Over the years, His Majesty King Charles III has proven his classical music inclinations be it from his early forays as a multi-instrumentalilst or his later involvement as a patron and president of over 24 classical music organizations.
The monarch's involvement with the musical arts is apparent, but what are the specific pieces he most adored? So, in commemoration of Charles III's 75th birthday this Nov. 14, right below is a deep dive into the king's classical music taste.
LAMPETER, WALES - JULY 07: Prince Charles, Prince of Wales, Patron of the University of Wales Trinity Saint David in the chapel after listening to a short choral performance of a new commemorative musical work during a visit to the Trinity Saint David Campus to celebrate the University's 200th anniversary, on July 7, 2022 in Lampeter, Wales.
What are King Charles III's All-time Favorite Classical Pieces?
According to Classic FM, in 2020, the then-prince presented a list of his most favored classical music which features pieces made by composers of organizations he was a backer for.
According to Charles III, he had trouble with "whittling down" his originally long list of pieces he liked the most, citing his lifelong love for classical music as the culprit saying "I'm just one of those people who can't live without [it]."
In the end, the king "crowned" four pieces as his favorites, one of which is "The Birds: No.22, Bridal March of the Birds" from the contemporary composer Sir Charles Hubert Parry. The other two belonged to symphonic compositions by master Wilhelm Richard Wagner which are "Tristan & Isolde" and "Siegfried Idyll."
Lastly, he also mentioned adoring the traditional melodies of the piano concerto by the British composer Nigel Hess, who was also responsible for one of twelve new pieces commissioned by King Charles III during his coronation last February.
Admittedly, however, Charles said that although his frequenting to "concertos" has influenced his musical inclinations, he actually got some of the best recommendations from directly talking to the musicians that played within the concerts.
One specific instance he cited was when King Charles III was given a CD copy of Julius Benedict's music, which he revealed to "never heard of before." In particular, within the German composer's music catalog, the king was "transfixed by Benedict's second piano concerto," and was therefore "willing" to hear more of it.
And that's it, such are the "earworms" that have cemented their captivating and varied tonal qualities within King Charles III's classical music taste. If you're ever curious as to what classical music the royalty is obsessed over, be sure to give the mentioned pieces a listen.
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