[Orchestra] Introducing famous and popular pieces
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.
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[Orchestra] Introducing Famous and Popular Pieces (41–50)
Symphony No. 2, Movement IIISergei Rachmaninov
A moving melody woven from beauty and melancholy seeps into the heart.
Beginning with a clarinet solo and expanding to the full orchestra, the sonic world shakes the listener’s soul.
Its lyrical line, which evokes nostalgia and distant memories, feels as if it were singing of a beloved person.
It is also featured in the film “Bridget Jones’s Diary,” known as a classic that colors romantic scenes.
Recommended for those who wish to heal the pain of heartbreak or to bask in memories with someone dear.
Premiered in January 1908 to great success, it is also famous as a work that symbolizes the composer’s rebirth.
[Orchestra] Introducing Famous and Popular Pieces (51–60)
Overture to the operetta ‘Light Cavalry’Franz von Suppè
An Austrian composer Suppé’s signature work was originally a number performed in his two-act operetta Light Cavalry, but the main body of the work has been lost, and today only this overture remains.
After the famous trumpet theme rings out bravely at the opening, a march reminiscent of a horse’s gallop appears, evoking scenes of battle.
Following a wistful melody in the strings, the march returns, and the curtain falls on a bright note.
In addition to its light, deft melodies and lively rhythms, the piece embodies the unique elegance of Vienna.
Music of the CelestialsHisaishi Joe
This is “Heavenly Beings’ Music” from The Tale of the Princess Kaguya.
The composer is Joe Hisaishi, well known for his music in Studio Ghibli works.
Hisaishi is one of the representative composers for Studio Ghibli, but interestingly, he usually scores only films directed by Hayao Miyazaki; when other directors are involved, different composers tend to take over.
The director of The Tale of the Princess Kaguya is Isao Takahata, making this a rare case where Hisaishi worked on a non-Miyazaki film.
Since Princess Mononoke, full orchestras have more frequently been used for in-film performances.
As Ghibli and Hisaishi’s popularity has grown, there have been more concerts as well, and it’s said that Hisaishi creates new arrangements for each concert.
It might be fun to compare the soundtrack versions with the concert versions.
Piano Concerto No. 2Sergei Vasil’evich Rachmaninov
It was used as background music in a TV program for a figure skating championship.
It’s well known because Mao Asada often used it.
Its hallmark is a sorrowful yet beautiful melody that suits skating perfectly.
It depicts both human sadness and joy.
It begins with a deep sense of sorrow and helplessness.
Gradually, the downcast feeling lifts, as if discovering hope.
The interplay between these two emotions is performed with great care.
Tannhäuser: OvertureRichard Wagner
The Tannhäuser Overture is performed in the three-act opera Tannhäuser and the Song Contest at the Wartburg.
It evokes images of grand, majestic nature.
The opening sounds from the clarinets, bassoons, and horns are captivating.
The solid, resonant tones of the strings and winds are a highlight of this piece.
Path of the WindHisaishi Joe
The indispensable classic “The Path of the Wind” from Studio Ghibli’s beloved masterpiece My Neighbor Totoro is presented here in an orchestral performance.
This piece is included in “Orchestra Stories: My Neighbor Totoro,” in which composer Joe Hisaishi restructured music from My Neighbor Totoro so it can be enjoyed with narration.
In the original, Hisaishi—then influenced by minimalism—used an electronic sound, but this version becomes a grand orchestral work that brings out the beauty of acoustic instruments.
The sheet music is also available, so students and members of community orchestras who want to enjoy ensemble playing on real instruments might consider giving it a try.
After the introduction, the violin solo is superb, vividly conjuring up images of Japan’s pastoral landscapes.
Symphony No. 2 “Resurrection”Gustav Mahler
This piece was composed between 1888 and 1894.
During its composition, he was struck by various tragedies.
Even so, he continued to compose.
The title “Resurrection” refers to the final movement.
The large brass section and the chorus are beautiful.
I think the piece gains even greater depth when you listen while imagining his circumstances.