“One can’t live without saying goodbye,” goes a French song.  And, it’s true: Life is full of farewells. We leave home, switch jobs, end relationships, travel, retire, and ultimately leave this world.

Much of this has found its way into music for the concert hall and stage. As you might expect, more than a few of these pieces are sad, but a surprising number take a more nuanced view—and several have fun with the whole idea.

In this hour, farewell music by Haydn, Beethoven, Chopin, Wagner, Prokofiev, and more.

FEATURED RECORDINGS