4 Classical–Crossover Albums for Chill Vibes
Most classical listeners do not listen exclusively to classical music, but the genre forms one part of their broader listening habits. If you’re anything like me, sometimes classical music can be too distracting or have too many emotional and dynamic peaks and valleys to be relegated to background music. So, we’ve highlighted four classical–crossover albums we think you might enjoy that either riff on old classics or forge their own path as models of “post-classical” music. While engaging in their own ways, they do lend themselves to various relaxed listening situations.
L.Dre – Lofi Symphony
LA-based producer L.Dre is a master of a genre of music called “lo-fi” (short for “low-fidelity”). The genre, which emerged in the 2010s on YouTube streaming playlists, features laid-back instrumental hip-hop beats layered with hissing or popping noises that recall well-worn cassette tapes or vinyl records. Drenched in nostalgia and highly relaxing, lo-fi has found a cult following among anxious Gen Zers and millennials.
For Lofi Symphony (2023), L.Dre partnered with classical label Deutsche Grammophon to produce an album that blends high-quality piano and orchestral recordings of classical music with lo-fi beats. L.Dre samples famous classical works, like Debussy’s Claire de Lune, Pachelbel’s Canon in D, and Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata, and layers them with extra instrumentals and beats in what Deutsche Grammophon calls a “conscious clash of styles.” Just as classical music is often about an artist’s interpretation of a pre-existing work, L.Dre considers this sampling and layering his interpretation of these famous pieces.
Francesco Tristano – On Early Music
Francesco Tristano is a Luxembourg-born, Julliard-trained pianist, composer, and producer. He tours the world as both a classical pianist and an electronic artist, equally at home in concert halls and dance music festivals. His third album for Sony Classical, On Early Music (2022), mixes his own compositions with works by English early music composers and keyboardists such as John Bull, Orlando, Gibbons, and Peter Phillips. One of Tristano’s greatest influences, Italian composer Girolamo Frescobaldi, also makes two appearances. The album is not just an homage to early keyboard music but offers a fresh take through Tristano’s interpretations. Some of the works are given faithful renditions of what is on the page, while others are reworked and reinterpreted in a contemporary way. “I wanted to bring something new to them—something original,” Tristano said. In this way, On Early Music captures Tristano’s idea of music as “a place with no barrier of styles and time.”
Ólafur Arnalds – The Chopin Project
Icelandic multi-instrumentalist, composer, and producer Ólafur Arnalds is probably best known for his film and TV scores, including his BAFTA award-winning score for Broadchurch (available to stream on WILL Passport). His music blurs the boundaries between classical and pop, subtly blending acoustic piano and strings with electronic elements like loops and beats to create an otherworldly ambiance.
The Chopin Project (2015), a collaboration with acclaimed German-Japanese pianist Alice Sara Ott for Mercury Classics, brings you Frédéric Chopin’s works as you’ve never heard them before. The album weaves some of the Polish composer’s most beloved melodies with Arnalds’ distinctively haunting string and piano writing, itself based on the motifs and atmosphere of Chopin’s works. Adding to the album’s uniqueness is the choice of instruments. The duo sought out old, out-of-tune pianos across Reykjavik and recorded them in different venues using vintage recording equipment. Mastering the album himself, Arnalds placed the microphones strategically to create a gentler, less sterile sound than a traditional classical piano recording. He even keeps in the odd piano bench creak and sounds of the players rustling their sheet music, humming quietly, and breathing to humanize the album further. “I have always loved the piano music of Frédéric Chopin, but had grown weary of the uniform and standardized perfection of recordings available and I was longing for someone to come along and try something different,” Arnalds explained. “And one day, on a long flight to London, I thought: why don’t I do it myself?”
Nils Frahm – All Melody
Post-classical, post-techno, maximally minimalist—these are just a few adjectives critics have used to try to describe Nils Frahm's music. The German composer, performer, and producer is known for his unusual approach to the piano. He often mixes various keyboard instruments with synthesizers and loops, turning his contemplative and intimate piano playing into something mesmerizingly vast. As a child, he immersed himself in classical and contemporary music, studying piano with a protégé of a protégé of Tchaikovsky before forging his own musical path. In addition to composing and performing, in 2015 Frahm launched Piano Day, a global organization that celebrates the piano through innovative projects. Piano Day is held on the 88th day of each year in honor of the 88 keys of the piano.
Across his extensive discography of solo and collaborative albums (including a few with Ólafur Arnalds), All Melody (2018; Erased Tapes Records) is Frahm’s most ambitious and diverse album yet. Diverging from his usual repertoire of modified keyboard instruments and synths, he incorporates voices, strings, trumpet, timpani, gong, and bass marimba. The album was recorded at the historic Funkhaus complex in Berlin. There, Frahm kitted out a studio to his own unique specifications, such as installing a pipe organ and building a custom mixing desk, allowing his creativity to run wild. The 12 songs of All Melody feel like one cohesive work, with recurring themes that tie the album together. That said, within the generally down-tempo and melancholic framework, Frahm incorporates various sonic textures, from sweeping wordless singing to techno to intimate piano pieces recorded so close that you feel you’re on the piano bench with him.
