"Gershwin Fantasy" Joshua Bell w/John Williams and the London Symphony on Sony Classical.
I just picked this up after hearing on PBS and the whole album is spellbinding. A must have for Gershwin fans. On "Embraceable You" Bell and the Orchestra change keys 3 times on one passage, talk about achingly beautiful, a definite qualifier. |
"Cat Scratch Fever"Ted Nugent
It such sounded fitting! |
I will stand on the adagios on Schubert's late string quartets, see above. Lately though,I have really gone back to very early American music like Jimmie Rodgers and the Carter Family. Call it country music or even hillbilly music, I really do not care. But I have been quite smitten by the Hank Williams, Sr mystique. His acoustic music with just him and his flat body Martin/ Gibson has to be the most achingly beautiful music around. Hauntingly beautiful.
Even goose bump beautiful. Pitiful beautiful, what ever. He LIVED his songs. The original recordings are scratchy, lots of wow and flutter, but his voice does shine through. About the only two people I know on Audiogon who actually listen to Hank are myself and Albert. Most people probably are not familar with his body of work or do not care to know. But I will say this: 100 years from now, in America, at least, if not England, too( yes the Brits love Hank, for some strange reason the Swiss do too, maybe its the yodeling) Hank's music will be around. |
surf by roddy frame,
O by damien rice
anything sad off american 4 by johhny cash. |
Adagio from Albinoni's Concerto for Oboe in D Major |
Rachmaninoff's 2nd Symphony 3rd movement is the pinnacle as far as I'm concerned. As for "pop" music, off the top of my head I think of "When We Dance" by Sting, but there are many others. Then there is the achingly beautiful compositions in the filmusic genre. Bernard Herrmann's love theme from "White Witch Doctor" (get past the title) or finale from "Fahrenheit 451"....and there is Victor Young's hearbreakingly beautiful love theme from "The Left Hand of God" or Franz Waxman's theme from "Peyton Place" or Alex North's deeply emotional theme from "Spartacus." |
Mahler symphony 5, the 2nd movement and the 4th (Adagietto) movment. Best recording conducted by Eliahu Inbal with the Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra and manufacture by Denon. I have more than 6 versions but this one is the BEST |
albinoni- you'd think he'd have written a lot more music as incredibly beautiful as the adagio. i have a vote for Spirit's haunting alblum- CLEAR, with the song by that name. is anyone here a randy california fan (guitarist in Spirit)?
4 of the best prog.rock alblums ever recorded. then there's ac jobim- black orpheus- timeless/exquisite/beautiful, etc.... |
another song popped into my head- the smother's brothers tv show, where they ended it with "day is done" by peter, paul and mary, and the entire audience joins in... the good ol' sixties y'know... get out the kleenex, quick!! |
I have many favorites...but most fitting of the "achingly beautiful" description is the last movement from the Sibelius 2nd Symphony, slow movement from Beethoven's "Pathetique" Piano Sonata, and almost all of Sibelius's 5th Symphony. |
ciao..do you like the concerto k.488? Hear it with Istvan Kertesz (conductor)and Clifford Curzon (pianist)..is a Decca cd (with k.466 great!)..Hear also Korngold violin concerto is very very very beautiful! |
I haven't read every post over the last 4 years, but two off the top of my head that I haven't seen mentioned:
Grieg - "Ase's Death" from Peer Gynt
Dylan - Girl From the North Country
If you aren't involved by Peer Gynt "driving" his dying mother to heaven through this music, well, nothing will save you. |
Agree with the adagio from Albinoni Oboe Concerto in D - truly haunting. Massenet's Meditation from Thais. The so-called 'Flower Duet' from Delibe's Laksme - ('Dome epais le jardin', or something like that)
On the more folk-jazz-pop front; Sandy Denny's 'Carnival' from the album 'Like an Old Fashioned Waltz';
Van Morrison's 'When the Heart is Open' from the 'Common One' album. |
indigo girls- southland in the springtime, off of nomads, indians, & saints. |
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Roger that; Samba pa ti.
