We’ve all felt it: goosebumps that crawl across our skin from the moment a single phrase is played. It’s a feeling unlike any other - a cross between joy, excitement and anticipation. Some might even call it magic.
There are plenty of classical music pieces inspired by tales of magic: from trolls capturing heroes in the halls of a mountain, to a nutcracker coming to life and fighting a mouse king. Yet this time, we’re taking a look at not just music with magic in the title, but pieces that truly feel like they belong on a separate plane. It’s music both whimsical and puckish, mysterious and strange; most of all, it's music that makes us fall in love with the medium of sound, and reminds us just how much composers find ways to perfectly describe the indescribable.
Saint-Saens: “Aquarium” from Carnival of the Animals
As shimmering fish and aquatic creatures swim by, Saint-Saens enchants with his sparse but dazzling orchestration. It’s obvious to see where John Williams got his movie music inspiration!
Tchaikovsky: Act II, Moderato from Swan Lake
The sight of a swan transforming into a beautiful woman is a key moment in Tchaikovsky’s famous ballet Swan Lake. The music is at once menacing and mesmerizing, casting a spell onto all who hear it.
Debussy: Syrinx for Solo Flute, L. 129
The sound of a solo flute is almost magical by nature: breathy and bird-like, with the ability to soar high above most other orchestral instruments. This piece by Debussy capitalizes on the flute’s ability to enchant by telling the story of Syrinx, a Greek nymph who transforms into reeds to escape pursuit by Pan.
Holst: The Planets, Op. 32: VII. Neptune the Mystic
Holst’s depiction of the gaseous Ice Giant is otherworldly. The mysterious music never truly resolves; in fact, it only grows more beautiful and eerie as the chorus slowly fades in. By invoking the unknown, Holst covers this piece in a light dusting of magic.
Mendelssohn: Overture to A Midsummer Night’s Dream
Fairies, love potions, and mythical creatures: what can be more magical than that? Mendelssohn’s musical setting of the famous Shakespeare play is renowned for its use of textures that perfectly evoke shimmering fairy wings.
Delibes: Pizzicato from Sylvia
This brief pizzicato movement from Delibes’ ballet Sylvia occurs near the end of the ballet, at a moment when tensions between characters finally starts to resolve itself. But whether it's the cheeky melody itself, or the manner in which the tune speeds up or slows down, the air of this movement is full of impish, whimsical glee!
Ravel: “Introduction” from Daphnis et Chloe
A love story aided by the help of nymphs and Greek Gods is sure to find itself on a magical music playlist, especially when the orchestrator is Maurie Ravel. A master of arrangement, Ravel knows exactly how to hold our intrigue and transport listeners to a land of wonder.
Errolyn Wallen: Pace
Oscillating between comforting, unsettling, and awe-inspiring, Wallen’s choral work “Pace” carries within it an air of unknown. The work consists of just one word, repeated throughout in a chant-like manner: pacem, meaning peace in Latin.
Rimsky-Korsakov: Scheherazade, II.The Tale of the Kalendar Prince
While the whole of Scheherazade could easily fit the theme of this playlist, it is the piece’s second movement that has captured the most hearts. An equal mix of longing, mysterious, and playful, Rimsky-Koraskov’s music is as spell-binding as Scheherazade’s stories.
Dukas: The Sorcerer’s Apprentice
Revived in the 20th century by Disney’s Fantasia animation sequence, Dukas’s tone poem The Sorcerer’s Apprentice tells the story of a magician-in-training who tries to get around doing his chores. The vivid storytelling through orchestration, combined with unforgettable bassoon melodies, make this whimsical piece a timeless masterpiece.
Main Title from The Secret Garden (1993 - Zbigniew Preisner)
There are many magical elements in the opening theme for the secret garden: from a floating, out of time intro, to shimmering percussive elements throughout, and a sudden ending. It feels like a discovery is being made throughout the piece - fitting, given the piece was written by Zginiew Preisner for the children’s tale A Secret Garden.
Mikhail Glinka/Mily Balakirev: The Lark
First written by Mikhail Glinka in 1840 as part of his song cycle A Farewell to Saint Petersburg, “The Lark” as we know it today is most often performed using Mily Balakirev’s arrangement. The pianist expanded on the original song and added more wind underneath the lark’s wings, seemingly alternating between whimsical flutters and majestic dives through the sky. This particular arrangement for harp seems to suit the topic perfectly.
Missy Mazzoli: Sinfonia (for Orbiting Spheres)
Beautiful string melodies that echo back and forth, mixed with gorgeous pairings of sliding brass and winds. The constantly revolving nature of this piece by Missy Mazzoli leaves listeners spellbound.
Arnold Bax: Into the Twilight
Into the Twilight is one of the British composer’s best known tone poems, lightly inspired by the tragic Irish heroine Deirdre. With mixtures of muted strings and horns, this piece perfectly captures the feelings of mystery and intrigue that seem to descend on us with the end of day.
Sibelius: “The Swan of Tuonela” from Four Legends from the Kalevala, Op. 22
Something about swans really seems to bring out the mystical in composers, and Sibelius was no exception. The Finnish composer’s twilight piece tells the story of a mythical swan being pursued by the hero Lemminkainen into the realm of the dead.
Andrew Thomas: Merlin - I. Beyond the Faint Edge of the World
This work for marimba solo is a favorite among percussion players for its expressive tone. It was inspired by Edwin Arlington Robinson’s poem Merlin, which among other things recounts a meeting and disagreement between Merlin and various knights of the round table. Mixtures of chromaticism with descending and ascending parallel fifths to paint a picture of a morally ambiguous wizard.
Higdon: Blue Cathedral
The tinkering of bells, whispers of chimes, and melodies that flit about in the woodwinds achieve an air of wonder. It’s a work that is full to the brim with beauty and longing, written in honor of the composer’s brother who passed away from cancer.
John Williams: “Harry’s Wondrous World” from Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone
No magical music playlist is complete without a selection from one of the most iconic soundtracks of the 21st century. The music John Williams wrote for the Harry Potter film franchise redefined the sound of magic at the movies for an entire generation, and continues to be immensely popular.
Gilbert and Sullivan: “My name is John Wellington Wells” from Sorcerer
This sorcerer’s introduction is by far the least serious addition to this playlist, yet its tongue-in-cheek jauntiness reminds us of that sometimes, magic is just plain goofy! The fun patter song is full of goofy, Gilbert & Sullivan charm, as the smooth talking salesman tries to instill trust in his potions.
Enjoy the full playlist below, and be sure to follow WFMT on Spotify and Apple Music.
