31 Days of Classical, Day 1: The Happiest Piece of Music

Each day throughout July, I'll share with you a piece of classical music. Thirty-one days, thirty-one pieces.

The list is by no means definitive, nor is it necessarily a list of all of my favorite music from the classical world. Every morning, I start my day with music that inspires me in some way, whether I'm inspired by its happiness, its loneliness, the instrumentation, the harmony, the colors, the melody — each piece is special in some way — and offers an opportunity to either hear something you've never heard, or hear something new in a piece you've known your whole life.

Day 1: Edvard Grieg: From Holberg's Time, Movement 5: "Rigaudon"

This is one of the happiest pieces of music I've ever heard. This is what pure joy sounds like! Grieg wrote this as a suite for orchestra too. This "Rigaudon" (a type of dance) is the final movement. Colloquially called the Holberg Suite.

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