10 Most Beautiful Piano Pieces

Whether you are a pianist, musician, artist, or something entirely different, we can all agree that piano music reaches parts of the soul previously unexplored and infrequently accessed. There’s just something about this instrument that speaks directly to the human condition in every powerful or tender note. The piano’s 88 keys have bewitched many composers, and the ten mentioned in the list below have surrendered their creative powers with stunning results.

This list is not comprehensive, but includes our personal list of favorites that include the sheet music for your enjoyment as well. We include modern and classical composers as a sample to an immeasurable list of the most beautiful and breathtaking piano songs of all time. So let this be a starting point on your journey of musical discovery.

Now sit back and relax, listen, and enjoy our 10 Most Beautiful Piano Pieces.

1. “Pern” by Yann Tiersen

You get lost listening to "Pern." Completely lost. The rapid and repetitive 16th notes create an ocean where the accented melody notes float on top–and you float right along with them."Pern" is not just a beautiful piece of piano music; it is its own tiny, but complete, world.

2. “The Promise” by Michael Nyman

The beautifully simple melody in this piece glides over quick left-hand sequences in a way that instantly catches your attention. This piece is simultaneously strong and gentle, evoking simultaneous peace and anger. Listen to it in any mood, and it will leave you feeling even better.

3. “Dawn” by Dario Marianelli

If you are looking for a piece of music to take your breath away, this one is it. It’s so delicate and distant that you almost have to hold your breath to hear it. Elegant and enchanting, “Dawn” perfectly captures the moments just before and just after the sun first appears each morning.

4. “Hermit Thrush at Morn” by Amy Marcy Beach

If you haven’t heard of Amy Marcy Beach, you should look her up. If you haven’t listened to "Hermit Thrush at Morn," definitely click on the links! This piece mixes quick and light right-hand movements with darker left-hand to create an eerie, beautiful, and mysterious masterpiece.

5. “La Cathédral Engloutie” by Claude Debussy

In this piece, the sea subsides to reveal a cathedral, in which the bells are gloriously sounding. At the end of the piece the cathedral is covered by water once again, and the bells continue to sound from below the deep blue. Waves of sound, color, and texture spill over each other measure by measure in this gorgeous piece by the widely loved Debussy. Listen carefully at 2:10, when the cathedral fully emerges from the sea.

6. “Un Reve en Mer” by Teresa Carreño

The left and right hands are the rise and fall of the ocean in Carreño’s “Un Reve en Mer.” You can feel the rush of each new wave in the bass scales and the salty wind in the right-hand melody. Calming and swift, this piece has classic notes but also showcases Teresa Carreño’s dramatic flair.

7. “Gymnopédie No. 1” by Erik Satie

At first, this piece sounds a little “off” rhythmically; however, this element becomes one of the reasons why this piece is so beautiful. Complex harmony mixed with unexpected rhythmic changes and a simple melody results in total relaxation for (at least) 4 minutes of your day.

8. “One Summer’s Day” by Joe Hisaishi

Light as in weightless and light as in pure sunlight–this piece beautifully encompasses both definitions of the word. Slow and stunning, “One Summer’s Day” evokes sunny mornings and warm afternoons, peace and tranquility. The melody repeated in octaves brings power to the piece while the dynamics bring delicacy. Ready to daydream about your childhood? Then take a listen.

9. “Cloud Atlas Main Theme” by Mark Fowler

The Cloud Atlas Main Theme is surprisingly and ingeniously simple. It will tug at your heart every time you listen to it, but you won’t mind. Feel free to lose yourself, up in the clouds, with not a care in the world except for this beautiful sound.

10.“Cristofori’s Dream” by David Lanz

“Cristofori’s Dream” is a perfect title as this piece pulls you into your dreams. The light, eerie right-hand melody is like the music-box song from a long-lost childhood toy. The stronger sections of the piece, where the melody is played in octaves, remind you of lost love. As you listen, you’ll feel this piece in wave after wave of pure emotion.

We hope you loved these ten masterpieces and are ready to share them with family, friends, other artists, and all piano-lovers. And don’t forget to get these pieces as well as all of your other favorite piano pieces at Musicnotes.com!