Classical Music for Summer: A Selection of Cool and Refreshing Masterpieces

Symphony No. 40, First MovementWolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Mozart “Symphony No. 40,” First Movement

Symphony No.

40 was completed in Vienna in July 1788, when Mozart was 32 years old.

He produced three famous symphonies in a short span: Symphony No.

39 in June, Symphony No.

41 in August.

Of Mozart’s symphonies, only two are in a minor key, and both are in G minor; thus Symphony No.

40 is called the “Great G minor,” while the other, Symphony No.

25, is referred to as the “Little G minor.”

Concierto de Aranjuez, Second MovementJoaquín Rodrigo

Aranjuez, which has the Spanish royal family’s summer palace, lies about 50 km south of Madrid and is famous for its beautiful gardens.

The blind composer Rodrigo set his Concierto de Aranjuez for classical guitar here.

Lamenting the damage the ancient city of Aranjuez suffered during the Spanish Civil War, he composed the work as a prayer for peace.

6 Preludes and Fugues, Op. 61: Prelude and Fugue No. 1 in G Major, “A Summer Morning On The Lawn”Dmitri Kabalevsky

6 Preludes and Fugues, Op. 61: Prelude and Fugue No. 1 in G Major, “A Summer Morning On The Lawn”

Dmitry Kabalevsky was a Russian pianist and composer who left many outstanding works and passed away in 1987.

You might recognize him as the composer of “Galop” from The Comedians, a piece often played as background music at school sports festivals.

The work mentioned here was composed between 1958 and 1959; its form is a prelude and fugue, but each piece bears a title related to landscapes, making it a collection that invites listeners to imagine beautiful scenery.

If you play the piano, you may find it enjoyable to give it a try.

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Hirakawa Masako (Bōkarisuto: Sakata Mizumako)

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Symphonic Poem “Summer Pastorale”Arthur Honegger

Honegger: Summer Pastoral Conducted by Honegger

This piece is said to have been composed under the inspiration of the epigraph to Arthur Rimbaud’s book A Season in Hell.

Although it begins like a gentle pastoral and lacks the later, characteristically Honegger-like, inorganic sharpness, it has instead become a well-loved work for its warmth and lyricism.

Two Legends, S.175 No. 2: St. Francis of Paola Walking on the WavesFranz Liszt

Hayato Sumino / Liszt: “St. Francis of Paola Walking on the Waves” from Legends (2018 PTNA Special Grade Semifinal)

Franz Liszt, celebrated for his dazzling and passionate performances, devoted himself deeply to religious themes in his late works.

This piece is a mystical portrayal in music of the legend of Saint Francis of Paola crossing the sea by miracle.

It features quintessential Lisztian dramatic writing throughout, such as tremolos evoking a raging sea and a sublime principal theme.

Composed between 1862 and 1863, it belongs to a period when Liszt’s faith had grown stronger.

Highly recommended for those who wish to savor a quiet sense of religious awe.

Why not listen to it on a tranquil summer night, feeling a cool breeze?

Piano Quintet “The Trout,” Fourth MovementFranz Schubert

Schubert Ensemble: Schubert “Trout” Quintet, 4th Movement.

In the summer of 1819, while visiting northern Austria, I was asked by an amateur musician to compose a quintet based on my 1817 song “Die Forelle” (The Trout).

I quickly began working on the idea and completed the “Trout” Quintet within the same year.

The piece vividly depicts a trout playing in a brook and its dramatic capture by an angler.

Heroic PolonaiseFrederic Chopin

(Bunin)Chopin Polonaise Op.53

From 1839 to 1846, Chopin spent his winters in Paris and his summers in Nohant (in central France), where his lover George Sand had a country house.

He produced many works during this period, and the “Heroic” Polonaise was composed in the summer of 1842 in Nohant.