The Best Classical Piano Christmas Music
Contents
Looking for the best classical piano Christmas music? Look no further! This blog post features a collection of the best pieces to get you into the holiday spirit.
The Nutcracker Suite by Tchaikovsky
The “Nutcracker Suite” is a set of eight pieces by Tchaikovsky, arranged for piano by Levoberezhny. It was first performed in Russia in December 1892. The suite is based on the 1816 story “The Nutcracker and the Mouse King” by E.T.A. Hoffmann.
The suite has become one of the most popular pieces of classical music and is often performed during the Christmas season.
The Messiah by Handel
One of the best-known classical pieces of music, Handel’s “Messiah” is a timeless Christmas favorite. This grand oratorio was composed in just 24 days and first performed in Dublin in 1742. The work has become an essential part of the holiday season, with performances held all over the world every year.
A Christmas Carol by Dickens
A Christmas Carol by Dickens is a holiday classic. The story tells of Scrooge, a miserly old man who is visited by the ghosts of Christmas past, present, and future. The ghosts show Scrooge the error of his ways, and he eventually learns the true meaning of Christmas. The story is full of warmth and happiness, and the music reflects this.
The First Noel by Traditional
The first Noel the angel did say
Was to certain poor shepherds in fields as they lay
In fields where they lay keeping their sheep
On a cold winter’s night that was so deep.
Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel
Born is the King of Israel!
Jingle Bells by Traditional
Jingle Bells is one of the best-known and commonly sung American Christmas songs in the world. It was written by James Lord Pierpont (1822–1893) and published under the title “One Horse Open Sleigh” in the autumn of 1857. It has been claimed that it was originally written to be a Thanksgiving song, but there is no evidence to support this claim.
The song was first published under its current title in 1859 in Lowell, Massachusetts, in The Oldroyd Collection of Christmas Carols. The lyrics were adapted from a poem called “A Daydream” by James Pierpont’s brother John Pierpont (1785–1866). The melody of “Jingle Bells” was derived from the Medieval French carol “Un flambeau, Jeannette, Isabelle”, which was publisheD in 1529.
The song became popular among troops in the American Civil War (1861–65), who sang it to lift their spirits while on long marches. It has since become a Christmas standard, appearing on numerous holiday albums and being performed by many artists, including Bing Crosby, Doris Day, Nat King Cole, Glenn Miller, Johnny Mathis, and Alvin and the Chipmunks.
