Though "love in the time of quarantine" can be awkward—New Yorkers need romance this Valentine's Day. Forget the quarantine sweat pants, the smell of leftover takeout, and sharing a crowded New York apartment—if you can find a quiet corner for a quick cuddle, these masterpieces from our classical music collection could melt the cast iron off even the most rusted radiator.

These can all be borrowed from the Library on CD or listened to from home via the Naxos Music Library.

5.) Richard Strauss's  "Dance of the Seven Veils" from Salomé  

This piece is so sexy, it was briefly banned by the Metropolitan Opera after its debut in 1907. Richard Strauss's opera, Salomé was essentially inspired by the original striptease act. Strauss manipulates the audience into willing submission while they listen enraptured to the  trills and tones of these pulsing dance crescendos as they are carried into ever higher and more heated near-frenzy, following Salome's sensuous movements. This may be Strauss 's most provocative production...as long as you don't try to think too hard about the incest, necrophilia and excessive misogyny holding up the opera behind it.

4.) Franz Liszt "Liebestraum Number 3"

"I was dead from love's bliss; I lay buried in her arms; I was wakened by her kisses; I saw heaven in her eyes," are only a few phrases of Uhland's passionate poem, that inspired sizzling "sturm und drang"-filled foray into liebeslieder. Liszt might have known a thing or two about romance since for most of his performing career, the attractive Hungarian was chased throughout Europe by fans, and women were known to faint at the sight of him. This particular work, literally named "Love Dream"was written out of his ignited and arduous passion for the Marie du Pleissis, a courtesan known for her own captivating powers of seduction and charm (whom some may know as the inspiration for 'La Dame aux Camélias or "Camille").

3.) Rachmaninov's "Piano Concerto Number 2"

Don't ask for whom the bells toll... this music might need a warning sign! In a 2014 academic paper, psychology students at Wesleyan University described experiencing "thrills, chills and skin orgasms" from the body resonance of just hearing this piano concerto. Rachmaninov was always indulgent to his emotions but after the disastrous delivery and rabid rejection of his first symphony, the composer truly poured all of his brooding, sensitivity and soul- searching into  creating this masterpiece. Perhaps  this is why it has appeared in numerous films including  some rather famous entanglement's in Marilyn Monroe's The Seven Year Itch, David Lean's Brief Encounter and Clint Eastwood's Hereafter.  

2.) Beethoven's "Overture to Egmont"

Beethoven isn't the first face that comes to mind, when we think sexy...but  listeners might feel musicologist Richard Meyer's description of "the dark foreboding, the intense turmoil, and the jubilation of heroic victory" has a resonating poignance. Prepare to be engulfed, whisked away, vulnerable, forlorn and finally redeemed in this all-encompassing, insatiable installation of instrumental intrigue and exhausting emotions.

1.) Ravel's Bolero 

Ravel originally wrote this as a seductive Spanish suite for the ravishing Russian performer, Ida Rubinstein. However, due to it's tempo, the piece has come to stand on its own and held the test of time as a lingering ode to love's labours.  Among classics fans, Bolero is almost synonymous with seduction. In fact, it is credited with not only launching Bo Derek's career in the seductive tragi-comedy film, 10, this piece is so iconically partnered with seduction that Dean and Torvil re-invigorated it in their award winning ice dancing performance on Valentine's Day where they both finished first at the 1984 Winter Olympics.  When used as an orchestral practice excercise, the performance of the  Bolero can last anywhere from 12 to 20  minutes, but that depends on the skill of the instrumentalists...