Poignant and beautiful! A collection of recommended piano pieces
Among the many musical instruments, the piano is one of the most familiar, and it’s a quintessential instrument that makes you admire anyone who can play it.
Melancholic melodies can draw you into their world before you know it.
In this article, we’ll introduce popular piano pieces themed around “sadness.” In addition to classic standards, we’ve gathered a rich variety of poignantly beautiful, piano-centered works featured in soundtracks for films, anime, and video games.
If you love wistful piano music, this is a must-check!
- Piano × Dark Pieces: Classic Masterworks to Sink Deep into Sorrow
- Masterpieces of classical piano that are too beautiful for words. A gathering of delicate tones that cleanse the soul.
- [Piano × J-POP] Tearjerker! A Selection of Moving/Touching Songs
- [Classical Piano Masterpieces] A carefully selected collection of moving pieces that will bring you to tears
- [For Adults] Recommended for Piano Recitals! A Curated Selection of Impressively Sounding Masterpieces
- [Beginner] Recommended for adult piano beginners! Beautiful & stylish piano pieces
- Beautiful Melodies: A Collection of Masterpieces and Moving Piano Songs
- Today's Piano: Masterpieces and Popular Pieces Woven with Delicate Tones
- [J-POP] I want to listen to songs with impressive, beautiful piano tones! Recommended piano cover tracks
- [Masterpiece Classics] A special showcase of gem-like masterpieces so beautiful they’ll move you to tears
- It’s so cool if you can play these on the piano! A selection of irresistibly charming masterpieces.
- [For when you want to cry or feel sad] Tear-jerking masterpieces that make you cry when you listen
- [Intermediate Level] Cool Piano Pieces You Can Play [Great for Recitals Too]
Poignant and Beautiful! Recommended Piano Pieces (91–100)
Gaspard of the Night, No. 1: OndineMaurice Ravel
If you’re well-versed in French literature, the title Gaspard de la nuit may remind you of the poetry collection by Aloysius (Louis) Bertrand, born in 19th-century France.
The work discussed here, however, is Maurice Ravel’s suite for solo piano, a piece of the same name inspired by three poems included in Bertrand’s collection.
Of the three movements, given our theme of “music to hear in the hot summer,” let’s focus on the first, Ondine.
“Ondine” is the name of the water spirit among the four classical elements; in Japanese, the form “Undine” may be more familiar.
When it comes to Ravel’s water-themed piano works, Jeux d’eau often comes to mind, but Ondine is a piece you should certainly know as well.
It portrays the story of an ondine who falls in love with a human, expressing both the spirit’s heartbreak and the image of heavy rainfall through Ravel’s characteristically sophisticated technique—an exquisite, delicate, and dramatic masterpiece.
In conclusion
Among the many musical instruments, the piano is probably the one most familiar to us. When you happen to hear it, the sound of the piano soothes everyone who listens. This time, we’ve selected pieces with the theme of poignant piano music. The sorrowful melodies—so moving they might bring you to tears just by listening—stir a wide range of emotions in listeners, regardless of generation, language, or race. As you can see from the pieces introduced here, piano music isn’t limited to classical; there are numerous masterpieces in video game, drama, and film soundtracks as well. Be sure to find your own favorite poignant piano piece!