7 Relaxing Pieces YOU should Listen to this Week

cmp2020 (72)in #music • 5 years ago (edited)

Hello everyone! Two years ago, I posted a post entitled "7 Relaxing Classical Pieces You Should Try to Listen to This Week" in which I listed seven pieces which I had come to find relaxing in my studies. Little did I know that this post would become a series which I called the weekly7, which has been on and off for the past two years. Since I am trying to post more, I've decided to start posting this series again. Eventually, once I get back in the swing of things, I intend to continue the subseries I started called Exploration7. As an homage to that first weekly7, I've decided to make this list relaxing pieces as well. So, let's get into 7 Relaxing Pieces YOU should Listen to this Week:

7. Nocturne from "A Midsummer Night's Dream" - Felix Mendelssohn

I remember when I first discovered this piece in creating my list of 7 Nocturnes (this summer). It really spoke to me, especially considering that it was the middle of summer, and also considering that I was starting to think about writing my own Nocturne at the time. Often, my theory teacher talks about how Mendelssohn can be boring because of his perfect application of the rules. I find Mendelssohn's music to be as delicate as Mozart's early music, and yet still quite obviously romantic era music. I don't think of it as boring at all. Here is Mendelssohn's Nocturne from "A Midsummer Night's Dream":

6. Adagio for Strings - Samuel Barber

Of course in making this list, I have to incorporate this piece. There are very little pieces of music which achieve the sound that Barber manages to achieve in this piece. That is largely the reason why it is one of his most celebrated works. One of these days, I should purchase a copy of the manuscript and analyze it. Either way, its beauty speaks for itself without analysis. Here is Barber's Adagio for Strings:

5. Requiem in d minor - Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

This piece obviously deserves a spot on this list. I recently acquired a manuscript for it, and have posted several analyses of its movements in the last few months. The more I analyze it, the more stunned I am by the beauty and magnitude of it, especially as a final composition. I remember reading the introduction in the manuscript I have. The author states that Mozart was looking forward (through his use of chromaticism) and backward (through his use of counterpoint) at the same time. This truly is a work of magnificent beauty and peace. Here is Mozart's Requiem in d minor:

4. Funeral March - Frédéric Chopin

This piece is also quite relaxing (to me at least). Specifically, the nocturne which falls in the middle. Though this piece is quite obviously about death, it often brings me a sense of comfort and relaxation. Especially thinking about Chopin's life as I listen. Though he died young, works such as this prove that his life was worthwhile and productive. For some reason, I find comfort in listening to this. Here is Chopin's Funeral March:

3. Cello Suite no. 1 in G Major - Johann Sebastian Bach

This is the first time I have every shared a Cello Suite. However, I will say that pieces such as this had a huge influence on me when I was learning about voice leading. Bach is utilizing the fact that our ears can hear multiple voices even from a line that just seems to leap around to create an impression of complexity. This technique is ingenuous in my opinion. However, technicalities aside, this Cello suite is very soothing to the ear. It is for that reason that I have decided to include it. Here is Bach's First Cello Suite in G Major:

2. Moro, lasso, al mio duolo - Carlo Gesualdo

Any of my followers who have been here from the very beginning will remember one of my earlier article on Gesualdo, whom I deemed the sinister composer. It is interesting to listen to this music and think about how Gesualdo murdered his wife and the man he found her with. It is odd that this piece sounds so relaxing, yet so twisted at the same time once you begin to think about that. Either way, here is Gesualdo's Moro, lasso, al mio duolo:

1. An Die Musik - Franz Schubert

This is one of my favorites by Schubert. The title means "An ode to music," and it is about the narrator's love for the art that is music. I find it to be quite moving, and I find the music to be absolutely stunning. It is especially moving if you think about Schubert's life which was, in many regards, a sacrifice in the name of music. It is quite touching, as well as comforting to think of a man such as Schubert who dedicated every day of his (tragic) life towards furthering the art that is music. It is because of this, plus the fact that I have never included this piece in a list, that I am making this piece my first selection.

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Closing

Thanks for reading this! Please remember that feedback is always appreciated! I hope that you enjoyed these pieces as much as I do. Hopefully I will see you tomorrow!

(Note) In order to encourage meaningful feedback on the platform, I will check comment trails of users who leave superficial comments (ie "Awesome post," or "Upvoted.") and will mute any users who exhibit a pattern of leaving "spammy" comments.

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5 years ago in #music by cmp2020 (72)

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