Most achingly-beautiful music

alomst forgot: Non Ti Scorda Di Me

Two new additions for the chamber music crowd:
Brahms Viola/Clarinet sonatas, Opus 120, nos. 1 and 2.

The viola version with Kim Kashkashian is absolutely marvelous. Her playing is
willful without being forceful. I have the Naxos CD of the clarinet version, very romantic without sounding too lush. They rank up there with the Brahms sextets and the late
Schubert string quartets for being the most achingly-beautiful music I have heard.

Also, not quite on the same plane as above but the cello
solo( with piano accompliment) music of Faure is very heart felt music

Fantastic thread... and I have to thank you guys for many of the suggestions. Particularly, thanks for mentioning Eva Cassidy - what a stunning & haunting voice! I can't believe I'd never heard of her before! By the way, I read she died of melanoma at age 33... very unfortunate!

"Lux Aeterna" written by Morton Laurensden. Choral piece for voice and orchestra. There is a recording out by the LA Master Choral and Orchestra that is just stunning. Haunting, beautiful ethereal music. I am going to see a live performance this Saturday by a regional choral group near where I live (Phila. area). They are performing entire work acapella.

Also- a song by Jerry Douglas and James Taylor: "The Suit"
Story of a Nebraska farmer who dies and his wife buys him a suit for his funeral. Sad, lovely tale of a simple man and his end, wearing the state of Nebraska as his overcoat...

Another strong vote for Lux Aeterna. This is great stuff. I find it quite peculiar that here I am, a 50 year old one-time Deadhead Jew with a growing fondness for sacred choral music. My Dad calls it Sacred Schmaltz. I love the place this music takes me to.