Most achingly-beautiful music

Oooops! Thinking STRAUSS, typing Schubert -- I'm not senile...yet!

Vaughn Williams Tallis Fantasia; second movement of the Barber violin concerto; tie between the final movement of the Mahler Second ("Ressurection") and the Mahler 9th. And how can I leave out the Faure and Duruffle Requiems? There's a lot more of them out there, too, as these posts attest. These are some of my current choices.

Aspirations by Gentle Giant from The Power and the Glory White Winds by Andreas Vollenweider The song ICE by Camel..... (best Guitar song ever !!)

Mjm, you presenile goose. You mean Schubert didn't write Four Last Songs? I certainly did not know that and was already looking for them!!! I don't know the Tchaikovsky. Can you suggest a recording?

Khrys -- ROTF! "Presenile" is just about right -- sheesh, who cares if my remnant of sanity lasts, as long as my ears do!?! Tchaikovsky's Violin Concerto is beeyooteefull to me, but I admit that some find the dissonances and sheer, pyrotechnic technique hard to cuddle up with. My favorite version (oh, boy, here we go...) is Heifetz with the Chicago Symphony, Reiner conducting, on RCA, LSC 2129 (and re-released on vinyl by Classic Records). One site states: "Heifetz delivers a now-thought-to-be unequaled performance of Tchaikovsky’s beloved violin concerto, Reiner and the CSO, in top form, provide the perfect context for Maestro Heifetz’s dazzling performance." I couldn't agree more -- a performance that gives me chills and tears simultaneously.