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Showing posts with label Classic FM. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Classic FM. Show all posts

Tuesday, September 16, 2025

The 15 most famous tunes in classical music


The 15 most famous tunes in classical music

By Sofia Rizzi

Here are some of the world’s most famous classical music melodies and everything you need to know about them.

There’s nothing more annoying than humming a tune but not knowing what it’s called or where it’s from. Fear not – here are some of the most famous tunes from the history of classical music, complete with all the background information you need.

Read more: 30 of the greatest classical music composers of all time

  1. Mozart – Eine kleine Nachtmusik

    The official name of this piece is the Serenade No. 13 for strings in G major, and it was composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart in 1787. Mozart himself gave the piece its nickname, when he jotted this name down in the log book he kept detailing all the music he wrote.

    The music has been used in Charlie's Angels – Full ThrottleAlienAce Ventura and There's Something About Mary, as well as in countless TV programmes and adverts. It also featured prominently in the film Amadeus about the composer himself.

    Read more: 10 pieces of classical music that will 100% change your life

    Mozart, Eine kleine Nachtmusik KV 525

  2. Beethoven – Für Elise

    This piece was never published during Beethoven’s lifetime and it wasn't even discovered until forty years after his death.

    As a result, no one’s quite sure who the Elise of the title was… and some musicologists even think the title might have been copied incorrectly and it was originally called ‘Für Therese’.

    But whoever the lucky recipient of this piece was, we can all agree that it’s one of the most charming pieces for piano ever written.

    Due to the music’s simple yet catchy melody, there have been countless reinterpretations of the piece including a cubist rendition and a jazzy cover.

    Read more: Beethoven’s 20 greatest works of all time

    Lang Lang 'Für Elise' (live at The Global Awards 2019)

  3. Puccini – 'O mio babbino caro' from Gianni Schicchi

    There might be uncontacted tribes in the Amazon who haven't heard this piece, but there can't be many other people in the world who wouldn't recognise this famous aria by Puccini.

    It comes from his opera Gianni Schicchi, a one-act opera all about the lengths one family will go to to make sure they inherit money from an elderly relative. An unlikely source for a melody that has become famous as one of the most romantic ever writtten…

    ‘O mio babbino caro’ is performed by young Lauretta, who is pleading with her father to allow her to marry Rinuccio, the man she loves. And it’s fame has far outstripped that of the opera.

    It features on the soundtracks for Downton AbbeyCaptain Correllis Mandolin, A Room with a View, and the list goes on.

    Read more: 15 most famous opera songs and arias

    O mio babbino caro performed by Susanna Hurrell

  4. J.S. Bach – Toccata and Fugue in D minor

    This piece by Bach might not have the catchiest title, but we guarantee you'll know the famous opening.

    It has become associated with scary moments in horror films, perhaps because it famously made an appearance in the opening credits of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1931).

    Bach, Toccata and Fugue in D minor - Amy Turk

  5. Beethoven – Symphony No.5 in C minor

    This symphony by Beethoven opens with perhaps the four most famous chords of all time – the famous “da da da duuum”. Some critics have suggested that this opening represents the sound of Fate knocking at the door.

    Who knows if that's what Beethoven had in mind – but what’s beyond a shadow of a doubt is that this piece has come so famous it’s even featured in pop songs.

    Read more: The 15 greatest symphonies of all time

    Beethoven's 5th, conducted by a 3-year-old boy

  6. Vivaldi – The Four Seasons

    The Four Seasons is actually a group of four violin concertos by Antonio Vivaldi. Each gives a musical expression to a season of the year – listen out for the chattering teeth in Winter, the dramatic storm in summer, and the arrival of the hunt in autumn.

    All four of the concertos have become world famous. In fact, you may well have even heard this piece being used as a ringtone!

    Vivaldi's 'Winter' from the Arctic Philharmonic Chamber Orchestra

  7. Bizet – ‘Carmen’

    Bizet's opera Carmen from 1875 is jam-packed with catchy tunes – from the 'Toreador's Song' to the 'Habanera' and the aria 'L'amour est un oiseau rebelle' to the Overture itself.

