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Which works plunge the listener into the dark hours with similar effectiveness? On familiar ground, there's the likes of Beethoven's 'Moonlight' Sonata and Debussy's Clair de lune. But let's stroll further into the night with the following…

Bartók– Piano Concerto No. 3, 2nd movement ‘Adagio religioso’

Composed after leaving Hungary due to the outbreak of WWII, this contemplative movement by Bartók appears to be looking back to his homeland. The peace of the C major chorale is broken by restless piano figures, before the middle section appears to evoke nocturnal wildlife. The yearning encapsulated by this slow movement is intensified by a reminiscence of Wagner’s Tristan chord.

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Revueltas – La Noche De Los Mayas

Mexican Silvestre Revueltas composed this score for the 1939 film of the same name. Including an expanded percussion section, the concert suite evokes the night rituals of the Mayan civilization through primitive rhythms and Stravinskian harmonies. Passing from the brooding opening through an infectious scherzo and a reverent slow movement, the work culminates in the frenzied final dance.

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Dvořák – ‘Song to the Moon’ from Act 1 of Rusalka

Dvořák's opera Rusalka tells a tale of doomed love between a Prince and Rusalka, daughter of the Water-Goblin. This aria appears near the beginning of the fairy-tale narrative, as the eponymous nymph pleads for the moon to tell the Prince of her love. Despite the simple serenade accompaniment, the aria allows a beautiful vocal display for the heroine. And when it comes to depicting moonlight reflecting off water, Dvořák's harp has few peers.

Playlist: Epic Classical Music

Schoenberg – Verklärte Nacht

Composed in 1899 in just three weeks, this sextet was inspired by Schoenberg's feelings for Mathilde von Zemlinsky (whom he would later marry). The work is based upon Richard Dehmel’s poem of the same name, which describes a man and a woman walking through a moonlight forest. The work was highly controversial when premiered in 1902 due to the wide-reaching harmonic language.

Listen to our playlist of Late Night Classical music here:

https://embed.music.apple.com/gb/playlist/late-night-classical/pl.4322a095a6074a8691ef4fb36333bf1f?app=music

Khachaturian – Masquerade Suite: Nocturne

The Soviet-Armenian Khachaturian created this suite (most famous for its Waltz) in 1944 to accompany the Russian writer Mikhail Lermontov’s play of the same name. The dreamy violin solo of the Nocturne is underpinned by nostalgic lines in woodwind and horn, creating meltingly romantic harmonies.

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Rachmaninov – Suite No. 1 ‘Fantaisie-tableaux’ Op. 5: II. And Night, And Love

An illustration of four poetic extracts by Lermontov, Byron, Tyutchev and Khomyakov, this suite was composed for two pianos in 18933 and dedicated to Tchaikovsky. The insistence of the opening idea prompts a liquification into streams of arpeggiatios, finally reaching a rhapsodic high before slowly dissolving to an introspective close.

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Pink Floyd might be at the top of the list (again…) for September 2018, but the real star this month is Aphex Twin. Since mastermind Richard D. James came back from his 13-year hiatus in 2014, he’s been on a roll. Released in mid-September, the Collapse EP is no exception. The dill ’n‘ bass-inspired release ended up at number three.

Speaking of new releases in the top 10, Idles was close behind. The Bristol punks’ sophomore full-length (and 12th physical release overall) inspired a lot of buzz around the late-August release and ended up at number six.

And of course the ever-present Tracy Chapman is hovering in the middle chunk of the list, this month jumping up to 15. We see you, Tracy.