Most achingly-beautiful music

...from Saxophone Colossus is incredible. Much late-50's Art Pepper will give you goosebumps....Coltrane's A Love Supreme is up there of course....Anita O'Day singing "Sweet Georgia Brown" and "Tea for Two" in the film Jazz on a Summer's Day always kills me..."Perfect Day" by Lou Reed stikes me as a perfect song...and TOOL's Aenima is awesome...

A fellow A'goner just turned me on to the 1986 recording of the USSR Ministry of Culture Chamber Choir performing the Rachmaninoff Vespers. If ever there was achingly beautiful, this be it. A must-have if you like choral music. MOS 18733.

Faure's Requiem, in the original version, by Herreweghe on Harmonia Mundi. This is one of the most intimate, serenely beautiful, and works in the catalog (that I have ever heard). Sounds nothing(!) like the fully orchestrated version, or even Herreweghe's later version made with large forces, which is also excellent by any standard. I would choose this for my own memorial service!

Newbee, can you provide more information on that specific recording? There are at least two by Herreweghe on HM and I want to get the one you are referring to.

Drubin, HMC901292 "Faure/Messe De Requiem".

The other version by Herreweghe with larger orchestral forces is HMC901771. This includes an excellent Franck Symphony in B minor. Both are scaled down from the typical performances and are very enjoyable if for no other reason than that. But their are other reasons! :-) If you've got a spare $18 buy both.