Most achingly-beautiful music

Rach's 3rd piano concerto. Martha Argerich is my favorite interpreter, Performance is A-, sonics are B (somewhat distant miking, good tonal balance, ambiance). Also that Puccini aria used in A Room with a View (forget the opera, ask me again if interested), try Callas' version which is unforgettable.

I have always admired the world of Bach. Unaccompanied Violin Sonatas and Partitas along with Unaccompanied Cello suites move me without failure. Elgar's Cello Concerto is a nice piece. Sarasate's Ziegnerweisen performed by Heifetz should be heard -- only Heifetz, unlike other violinists who have tried the piece, has technical mastery to pull you into the music, sustain the tension, and ultimately drain your emotion like no other (Grumiaux recorded a fine one in an intimate setting with piano, albeit not as dramatic). Mahler's 9th. Debussy's piano pieces. On and on. For heavy metal fans, try Stargazer by Rainbow. Rainbow Eyes by Rainbow will make your ladies happy or put them in mood though a bit cheezy like their later albums. For melodic electric guitar instrumentals, Santana. For acoustic guitar, Strunz and Farah. For fun, any Deep purple MKII albums excluding the reunion albums after Perfect Stranger -- yes, I am a fan of Richie Blackmore. Any old time Chicago Blues.

It's difficult for me to pinpoint 3 pieces so I will say almost anything from the Baroque Period.

Aram Khachaturian : Violin Concerto, Haydn : Cello Concerto Op. 101; Brahms the 3rd; Anything (or everything) on the CD from Steven Isserlis/Eliot Gardiner : Tchaikovsky Rococo Variations (also contains pieces from Glazunov, Rimsky-Korsakov & Cui).

Never Let Me Go (Bill Evans, Alone); Nuages (Larry Coryell and Philip Catherine, Twin House); I Loved Him (Carol Kidd, The Night we Called it a Day); Air (Swingle Singers and The Modern Jazz Quartet, Place Vendome); and Erbarme dich (Bach, from St. Matthew Passion)(Yo Yo Ma, Simply Baroque). What can I say? There's a lot of achingly beautiful music out there!