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! |
"Brothers in Arms" by Dire Straits hurts me. |
Many choices, but Vaughan William's 5th symphony comes to mind. |
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 |
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!!! |
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. |
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 |
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 |
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. |
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. |
Many of Pat Metheny's tunes qualify for me. |
Barber's Adagio For Strings!, of course! |
1) Cat Stevens- Sad Lisa
2) Bob Seeger- Turn the Page
3) Jethro Tull- Christmas Song |
Just in time for Xmas...
"Over the Rhine"'s classic album "Good Dog Bad Dog"
and their latest double CD called "Ohio"
PeAK |
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 |
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. |
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indigo girls- southland in the springtime, off of nomads, indians, & saints. |
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. |
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. |
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 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. |
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!! |
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.... |
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 |
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." |
Adagio from Albinoni's Concerto for Oboe in D Major |
surf by roddy frame,
O by damien rice
anything sad off american 4 by johhny cash. |
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. |
"Cat Scratch Fever"Ted Nugent
It such sounded fitting! |
"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. |
1. Beethoven's Archduke Trio defines achingly beautiful or maybe just hauntingly beautiful.
2. Kiri singing Dovo Sono from Marriage of Figaro
3. Elgar's Cello Concierto - Jacqueline du Pre - also defines more the ache than the beautiful |
Allright,
gotta step in and rag on this thread for a moment.
For some reason i read the title of this thread and i picture some 45 year old bald guy in extremly expencive clothes sitting on his chair with his head back and hands over his heart with a pained smile and tear in his eye, taking a deep breath and whimpering a little as he exhales.
Oh, it is so beautiful it hurts! It is like it was written for me! -sniff- Me! Oh, how it aches.
BAH HAH HAH HAH SHUTTUP!
I like good music, and yes there is plenty of good music out there, and some very beautiful passages, but there is no music out there that makes me ribbit-up like a frog and cry.
Maybe im just too calloused.
Anyways, in my opinion, some of the most beautiful music is from the Legendary Pink Dots. Either the "Crushed Velvet Apocalyplse LP" or the "9 Lives to Wonder" Cd. Both beautiful, the latter album can get extremly haunting though.
Sorry, but i had to throw that in, ive been too good for too long! :)
-Slappy, Ruler of Planet Earth- |
Solveig's Song on The Very Best of Lucia Popp (EMI Classics double CD). Whenever I play that for someone they are quiet for a few moments before saying that it was one of the most beautiful pieces of music they ever heard. Popp to me has hands down the most beautiful voice of any Soprano on record, and these 2 CD's should be in the collection of everyone who loves the female voice. |
There are too many to mention but I'll name 3 that come to mind because of the way the music moves me. Mary Chapin Carerpenter's "John Doe no. 24" from the "Stones in The Road CD", Diana Krall's rendition of Joni Mitchell's "Case Of You" from "Live In Paris", and some of the music from the soundtrack of the Ken Burns film "Lewis and Clark". |
gotta second mozart's k.466 piano concert #20 D minor. My favorite Mozart work and up with my favorite songs of all time. All three movements are amazing, but how he weaves and builds everything to a climax in the development leading to the recap is just goosebump city for me. I know what's coming, but it still bowls me over.
Nobody sounds as "perfect" as mozart to me. I don't know what perfect means in regards to music, but after hearing his songs I just think "perfect" !!! |
Tubegroover,
Thanks for the tip! I'll look for it. |
Slipknot you may want to check out Jacqueline Dupre's version on EMI Mfg's Catalog # 47614
Highly Recommended! |
I am exploring the Dvorak "Cello Concerto", I heard it performed live on Sat. night by The Haddonfield (NJ) Symphony with Mark Kowsower as soloist. Wonderful music. |
The slow movements from the Shostakovich 5th Symphony and Violin, Cello and Piano Concerti. He had a special knack for writing these movements. |
Not sure if the most achingly-beautiful music,
but a few pop songs that will bring a tear to my eye:
Peter Paul & Mary - Where have all the flowers gone
Stevie Ray Vaughan - Life by the drop
Smashing Pumpkins - Rocket
The Beatles - Blackbird |
Schubert G flat major Impromptu
Mozart Clarinet Concerto 2nd movement
Beethoven "Spring" Sonata for violin and piano 1st and
2nd movement
Lauridsen Lux Aeterna
Allegri Misere
Grieg Piano Concerto 2nd movement
Beethoven Violin Concerto 2nd movement
Schubert Die Schonen Mullerin final song
Strauss Four Last Songs
Vaughn Williams Lark Ascending
Somei Sato Birds in Warped Time II
Korngold Die tote stadt
Wagner Liebestod
Mal Waldron/Eric Dolphy Warm Canto |
Beatles Abbey Road always gets me. Never Fails
Same thing Miles Davis's Kind of Blue, especially So What
Last one hard to choose, but have to go for women vocals given "achingly beautiful" i guess...that's eva cassidy's live album |
Jimi,,"Castles Made of Sand","Angel" Sade, Mackenzie & William Jackson "Ba Mo Leanabh(Oh My Baby)on Linn Records. |
My 2 cents worth
Rach piano 2 - the whole thing drips emotion !!
Shostakovich piano 2- 2nd movement
Bruch - violin concerto -2nd movement -kyung wha chung on the decca label
of modern music Heart siging live "love hurts" by Nazareth - never cared for the original but boy does she really sound like she means it
and finally Chris Issak - "end of everything" from the forever blue album.
Thanks to all the contributions here - there are some pieces i have never heard but will go out and find that im sure i will love and i hope my selections do the same. |
Gounod's "Ave Maria" performed to a Samba rhythum by the Brazilian artist Jorge Aragao. Hard to imagine right? Well it is just a beautiful arrangement and performance and its L!!!I!!V!!E. Label: Universal Mfg's Catalog#: 1001192 |
Pink Floyd's "THE WALL", Roxy music's "AVALON",the Who's "TOMMY" and Holst "THE PLANETS" |
That's a great piece. Acid Classical, IMO. |
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Glenn Gould's 1981 release of the Goldberg Variations.
This Man's Soul is imprinted in the performance. |
