When it rains, it pours: 10 classical pieces inspired by rain
It was a stormy night in Manitoba, with skies bursting open and rain pounding down across the province. Portage la Prairie got the brunt of it — nearly 100 millimetres in one go — while Starbuck, Elie, and a good chunk of southern Manitoba weren’t far behind. Winnipeg? We got a more modest splash, but enough to remind us that nature’s percussion section is alive and well.
Since we’re already drenched, let’s lean in: here are 10 classical pieces inspired by rain — perfect for storm watching, puddle jumping, or just sipping tea by the window while the thunder rolls.
1. Chopin – Raindrop Prelude
The king of rainy-day listening. The steady repeated notes evoke droplets tapping at the windowpane.
2. Debussy – Jardins sous la pluie (Gardens in the Rain)
Impressionist magic. You can practically feel the downpour in every sparkling, rushing phrase.
3. Liszt – Les jeux d’eaux à la Villa d’Este (The Fountains of the Villa d’Este)
Okay, it’s technically about fountains, but the rippling water imagery is rain-adjacent and gorgeously fluid.
4. Britten – Four Sea Interludes (from Peter Grimes)
The “Storm” movement will have you checking the basement sump pump.
5. Beethoven – Symphony No. 6 “Pastoral,” Fourth Movement (Thunderstorm)
The maestro himself conjures rolling thunder, flashing lightning, and torrential rain in one of the most famous musical storms ever written.
6. Vaughan Williams – In the Fen Country
Misty, rain-soaked English landscapes, perfect for anyone who loves a good prairie drizzle.
7. Takemitsu – Rain Tree Sketch II
Gentle, meditative piano music inspired by the image of a tree capturing and releasing raindrops.
8. Wagner – The Flying Dutchman Overture
From the very first bars, Wagner tosses us into towering waves and gale-force winds. The overture captures a ship locked in a raging storm at sea — drama fit for sailors and storm chasers alike.
9. Brahms – Die Regenlied (The Rain Song), WoO post 23
A lieder gem that hears rain not as gloomy, but as comforting and full of memory.
10. Richard Strauss – An Alpine Symphony (Der Sturm)
Just past the halfway point of this mountain-sized tone poem, the climbers begin their descent — only to be caught in a ferocious storm. Strauss unleashes the full orchestra in torrents of thunder, lightning, and sheets of rain, making this one of the most cinematic downpours in all of classical music.
☔ Whether it’s Chopin’s raindrops or Strauss’s alpine tempest, these works prove that when composers heard storms, they couldn’t help but translate them into music. Perfect listening for Manitoba’s very soggy week!