Schedule
HostsWays to Give
HomePlaylistSchedule
HostsEventsOn DemandOur StoryOur TeamWays to Give Become a Sponsor
How to ListenVisit Help CenterContact Us

Find Us on Social Media:

Logo image

Find Us on Social Media:

Download Our Mobile App:

google play icon

About

HomePlaylistSchedule
HostsOn DemandOur StoryOur Team

Community

EventsWays to Give Become a SponsorPressDiversity StatementCareersAnnual EEO ReportDigital Accessibility

Help

Visit Help CenterContact UsHow to Listen

©2025 Classical California

Sweepstakes RulesFCC ComplianceLocal Public FilesCPB ComplianceAnnual EEO ReportPrivacy PolicyCode of Integrity

articles / Water Music

Rainy Classics…

Water MusicPop CultureArts Alive Blog

Some works that evoke less-than-sunny weather we’re having lately… Not all nature-inspired works can be twittering birds. Sometimes you need to have a bit of rain too. Whether it’s a light drizzle or a full on thunderstorm, composers have been trying to convey the sound and mood of wet days for centuries.

Rainy Classics…
00:00

Chopin’s insistent ‘Raindrop’ prelude (Opus 28, number 15) repeats an A-flat in a dreamy way that is reminiscent of staring contemplatively out the window at a passing shower; Debussy ups the ante in the section of his work Estampes called Jardins sous la pluie (Gardens in the Rain) there the downpour is more intense and the listener is on the other side of the window, perhaps. Benjamin Britten chose a unique set of instruments, which he called ‘Slung Mugs’ (suspended coffee cups, hung by a string and hit with a wooden spoon) to capture that sound of the first raindrops – in this case, the ones that would continue into Noye’s Fludde (Noah’s Flood). And similarly, in The Sound of Music, when Liesl and Rolf get caught in a shower and have to move their dance to the safety of a gazebo, it’s glockenspiel, piccolo, and pizzicato strings in a haphazard rhythm that increases in speed and regularity. There are examples of thunderstorms in Beethoven’s Pastoral Symphony, as well as Ferde Grofé’s ‘Cloudburst’, part of the Grand Canyon Suite. Eric Whitacre’s piece, also called Cloudburst, asks the singers, who are already joined by some percussion players, to take up bells, and clap and snap their fingers to make the sound of the falling rain.

Water MusicPop CultureArts Alive Blog
Written by:
Jeffrey Freymann
Jeffrey Freymann
Published on 04.01.2019
Loading...

MORE LIKE THIS

Classical Music Through an Autistic Lens

Classical Music Through an Autistic Lens

Explore the unique experience of listening to classical music through an autistic lens. This article shares insights from an autistic listening party, discussing sensory reactions to different compositions.

12/17/2019
Turning Tragedy into Art

Turning Tragedy into Art

This article explores the life of Paul Wittgenstein, a one-armed pianist who commissioned works from renowned composers, and the unique music created for him.

04/01/2019
Using Waterfalls and Lakes to Teach Musical Dynamics…

Using Waterfalls and Lakes to Teach Musical Dynamics…

The Friction Quartet used water metaphors to teach musical concepts to students at Cleveland Elementary School in Oakland during a KDFC Playground Pop-Up Concert.

03/27/2019
Keith Lockhart Talks John Williams and the Boston Pops

Keith Lockhart Talks John Williams and the Boston Pops

Keith Lockhart, conductor of the Boston Pops for 23 years, is set to honor his predecessor, John Williams, with a program full of Williams' music on their upcoming West Coast tour.

10/01/2018
In Paul Schrader’s New Film, Ethan Hawke Is Clergy in Crisis

In Paul Schrader’s New Film, Ethan Hawke Is Clergy in Crisis

Explore Paul Schrader's latest film, "First Reformed," featuring Ethan Hawke. The film delves into themes of religion, morality, and environmental despair, reflecting Schrader's lifelong obsessions.

10/01/2018
Inspired by the Rain

Inspired by the Rain

Explore how composers like Chopin, Debussy, and Beethoven have used music to depict rain and thunderstorms, from gentle drizzles to intense downpours.

05/11/2018