Classical music has a universal appeal that fits a variety of emotional situations and cinematic images. It can elevate a show to a higher artistic level when used properly, and the vintage pieces from earlier composers often don't come with copyright fees. That's an incentive to use them for any soundtrack, and plenty of anime also uses the versatile and refined sound of classical music.
There is plenty of anime that uses classical music exclusively, especially period dramas, while others mix a few classical pieces with a more contemporary soundtrack. Some of the following anime is about composers, dancers, or musicians, while others use it to evoke a certain mood in the viewer, but all of them incorporate classical music.
6 Your Lie In April
One of the anime fan favorites from the romance genre, of course, this heartwarming drama would feature a soundtrack of classical music. Your Lie In April is the story of Kо̄sei Arima, a young pianist, who loses the ability to hear the piano after his mother dies. He meets Kaori Miyazono, a talented but unrefined violinist, and his return to music begins as their relationship grows.
The soundtrack is a mix of original compositions and vintage classical music and includes pieces from Chopin, Beethoven, and a variety of others. The instruments featured are the violin and the piano, so this is an ideal choice for those that like strings.
5 Neon Genesis: Evangelion
The scene that always comes to mind when someone puts the words "anime" and "classical music" together is when Unit 002 fights the rival Eva series to the dulcet tones of Bach's Orchestral Suite No.3 in D Major. This sequence is iconic, not only because it signifies a major advance in the plot but also because the juxtaposition of classical music and giant robot crushing action work so well together.
Other classical pieces featured in everyone's favorite apocalyptic anti-mecha include Beethoven's 9th Symphony and Handel's Messiah, also used at important points in the anime. The soundtrack is an eclectic mix of a variety of genres that also includes covers of popular classics and the famous opening song, "Cruel Angel's Thesis."
4 Princess Tutu
Princess Tutu is the ideal gateway anime for that friend who also loves ballet, romance, and Tchaikovsky. The genre is a magical girl, but it's really a modern fairy tale, about a humble little duck who becomes a human in order to save the one she loves. It's an old story that fits well with a soundtrack that includes classical music.
Swan Lake is the composition that gets the most play in the series, but other works from the popular composer include The Nutcracker and The Sleeping Beauty. Like other anime that feature vintage classical music, there are also a few original tracks on the score. The show was released in 2002, and thanks to a DVD release of all 28 episodes in 2018, it's trending in popularity.
3 Legend Of The Galactic Heroes
A classic anime that dates back to the 1980s, Legend of the Galactic Heroes was intended to be set on a grand scale with an equally epic story, and the addition of some classical pieces to the soundtrack gave it that aesthetic. It's on the same scale as stories like Dune and includes some similar features, like a reigning Emporer, ruling houses, and political intrigue.
Fans of classical music will appreciate the various names that make up this distinguished list, and anyone new to the genre who wants a crash course can use this anime to do it. The most recognizable classical pieces on the soundtrack come from Mozart's Symphony No. 40 in G Minor. Excerpts from Gustav Mahler's Symphony No. 3 in D minor and his Symphony No. 6 in A minor also help immerse the audience in a vast and expansive setting.
2 Piano No Mori
Translated into English, this title is Forest of Piano, and it's about exactly that. Kai Ichinose lives nearby and doesn't have a happy home life. Occasionally, he escapes into this local green space to play the piano that happens to be sitting there. The mystery here is not why is there a piano in a forest, but that the piano is supposed to be broken and only Kai can play it.
The soundtrack features all the heavy hitters from the world of classical music, epecially piano. Aside from the many original pieces on the soundtrack written for piano, there's also Beethoven's For Elise and an excerpt from his Symphony No. 5, and Chopin's Waltz No. 6.
1 Puella Magi Madoka Magica
The name is often shortened to Madoka Magica, and it continued the proud tradition that other magical girl anime had started years ago, giving the genre new life. Related to that is the soundtrack composed by Yuki Kajiura, reminding viewers that classical music isn't a dead medium confined to earlier centuries.
Classical music composed in the 21st century can be modern, post-modern, or contemporary, and the music composed for this series is one great example. The music is often performed by an orchestra and on traditional, unplugged musical instruments. Pieces that include lyrics sound more like music one would expect from an anime, but there are plenty of purely instrumental pieces in the tradition of more conventional classical music.