Classical Music for Summer: A Selection of Cool and Refreshing Masterpieces
What scenes come to mind when you think of summer?
A sparkling blue sea, dazzling white sands under the blazing sun, mountains dressed in vivid green…
Even in sticky, sweltering heat, doesn’t picturing a refreshing landscape make the heat feel just a little more bearable?
In this article, we’ll introduce classic works that are perfect for summer and will help expand those images even further.
Let’s spend this summer feeling refreshed, accompanied by exquisite classical music that creates a cool, breezy atmosphere.
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Classical Music for Summer: A Selection of Cool and Refreshing Masterpieces (71–80)
2 Nocturnes: Sommers sovn (Summer Sleep)Per Nørgård
“Sommers sovn,” composed by Danish contemporary composer Per Nørgård.
He developed his own compositional technique called the Infinity Series and focused primarily on symphonies.
The distinctive atmosphere of this piece is largely due to his method.
Be sure to pay attention to the mixed choir Ars Nova’s vocals as well!
“Summer Tunes” String Quartet No.2: II. BirdsPēteris Vasks
This is a piece by the contemporary Latvian composer Pēteris Vasks, “Summer Tunes String Quartet No.
2: II.
Birds.” It’s performed by the Riga String Quartet.
It feels like a horror movie soundtrack.
Rather than focusing on melody, it uses distinctive playing techniques and centers on sound effects.
I’m in awe of its creativity.
The Roman festival “Circenses”Respighi
“Roman Festivals” is a work that portrays the history of Rome’s festivals from four perspectives: Ancient Rome, the Middle Ages, the Renaissance, and the modern era.
Part I, “Circenses,” depicts the festival held in the amphitheater by the tyrant Emperor Nero, famous even in ancient history.
It is said that there were also brutal shows in which Christians were made to fight lions.
Classical Music for Summer: A Selection of Cool and Refreshing Masterpieces (81–90)
Symphony No. 4, Movement IRobert Schumann
Schumann completed his Symphony No.
1 between January and February 1841, and in March he composed works including an overture and the piece that would become the first movement of his Piano Concerto.
Furthermore, starting in June, he began composing the symphony later designated as No.
4, which he presented as a gift to his wife Clara on her birthday, September 13.
String Quartet No. 4, BVN 215, “Sommerdage” (Summer Days): III. Sostenuto – Allegro, scherzosoRued Langgaard
This piece is “String Quartet No.
4, BVN 215, ‘Sommerdage’ (Summer Days): III.
Sostenuto – Allegro, scherzoso” by Rued Langgaard, a composer and organist active in the 20th century.
He was a tragic composer who only began to be recognized by the public 16 years after his death.
The lustrous strings are beautiful, weaving a bittersweet, melancholic harmony.
Symphony No. 2, First MovementSibelius
After taking an extended several-month trip to Italy with his family, Sibelius began composing his Symphony No.
2 in the summer of 1901.
The brilliant sonorities found throughout the symphony are thought to reflect sketches he made during that journey, capturing the atmosphere of Italy and the Mediterranean and incorporating it into the work.
2 Pieces: Summer NocturneThe Chamber Players of Canada
This is a piece titled “Summer Nocturn,” composed by Canadian film composer Eldon Rathburn and performed by the music ensemble Chamber Players of Canada.
It fully showcases the wide expressive range characteristic of a film composer.
The dynamics across the piece unfold like the narrative arc of a film—with a clear beginning, development, twist, and conclusion—drawing the listener in.