I know most of us here like classical music and there are some performers here. I have a question: What is the single classical composition that touches you the most deeply?
I'm not a particular sensitive person but I'll start this off by citing a a work that reduces me to a quivering blob of protoplasm. From Jules Massenet's Thaïs, the beautiful Méditation for violin.
--- CHAS
To fit in comparison with Jules Massenet's "Méditation for violin" (which is terrific) I think other slow movements would be a good choice.
Here's a list imo of some great slow movements/adagios/andantes;
- Mozart; for me Mozart was the master of this style of writing.
Laudate Dominum K 339 for Soprano
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DcMtwJ9-qEI&feature=related
Concerto for Flute & Harp in C 2nd Mov K. 299
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pRVzdwDgegQ
Piano concerto no. 21 in C K 467 mvt 2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=df-eLzao63I
among many other fine slow pieces.
- Albinoni; Not the famous adagio which is really a modern variation by Remo Giazotto but the;
Oboe Concerto in D minor, Op. 9, No. 2 - Adagio. Wonderful!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vWU3kHXgxZc&feature=related
- Pachelbel's Canon
- Vivaldi; Tricky to get a performance today with the right tempo!!!
Sinfonia in b-minor Al Santo Sepolcro, RV 169, Adagio ('Shades of Red' by Matthias Maute, it's on iTunes)
Concerto 'Funebre' (funeral concerto) in B flat major RV579 (Vivaldi-Concerti con titoli by Fabio Biondi/Europa Galante, also on iTunes)
- Handel;
Theodora - 'As with rosy steps the morn'
Serse - 'Ombra mai fu' (The late, great Lorraine Hunt Lieberson sings these beautifully.)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IQlt1UxjvWU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U9Jh7DF1nxY
- Bach;
Air on the G String, BMV 1068
Cantata Wachet auf BWV 140. 4. Chorale, 'Zion hört die Wächter singen'
Well Tempered Clavier I. - Prelude 1 in C Major BWV846a
Beethoven;
- Piano Concerto #5 In E Flat, Op. 73, "Emperor" - 2. Adagio Un Poco Mosso
- Piano Sonata No. 8 In C Min 2: Adagio (Pathetique) op.13
- Piano Sonata No. 14 In C-Sharp Min (Moonlight) 1 mov op 27:2
- Chopin;
Prelude, Op. 10, No. 4, in e minor
Op.27 no.2, Nocturne in D flat Major
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e0VhKERbhkE
and many more
- Delibes
Lakme, Flower Duet
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Qx2lMaMsl8
- Debussy
Reverie
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6LQzBlp93BA
Clair de lune
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DnB8rFVcQ8g&feature=related
Arabesque #1 in E
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4UMAEYbQnjE
Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun
- Rodrigo
Conceirto de Aranjuez 2nd movement
I think that's enough for now! BB ;-)
it's just in my humble opinion - imho -
Wow. That's a challenging question. I haven't really listened to classical music for years... Anyway, here are some of my personal "quivering blob of protoplasm" moments (I tend to be more into vocal music):
- Much of Purcell's music. Dido's lament("thy hand, Belinda"), Sweeter than Roses, Music for a While, Not all my torments, the Plaint ("O let me weep"), Man that is born of a woman (from the funeral music for Queen Mary)...
- Bach: Erbarme Dich from Matthäus Passion, Es ist vollbracht from Johannes Passion, Komm mein Jesu from cantata "Ich hatte viel Bekümmernis"
- Dowland's Lachrimae
- Schubert: Erlkönig, an die Musik
- Haydn's Creation: No.1 "Im Anfange schuf Gott Himmel und Erde"; No.30 "Von deiner Güt, o Herr und Gott"
- Mozart: Ach ich fühl's (Zauberflöte); finale from Don Giovanni
- Mahler: Das Trinklied vom Jammer der Erde (das Lied von der Erde), Wenn dein Mütterlein (Kindertotenlieder)
... and I realize now that I've mostly listed "music that tends to turn me into a sobbing mess", hehehe. I do listen to lighter stuff. Guess I'm just in a melancholic mood.
I love looking through this finding stuff that I haven't heard before, it's marvelous.
I'm quite fond of choral peices. My favorites have to be:
O Magnum Mysterium by Lauridsen (I cannot listen without a tear in my eye)
Beati Quorum Via by Stanford
I have also never heard a requiem I didn't like.
Verdi's is my favorite.
movement 7 requiem aeternam is gorgeous
as well as movement 2 lacrimosa.
The Kyrie by Haydn
Mozart's Lacrimosa, Kyrie, Confutatis
the 2nd and 6th movement from Brahms
(When I performed this with the symphony I could barely sing correctly because I was too busy crying, I'm not sure why, but it is truly amazing)
Just instrumental wise:
Mozart: Quintet in Eb for Piano, Oboe, Clarinet, Horn, and bassoon, movement 2 Laghetto.
Bassoon Concerto
Symphony no. 25 in G minor
Poulenc: Sonata for Basoon and Clarinet
Siennicki: Two Impromptus
That's all I can think of right now..
lildark wrote;
"here are some of my personal "quivering blob of protoplasm" moments..."
There are some great sad pieces of classical music including the mentioned Dido's Lament, "thy hand, Belinda". Here are a few;
- John Dowland/Bennett "Weep, O mine eyes"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=17zrhtVa-1A
- Monteverdi, 'Lasciate mi morire'
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=umuzHjb70hE&feature=related
- Byrd "Elegy on the death of Thomas Tallis"
http://jfa.sbcs.qmul.ac.uk/~john/webstar/john/Wolftooth/Music/Muses.html
(download is slow)
- Tchaikovsky symphony #6 in B minor, Pathétique, Adagio lamentoso
- Bach- Crucifixus - Mass in B minor
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9BmB7vL6pNQ&feature=related
BB ;-)
it's just in my humble opinion - imho -
i'm just a bourgeoise clod, so forgive me for my ham handed choices, but here goes:
Bruno's Death March, by Wagner. Used in opening and finale of movie Excalibur
that soprano part salieri hears in his head while reading mozarts score, the song of forgiveness, then he finally drops the score because its too much. I agree. reduces me to blubber.
