[Piano] Piano Pieces to Enjoy in the Hot Summer: A Selection of Refreshing Classical Works
In Japan’s sweltering summer, the oppressive heat wears down both body and mind.
Indoors is muggy, outdoors is scorching, and all motivation seems to vanish.
That’s why we recommend enjoying refreshing piano music for the summer! Here, we’ve carefully selected piano masterpieces from cool, calming classical works that will make you forget the heat.
We can’t control the temperature, but listening to beautiful music can lift your spirits.
Using the pieces we introduce as a guide, pick a few favorites and create a “Beat-the-Heat Summer Playlist” before the hot season arrives!
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[Piano] Piano pieces to enjoy in the hot summer! A curated selection of refreshing classical works (21–30)
Barcarolle, Op. 60, CT 6, in F-sharp majorFrederic Chopin
A “barcarolle” is a piano piece inspired by the gondolas of Venice, the city of water, said to originate from the songs that boatmen would hum while rowing.
As a genre in classical music, the barcarolle has been left to us by various composers, beginning with pieces included in Mendelssohn’s Songs Without Words; in this article, however, we focus on the particularly famous solo piano work by Frédéric Chopin.
While a typical barcarolle is set in a relaxed 6/8 meter, Chopin’s Barcarolle employs 12/8 time to create a grand and elegant atmosphere.
Written in the later period of Chopin’s life, it is highly regarded and demands an advanced level of technique.
On a hot summer’s day, listen to this piece while picturing a gondola gliding over sunlit waters.
Play of WaterMaurice Ravel
Even just the Japanese title “Mizu no Tawamure” (Play of Water) evokes a wonderfully cool atmosphere! Known as a demanding piece that requires advanced technique, Ravel’s “Jeux d’eau” was composed in 1901 by the French composer Maurice Ravel and dedicated to his teacher, Gabriel Fauré.
The original title, Jeux d’eau, means “fountain,” and it conveys a sense of finding beauty in the orderly, human-controlled movements of water.
Since it depicts the sound of water, the touch is remarkably light—helped by abundant arpeggios—and despite employing bold dissonances for its time, it never loses its beautiful sonority, which truly shows the mark of a genius.
Please enjoy the beautiful water-like timbres that seem to soothe the heat of midsummer.
[Piano] Piano Pieces to Enjoy in the Hot Summer! A Curated Selection of Refreshing Classical Works (31–40)
Scenes from Childhood, Op. 15, No. 7: DreamingRobert Schumann
Scenes from Childhood by Robert Schumann—one of the leading composers of the German Romantic era—is among his most famous piano works, and the piece introduced here is the especially well-known No.
7, Träumerei.
Rather than virtuosity, it is a work that places greater importance on delicate expressiveness, and, true to its title, it has a dreamy, gentle atmosphere.
Even on a sweltering summer night when sleep won’t come easily, listening to this piece like a lullaby might help you drift off.
As an aside, despite the title referencing children, it is not a work for children; rather, it depicts “scenes of childhood” viewed from an adult’s perspective.
If you play the piano, you might take a cue from Franz Liszt—who praised Scenes from Childhood—and play it for your daughter; or, why not play it for yourself, while savoring memories of your own childhood?
Years of Pilgrimage, Third Year, S.163/R.10, A283, No. 4: The Fountains of the Villa d’EsteFranz Liszt
Piano pieces that depict the movement of water, both in theme and in the actual sonorities you hear, can bring a touch of coolness to the hot summer, can’t they? The Fountain of the Villa d’Este is the fourth piece in the Third Year of Années de pèlerinage, the solo piano cycle by the Hungarian pianist-composer Franz Liszt, famed for his transcendental virtuosity, and it is known as one of his representative works.
It is a brilliant piece that expresses the motion of water through delicate yet bold arpeggios, and it is said to have directly influenced Maurice Ravel’s Jeux d’eau and Claude Debussy’s Reflets dans l’eau.
Throughout the work, the arpeggios and tremolos sound exquisitely beautiful and dramatic, yet never stifling—always refined and romantic—which is truly wonderful.
On hot summer nights when you can’t sleep, I hope you’ll listen while imagining the sparkle of dancing water.
Lyric Pieces, Book X, Op. 71 No. 2: Summer EveningEdvard Grieg
Just from the title “Summer Evening,” this piece perfectly matches the theme of this article, doesn’t it? Known also for works like “Morning” from the Peer Gynt Suite, the Norwegian composer Edvard Grieg wrote a collection of 66 piano pieces titled Lyric Pieces.
“Summer Evening,” the second piece of Op.
71 in Book 10, is a gem of lyrical beauty rendered with a delicate, subtle touch, and it even carries that faintly cool, distinctly Nordic quality.
It seems like an ideal piano piece to listen to during a hot summer.
While it may not be widely known, it’s sometimes selected for compilations of classical music recommended for summer.
It’s a hidden masterpiece for piano that I highly recommend!
In conclusion
How was it? We introduced refreshing classical piano pieces that help you forget the summer heat. These cool-sounding works, played with gentle piano tones, will soothe and cool both your overheated body and mind. Even those who wonder, “Can music alone really lift my spirits?” will surely be surprised by its healing effect. If you play the piano, you might try performing the selected pieces yourself, and together with these summer-perfect piano works, let’s get through the intense heat!