    Bizet's music has appeared most recently in the Pixar film Up. Sesame Street also did a pretty epic cover, not to forget Tom and Jerry's homage.

    What many might not know is that Carmen was a pretty groundbreaking opera in the 19th century. Bizet was seen as quite the rebel for having set his music to such a risqué plot. But the opera has gone on to become one of the most successful ever written.

    Read more: The 20 greatest operas ever written

    Melodica Men play Carmen

  8. Johann Strauss II – The Blue Danube

    The Blue Danube is the commonly used name for Johann Strauss II’s waltz By the Beautiful Blue Danube. The Viennese connections with this song has made it almost an unofficial national anthem for Austria. However, film lovers might recognise it from Stanley Kubrick’s epic film 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968), where it's used in the stunning opening sequence.

    2001 Space Odyssey - Blue Danube

  9. Ravel – Boléro

    This tune was made famous when it was used by Torvill and Dean for their gold-medal-winning 1984 Olympic performance.

    Ravel’s music was actually originally composed as a ballet for the Russian dance Ida Rubinstein, so its rise to 20th-century fame through Torvill and Dean’s ice skating routine isn’t far from what the composer intended!

    Read more: Four cellists play Ravel’s Bolero on one cello, in acrobatic classical masterpiece

    Torvill & Dean Bolero 1984 Olympic Winning Routine

  10. Delibes – ‘Flower Duet’ from Lakmé

    The ‘Flower Duet’ is from Léo Delibes’ opera Lakmé and the composer is a bit of a one-hit wonder. But that one hit has become a super hit – this duet is now one of the most famous ever written. It is traditionally sung by a soprano and mezzo-soprano but its rise to fame has resulted in many different interpretations of the song.

    This is by far the most famous section of the opera, and the duet might be best known as the soundtrack to a very memorable British Airways advert.

    Johannesburg Opera singers perform incredible duet of Lakme on TikTok

  11. Grieg – ‘In the Hall of the Mountain King’ from Peer Gynt Suite

    Grieg’s Peer Gynt Suite was originally written as incidental music for a production of Ibsen's play Peer Gynt. But he later turned his music into two suites, which have become some of his best known work.

    This movement is particularly famous because of its incredibly catchy main theme. Modern pop and rock bands including Electric Light Orchestra, The Who and Savatage have used the melody in their music, and it has also been used for many years by the British theme park Alton Towers as a sort of theme tune, appearing in their adverts and on their YouTube videos.

    Line Rider - In the Hall of the Mountain King

  12. Mozart – Overture from The Marriage of Figaro

    The melodies in this opera overture have been used time and time again in films, TV shows, adverts and even pop music. In the 1971 film Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory you’ll hear Willy Wonka opening the doors to his chocolate factory by playing the music from this overture on a miniature piano.

    The Marriage of Figaro tells the story of Figaro and Susanna, who work for the Count and Countess Almaviva, and whose plans to get married hit one or two obstacles along the way… It is one of the most frequently performed operas of all time.

    Mozart - The Marriage of Figaro Overture (K.492) - Wiener Symphoniker - Fabio Luisi (HD)

  13. Puccini – ‘Nessun Dorma’ from Turandot

    Puccini’s opera aria ‘Nessun dorma’ was brought to a global audience when it was used as the anthem for the 1990 World Cup in Italy, in a recording by the legendary tenor Luciano Pavarotti.

    It actually comes from Puccini's final opera Turandot, which was left unfinished when he died. It tells the story of the brutal princess Turandot and her murderous reign.

    Today, the piece has become a classic in the world of TV talent showsPaul Potts, who won the first series of Britain's Got Talent, made this his calling-card aria

    Andrea Bocelli - ‘Nessun Dorma’ (live at The Global Awards 2018)

  14. Prokofiev – ‘Dance of the Knights’ from Romeo and Juliet

    You may well recognise this if you’re a fan of The Apprentice… The television series chose this section from Prokofiev’s Romeo and Juliet as its theme music.

