Ultimately, we listen to music to be moved, for example, to be elated, exulted, calmed or pained. Which are the 3 most affecting pieces of music do you find the most affecting?
Mozart Violin Concerto #3: Anne-Sophie Mutter (DG set of Mozart violin concertos, 2006)
Beethoven Symphony #5: Herbert Von Karajan/Berlin Philharmonic (DG set of the 9 Beethoven symphonies, recorded in 1963 in the "old" concert hall in Berlin)
"The Girl in the Other Room": Diana Krall (CD by the same name)
Thanks, Tubegroover. Glad you enjoyed it! The text and some of the commentary at the link are a bit misleading, as Al Hibbler's recording of "Unchained Melody" was not the version used in the film. The song was sung in the film by an opera singer named Todd Duncan, as seen here. The Hibbler version, along with a couple of other versions which also became hits, were released around the same time. Innumerable other versions followed in later years and decades.
Saw Tom Harrell at the Vanguard this week...he played a song called "Journey to the Stars" (duet - piano and trumpet). It was as close as I've experienced to hearing a person's spirit, rather than his body, playing music...it was as though he disappeared entirely. Profoundly beautiful experience.
Speaking of popular songs from the 1950s, another one that I feel deserves mention in this thread is Al Hibbler's 1955 recording of "Unchained Melody."
The 1965 recording of that song by the Righteous Brothers, BTW, is probably the best known of the countless other covers which have been recorded, but IMO doesn't hold a candle to the Hibbler version.
I responded in this thread a few years ago, citing Chopin's Piano Sonata No. 3. On a very different note, and at the risk of taking some heat for being a sentimentalist, I'll mention "Tammy," by Debbie Reynolds, from 1957.
Tubegroover---"Don't Worry Baby" is just gorgeous! My first live concert was The Beach Boys in the Summer of '64, and when Brian sang the line "and she makes love to me" in DWB, the girls in the audience went completely insane. But I didn't really know insane until seeing The Beatles the following Summer. The screaming was absolutely deafening! I hate to say it, but The Beatles live were only okay, as far as I could tell. I was pretty close to the P.A. column on John's side of The Cow Palace stage, and could sort of hear the vocals.
Things were changing so rapidly in those times. Two years later I was seeing Cream, Hendrix, The Who, and The Grateful Dead live, and sound systems had come a long way in those two years. The stacks of Marshall and HiWatt guitar and bass amps and speaker cabinets were mostly for show, 'cause there was only one mic put in front of one driver in one cabinet of each player's stack. If you were close enough to the stage at The Fillmore or Winterland, however, you could hear sound directly from all the drivers in all the cabinets. My tinnitus proves I was!
Speaking of the Beach Boys, I've been on a recent binge of their music. Three of their pre Pet Sounds albums contained several really good examples of the progression of their harmonies and Brian's music chops, a real step up from the early Chuck Berry inspired riffs and the simple but lovely "In my Room" and "Surfer Girl" ballads. The first two songs off "Shut Down Volume 2" and last two from "Beach Boys Today" both recently remastered in both Stereo and mono versions. I haven't heard "Kiss me Baby" for 40 years at least, oh those teenage memories flooding back.
The Lark Ascending, Ralph Vaughan Williams Cité de la Musique, Dino Saluzzi Romance in F Minor, Dvorak I Loves You Porgy, Keith Jarrett (solo) A State of Wonder - the whole album, especially Gould's more recent take (Gould/Bach) The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face - Roberta Flack Cavatina – John Williams Claire de Lune – Debussy Como un fiore – Ludovico Einaudi (pretty much the whole Una Mattina album, which is exquisite) Le Mystère des Voix Bulgares - Messetschinko lio Greilivko
Domenico Zipoli, Elevazione for oboe, cello and strings. Ethereal music written in the early 18th century. Zipoli was a Jesuit missionary in Argentina. Ennio Morricone's score for the film "The Mission" (also beautiful) sounds thematically very similar. Coincidence?
Just saw Alison Krauss perform "Dimming of the Day" on the "Transatlantic Sessions 5" DVD. This old (1975) Richard Thompson song brought tears to me eyes.
Agree with Barrysandy, Moravec's Chopin recorded performances are something special. Newbee, thanks for the recommendation for the Brahms, I'll add that to the others I have.
Chopin Nocturnes & Moravec for sure, but equally engaging for me are some of Brahms Op 116, 117. and 118 pieces, especially his Op 117 Intermezzi. I like Kubalek's performances on Dorian, but there are many others.
1/ Mozart Clarinet Concerto in A major Adagio 2/ The Holy City as performed live by Charlotte Church in Jerusalem [watch on YouTube] 3/ A Whiter Shade of Pale by Procol Harum
I had a group of guys over a few weeks back and one brought a CD recording of "Pavorotti & Friends for Guatemala and Kosovo". One of the cuts really touched me and cuts the cloth of achingly beautiful to my ears "Tu che m' hai preso il cor" sung by Laura Pausini and Luciano Pavorotti. It is the unique voice of Pausini on this piece that caught my ear. There are versions of it on youtube, check it out, it is too beautiful to me. Cynics beware, it's probably not for you!
Well, maybe not "most" but make that only "achingly beautiful" and check out Tim Finn's "Imaginary Kingdom"...several tracks qualify for me (Astounding Moon; Salt to the Sea; Winter Light).
Saint-Saëns - The Swan Melanie Safka - The Saddest Song Roy Harper - Davey Janis Ian - Stars Sweet Sixteen - The Fureys, The Old Man Joan Baez (cover) - Forever Young Albatross - Peter Green La Petite Fille de la Mer - Vangelis
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