These 12 Pieces Will Make You Obsessed with Classical Music
There are a few classical pieces everyone recognizes, like Beethoven’s 5th Symphony (DA-DA-DUM!) or Wagner’s Ride of the Valkyries, for instance. But we wanted to share a few works that are sure to move you in a way only music can.
There are a few classical pieces everyone recognizes, like Beethoven’s 5th Symphony (DA-DA-DUM!) or Wagner’s Ride of the Valkyries, for instance. But we wanted to share a few works that are sure to move you in a way only music can. We know that these 12 pieces will make you obsessed with classical music!
1. Second Movement from Piano Concerto No. 2 – Sergei Rachmaninoff
The Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor, Op. 18, is a concerto for piano and orchestra composed by Sergei Rachmaninoff between the autumn of 1900 and April 1901. Rachmaninoff had previously suffered from clinical depression and writer’s block, and this concerto was a public indication of his recovery. Cured by courses of hypnotherapy and psychotherapy, as well as support from his family and friends, the concerto was dedicated to Nikolai Dahl, the physician who helped restore Rachmaninoff’s self-confidence. We love the serene beauty of the second movement as it takes listeners through an emotional and inspiring journey.
Click here to listen to a full performance of Piano Concerto No. 2.
2. Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis – Ralph Vaughn William
Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis (also known as the Tallis Fantasia) was composed for string orchestra by the British composer Ralph Vaughan Williams in 1910 and performed for the first time on September 10th that year at Gloucester Cathedral for the Three Choirs Festival. Vaughan Williams himself conducted and the composition proved to be a major success. He revised the work twice, in 1913 and 1919.
3. Divenire – Ludovico Einaudi
Italian composer Ludovico Einaudi released his album, Divenire, in 2006 that featured a song piece titled with the same name. Known for turning simple piano sequences into a whirlwind of activity and emotion, “Divenire” has left audiences everywhere completely mesmerized!
Click here to listen to the full album.
4. On The Nature of Daylight – Max Richter
Composed by British producer and composer Max Richter, the piece “On The Nature of Delight” was released on February 26, 2004, on Richter’s second album, The Blue Notebooks. It has been extensively used in cinema, appearing in Stranger than Fiction (2006), Disconnect (2012), The Face of an Angel (2014), The Innocents (2016), Arrival (2016), and Shutter Island (2010).
5. Jupiter, The Bringer of Jollity from The Planets – Gustav Holst
The Planets, Op. 32, is a seven-movement orchestral suite by the English composer Gustav Holst, written between 1914 and 1916. Each movement of the suite is named after a planet of the Solar System and its corresponding astrological character as defined by Holst. One of our favorite pieces from this suite is “Jupiter, The Bringer of Jollity” because of it’s uplifting and exciting music.
Click here to listen to the full suite of The Planets.
6. The Swan (Le Cygne) from The Carnival of the Animals – Camille Saint-Saens
“The Swan,“(or “Le Cygne“) is the 13th and penultimate movement of The Carnival of the Animals by Camille Saint-Saëns. Originally scored for solo cello accompanied by two pianos, this beautiful and enchanting theme has been arranged and transcribed for many instruments, but remains best known as a cello solo.
Click here to listen to The Carnival of the Animals in its entirety.
7. Second Movement from Nocturne, Op. 9 – Chopin
Written between 1830 and 1832 by Frédéric Chopin, the Nocturnes, Op. 9 are a set of three nocturnes dedicated to Madame Marie Pleyel. The second nocturne of the work is regarded as Chopin’s most famous piece, and for good reason!
Click here to listen to a full performance of Nocturne, Op. 9.
8. Finlandia – Jean Sibelius
“Finlandia,” Op. 26, is a tone poem by the Finnish composer Jean Sibelius. It was written in 1899 and revised in 1900. The piece was composed for the Press Celebrations of 1899, a covert protest against increasing censorship from the Russian Empire, and was the last of seven pieces performed as an accompaniment to a tableau depicting episodes from Finnish history. This majestic piece will leave you feeling triumphant and energized!
9. Adagio for Strings – Samuel Barber
“Adagio for Strings” is a work by Samuel Barber, arguably his best known, arranged for string orchestra from the second movement of his String Quartet, Op. 11. Barber finished the arrangement in 1936, the same year that he wrote the quartet.
Click here to listen to a full performance of Op. 11.
10. Vltava (Die Moldau) – Bedřich Smetana
Composed by the Czech composer Bedřich Smetana, Má Vlast (meaning “My homeland” in the Czech language) is a set of six symphonic poems composed between 1874 and 1879. Vltava, also known by its German name Die Moldau, describes the course of the Vltava river in the Czech Republic. Its enchanting melody will transport you into a world of fairy tale wonder.
Click here to listen to a full performance of Má Vlast.
11. First Movement from Cello Concerto in E Minor, Op. 85 – Edward Elgar
Edward Elgar‘s Cello Concerto in E Minor, Op. 85, his last notable work, is a cornerstone of the solo cello repertoire. Elgar composed it in the aftermath of the First World War when his music had already gone out of fashion with the concert-going public. Contemplative and elegiac, the first movement catches the listener’s attention in mere seconds.
Click here to listen to a full performance of Cello Concerto in E Minor, Op. 85.
12. Second Movement from New World Symphony – Antonín Dvořák
The Symphony No. 9 in E Minor, “From the New World,” Op. 95, B. 178, popularly known as the New World Symphony, was composed by Antonín Dvořák in 1893 while he was the director of the National Conservatory of Music of America from 1892 to 1895. It is by far his most popular symphony, and one of the most popular of all symphonies. Astronaut Neil Armstrong took a tape recording of the New World Symphony on the Apollo 11 mission, the first Moon landing, in 1969. The tranquil second movement is loved by many, but the symphony in its entirety is a true masterpiece.
Click here to listen to the entire New World Symphony.
We hope these 12 pieces have given you a greater appreciation and new found love for classical music. And don’t forget to grab the sheets to all of your favorite classical pieces at Musicnotes.com!