The aria and 30 variations, the story goes, were created for Count Keyserlingk, who suffered from insomnia and would ask the immensely accomplished court keyboard player, Johann Gottlieb Goldberg, to play to him to cheer his mood. The piano repertoire is the largest of any instrument save the voice. This astonishingly beautiful piano solo was used in the movie Twilight (2008) and has become a massive hit with both the Twilight fans and the many followers of Yiruma. We all know and love (for the most part) the popular classics…. Maestro from The Holiday by Hans Zimmer. Rachel Portman has written many successful movie scores. 7. There is no slow movement; instead there’s just a quiet introduction to the finale, with its simple yet unforgettable melody and episodes of high drama, during which the mix of tension and the flow of confidence to overcome never ceases to astonish. The piano features throughout the film in various guises from the melancholy to upbeat Jazz, so there is plenty of material to be inspired by. This track stands out from the other film tracks listed here as its roots are firmly in the world of Jazz. The opening movement is pure energy, fizzing through the hushed repeated chords and then exploding. But even without such moments of significance, the Fantasie would still be a best solo piano masterpiece. Now sit back and relax, listen, and enjoy 10 Breathtakingly Beautiful Piano Pieces. At The Ivy Gate by Brian Crain. The structure is one of many remarkable qualities: each third variation is a canon, the space of the interval between the voices increasing by one step each time. The heart-stoppingly beautiful first movement of Beethoven’s ‘Moonlight’ Sonata is the most famous from his work, and was described by composer Hector Berlioz as a ‘lamentation’. Beethoven was completely deaf by the time he wrote many of his famous classical pian… Yet this apocalyptic vision is soon countered by a glittering scherzo and a final rondo in which the generous flow of long-spun melody carries us towards the opposite extreme. The minimalism of Marienelli blends seamlessly with the echoes of early music to create a film score that even Jane Austin would probably have approved of. In the main titles, we hear him at his best in a rhythmically driven solo piano piece. The piano has inspired many of the greatest compositional works in the Western concert repertoire since the mid-18th century. Whilst studying in England at Kings College, London, Yiruma released his first album called “Love Scene” and he has enjoyed a huge following ever since. Dawn from Pride & Prejudice by Dario Marienelli. The sense of drama and adventure is effortlessly portrayed in this melody, orchestrated for strings with a piano solo. The complexities of the story show through the underlying harmonies of this theme that quietly create a state of anxiousness and tragedy. These may be the subtlest, gentlest pieces on our list of best solo piano pieces. Portman’s deft orchestration is something to be aware of in this compelling film. The last variation is a ‘quodlibet’, a contrapuntal meld of extracts from two popular songs of the day. 1. When the polonaise returns it reaches triumphant heights before vanishing in a couple of shuddering trills – as if in a puff of smoke. River Flows In You by Yiruma. The Sonata in A major, D959 is his penultimate work in the genre, written in the spring of 1828. In this article, I explore a handful of the most celebrated works for the instrument. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. There is no classical composer whose music better exemplifies emotions than Beethoven. This Hilarious Conductor Perfectly Captures How Orchestra Rehearsals Go, 10 Great Classical Violin Music You Should Listen To. The variation after each canon is a genre piece – a baroque dance, fughetta, aria etc – and this is followed by an ‘arabesque’, often a lively and brilliant virtuoso piece. This perhaps accounts for the understated simplicity of this track, but also its amazing effectiveness too. Tiersen himself readily admits to having no formal musical training and does not even think of himself as a composer. A polonaise theme appears after an improvisation-like opening; after exploring this at length the music seems to unravel before sinking into a hypnotic central section full of extraordinary modulations. Explore our selection of the top 10 best classical solo piano pieces featuring works by Bach, Beethoven, Chopin, and Debussy. He holds a Doctorate in musical composition from the University of Nottingham and has over the last twenty years composed extensively within the contemporary art music world. “What Else Do You Love” from The English Patient by Gabriel Yared. From the first few notes of this piece, there is a distant anticipation and sense of the eternal and timeless. He then presented the riff to the band's guitarist, Jonny Buckland, who then added some guitar chords: "He picked up his guitar [a sure sign that he likes a … On first hearing, you could easily think you are listening to a piece of Mozart or Haydn.