Poignant and beautiful! A collection of recommended piano pieces

Sonatine in F-sharp minor, M. 40: II. MenuetMaurice Ravel

Sonatine, M. 40: II. Mouvement de Menuet

A piece I recommend for times when you want to quietly face your inner self is one from Maurice Ravel’s piano work Sonatine.

While it takes the elegant form of a classical minuet, this movement blends a hidden melancholy with refined sonorities, making it exquisitely beautiful.

As you listen to the melody, you can almost see a scene that maintains dignified grace even amid sorrow.

The work as a whole, including this piece, was choreographed as a ballet in 1975, and its narrative quality stimulates the listener’s imagination.

Rather than stirring intense emotions, it will surely stay close to your heart when you wish to surrender yourself gently to the piano’s delicate timbre.

Six Pieces: “Nocturnes”Pyotr Tchaikovsky

Tchaikovsky: Six Pieces “Nocturne” [41_Dark and Sad Classical Piano Piece with Score and Commentary]

It is an introspective piece, fitting for the stillness of night, included in the album “Six Pieces, Op.

19.” The work envelops the listener in a warm yet sentimental atmosphere, as if overhearing the composer’s personal confession.

Completed in the autumn of 1873, it is striking for the bell-like sonorities—reminiscent of ballet music—that accent the tear-inducing, beautiful melody.

There is also an arrangement for cello and small orchestra, offering a different, deeper emotional resonance from the original.

A masterpiece perfect for a night of quietly dwelling in sorrow and conversing with your own heart.

“The Four Seasons” – 12 Characteristic Sketches, Op. 37bis: June “Barcarolle”Pyotr Tchaikovsky

Tchaikovsky: The Seasons, June: Barcarolle [Naxos Classical Curation #Melancholic]

Among the solo piano pieces in the Russian composer’s The Seasons, this work is especially beloved for its lyrical beauty.

First published in a magazine in June 1876, it opens with a melancholy melody that ebbs and flows like waves on the shore.

It is said to be accompanied by a poem depicting a waterside scene, and its heartrending tune deeply resonates with listeners.

In the middle section, the music shifts to the major key, unfolding brilliant arpeggios that evoke the sparkle of stars.

So popular is the piece that it was also used in the 1981 ballet Piano Pieces.

A masterpiece that tenderly accompanies a sorrowful heart, it summons ineffable emotions beyond words.

A Whole New World (from “Aladdin”)Alan Menken

A Whole New World (from “Aladdin”)

This moving ballad, loved by many, is a work by composer Alan Menken, renowned for numerous Disney film scores.

It’s a romantic piece that evokes the image of traveling through the night sky on a magic carpet.

Celebrating the freedom and hope of stepping into an unknown world, the song may free your mind from the task at hand and lead you into a realm of fresh ideas.

A signature song from the 1992 film Aladdin, it can be heard on the soundtrack album Aladdin: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack.

Its universal appeal is underscored by winning Best Original Song at the 65th Academy Awards in March 1993.

The grand, beautiful piano tones will sweep away everyday distractions and support you as you focus deeply during creative time.

Summer MorningHeino Kasuki

Summer Morning (composed by Kaski) Pianist: Kanako Ishihara — Sommermorgen (Kaski) / Kanako Ishihara -Purenist-

How about a piano piece brimming with refreshing clarity—one that makes you want to take a deep breath in the shimmering light of an early summer morning? Composed by Heino Kaski and known as Op.

35-1 “Summer Morning,” this work is said to have been written in the early 1920s.

It features a crystalline transparency that evokes the pure air of the Nordic countries, along with a gentle yet deeply affecting lyricism.

Delicate trills sparkle like dappling sunlight through leaves, inviting the listener into a state of pleasant ease.

It’s a captivating piece woven by Heino Kaski.

Highly recommended for those who want a cool, soothing moment in the heat of the season, or who wish to quietly immerse themselves in a beautiful melody.

Listening to this work will help you forget the busyness of everyday life.

You can also experience its charm on pianist Izumi Tateno’s album “Piano Works.”

Serenade from SchwanengesangFranz Schubert

Schubert: Swan Song “Serenade” [33_Dark and Sad Classical Piano Piece with Sheet Music and Commentary]

This is a piece included in Franz Schubert’s renowned song collection Schwanengesang, which he worked on from August 1828 onward.

Its sweet yet heartrending melody is striking, as if whispering hidden feelings to a beloved in the stillness of the night.

The delicate piano accompaniment captures the protagonist’s trembling heart and even the touch of the night breeze, drawing listeners into the world of the story.

It is also known for its use in the 1933 film Gently My Songs Entreat.

The wistfulness that pervades this work gently accompanies nights when one is overwhelmed by sorrow, making it a masterpiece you should listen to when you wish to indulge in sentiment.

At the seaside at nightHeino Kasuki

Kaski: By the Seaside at Night, Op. 34-1

How about forgetting the summer heat with the cool tones of the piano? This is a beautiful miniature by the Finnish composer Heino Kaski.

Each piano note feels like a grain of light shimmering along a nighttime shoreline, gently leading your heart into the serene nature of the Nordic landscape.

Its calm, dreamlike melody tenderly envelops the listener, inviting a reflective mood.

Performed by pianist Izumi Tateno and recorded in April 1999, the piece gained wide recognition through the album “Kaski: Night By the Sea.” It’s a work I highly recommend to anyone seeking a soothing companion for a heat-weary heart and a moment of refreshing coolness.