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
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- [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]
Painfully beautiful! A collection of recommended piano pieces (21–30)
Für EliseLudwig van Beethoven
This work, known as one of the masterpieces of classical music maestro Ludwig van Beethoven, is a piano piece composed around 1810.
It is characterized by a simple, memorable melody and is widely loved around the world.
The piece is structured in a five-part rondo form, with each section evoking a different atmosphere.
Although the identity of the dedicatee “Elise” remains shrouded in mystery, it is said to embody Beethoven’s feelings of love and friendship, conveying a sense of wistful longing.
This renowned piece is cherished by a wide range of players, from beginners to advanced pianists.
It is recommended not only for those interested in classical music, but also for anyone seeking comfort and peace of mind.
The SacrificeMaikeru Naiman
There are many films themed around the piano, but the 1993 release The Piano is truly a masterpiece—both as a romance and as a piano film.
Many people vividly remember the scenes in which the lead, Holly Hunter, actually plays the piano on screen.
The soundtrack by Michael Nyman, who composed the music for this classic, received high acclaim and became a worldwide hit.
Among the pieces, I’d like to highlight The Sacrifice, which is based on The Heart Asks Pleasure First—the film’s theme, also known in Japanese as “Tanoshimi o Kineu Kokoro.” These two tracks are often confused, but personally I find the latter even more poignant.
I recommend listening to both and comparing them!
Playing Love / 愛を奏でてEnnio Morikōne
Ennio Morricone, the master of film music born in Italy.
He composed numerous pieces so striking that one could say the films became timeless classics precisely because of his music—truly a composer worthy of the title “genius maestro.” While I highly recommend watching the documentary film Ennio to learn more about Morricone, who passed away in 2020 at the age of 91, the piece featured here is Playing Love from the soundtrack of the 1998 Italian masterpiece The Legend of 1900, for which Morricone wrote the score.
Many of you can likely picture the unforgettable scene in which the protagonist plays this piece.
Its sweetness and bittersweet sorrow resonate so perfectly with the film’s imagery that it’s startling—so by all means, check out the film itself as well!
Name of Life from Spirited AwayHisaishi Joe
Many listeners have surely been captivated by the crystalline piano tones and faintly nostalgic melody.
The theme song of Studio Ghibli’s masterpiece Spirited Away evokes a bittersweet yet warm story of searching for lost memories and one’s true self.
Its message—recalling something precious and finding one’s place—reaches us with quiet emotion.
Released in July 2001 as a single performed by Yumi Kimura, the song deepened the film’s impact.
The piece originally began as an instrumental track on the soundtrack.
Its calm, dreamlike phrasing is perfect for times when you want to focus on work or study.
Letting yourself drift on its gentle waves of sound may calm your heart and clear your mind.
Sonatine in F-sharp minor, M. 40 — I. ModeratoMaurice Ravel
A work by Maurice Ravel in which a delicate, glass-like beauty gleams within the plaintive resonance of F-sharp minor.
Woven with rich harmonies within a classical framework, the piece achieves an exquisite balance between quiet melody and intricate ornamentation, revealing Ravel’s perfectionist side.
Officially published in November 1905, it was later choreographed as a ballet as well, allowing its fragile musical world to be expressed in various forms.
With a character that seems to console a sorrowful heart, it’s recommended for moments when you wish to gaze quietly at your innermost feelings.
You might also find it rewarding to surrender yourself to its architectural beauty.
At ZanarkandUematsu Nobuo
As exemplified by the opening ceremony of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics held in 2021, game music boasts many world-class masterpieces.
One of its strengths is that it transcends genres—from orchestral to rock—but what I’m highlighting here is a purely piano piece of exceptional beauty.
“To Zanarkand,” which plays as the opening theme of Final Fantasy X, the tenth entry in the series that stands alongside Dragon Quest as Japan’s most famous RPGs, is not a rousing, adventurous tune.
Instead, its poignant, beautiful melody aligns perfectly with the game’s themes, earning it high acclaim as a true classic.
It’s a piece that has become famous beyond the realm of game music, and the orchestral version—imbued with even greater sadness and pathos—is also a must-listen.
I stopped being alone.Yano Akiko
The theme from “My Neighbors the Yamadas” is performed here in a lovely piano arrangement.
I’ve previously introduced an orchestral version, but when this gentle depiction of everyday life is rendered on piano, it becomes even more immersive, like being drawn into a world of memories.
Everyday life is something everyone has, and it’s unique to each person—not measured by anyone else’s standards.
Yet when the everyday life that must have been mine is shown as images, a quiet feeling of “this is somehow nice” arises.
This piano version touches many people’s heartstrings and will surely brighten the listeners’ everyday lives.
