New Ragtime Music

scott joplin photograph We have some new ragtime music composed by Scott Joplin, Scott Hayden and James Scott. All these new pieces are for piano, and the midi files can be downloaded free for personal use. Our full catalogue of piano rags is available from our Ragtime Music page.

Folk Music and Songs:

With our growing collection of folk songs, we've decided to create a new page dedicated to Folk Music and Songs. Here are some of the examples you will find there:

Franz Schubert's Trout Quintet

Franz Schubert portrait Schubert's Trout Quintet is a Piano Quintet in 5 movements. The 4th movement is a set of variations on the melody from "The Trout", one of his songs where the piano plays a delightful rippling accompaniment like water in a stream. Here is a midi file of the Quintet's Trout Variations.

Church Music and Hymns

We've made further additions to our collection of traditional Christian Hymns with some of these tying in with our review of the music for the recent remake of True Grit, which adapts old hymns in its soundtrack:

Bugle Calls

In our article on Bugle Calls we look at their influence on Classical, Film and Popular music. Here are just a few examples in midi format, and the article has many more:

Mozart's Clarinet Concerto

Mozart portrait Mozart's Clarinet Concerto is one of the most famous wind concertos, and it has been used in numerous films most notably in "Out of Africa". Here are midi files of the serene slow movement in two alternative arrangements for you to enjoy:

Grieg's "Wedding Day at Troldhaugen"

Troldhaugen Museum - Edvard Grieg's House The composer Edvard Grieg had a house built for him near Bergen in Norway. Though this is now a museum dedicated to Grieg, he and his family lived there for many years and they called the house "Troldhaugen" which means "Troll's Hill". Among his "Lyric Pieces" for piano there is a popular piece called "Wedding Day at Troldhaugen" whose happy mood seems to suggest the Grieg family enjoyed life to the full in this house. At mfiles we now have 3 Lyric Pieces and one arrangement as midi files available to download:

Camille Saint-Saens - The Elephant

Camille Saint-Saens: Carnival of the Animals CD cover Regular visitors to mfiles will know that we cover both Classical and Film Music. The French Composer Camille Saint-Saens was the first well-known composer to compose music in both these camps. The film "L'Assassinat du Duc de Guise" is considered to be the first film for which music was specially written 100 years ago. Among the composer's most famous concert pieces is "The Carnival of the Animals" which is a fun suite which depicts members of the animal kingdom. One of its movements is called "The Elephant" where a double-bass plays a ponderous but witty waltz. More...

Tchaikovsky: Piano Music

tchaikovsky photograph The Russian composer Peter Tchaikovsky is best known for his ballet music and large scale orchestral works including six Symphonies and several Concertos. He also composed quite a large number of smaller works for the piano and many of these are good practice pieces for piano students. The "Album for the Young" is a set of 24 short pieces and, since Tchaikovsky is well-known for some of his Waltzes in his Ballet music and other works, we've chosen to provide No. 8 Waltz as a sample. Although much of Tchaikovsky's ballet music is very happy in mood, the composer suffered from bouts of depression and some of his shorter piano works seem to reflect that. Here is his "Sad Song" or Chanson Triste.

Midis of Mozart's Piano Sonatas

Mozart portrait Mozart's genius is apparent in his symphonies, concertos, masses and operas, but it also shows in his chamber music. He learned to play keyboards from an early age, and his piano sonatas seem to spring from an endless supply of musical inspiration:

Brahms Lullaby or Wiegenlied

The Lullaby by Johannes Brahms is one of his best known songs. It also works very well as an instrumental piece. Here is the Lullaby and other works by Brahms:

Handel and his Water Music

George Frideric Handel - portrait One of George Frideric Handel's most popular works is the Water Music he composed for a Royal event on the Thames. Here are midi files for three different versions of the famous "Hornpipe" from Handel's Water Music:

Purcell: Funeral Music for Queen Mary

Portrait of Henry Purcell Henry Purcell wrote music for royal occasions, including the funeral of Queen Mary II. In a cruel irony Purcell himself died the next year and his music was also used on that occasion. Here are midi files of the March from the Funeral Music in 2 versions:

Vivaldi: Autumn from The Four Seasons

Antonio Vivaldi holding a violin - painting by the artist Francois Morellon La Cave The Four Seasons by Antonio Vivaldi is a set of 4 violin concertos depicting each of the seasons. On mfiles we now have the 3rd season "Autumn" in the following versions: the original (violin and orchestra), arrangement for Violin and Piano and arrangement for Piano Solo. more...

Tango by Isaac Albeniz

Isaac Albeniz photo (head) Isaac Albeniz composed many piano works based on evocative Spanish folk music and dances. His Tango from the suite España (Op.165 No.2) is one of many such pieces. Here are midi files of two different versions of this wonderful piano piece:

National Anthems and Patriotic Songs

French Flag In our review of National Anthems and Patriotic Songs we find that some are based on hymn songs while others are more closely related to folk songs. Our article includes a number of examples in Midi format from Europe, the US, the UK, France, Germany, Australia and More...

Bach's P&F No.7 from Book 2

Johann Sebastian Bach picture (head) Bach's keyboard works continue to fascinate people, particularly the 48 preludes and fugues known as The Well-Tempered Clavier. The 7th Prelude from Book 2 appeared on the soundtrack to "Milk" so here are both the prelude and fugue in MIDI format:

Tchaikovsky's Sugar Plum Fairy

Sugar Plum Fairy Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker ballet is a favourite at Christmas Time. In particular the "Sugar Plum Fairy" is often heard on TV, its tinkling sound suggesting toys, magic, children and fantasy. Here is a midi file of the orchestral Sugar Plum Fairy and here is a Piano arrangement of the piece.

Ragtime works by Scott Joplin :

Scott Joplin is the undisputed King of Ragtime, and we have added another of his famous Rags to our catalogue called "Elite Syncopations". Our complete catalogue of midi music by Scott Joplin now consists of the following works:

Beethoven's "Ode to Joy"

Beethoven Portrait Beethoven's "Ode to Joy" was written almost 2 centuries ago, and it is one of the most recognisable pieces of Classical Music ever. It comes from his 9th Symphony - the first from a major composer to feature voices. The orchestra is augmented by a choir plus Soprano, Alto, Tenor and Bass soloists, who in the final movement sing verses from a poem by Schiller called the "Ode to Joy". BThis theme played an important role in the book and film "A Clockwork Orange" and is now the Anthem for the European Union. Here are MIDI files of this theme arranged for piano solo and also for bassoon and piano.

Joseph Haydn and his piano sonatas:

Portrait of Haydn Joseph Haydn is considered to be a key founder of the Classical Style of music. Although he built on the work of others, his wide range of output was to influence many later composers especially Mozart and Beethoven. He composed many Symphonies, String Quartets and Keyboard Sonatas, all of which rely on the principles of "Sonata Form". Here is the first movement of one of his Piano Sonatas which illustrates the basic structure of Sonata Form:

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