    The ballet tells the tragic story of Shakespeare's star-crossed lovers and the war waged between the rival families, the Montagues and the Capulets. So it’s no surprise that this centrepiece of the ballet is one of the most dramatic pieces of music ever written. Nor that the producers of The Apprentice wanted some of that drama for their theme music.

    Prokofiev: Romeo and Juliet, No 13 Dance of the Knights (Valery Gergiev, LSO)

  15. Rossini – Overture from ‘William Tell’

    The finale of this overture is instantly recognisable for its galloping rhythm and trumpet solos. It reached an international audience when it was used as the theme music for The Lone Ranger films and television and radio shows.

    But the music has since become almost a cliché as the soundtrack for car chases and zany antics. And it's also featured in countless ads

    Rossini’s opera doesn’t actually have any other well-known melodies. And this section of the overture, called The March of the Swiss Soldiers, doesn’t even make another appearance in the five-hour long opera.

    Rossini William Tell Overture Final

Listen to our Classic FM Hall of Fame live playlist on Global Player.


Thursday, February 6, 2025

Why does classical music make us cry?


Why does classical music make us cry? Pictured: Yukiko Ogura (Philharmonia Principal Viola)
Why does classical music make us cry? Pictured: Yukiko Ogura (Philharmonia Principal Viola). Picture: Getty / Camilla Greenwell

By Maddy Shaw Roberts

Catchy music makes you tap your foot. Emotive music catches you off guard and without warning, has your eyes pricking and nose running. So why do we have this physiological response to music? 

Think about your favourite piece of music… and then imagine hearing it live for the first time. If you’re having a trouble, have a listen to this beautiful piece of Bach for solo piano:

Blind pianist Lucy plays enchanting Bach 'Prelude in C' in Royal Albert Hall debut | Classic FM Live

Or if that didn’t conjure up much, try this – the stirring second movement of Rachmaninov’s Second Piano Concerto:

Rachmaninov's Piano Concerto No.2 (I) - Jeneba Kanneh-Mason | Classic FM

If you felt a lump in your throat or a stinging sensation in your eyes, you wouldn’t be alone. Music can elicit highly emotional responses – a 2017 survey of 892 adults found that nearly 90% had experienced feeling like crying when listening to music.

Outside of musical enjoyment, crying can be a great cathartic release, helping to relieve stress when we’re feeling sad or anxious. Tears contain stress hormones, which are released from our bodies when we cry. But why do we cry to music?


IT can feel like music speaks directly to our hearts. Think of the other emotional contexts music is used in, from rousing hymns at weddings, to poignant elegies at funerals, and rousing marches at graduations as we begin our adult lives.

Shedding a few tears to music is considered a healthy response. It can help us process our deepest emotions in a safe setting – in a concert hall, surrounded by fellow music lovers, at a ceremony, or perhaps at home, listening to a recording.

One of the main purposes of music is to communicate something beautiful for our collective appreciation. So if the music makes you cry, it’s probably doing its job right.

When we feel an emotional response to the music, it can be down to familiarity. Music conjures of memories of the past – of a loved one, a dream or a family member – and hearing great classical music can help connect us to times gone by, creating create a sense of poignancy that this music was also enjoyed by audiences over 200 years ago.

Tears are often invoked when the musical choices feel familiar. In the build-up to the great pianistic climax in Rachmaninov’s concerto, anticipation builds and the reward circuit in our brain is triggered, as the ‘expected’ moment in the music finally arrives and the feeling of tension and anticipation is released.


Crying to music can help us process our deepest emotions in a safe setting
Crying to music can help us process our deepest emotions in a safe setting. Picture: Alamy

Our physiological reactions can be down to pure musical appreciation – the feeling of awe we experience at experiencing art performed at a high level.

We might feel awestruck at the virtuosity of the performers, or the intricacy of the musical writing. Techniques like long melodic phrases, harmonic tension and resolve, and changes in intensity can elicit feelings of satisfaction, hope and even hopelessness.

Studies show that dramatic changes in dynamics, rhythm and texture can light up the brain, and that satisfying harmonic journeys can trigger the reward-related regions of our brains.

When words are difficult, music can communicate the unsayable – that’s a paraphrase of a quote by Hans Christian Andersen, who once said, “Where words fail, music speaks”.

