Now that Christmas is over, it's time to get ready for Valentine's Day with some cozy love music. Snuggle up to the fire and revel in the mid-winter blues with some of these melancholy love songs.
Chopin's Nocturnes: Opera Without Words
Of course, any good romantic evening should feature a Chopin nocturne. Because these passionate pieces for piano have no accompanying text, they do not technically qualify as songs. Yet because Frederick Chopin imitated the soaring vocal lines of the bel canto opera style, his nocturnes end up resembling wordless songs after all.
Many of the nocturnes start with one theme of music ("A"), move to a contrasting theme ("B") and finally end with the original theme of music ("A"). This A-B-A progression suggests a narrative journey of beginning, departure and return, appealing to the romantic notion of traveling to distant lands.
Though Chopin wrote 21 nocturnes in all, 2 are especially worth pointing out. The watery melody of Nocturne in B-Flat Minor, Op. 9, No. 1 cascades through sparking arpeggios. The more angular melody in Nocturne in E-Flat Major, Op. 9, No. 2 leaps to mountain peaks and then seems to revel in the grandeur of the view. For some no-holds-barred rubato (a bending of tempo), try Artur Rubinstein's version of these nocturnes. For a more precise interpretation, try Angela Hewitt's recordings.
Tchaikovsky's Romeo and Juliet Overture-Fantasy
And what romantic musical evening could be complete without reference to Shakespeare's star-crossed lovers? Though an overture typically served to set the stage for the dramatic work to follow, Piotr Tchaikovsky's Romeo and Juliet Overture-Fantasy stands alone as a complete orchestral work in its own right.
The overture follows the tension between the warring Capulets and Montagues and the love that blossomed between Romeo and Juliet. Though also lacking words, the voice-like melody of the third theme still suggests a poignant love song. This haunting love theme has permeated pop culture, appearing in various movie or TV soundtracks.
Schubert Lieder: "Gretchen am Spinnrade (Gretchen at the Spinning Wheel)" and Die Schöne Müllerin (The Lovely Miller Maiden)
But perhaps you are spending Valentine's Day alone. For the jilted and disappointed in love, Franz Schubert offers an array of satisfyingly gloomy songs:
"Gretchen am Spinnrade, D. 118" is perfect for anyone abandoned by a lover and simply going crazy about it. In this art song for piano and soprano, Schubert illustrates the turmoil of Gretchen, who is worried sick that Faust (of devil-bargaining fame) will never return to her. The repetitive figures in the piano imitate Gretchen's spinning wheel and suggest a near insane obsession.
Schubert's Die Schöne Müllerin, Op. 25, D. 795 might appeal to anyone who finds himself on the short end of a love triangle. This song cycle for piano and high voice (soprano or tenor) describes a young man's love for a miller maiden. Unfortunately, she finds a hunky hunter more attractive and the young man is left staring at the millstream, wondering if it might be romantic to drown himself there.
On the other hand, if you are looking for music to help you get over your ex, it's probably best to steer clear of Schubert (and classical music) all together and break it down to something like "Survivor" by Destiny's Child.
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