The final fanfare from the Nutcracker, Tchaikovsky.
Pictures at an Exhibition, Mussorgsky. Played percussion on this for orchestra in college. The hair on my arms stood up, and my eyes welled with tears involuntarily, so it was difficult to read the music.
Also Sprach Zarathustra. Strauss. From 2001: A Space Odyssey.
Beethovens 9th, specifically Ode to Joy
Nessun Dorma, as sung by Pavarotti. Does that count as classical? I'm counting it.
Rhapsody in Blue, George Gershwin. Maybe my favorite of all. Does that count as classical? I dont care, I'm counting it.
[deleted]
"Beethoven's 7th, I - Easily my favorite symphony, and for nothing else other than the fact that I cant get it out of my head after I hear it... digs its way in there"
interesting choice I love the slow movement in particular. It has such a churning tormented feeling in triplet climax section, I tried to share it with my three year old and it scared the crap out of her. oops.
Bachiannas Brasileiras- Heitor Villa-Lobos
Spectre de la rose- Berlioz
For Mozart I would say the Requiem
As a 'bourgeois clod' myself, I think you have made splendid choices. I have no problem with 'Rhapsody In Blue' and 'Nessun Dorma' as great classical works.
--- CHAS
This:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AyRzsQdeakE
I struggle to find anything more beautiful than this.
Wow!
shareBach's Goldberg variations, specifically the aria and variation 13 as performed by Murray Perahia. Also Mozart's Piano Concerto no.20 in D minor and the Requiem. too many pieces to list really, I love classical so much!
From now on, please try to not split infinitives
In the movie Amadeus, what is the piece that plays at the beginning as Salieri cuts his throat?
shareFor me it's a toss-up between Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata (which brings me to tears EVERY time I listen to it) and Puccini's Un Bel Di Vedremo. Not sure if an operatic aria should be included, but I love it and have done so since in the womb (according to my mother).
http://www.myspace.com/raineduponraven
Operatic arias are just fine .. they encompass some of the most moving music ever composed. When I posed this question way back in July, my tearjerker, although not an aria, is from Thaïs an opera by Jules Massenet.
I've been having fun reading about the wonderful choices that everyone has been citing.
--- CHAS
symphony no.25 in g minor by Mozart
From now on, please try to not split infinitives
Above all, from Wagner's Ring, it has to be Siegfried's death and the whole last scene of the Gotterdammerung. In Solti's recording you can enjoy the magnificent harmony of the work to the fullest (except live, ofcourse)
Then lots by Mozart, The Prague Symphony 1st movement, Arias from Le nozze di Figaro, too many to mention all.
Beethoveen Symphony No. 7 (Movmt II in particular)
Brahms German Requiem
Barber Adagio for Strings
Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 15
Grieg's Holberg Suite
Beethoven's Symphony No. 6
[deleted]
My favourite classical pieces are the ones that make my heart jump and / or reduce me to tears.
Mozart: "Requiem"; "Cenar a teco m'invitasti" from Don Giovanni; "Serenade for Winds"
Bach: "Air on a G String"
Rossini: Barber of Sevillie Overture
Bizet: "Danse Boheme" from Carmen
Pachebel: Canon in D
Verdi: "Va, pensiero, sull'ali dorate" from Nabucco
Puccini: "Nessum Dorma" from Turandot (sung by Pavarotti :) )
Beethoven: "Moonlight Sonata"; the Allegretto from his Symphony #7
Schubert's 8th. Especially the last oboe solo, those three simple notes. Tis beautiful.
shareThe Enigma Variations by Elgar, and Peer Gynt by Grieg. Both have excellent viola parts, which speak volumes for the composers- if you have a piece with a *beep* viola part, the piece just lacks for that extra oomph it could have had. (As you can tell, I'm a violist.)
In terms of Mozart, who I adore (good or bad viola parts), I enjoyed playing his Requiem and Symphony No. 25 in G minor.
Beethoven's piano concerto in C minor
share'Prélude à l'après-midi d'un faune' (Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun) by Claude Debussy.
From beginning to end it is so beautiful and emotional.
Bach-st matthew's passion, O Haupt voll Blut und Wunden
wagner-the love/death or whatever song from Tristan und Isolde, the ultimate autoerotic song
gonoud--Faust, avant de quitter ce lieu
Mozart--requiem, espeically the song requiem aeternum
Mozart--Serenade for Winds
Mozart-Il mio tesoro intanto, from Don G.
Mozart-Voi che sapete, from Marriage of Figaro
Mozart-La ci darem la mano, from Don G.
Mahler--Adagietto, symphony #5
Wagner-forest murmurs, The Ring
Wagner-Siegfried's rhine journey, the Ring
Wagner-Siegfried's funeral
Wagner-Parsifal
Rachmaninoff--Variations on a theme of Paganini
donizetti-the sextet from Lucia di Lamermoor
Handel-the messiah, specifically, the chorus Surely
Casta Diva from Norma, sung by Maria Callas
Finally, the best
Beethoven--Symphony Number 7
Every once in a while, I hear something by Ravel on PBS that reminds me that this man is a great composer, and the song Bolero works to wreck his reputation.
Shostakovitch Symphony #4
"Whenever Mrs. Kissell breaks wind, we beat the dog."