For something off the beaten path, but definitely in the achingly beautiful category, try the track 'Theme From Harry's Game' on Clannad's 'Past Present' album. It is a deeply melancholy, but soaringly melodic dirge, sung in Gaelic by Enya, before she was known as a one-name new- age solo act. A fitting lament for the Irish troubles, as portrayed in the excellent, little known British film: 'Harry's Game'.
Back to the classics; Song of India, Rimsky-Korsakoff, (lonely stevedore working on the Volga river in Russia pines for his homeland) and the penetrating (in a good way) violin solos from Scheherezade, 3rd and 4th movements, same composer. |
Classical choice would be Puccini's La Boheme but it has to be Beecham's version on EMI, with Jose Bjorling and Vittoria
De LosAngeles. If you hate opera listen to this, both have sublime voices.
Contempory and not that contempory, Joni Mitchell's "Blue" my theme songs in my years of teenage angst |
Just in time for Xmas...
"Over the Rhine"'s classic album "Good Dog Bad Dog"
and their latest double CD called "Ohio"
PeAK |
1) Cat Stevens- Sad Lisa
2) Bob Seeger- Turn the Page
3) Jethro Tull- Christmas Song |
Barber's Adagio For Strings!, of course! |
Many of Pat Metheny's tunes qualify for me. |
I'm new here and am absolutely floored by this thread, its, its, its, you know! I started to read some of the comments and them went back and started to copy and paste as much as I could, as this is a wellspring of information Thanks to all!!
Also to Terryhut, if you really want ache added to the aural add a dash of visual... Galipoli/Albinoni... we all know the scene. |
As to Golfrok's nomination of Pat Metheny, allow me to specify his rendition of 'Ferry, Cross the Mersey' on the recently released 'One Quiet Night' Album.
For all you youngsters out there, that tune was originally a hit for Gerry and the Pacemakers on the first wave of the British Invasion - what would that be '64, '65? Had some of my first slow dances to that one. |
There has been some achingly beautiful music written in the last 400 years. Interestingly, all of my choices are from the last century. Here goes:
Samuel Barber- Adagio for Strings
Gustav Holst- The Planets
John Coltrane- Ballads |
Mahler: Ich bin der Welt: from Ruckert Songs
Mahler: Der Abschied: from Das Lied von der Erde
Mahler: Adagietto: from Symphony No. 5
Rachmaninov: 18th variation from Paganini Variations
Korngold: Marietta's song: from Die tote Stadt
The renditions of these pieces that I prefer are respectively:
(1) Janet Baker
(2) Janet Baker or Brigitte Fassbaender or Dietrich Fischer- Dieskau (with Kletzki, but NOT Bernstein)
(3) Barbirolli/New Philharmonia
(4) Stephen Hough, Andrew Litton/Dallas SO
(5) Renee Fleming |
Not sure if anyone has mentioned it already, but Warren Zevon's cover of "Knockin' on Heaven's Door" is both beautiful and a heartstring-tugger, given that he recorded it in the last month's of his life. |
My vote is for Mozarts Eine Kleine Nacht Musik, Budapest String Quartet. My Lp is old and worn- wish i could find another copy.
Another which moves me is Django's "Nuage". My favorite is on a French label CD. There are many poor recordings of Djangos music which do not do him justice. But he had the FIRE (no pun intended, no disrespect).
One more, Otis Reddings- Try A Litlle Tenderness.
Great Thread!!! |
Chet Baker's "The touch of your lips" 1979 / Copeland's "Fanfare for the Common Man" - MN Orchestra - Prof Johnson HDCD / Bukkene Bruse "Wedding March from Osterdalen" Northside 2002 sampler |
Many choices, but Vaughan William's 5th symphony comes to mind. |
"Brothers in Arms" by Dire Straits hurts me. |
Django's Nuage. Makes me want to cry.
