The Saddest Pieces of Classical Music

A look at some of the most heartbreaking classical pieces ever written. From Bach’s “Toccata and Fugue in D minor” to Tchaikovsky’s “Swan Lake”, these pieces will make you feel all the feels.

Introduction

Classical music is often thought of as calm and serene, but it can also be deeply moving and emotional. Some composers have written pieces that are specifically designed to evoke sadness, and these works can be incredibly moving when performed correctly.

If you’re looking for some classical music that will make you feel the feels, here are five of the saddest pieces of classical music ever written.

Elegia by Sergei Rachmaninoff

Elegia by Sergei Rachmaninoff is a sad and beautiful piece of classical music. It was written in memory of the composer’s friend, Nikolai Dahl, who died in 1894. The elegy is written for piano and orchestra, and it is a very lyrical and emotional piece.

Lacrimosa from Requiem Mass in D minor by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Lacrimosa from Requiem Mass in D minor by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart is one of the saddest pieces of classical music ever composed. The Lacrimosa is the last section of the Requiem Mass, and Mozart composed it just before his death in 1791. The piece is a somber dirge, filled with grief and despair.

There are many other sad pieces of classical music, but none are quite as heartbreaking as the Lacrimosa. If you’re looking for a piece of music to make you cry, this is it.

Adagio for Strings by Samuel Barber

Samuel Barber’s “Adagio for Strings,” op. 11, is a work for orchestra, written in 1936. It is Barber’s most popular composition, and one of the most popular pieces of classical music ever written. The Adagio was originally the second movement of Barber’s String Quartet, Op. 11, composed in 1936.

Conclusion

There are countless depressing classical pieces, but the ten below are particularly heart-wrenching. From Tchaikovsky to Mahler, these composers expressed their turmoil and grief through music, resulting in some of the most beautiful and tragic works ever written. Next time you need a good cry, put on one of these pieces and let the tears flow.

1. Tchaikovsky – “Swan Lake”
2. Mahler – “Symphony No. 5”
3. Beethoven – “Symphony No. 6”
4. Verdi – “Requiem”
5. Brahms – “Ein deutsches Requiem”
6. Schubert – “Death and the Maiden”
7. Dvorak – “From the New World Symphony”
8. Vaughan Williams – “The Lark Ascending”
9. Barber – “Adagio for Strings”
10. Wagner – “Liebestod”