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?
I'd like to add "Lush Life" by Ella Fitzgerald accompanied by Joe Pass on Pablo, 1974. Her real-life unrequited love is palpable in this rendition and Pass's sensitive backing is perfect. Great suggestions from all.
Great thread! I think I get all tied up in the equipment sometimes and forget that it's ultimately about the music. I can't wait to start looking into the music mentioned on this thread :-) and after I do, I'll list some that moved me.
Lulu's "To Sir With Love" can't not have been mentioned yet. It's a long list. The studio version is much better than the halting soundtrack. Melts your heart.
Oh..so many special moments; hearing that one track for the first time and then over and over again....
For me some of the most aching (sorry can't list only 3): 1. Portishead - entire record Dummy 2. Hooverponics - Sit Down and Listen... 3. Mark Hollins (ex Talk Talk...if you heard their last album Laughing Stock - you know what I mean...he just continued in that direction of crying music) 4. Some tracks from the 70s; such as Van Der Graaf Generator/ Peter Hammill, Few from Pink Floyd...old Genesis 5. 80s created some of them too; and don't laugh but how about Frankie Goes to Hollywood - The Power of Love, Crowded House, etc... (too many individual tracks to list)
Water for Elephants, James Newton Howard. An inspired and brilliant piece of music, recorded by the master scoring mixer, Shawn Murphy. I cannot get enough of this modern masterpiece. Brad
Almarg: After I had to put my dog down, I had a dream we were playing in the yard. The whole time we were playing, I heard Chopin's piano sonata No. 3...........maybe I shouldn't have posted this.
for me it's earth, wind and fire's sun goddess and gratitude album and santana's greatest hits and smooth jazz volume 2. I use these sound tracks to test my various solid state and tube systems and my electrostat and planar loudspeakers. Hearing various instruments is what moves me. I didn't know a few watts on a well made tube amp and tube cdp on an ess heil 1D modified would sound so live!
All late Beethoven, but in particular: String Quartet Opus 131 - Adagio ma non troppo e molto espressivo Piano Sonote Opus 106 (Hammerklavier) - Adagio Sostenuto Piano Sonote Opus 111 - Arietta: Adagio molto, semplice e cantabile
Beatles' Love DVD-A, Tchaikovskys' Nuycracker Suite, and from way back in the country, the songs and melodies of Hank Williams Senior with his MoJo slide guitarist.
Bander, Remember that its a recurring theme...background so it won't jump out at you--however...for whatever reason, it really, really hit me hard that melody. I do hope you enjoy it as much as I did--both the music and the movie.
Funny how things seem appropriate when you're finally paying attention. I just saw the movie, "Hereafter", by the one and only Clint Eastwood. I'm not aware that it was a 'smash' or even received all that well, but it was magnificent in so many ways; the most important way it was so, was the 'main theme'...and according to the end credits, 'music by Clint Eastwood'...I believe he wrote it. It's a story about the mystical, magical 'hereafter' which some have described in near death experiences, and the obvious, oft told similarities of these tales. It's not preachy, or even religious, just a telling of several people whose lives become linked through the commonalities of experience--and the music, the main theme is breathtakingly beautiful. Eastwood is the master of subtleties (strange after, "Make my day", isn't it?) But he repeats the main theme melody line through the movie, using orchestra, solo electric guitar, piano...and it absolutely took my breath away. Fans of music and great movies should run, not walk to the video store, (Red Box these days, or Netflix) and rent this movie. Better yet, go to Target...they're selling regular DVD's for ridiculous prices and folks, THIS IS A KEEPER! Don't miss it.
Good listening, (watching too) PS: For the hornier of us out there, there's an incredibly sensual scene in which Damon and Byce Dallas Howard, (Ron Howard's daughter)are taking cooking classes and have to identify various foods while blindfolded---very sexy stuff, though really PG and only an actively horny mind like mine and Albert Porter's would notice.lol Funny how that led me to remember my comments on how being blindfolded (for listening tests) causes some emotional/intellectual/sense,disconnect and IMHO invalidates most such tests.
Sigur Ros "Hvart/Heim", Lisa Batiashvili "Sulkhan Tsintsadze", Arvo Part "Tabula Rasa" (Kremer/Jarrett version), Gorecki Symphony No. 3, Explosions in the Sky "The Earth Is Not A Cold Dead Place", Coltrane "A Love Supreme", Copland "Appalachian Spring", Bach 6 Suites for Cello Solo.
OK - so there's not one, top of the heap "most achingly beautiful"...many great recommendations as a result. A couple of things I'm listening to lately that seem to qualify for inclusion:
1) 4th of July, Asbury Park (Sandy) from Springsteen's "The Wild the Innocent and....".
2) Fake Plastic Trees from Radiohead's "The Bends"
Apologies if I'm simply duplicating someone else's earlier suggesions.
Johnny Frigo with Buck and John Pizzarelli Live from Studio A in New York City (SACD)
Recorded with a single stereo mic, at the RCA Studios in New York, the music is exquisite and the recording is one of the most natural sounding Live albums that I had the pleasure of hearing!
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