{"id":50152,"date":"2024-12-02T17:17:36","date_gmt":"2024-12-02T16:17:36","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/02f82947-8bdb-4b99-b36f-4069236bc549"},"modified":"2024-12-02T18:10:37","modified_gmt":"2024-12-02T17:10:37","slug":"the-best-classical-music-for-winter","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcmusicmagazine\/rss_feed\/the-best-classical-music-for-winter\/","title":{"rendered":"The best classical music for winter"},"content":{"rendered":"

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By <\/p>

Published: Monday, 02 December 2024 at 16:17 PM<\/p>

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Winter has long been a season that inspires reflection, wonder, and creativity. The serene landscapes of snow-covered fields, the crisp chill in the air, and the festive gatherings of the season create a unique atmosphere that has captivated composers for centuries. Classical music, with its profound ability to evoke emotion and paint vivid sonic pictures, offers the perfect soundtrack for this magical time of year.<\/p>

The greatest Christmas carols of all time<\/a><\/strong><\/li> <\/ul>
From the delicate frost depicted in Baroque<\/a><\/strong> concertos<\/a><\/strong> to the stormy winds of the Romantic<\/a><\/strong> era’s great symphonies<\/a><\/strong>, the classical repertoire is rich with pieces that mirror the beauty and complexity of winter. Whether you\u2019re looking to embrace the coziness of a warm fire, revel in the icy majesty of the season, or immerse yourself in the festive spirit, classical music has something to offer.<\/p>

