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 Pick of Cool and Refreshing Masterpieces (41–50)
Symphonic Poem ‘Night on Bald Mountain’Modest Mussorgsky
This piece is based on a Russian folktale in which, around the summer solstice, earth spirits and their minions raise a ruckus on a barren mountain but vanish at dawn.
It was composed by Modest Mussorgsky, a prominent 19th-century Russian composer, and is best known in the orchestral arrangement by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov.
In recent years, Mussorgsky’s own original version has also become more widely known.
A Summer Day, Children’s Suite for Small Orchestra, Op. 65bSergei Prokofiev
Sergei Prokofiev, the Russian composer also known as the creator of the ballet Romeo and Juliet.
When it comes to his works related to summer, A Summer Day, Children’s Suite for Small Orchestra, Op.
65b comes to mind.
It is one of a set of seven pieces composed with the premise that children can easily enjoy them.
As the title suggests, it is themed around summer, and its melodies evoke a sense of freshness and a cheerful atmosphere.
Petite Suite No. 1: “En bateau”Claude Debussy
An elegant and refreshing work composed early in the career of Claude Debussy, known as a pioneer of French Impressionist music.
Depicting the scene of drifting in a small boat on a calm surface of water, this piece was written for piano four hands and later arranged for orchestra.
Its light and delicate timbres are distinctive, inviting listeners into a serene, waterside world.
The relaxed rhythm and beautiful melody create a cool atmosphere that makes one forget the summer heat.
It’s a perfect piece for those who want to spend a quiet, peaceful time.
Three Songs, Op. 18 – No. 1 “Nell”Gabriel Fauré
Gabriel Fauré, a composer and pianist who epitomizes France.
He painted a richly emotional scene of a summer day in “Three Songs, Op.
18 – No.
1 ‘Nell.’” The piece depicts someone cooling off in the shade on a scorching summer day under blazing sunlight.
However, the scene isn’t presented straightforwardly; it’s expressed through various turns of phrase.
Listen with your imagination engaged.
Incidentally, this set of “Three Songs” is themed around the changing seasons, and the titles of the three songs are “Autumn.”
Boleroraberu
This piece was composed in response to a request for a Spanish-style ballet by a Russian choreographer.
One summer, before going swimming with a friend, Ravel reportedly played the theme on the piano with a single finger and said, “I’m thinking of repeating this over and over without developing it at all, while gradually enlarging the orchestration.”
Suite “Music for the Royal Fireworks,” HWV 351, No. 4 “Rejoicing”Georg Friedrich Händel
A magnificent piece of festive music by George Frideric Handel, a British composer of German origin.
Composed in 1749 at the request of King George II to celebrate the conclusion of a peace treaty, its brilliant, lively allegro rhythms superbly convey an atmosphere of joy and festivity.
Richly scored for brass and percussion to create splendor and power, it also features the beautiful tones of oboes and horns.
While the original was performed by a military band, modern performances often add strings for a fuller, richer sound.
A refreshing piece that makes you forget the summer heat—perfect to accompany an elegant afternoon tea.
Symphony No. 2 in D major, Op. 36Ludwig van Beethoven
Beethoven’s masterpiece, Symphony No.
2 in D major, Op.
36.
Though he continued to compose wonderful symphonies, this one is particularly perfect for summer.
Its charm lies in how it shifts through various moods like a story.
The opening evokes a sweltering, quintessentially summery atmosphere; the middle section is elegant yet austere; and the finale surges forward with intensity, conjuring the heat and sense of liberation that summer brings.
Be sure to give it a listen.
