Domenico Scarlatti composed well over 500 keyboard sonatas. These single-movement works are usually in a binary form and intended for performance on the main keyboard instrument of his time, the harpsichord. (Disclaimer: Selections in this Royalty Free Music Collection may be used for non-commercial purposes. For use in a commercial project, please see the FAQ page [...]

Listen Now:

Another one of Bach’s greatest hits. This prelude from the first volume of The Well-Tempered Clavier is studied by almost every piano student at some point. It provides the harmonic backdrop for the Bach-Gounod Ave Maria. Well-Tempered tuning is still not quite the same as our modern equal tempered system, but is closer than the [...]

Listen Now:

Time for Sting Week once again. This piece is intended to be a “somebody just said something funny” type of musical sting. For some reason, I always feel like I need to use a double reed instrument in this type of situation. (Disclaimer: Selections in this Royalty Free Music Collection may be used for non-commercial purposes. [...]

Listen Now:

This very well known melody was originally written by Haydn (to words by Lorenz Haschka) for a birthday celebration for Emperor Francis II. This set of variations was composed shortly after for his string quartet Op. 76, No. 3, now referred to as the “Emperor” Quartet. Haydn intended to write music to rival Britain’s ‘God [...]

Listen Now:

An updated version of a musical sting originally written for The Arbiter Chronicles episode “Dreamer”. Another instance of words being used to inspire the rhythm in the musical idea. In this case, the line just before the sting, “Well, I never!” (Disclaimer: Selections in this Royalty Free Music Collection may be used for non-commercial purposes. For [...]

Listen Now:

Haydn’s Symphony No. 94 was first performed in 1792. One of his later “London” symphonies, these works were created at the height of his popularity and were incredibly well received. This 4th movement is a rondo, often used by Haydn for his finales. (Disclaimer: Selections in this Royalty Free Music Collection may be used for non-commercial [...]

Listen Now:

A short musical sting providing a little taste of suspense or even creepiness. A musical version of the hairs sticking up on the back of the neck. This composition marks the first for Sting Week in The Royalty Free Music Collection podcast. Every other week will be a short (less than 10 second) piece that can [...]

Listen Now:

This piece has probably been used for almost every cartoon segment showing Spring with birds chirping and flying about. So, most people probably haven’t heard more than the first 17-20 seconds. Still fewer probably know that it was composed by Felix Mendelssohn. The piece is actually from Book V of the Songs Without Words (Lieder Ohne [...]

Listen Now:

Another slight extension outside the norm for The Royalty Free Music Collection so far. The main goal here was… to get funky… And have more fun playing with mixing and transposing different loops to create a piece of bed music. (Disclaimer: Selections in this Royalty Free Music Collection may be used for any non-commercial project without [...]

Listen Now:

Elite Syncopations is one of Scott Joplin’s gems. Modern tastes for Ragtime have us expecting tempos much faster than how these were played in the early 1900s. This interpretation hopefully honors both the conventions of Joplin’s time, and will give the modern listener what they hope for and expect. (Disclaimer: Selections in this Royalty Free Music [...]

Listen Now: