolai Rimsky-Korsakov

A mysterious masterpiece based on One Thousand and One Nights.

Packed with the allure of the orchestra, it features powerful melodies and beautifully moving themes played by the violins.

Another distinctive aspect is that each movement is given a story-like title, such as “The Sea and Sinbad’s Ship.”

Raise the rankinglower

Report a problem

In conclusion

We introduced famous and popular orchestral pieces. You probably found some you’ve heard at least once—whether from music class or as background music on TV. There are so many captivating orchestral works that we couldn’t possibly cover them all here, so be sure to explore other pieces as well!