<\/div> <\/figure> <p>This article explores some of the best classical works to accompany your winter days. These pieces not only capture the essence of the season but also provide moments of introspection, joy, and awe, making them the ideal companions for cold, snowy nights or brisk, sunlit mornings. Let the music carry you into the heart of winter\u2019s splendour.<\/p> <h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Best classical music for winter<\/h2> <h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky: <em>The Nutcracker<\/em><\/strong><\/h3> <p>This two-act ballet is a winter classic. Word reaches us that the top US ballet companies earn around 40% of their yearly ticket revenue from this <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/composers\/tchaikovsky\">Tchaikovsky<\/a><\/strong> showstopper!<\/p> <p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/works\/the-nutcracker\"><em>The Nutcracker<\/em><\/a><\/strong> premiered on 18 December 1892, and was judged harshly by its first audiences. However, with its entrancing characters, its Christmas Eve setting and its depiction of family and friends, this delightful masterpiece is the perfect work to warm you up during the coldest evenings of winter.<\/p> <ul class=\"wp-block-list\"> <li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/articles\/nine-unexpected-uses-tchaikovskys-nutcracker\/\"><strong>Nine unexpected uses of Tchaikovsky’s <em>The Nutcracker<\/em><\/strong><\/a><\/li> <\/ul> <figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"> <div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\"> <iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Tchaikovsky - The Nutcracker\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/odNWAAISOt4?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen=\"\"\/> <\/div> <\/figure> <p><strong>Read our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/tag\/tchaikovsky-reviews\/\">reviews of the latest Tchaikovsky recordings<\/a><\/strong><\/p> <h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Joseph Haydn: \u2018Winter\u2019 from <em>The Seasons<\/em><\/strong><\/h3> <p>\u2018Winter\u2019, from <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/composers\/joseph-haydn\">Joseph Haydn<\/a><\/strong>‘s 1801 <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/articles\/what-oratorio\/\">oratorio<\/a><\/strong> <em>The Seasons<\/em>, is a suitable work to accompany those dark and chilly nights this season. Strangely, there are documents that suggest the composer was dissatisfied with sections of the libretto; written in the margins of one of the scores, Haydn allegedly said that he was \u2018forced to write this Frenchified trash\u2019.<\/p> <p>Despite Haydn\u2019s possible reservations, the scale of this work alone is impressive enough. With the oratorio\u2019s grand orchestration \u2013 which includes an alto, tenor and bass <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/instruments\/trombone\">trombone<\/a><\/strong>, as well as three solo voices \u2013 the scale of this work will complement the imposing snowstorms and fog that cloaks the landscape at this time of year!<\/p> <ul class=\"wp-block-list\"> <li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/works\/best-of-haydn\">Best of Haydn: five essential works<\/a><\/strong><\/li> <li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/works\/haydn-creation-3\"><strong><em>The Creation<\/em>: Haydn’s greatest triumph?<\/strong><\/a><\/li> <\/ul> <figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"> <div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\"> <iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Winter from The Seasons - Joseph Haydn\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/AYxLBhxynWg?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen=\"\"\/> <\/div> <\/figure> <p><strong>Read our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/tag\/haydn-reviews\/\">reviews of the latest Haydn recordings<\/a><\/strong><\/p> <ul class=\"wp-block-list\"\/> <h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>JS Bach: <em>Christmas Oratorio<\/em><\/strong><\/h3> <p>Now it\u2019s time for some uplifting winter music\u2026. Far from the bleak and dreary nights, <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/composers\/johann-sebastian-bach\">Bach<\/a><\/strong>\u2019s <em>Christmas Oratorio <\/em>opens with an overwhelming sense of energy and joy. The work was written for the 1734 Christmas period; the oratorio traces the Nativity story from the birth of Christ through to the adoration of the Magi. What better way to cheer up a wintry afternoon?! Surely one of the best pieces of classical music for the winter season.<\/p> <ul class=\"wp-block-list\"> <li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/works\/bach-for-beginners\">Bach for beginners: the recordings to help you discover Bach<\/a><\/strong><\/li> <\/ul> <p>JS Bach finished high in our ranking of the <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/composers\/50-greatest-composers-all-time\">greatest composers of all time<\/a><\/strong><\/p> <figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"> <div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\"> <iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Bach - Christmas Oratorio [1-3] Harnoncourt\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/98UjjwzJBFE?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen=\"\"\/> <\/div> <\/figure> <p><strong>Read our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/tag\/js-bach-reviews\/\">reviews of the latest Bach recordings<\/a><\/strong><\/p> <h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Felix Mendelssohn: \u2018Vom Himmel hoch\u2019<\/strong><\/h3> <p>This <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/articles\/what-is-a-cantata\/\">cantata<\/a><\/strong> opens with a chorus entitled \u2018From Heaven\u2019; whether you are watching the rain fall, or even the snow, this work\u2019s vivacious opening should lift your spirits! <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/composers\/felix-mendelssohn\">Mendelssohn<\/a><\/strong> was evidently entranced by the winter season, since he composed numerous works with a title or subject based upon this time of year.<\/p> <ul class=\"wp-block-list\"> <li><strong><a class=\"standard-card-new__article-title\" href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/articles\/five-essential-works-mendelssohn\/\">Best of Mendelssohn: five essential works<\/a><\/strong><\/li> <\/ul> <p>If you are seeking further merriment to complement the falling snow, look no further than Mendelssohn\u2019s <em>Six Christmas Pieces<\/em>, Op. 72, and \u2013 of course \u2013 <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/articles\/hark-herald-angels-sing-words\/\"><em>Hark! The Herald Angels Sing<\/em><\/a>!<\/strong><\/p> <p><strong>Here are our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/tag\/mendelssohn-reviews\/\">reviews of the latest Mendelssohn recordings<\/a><\/strong>. And did you know that <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/composers\/fanny-mendelssohn\">Fanny Mendelssohn<\/a><\/strong>, Felix’s sister, was also a seriously gifted composer?