Toots and The Maytals- Take me Home, Country Road. Toots loves his West Jamaica, he does not like to tour for that reason. I consider him right there with Otis redding, Aretha Franklin.
Of course, Beethovens 9th.
Mozarts Eine Kleine Nacht Music, Budapest Quartet.
Otis Redding's Try a Little Tenderness.
Wilson Picket 6345789
Stevie Wonder Innervisions
Great thread! |
...from Saxophone Colossus is incredible. Much late-50's Art Pepper will give you goosebumps....Coltrane's A Love Supreme is up there of course....Anita O'Day singing "Sweet Georgia Brown" and "Tea for Two" in the film Jazz on a Summer's Day always kills me..."Perfect Day" by Lou Reed stikes me as a perfect song...and TOOL's Aenima is awesome... |
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. |
Faure's Requiem, in the original version, by Herreweghe on Harmonia Mundi. This is one of the most intimate, serenely beautiful, and works in the catalog (that I have ever heard). Sounds nothing(!) like the fully orchestrated version, or even Herreweghe's later version made with large forces, which is also excellent by any standard. I would choose this for my own memorial service! |
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. |
Drubin, HMC901292 "Faure/Messe De Requiem".
The other version by Herreweghe with larger orchestral forces is HMC901771. This includes an excellent Franck Symphony in B minor. Both are scaled down from the typical performances and are very enjoyable if for no other reason than that. But their are other reasons! :-) If you've got a spare $18 buy both. |
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.) |
You can't buy too much music! But FWIW, how embarrassing can it be to be browsing thru a record store and see something thats really appealing, buy it and when you get home find out you have a copy. Been there, done that! :-) |
Me too. Dar Williams "The Honesty Room" comes to mind. |
Mendelson Symphony #5 the Finale. It's very beautiful to me. |
the first track on Rufus Wainwright's "Want Two" is not bad.
There is a fine heart string puller on Tom Wait's recent "Real Gone" called "The Day After Tomorrow" what about Polish trumpeter Tomasz Stanko "Suspended Night" the whole of that album is full of hauntingly beautiful music. These are few examples from recent purchases but the list could go on and on. |
Drubin, Newbee, find the Delos recording of the Voices of Ascension (downtown from you, Drubin, in Manhattan) singing the Durufle Requiem, I think you may find that to your liking as well. They're style of singing (flat tone) serves the plainsong origins of the Durufle perfectly. |
Antony and the Johnsons, "Now I am a Bird". Angelic voice, nicely recorded. |
I'd have to second Papertrail's choice, "Brothers in Arms" definitely an emotional and beautiful song.
I can’t imagine a Vietnam veteran who could listen to that without losing it. I was never in the war, but I’ve had to turn it off a couple of times to avoid falling apart. I admit it. |
On any given day, my list will change. Woe is me, there is too much good music! Here is today's list.
1.Bach, Liebster Gott, wenn will ich sterben? The recent Suzuki/Bis release has A+ sonics and B+ performance (Herrewehge on Harmonia Mundi is even more touching, but dated sonics) As you listen, think about the joyful, eager anticipation with which death was anticipated at that time.
2/Schutz - Die Sieben Worte Jesu Christi am Kretz,( Suzuki/Bis is a good bet, the older John Elliot Gardner is better, but dated sonics again.
3. Beethoven, symphony 7, 2nd movement- Live performance by Mario Venzago and Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, June 2003- This was the most beautiful performance of any music, live or recorded, I have ever heard. Wow! I was stunned, and fighting back the tears. Telarc needs to come to Indy and see what's happening here! |
"last goodbye" jeff buckley. also one of the best songs of all time. |
ditto joysmechanicalboy's choice! |
Artg & Joymechanicalboy,
Skip about 4 songs down on the same album..."Lover,
you should have come over." What a weeper! |
i know and love that one too. that whole album is beautiful |
Isn't it? One of my top-10, for certain.
If you like that, try out Nick Drake "Pink Moon".
I really enjoy Tim Buckley as well! |
