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

The Seasons: SummerJohn Cage

Cage: The Seasons: Summer

This is “The Seasons: Summer” by John Cage, an American experimental musician and mushroom researcher, best known for the emblematic work of doing nothing for four and a half minutes, “4’33”.” It’s said that even Joe Hisaishi was influenced by him.

With a minimal musical style, it expresses his vision of summer.

Its somewhat cool and lonely atmosphere is deeply moving.

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Yoimachi Jēn

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Serenade No. 13 in G major, K. 525Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Serenade No. 13 in G Major, K. 525 “A Little Night Music” : IV. Rondo. Allegro

Japanese summers are just so stifling.

Because of the high humidity, summers in Japan are harder to get through than in many other countries, and I think many people don’t have a great impression of them.

In times like that, why not cool off with some music? Mozart’s famous Serenade No.

13 in G major, K.

525, is an extremely well-known work, with a brilliant and elegant tone throughout.

Since it’s often used in media for cooking shows and gourmet report segments, it would probably be a great fit for barbecues and the like.

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Ryo

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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.”

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?

Kesailta (Summer evening), Op. 1Oskar Merikanto

Kesailta (Summer evening) , Op. 1

This is “Kesäilta (Summer Evening), Op.

1” by the Finnish composer Oskar Merikanto, who was active from the 19th century to the first half of the 20th century.

It conjures up images of European summer scenes.

Overall, it’s a very sunny, cheerful piece.

The mysterious atmosphere that appears when the music suddenly swells toward the end makes the work even more compelling.

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Yoimachi Jēn

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Dance of the Hours from Act III of the opera La GiocondaAmilcare Ponchielli

Dance of the Hours / Amilcare Ponchielli from Act 3 of the opera La Gioconda - Ryukoku University Wind Ensemble

Composed by the 19th-century Italian opera master Amilcare Ponchielli, this piece is a refreshing work that helps you forget the summer heat.

Written as ballet music for a scene in the opera La Gioconda, it features an elegant melody that evokes the transition from day to night.

Its lively rhythms and brilliant colors conjure up a cool, breezy landscape.

Known for its use in Disney’s Fantasia, this work is also recommended for classical music beginners.

It’s lovely to listen to on a summer night, sitting by the window and gazing at the stars.

A perfect piece for summer that showcases Ponchielli’s talent.

Symphony No. 9, Movement IIIAnton Bruckner

Bruckner: Symphony No. 9 in D Minor, WAB 109: I. Feierlich, misterioso (Live)

Work on the piece began in August 1887, following the completion of the Eighth Symphony, but was interrupted by revisions to earlier works, and only in 1891 was he finally able to concentrate on it.

Pushing on through repeated illnesses and striving to complete it until just before his death, he left the symphony in three movements, lacking the fourth movement.

Pastoral for Large Orchestra: In the Summer BreezeAnton Webern

Webern: Im Sommerwind

This is a piece called “Im Sommerwind (In the Summer Wind)” by the Austrian composer Anton Webern, who was active in the first half of the 20th century.

When people think of classical music, they often imagine something gentle, but this work is quite avant-garde and has an intense atmosphere.

It’s a track I’d love people to hear if they want to enjoy a different kind of summer.

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Overture “Carnival”Antonín Dvořák

Dvořák: Carnival Overture — Kyoto Symphony Orchestra conducted by Junichi Hirokami

Dvořák composed this “Carnival” in a short span from July 28 to September 12, 1891, when he was 50 years old.

It is the second piece in the triptych “Nature, Life, and Love,” but it is often performed on its own.

Carnival is a festival held before Easter, where people feast and make merry in a grand celebration.

Symphony No. 3 “With Organ,” Movement II, Part 2Camille Saint-Saëns

Saint-Saëns Symphony No. 3, Movement II, Part 2 — Konzerthausorchester Berlin conducted by Flohr

Symphony No.

3 is a work that was begun in 1885, when the composer separated from his wife and took refuge with his mother.

In the summer of that year, he received a commission from London’s Royal Philharmonic Society for a new piece for the following season, and composed it accordingly.

While symphonies are usually in four movements, this symphony has an unusual structure of two movements, each of which is divided into two parts—an early and a latter half.