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
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.
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.
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.