Music Masterpieces

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 Something that goes hand in hand with good literature, in my mind, is good music. And while there is good music being produced today (especially movie soundtracks!), my personal favorites are all what you’d call classical. There’s nothing that soothes me more than hearing these pieces . . . especially those from the nineteenth century and earlier. They’re beautiful, rich, and timeless. (Plus studies show that listening to this kind of music is good for you!)

If you’re looking for some music to slow down your pulse, or maybe to make up a writing soundtrack or give you some inspiration, here are twelve of my favorite short and sweet pieces:

Pavanne for a Dead Princess - Maurice Ravel
Reverie - Claude Debussy
Gymnopedie No. 1, 2, & 3 - Erik Satie
The Girl with the Flaxen Hair - Claude Debussy
Standchen (Serenade; Swan Song) - Franz Schubert
Lark Ascending - Ralph Vaughan Williams
Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis - Ralph Vaughan Williams
Adagio in G Minor - Tomaso Albinoni
In the Steppes of Central Asia - Alexandr Borodin
Symphony No. 6, “Pastorale" (First Movement) - Ludwig Van Beethoven
Swan Lake, Swan Theme - Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Notturno in G Minor - Fanny Mendelssohn

Of course, I have favorite longer pieces, too, but posting their links would be overkill. But here’s a partial list:
Swan Lake - Tchaikovsky
Nutcracker - Tchaikovsky
Carnival of the Animals - Camille Saint-Saens
Four Seasons - Antonio Vivaldi
Scheherazade - Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov
New World Symphony - Antonin Dvorak
Symphony No. 6 - Beethoven
The Planets - Gustav Holst

Do you like classical music? What are your favorite pieces or your favorite composers?