Summertime evokes the image of lakes, and the languid flow
of lakes reminds one of the fluidity of some piano pieces. Probably the first
composition that comes to mind it Tchaikovsky’s ballet Swan Lake. Here
is a sampling classical composers who wrote famous piano pieces directly
inspired by lakes.
Franz Liszt and Swiss Lakes
- Au
lac de Wallenstadt ("At Lake Wallenstadt"): Published in Années
de pèlerinage (First Year: Switzerland), Liszt wrote this peaceful
piano piece while traveling by a Swiss lake.
- Les
jeux d'eau à la Villa d'Este: Located near a famous Italian lake
estate, this masterpiece captures shimmering fountains and reflecting
pools.
Claude Debussy and Water Reflections
- Reflets
dans l'eau ("Reflections in the Water"): The opening piece
of his first Images set for piano, designed to sound like rippling,
sparkling water.
- La
cathédrale engloutie ("The Sunken Cathedral"): Evokes a
mystical myth of an ancient cathedral rising from and sinking back into a
silent deep lake or sea.
Other Lake-Inspired Works
- The
Lake in the Mountains: A serene orchestral/piano-associated pastoral
piece written by Ralph Vaughan Williams.
- The
Enchanted Lake: Anatoly Lyadov's famous fairy-tale tone poem painting
a glassy, magical body of water.
