RSNO’s Music for Revision Posted Mon 29 April 2024
It’s revision season for UK secondary, college and university pupils and we know how it feels to want to just put some headphones on and get down to business. We’ve created a list of works to help get you in the zone.
Liszt’s Transcendental Études
This one is a common feature on revision playlists. Allow the busy hands of your chosen pianist to fill the gaps in your concentration. Études, whether they be by Liszt, Chopin or perhaps Ligeti, are a key portion of a pianist’s training, so why not try using them as a learning resource of your own? Listen to our friend Francesco Piemontesi on Spotify here.
Debussy’s La Mer
If you prefer something calmer to revise to, nothing soothes a busy brain quite like Debussy. You may already know his famous work for piano, Claire de Lune from Suite Bergmanesque, but if this lullaby is just a little too sleepy for an important revision session, we recommend allowing the tides of La Mer to sweep you away instead. Listen on Spotify here.
Ludwig Göransson’s Oppenheimer Soundtrack
Perhaps you’re a bit of a film buff, but the big tunes of John Williams’ Star Wars or Jurassic Park are just a little bit too familiar and the drama of The Imperial March pulls you away from your past papers. Instead, give Ludwig Göransson’s Academy Award winning score for 2023 box office hit Oppenheimer a try. While certainly not lacking drama and emotion, Göransson’s score makes significant use of strings to build tension and tell Oppenheimer’s story in a way that still paints a picture but steals your attention less frequently. Listen on Spotify here.
Rachmaninov’s Piano Concerto No2
There’s a reason this piece is in the top place of Classic FM’s Hall of Fame. Even if you don’t think you’ve heard it before, we’re sure you’ve heard the main melody from the second moment that Eric Carmen ‘borrowed’ for his classic chart hit All by Myself. Put this concerto on when you fancy something that is fairly familiar but doesn’t risk distracting you with lyrics and enjoy the ride. Listen on Spotify here.
Classic FM on Global Player
If in doubt, put on Classic FM! Listen to your favourite presenter from wherever you’re revising on Global Player. With tips to help you with procrastination, studying, exam panic and more, also check out their Revision Hour or try their Revision Playlists.