<\/p> <ul class=\"wp-block-list\"> <li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/articles\/six-best-works-fanny-mendelssohn\/\"><strong>Six of the best works by Fanny Mendelssohn<\/strong><\/a><\/li> <\/ul> <h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">More of the best classical music for winter<\/h2> <h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Sergei Prokofiev: \u2018Troika\u2019 from <em>Lieutenant Kij\u00e9<\/em> Suite<\/strong><\/h3> <p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/composers\/sergey-prokofiev\">Prokofiev<\/a><\/strong>\u2019s score was originally intended to accompany a film, but as a result of the work\u2019s success, the composer released a five-movement <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/musical-terms\/what-suite\">suite<\/a><\/strong>. Premiered in December 1934, this is another cheerful take on the year’s coldest season. The \u2018Troika\u2019, the penultimate movement of the suite, features sleigh bells and <strong><em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/musical-terms\/what-is-pizzicato\">pizzicato<\/a><\/em><\/strong> strings, both of which contribute to the image of the three-horse sled that Prokofiev intends to evoke.<\/p> <ul class=\"wp-block-list\"> <li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/tag\/prokofiev-reviews\/\">Prokofiev: reviews<\/a><\/strong><\/li> <li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/article\/five-best-modern-christmas-carols\"><strong>Five of the best modern Christmas carols<\/strong><\/a><\/li> <\/ul> <h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Franz Liszt: <em>Christmas Tree Suite<\/em><\/strong><\/h3> <p>Keeping the Christmas spirit alive, <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/composers\/franz-liszt\">Liszt<\/a><\/strong> dedicated this set of 12 piano pieces to his first granddaughter. The work was premiered on Christmas Day, 1881. The location of the premiere? His granddaughter\u2019s hotel room. What a gift to receive at Christmas, and what a way to celebrate the beauty of the winter season by listening to this fantastic work!<\/p> <ul class=\"wp-block-list\"> <li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/composers\/who-invented-the-piano-recital\">How Liszt invented the piano recital and became a 19th-century pin-up<\/a><\/strong><\/li> <\/ul> <figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"> <div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\"> <iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Franz Liszt: Weihnachtsbaum, L'albero del Natale, Arbre de No\u00ebl\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/B4AiQrtLRDs?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen=\"\"\/> <\/div> <\/figure> <h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Franz Schubert: <em>Winterreise<\/em><\/strong><\/h3> <p>We end with a piece that summons up a rather different picture of winter. <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/composers\/franz-schubert\">Schubert<\/a><\/strong>‘s 1827 song cycle sets to music poems by Wilhelm M\u00fcller. It is one of the pinnacles of the German <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/articles\/what-are-lieder\">Lieder<\/a><\/strong> tradition, showcasing Schubert’s profound ability to express deep human emotion through music.<\/p> <ul class=\"wp-block-list\"> <li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/articles\/the-best-lieder-ever-written\">The greatest Lieder of all time<\/a><\/strong><\/li> <li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/articles\/six-best-schubert-songs\">Schubert Lieder: seven of the best<\/a><\/strong><\/li> <\/ul> <p>The song cycle narrates the journey (both physical and emotional) of its heartbroken protagonist, as he wanders through a cold winter landscape after being rejected by his love. The bleak, midwinter landscapes serve as an eloquent metaphor for his despairing internal emotional state.<\/p> <p>Key songs include the opener ‘Gute Nacht’ (Good Night), in which the protagonist bids farewell to his former life, and ‘Der Lindenbaum’ (The Linden Tree), a bittersweet memory of comfort and longing. ‘Die Kr\u00e4he’ (The Crow) is a haunting meditation on death, before Winterreise reaches its bleak conclusion with ‘Der Leiermann’ (The Hurdy-Gurdy Man), whose titular character symbolizes resignation – or death. Here’s the great Dietrich FIscher-Dieskau performing the latter:<\/p> <figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube\"> <div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\"> <iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Der Leiermann\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/sIIS-UgixGE?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen=\"\"\/> <\/div> <\/figure> <\/body><\/html>\n<hr class=\"no-tts wp-block-separator\"\/>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>By Published: Monday, 02 December 2024 at 16:17 PM Winter has long been a season that inspires reflection, wonder, and creativity. The serene landscapes of snow-covered fields, the crisp chill in the air, and the festive gatherings of the season create a unique atmosphere that has captivated composers for centuries. Classical music, with its profound […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":50153,"template":"","categories":[1,17],"acf":{"readingTimeMinutes":"5"},"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2024\/12\/the-best-classical-music-for-winter.jpg",1200,800,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2024\/12\/the-best-classical-music-for-winter-150x150.jpg",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2024\/12\/the-best-classical-music-for-winter-300x200.jpg",300,200,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2024\/12\/the-best-classical-music-for-winter-768x512.jpg",768,512,true],"large":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2024\/12\/the-best-classical-music-for-winter-1024x683.jpg",800,534,true],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2024\/12\/the-best-classical-music-for-winter.jpg",1200,800,false],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2024\/12\/the-best-classical-music-for-winter.jpg",1200,800,false]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"importmanagerhub@sprylab.com","author_link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcmusicmagazine\/author\/importmanagerhubsprylab-com\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"By Published: Monday, 02 December 2024 at 16:17 PM Winter has long been a season that inspires reflection, wonder, and creativity. The serene landscapes of snow-covered fields, the crisp chill in the air, and the festive gatherings of the season create a unique atmosphere that has captivated composers for centuries. Classical music, with its profound…","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcmusicmagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rss_feed\/50152"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcmusicmagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rss_feed"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcmusicmagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/rss_feed"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcmusicmagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/24"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcmusicmagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/50153"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcmusicmagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=50152"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcmusicmagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=50152"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}