Most achingly-beautiful music


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?
hungryear
All of the above are indisputably wonderful pieces, though I do not know much about the jazz and pop items. Three works that I hold very close to my heart are: 1. SCHUBERT String Quintet (D956) - most versions are competent, but the Hollywood String Quartet's version on Testament is very special (the Adagio & Allegreto mvmts, especially). 2. BEETHOVEN Piano Trio in D Op. 70 ('Ghost') - 2nd mvmt. Beaux Arts Trio on Philips is stellar. 3. BARBER Violin Concerto - there are many fine recordings including Gil Shaham, Joshua Bell and Yitzhak Perlman. Permit me to squeeze in a 4th: RACHMANINOV Piano Concerto No.3 with Ashkenazi and Anatole Fistoulari (recently re-issued on DECCA). I could go on and on, but have tried to avoid being too high-brow. I've learned much about the non-classical items and hope to pursue these keenly. Thanks for indulging me! Mark
Brahms 4th Symphony (second movement); Rachmaninoff's 2nd Symphony (second movement); Grieg's The Last Spring; Mahler's 5th Symphony (adagietto); a lot of Tchaikovsky; Nat King Cole singing Stardust; and the nicest symphony ever composed--Dvorak's No. 8 in G Major. I've heard many renditions, but the finest (not necessarily in order) are by Kertesz, Kubelik, and Talich.
For those interested Rachmaninov's 2nd Symphony (2nd movement) was also performed by Eric Carmen "All by myself" it is a beautiful piece. Does anyone know if he gave himself credit for the music?
Wrong on 2 counts on that last post. The Eric Carmen song is "Never gone to fall in love again"? at least that is the lyrics used and the music is from the 3rd movement -Adagio of Rach's 2nd Symphony. Still, anyone know if he gave himself credit for the music?