By Lydia Browne
As was once said by German poet and author Berthold Auerbach, “Music washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life.” Music can be both beautifully soothing and exuberantly stirring. It can bring a wide range of emotions. Anyone—whether musically inclined or not—can enjoy music. However, as I have found in my years of playing the piano, making music yourself makes you appreciate the music of others even more. Since I have learned to play the piano, I have grown to value the genre of classical piano. It is mesmerizing to picture the hands of the pianist flying up and down the keys with passionate expression without a single mistake. It fills me with both awe and envy. Here are some such pieces that I have grown to deeply admire.
Frédéric Chopin – “Raindrop Prelude” (Op. 28 No. 15)
This is a beautiful piece that emulates both the pattering raindrops and booming thunderclaps of a storm. According to the story, Chopin was staying in a monastery in Valldemossa, Spain, in 1838, due to poor health. While there, he played piano while listening to the sounds of an ongoing storm, which led him to create this well known piece. He manages to capture an array of contrasting emotions, with the peace of a soft and steady rain and the escalating intensity of sky-piercing thunder and lightning.
Franz Liszt – “Un Sospiro”
It is fascinating to watch a pianist play this piece. The melody is so beautifully simple, and yet the hands flow up and down the keys with amazing swiftness. The name, “Un Sospiro,” is Italian for “a sigh.” Indeed, just like a sigh, this song is a wonderful release of all tensions for the listener. This ought to be enjoyed, especially after all the effort that a pianist must put in to play such a tiring piece.
Claude Debussy – “Rêverie”
As its title suggests, this piece is reminiscent of a pleasant daydream. It is altogether lovely and peaceful, a great piece to listen to in calm and reflective moments, or moments when one lets the mind wander. Interestingly, Debussy himself was not a big fan of his work when it came to this piece. He expressed his dissatisfaction in a letter to his publisher, saying, “I regret very much your decision to publish Rêverie. I wrote it in a hurry years ago, purely for material considerations. It is a work of no consequence, and I frankly consider it to be no good!”
Claude Debussy – “Clair de Lune”
This is an extremely well known piece, and rightly so. The title is French for “moonlight,” which connects perfectly with both the soothing lullaby of its soft and gentle moments, and the beauty and mystery of a night sky found in both the softer and more swift parts. The piece is based on a poem by the same name, written by French poet Paul Verlaine 1869. “Clair de Lune” has been used in many movies of a variety of genres, including Ocean’s Eleven (2001).
Ludwig van Beethoven – “Moonlight Sonata”
The movements of “Moonlight Sonata” are all distinctly different. The first—and perhaps most well known—is hauntingly slow and melancholy in its repetition. In contrast, the second is more energetic and light. In another swift turn, the third movement is rapid and more intense, bringing across a sense of urgency. The contrast of these three movements make the piece as a whole compelling to listen to.
Erik Satie – Gymnopédie No. 1
This is the first of three compositions, known together as the “Trois Gymnopédies.” The first and third compositions were published individually in 1888, while the second was published in 1895. The word “gymnopédies” is the French version of the Greek word, “gymnopaedia,” which refers to an annual festival in ancient Sparta. All rather similar to each other, the three pieces are simple, slow, and solemn. It is the minimalism of these pieces that make them so soothing.
beniciapaw.com 