[Piano] Classic masterpieces you’ll want to listen to and play in winter

In winter, when the severe cold can make going out feel like a chore, why not enjoy listening to music and playing the piano in the warmth of your home?

This time, we’ve picked out classic masterpieces that evoke winter—piano pieces as well as orchestral works with beautiful piano arrangements.

The piano’s timbre is a perfect match for the crisp winter air and stunning snowy landscapes.

Relaxing at home and listening is wonderful, but we also recommend challenging yourself to actually play the piano to make your time at home even more fulfilling.

Please enjoy winter-themed classical works in whatever way feels most comfortable for you!

Playlist

[Piano] Classic masterpieces you’ll want to listen to and play in winter
	Title	Playlist	Review
1	Five Pieces, ‘The Trees Suite,’ Op. 75: No. 5, ‘The Spruce’Jean Sibelius		A beautiful piano piece inspired by fir trees.
2	“Four Seasons” — 12 Character Sketches, November “Troika”Pyotr Tchaikovsky		Tchaikovsky’s Winter Scene
3	No. 1 “March” from the ballet The NutcrackerPyotr Tchaikovsky		Winter Dream: The Magic of The Nutcracker
4	Song Cycle “Winterreise” No. 7 “Linden Tree” S.561 R.246Schubert=Liszt		A masterpiece from Schubert’s Winterreise
5	Symphony No. 9 in D minor, Op. 125, Fourth Movement “Ode to Joy”Ludwig van Beethoven		A famous piece from Beethoven's Symphony No. 9, performed at the end of the year.
6	Amazing Gracesanbika		The moving hymn “Amazing Grace” in winter
7	The Carnival of the Animals, No. 13: The SwanCamille Saint-Saëns		The famous piece by Saint-Saëns, “The Carnival of the Animals”
8	12 Etudes, Op. 25 No. 11 “Winter Wind”Frederic Chopin		Chopin's Etude 'Winter Wind' is a difficult piece.
9	Violin Concertos “The Trial between Harmony and Invention,” Op. 8 (The Four Seasons), No. 4 “Winter”Antonio Vivaldi		The Seasons Depicted in Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons
10	Symphonic Poem “Finlandia,” Op. 26Jean Sibelius		A patriotic symphonic poem for Finland’s independence
11	Jugend-Album (Album for the Young), Op. 68 No. 39: Wintertime IIRobert Schumann		Schumann’s piano piece imbued with winter emotions
12	Ave MariaCharles Gounod		A classic Christmas piece, a masterpiece by Bach
13	Transcendental Études, S.139 No. 12 “Snowstorm”Franz Liszt		Liszt’s high-difficulty piano piece “Snowstorm”
14	Song Cycle “Winterreise,” No. 1 “Good Night,” S.561 R.246Schubert=Liszt		Winter journey, expressing the sorrow of a broken heart
15	Preludes, Book I: No. 6 “Footprints in the Snow”Claude Debussy		Debussy’s celebrated piece that depicts the silence of winter
16	Lullaby in D-flat major, Op. 57Frederic Chopin		A masterful set of variations depicting Chopin’s winter scenes
17	“The Four Seasons” — 12 Character Sketches: December “Christmas”Pyotr Tchaikovsky		Tchaikovsky’s “The Seasons” Christmas piece
18	Ave verum corpusWolfgang Amadeus Mozart		Mozart’s final masterpiece, deeply moving
19	Children’s Corner Suite, No. 4: The Snow Is DancingClaude Debussy		Music of a snow fairy depicting a child's heart
20	Ave Verum CorpusWolfgang Amadeus Mozart		Mozart’s Eucharistic hymn is music of prayer.
21	One more time, One more chanceYamazaki Masayoshi		The poignant masterpiece 'Kanade' that longs for someone lost
22	Album for the Young, Op. 68 No. 38: In Winter Time IRobert Schumann		Schumann’s winter miniatures: delicate tone colors and sensitivity
23	Christmas Time Is HereVince Guaraldi		The charm of quiet Christmas music
24	Trepak from The NutcrackerPyotr Tchaikovsky		The Russian Dance from The Nutcracker is moving.
25	Three Romances, Op. 11 No. 1Clara Schumann		An emotional piano piece imbued with hidden feelings for Clara
26	Songs Without Words, Book V, Op. 62 No. 5, No. 3: “Venetian Boat Song”Felix Mendelssohn		Mendelssohn’s moving canal miniature
27	Serenade from SchwanengesangFranz Schubert		The melancholy and beauty of Schubert's lieder
28	Nocturne No. 19 in E minor, Op. 72 No. 1, “Posthumous”Frederic Chopin		Chopin’s emotionally rich Nocturnes
29	Sonatine in F-sharp minor, M. 40 — I. ModeratoMaurice Ravel		Ravel’s delicately melancholic masterpiece
30	Gaspard of the Night, M. 55: II. The GallowsMaurice Ravel		An eerie masterpiece with a repeating bell chime
31	Dumka in C minor, Op. 59Pyotr Tchaikovsky		Expressive piano piece by Tchaikovsky
32	Four Easy Pieces by Pantomime from “Snowman,” No. 3: SerenadeErich Wolfgang Korngold		A romantic winter tale drawn by a prodigy boy
33	Piano Sonata No. 12 in F major, K. 332 (K6 300k), No. 1Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart		Elegant melodies and beautiful music of the Classical era
34	The Confectionery World, No. 14: “Demon Arare”Yuyama Akira		Fuse Japanese and Western music in a short piece
35	white birchJean Sibelius		A piano piece that depicts an elegant scene of nature
36	Four Easy Pieces in Pantomime from “The Snowman” No. 1: “Waltz of the Snowman”Erich Wolfgang Korngold		At age 11, the genius composer Korngold’s Snowman
37	Sonatine in F-sharp minor, M. 40: II. MenuetMaurice Ravel		The beauty of Ravel’s piano piece “Sonatine”
38	Six Pieces: “Nocturnes”Pyotr Tchaikovsky		A sentimental masterpiece that depicts the stillness of the night
39	dreamClaude Debussy		The serene beauty of fantastical Impressionist music
40	Merry Christmas Mr. LawrenceSakamoto Ryuichi		A masterpiece of Ryuichi Sakamoto's film music
41	Piano Sonata No. 12 in F major, K. 332 (K6. 300k), No. 2Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart		The Charm of Mozart’s Piano Sonatas
42	Children’s Corner No. 4: “The Snow Is Dancing”Claude Debussy		A snowy scene depicted from a child's perspective
43	Burgmüller 25 Progressive Pieces, Op. 100, No. 19 “Ave Maria”Johann Burgmüller		A religious piece inspired by a cathedral church choir
44	Nocturne No. 2Frederic Chopin		Chopin’s fantastical piano piece, a soothing masterpiece
45	La CampanellaFranz Liszt		A piano piece arranged by Liszt, with striking bell sounds