The point is, there’s also something to be said for the wordlessness of orchestral music. Much like a ballet, the narrative created with music and no words can make us feel on a deeper level that speaks to everyone universally.

Whether you cry or get goosebumps while listening to music can also depend on your personality type. Read more about that in this study.

Thursday, January 23, 2025

When Simon Rattle raised the roof of a brand-new Symphony Hall with unforgettable Mahler

17 January 2025, 11:34

Sir Simon Rattle.
Sir Simon Rattle. Picture: Getty

By Will Padfield

We look at one of the most memorable moments of the legendary conductor’s career and his close ties with Mahler’s masterpiece. 

One of the most recognisable conductors in the world, his music-making has taken him from his origins in Liverpool to orchestras in cities worldwide. He caused an international stir when he was named the first British musical director of the Berlin Philharmonic in 1999; one of the highest honours in the conducting world.

Before Berlin though, Rattle gained international fame as principal conductor of the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra from 1980, transforming an already great British orchestra into one that could hold its own with the greatest ensembles worldwide.

A key moment of Rattle’s tenure with the CBSO was the opening of its top-rate performance venue – described by Sunday Times as ‘an acoustic triumph’ and by Daily Telegraph as ‘the best concert hall in the country’.  

Rattle was a figure in the hall’s development, using his influence to campaign and raise the necessity for a new hall after the orchestra’s previous performance venue – Birmingham’s Town Hall – had become unfit for a modern symphony orchestra.


Sir Simon Rattle / Berliner Philharmoniker - Mahler Symphony No 2, 'Resurrection'

After many years, the British maestro succeeded, and the stage was set for 15 April 1991, where Simon Rattle and the CBSO gave two performances of Mahler’s monumental second symphony, the appropriately named ‘Resurrection’ Symphony.

The historic event was held in the presence of Anne, Princess Royal and captured on camera. The recording manages to capture the incredible atmosphere of the concert. Everyone is on their A-game; the CBSO and CBSO chorus leaves nothing on the table, performing with high drama and electricity. Rattle superbly guides everyone through the proceedings, impressively conducting the huge work – around 90 minutes in length – by memory.

Mahler’s mighty Second Symphony has been something of a party piece for Rattle, accompanying him in several key moments of his career.

Sir Simon Rattle
Sir Simon Rattle. Picture: Getty

In early 1973 studying at the Royal Academy of Music, Rattle organised a performance of the Symphony with his fellow students. This led him to be talent-spotted by music agent Martin Campbell-White, who still manages Rattle’s career with Askonas Holt Ltd.

It was also Mahler’s Second that Rattle chose to conduct in his last performance as music director with both the CBSO and the LSO, showing the close bond he has with the symphony.

In Rattle’s words, “Mahler’s Second Symphony is a piece which I have been involved with all my musical life. In fact, it was the piece that made me want to take up conducting when I heard it at age 12. Mahler wanted to put the whole world into a symphony… for me, it is one of the most moving of all orchestral works…”

Mahler Symphony No. 2 - Auger, Hodgson, CBSO, Rattle - Symphony Hall Birmingham

Written between 1888 and 1894, Mahler’s ‘Resurrection’ Symphony is one of the largest pieces in the orchestral repertory, scored for a full chorus, two vocal soloists and over 150 orchestral musicians – including an off-stage band consisting of horns, trumpets and percussion. Premiered in 1895, the symphony was one of Mahler’s most popular and well-received works in his lifetime.

Following the model established in Beethoven’s fifth and ninth symphonies, the work transitions from darkness to awe-inspiring light, with strong allusions to the Christian beliefs of resurrection. Mahler, who was Jewish by birth, had turned to Christianity as a way of being accepted by the increasingly antisemitic Viennese cultural elite.

The epic final moments of the symphony rank among the best moments in all music and feature in a climactic scene of the recent Leonard Bernstein biopic, Maestro.

As Sir Simon looks ahead to the future, it seems likely that Mahler’s mighty Second Symphony will continue to play a huge part in his life.

Happy Birthday, Sir Simon!