Most achingly-beautiful music

John Cage's In a Landscape (perhaps intellectually beautiful as opposed to achingly so). Also Barber's Adagio for Strings (as many have said) and parts (at least) of the Rutter Requiem. Also that brief passage of music the Grateful Dead played coming out of the first-ever Wharf Rat on 2/18/71, which appears on the So Many Roads boxed set as Beautiful Jam. And Ramblin' Jack Elliott's 912 Greens (the original recording).

Another strong vote for Lux Aeterna. This is great stuff. I find it quite peculiar that here I am, a 50 year old one-time Deadhead Jew with a growing fondness for sacred choral music. My Dad calls it Sacred Schmaltz. I love the place this music takes me to.

Not quite achingly beautiful, more like lilting ear candy, but Morten Lauridsen's 4 minute piece called Dirait-on sure has captured my fancy. It's the last of several pieces from his cycle called Les Chansons des Roses, which are poems by Rilke that Lauridsen set to music. I have 3-4 recordings of it now. As I said, it's ear candy. Might be the next Pachelbel's Canon (I regret to say).

That's a great piece. Acid Classical, IMO.

A fellow A'goner just turned me on to the 1986 recording of the USSR Ministry of Culture Chamber Choir performing the Rachmaninoff Vespers. If ever there was achingly beautiful, this be it. A must-have if you like choral music. MOS 18733.

Newbee, can you provide more information on that specific recording? There are at least two by Herreweghe on HM and I want to get the one you are referring to.

Oh s**t! I just realized I have that, and on hybrid SACD no less. Have to give a listen tonight. (I buy too much music.)

Me too. Dar Williams "The Honesty Room" comes to mind.