From the popular Piano Adventures series by Nancy and Randall Faber, it is interesting to note that the 2011 version of the book calls this a traditional Russian folk song, while an older version includes the Ukrainian name Ikhav Kozak za Dunaj and its English translation, “Lead On, Black Horse.”

The original lyrics of this Italian song celebrate the picturesque waterfront district Borgo Santa Lucia, in the Guilf of Naples with an invitation from a boatman to take a ride in his boat to enjoy the cool evening.

The French classic, Le Cygne is the final movement of The Carnival of the Animals by Camille Saint-Saëns and is best known as a cello solo.

Sakura refers to cherry blossoms, which are celebrated in art, film and music in Japan. 

This song about a Spanish horseman uses arpeggios at the beginning and end to imitate the quick chords and strum that is well-known in Spanish classical guitar music.

Bongos are an Afro-Cuban percussion instrument consisting of a pair of small open bottomed hand drums of different sizes.

A piano favorite in my family, this song tells of the amazing resilence of native Alaskans living in the land of “ice and snow.”

Based on the Haitian song “Yellow Bird,” this piece highlights the famous calypso rhythm of the Caribbean.

In this piece, Canadian composer Truax uses glissando on the piano to imitate the strum of the guitar that is associated with traditional Hawaiian folk music.

This Italian song is called Tarantella because, as the story goes, a boy bitten by a tarantula danced and danced to the tune until the poison perspired from his body.

As the title suggests, this piece represents one of the seasons in Antonio Vivaldi’s well-known violin concertos, The Four Seasons.

One of the most famous American folk songs, Yankee Doodle actually began with British soldiers making fun of Americans soldiers and their perceived lack of refinement. Later, ironically, British soldiers sang it to American soldiers as a sign of respect at their surrender.

Beethoven’s famous Symphony No. 5 in C minor, Op. 67 is sometimes called the “Fate Symphony” because the opening notes sound like fate knocking at the door.

Though the composer of Hungarian Dance No. 5 in G minor is German, Brahms toured with Hungarian violinist Ede Reményi in his early years as a composer, and this song has since been tied to Memories of Bártfa by Hungarian composer Béla Kéler.

From Norwegian composer Edvard Grieg’s Peer Gynt Suite No. 1, Morning is one of the most often played melodies in classical music. 

Also from Grieg’s Peer Gynt Suite No. 1, Op. 46, this easily recognizable theme about a troll king has attained iconic status in popular culture and has been arranged by many artists.

The song Jôdi Tor Dak Shune Keu Na Ase Tôbe Ekla Chôlo Re by Rabindranath Tagore exhorts the listener to continue their journey, despite abandonment or lack of support from others. It is often quoted in the context of sociopolitical movements and translates: “If no one responds to your call, then go your own way alone.”

A rendition of Auld Lang Syne, Tagore’s Purano Sei Diner Katha is a Bengali folk song that forms one of the recognizable tunes in Rabindra Sangeet, a body of work consisting of 2,230 songs and lyrical poems that form the backbone of Bengali music.

The Pavane in F-sharp minor, Op. 50, is a short work by the French composer Gabriel Fauré and is titled after the slow processional Spanish court dance of the same name.

Bāng Chhun-hong is a Taiwanese song composed by Teng Yu-hsien and written by Lee Lin-chiu. It tells the story of a young girl admiring a handsome boy from afar and being tricked by the breeze when she thinks it’s a knock at the door.

An important song in both Taiwan and Japan, Rainy Night Flower is also the original of the Japanese song Ameno Yono Hana. Popular during World War II, this is a sad song about the pedals of the flower being beaten down in the rain and follows a story of a woman beaten down by life. It is also titled “The Torment of a Flower.”

A more modern Taiwanese song, Long De Chuan Ren was written by Hou Dejian in 1978. Originally written to protest, this song has a complex history as it became highly successful in Taiwan as a nationalistic anthem, was used in mainland China as a call for unification, and was adopted as an anthem by protestors at Tiananmen Square, while still being promoted by the state in China, as well as in Taiwan.