Which Pieces Of Music Can "Always" Reduce Us To Tears?

The one that gets me is June Tabor's unaccompanied rendition of 'The band played waltzing Matilda' from her 'Airs & Graces' album. For those that don't know it's about the slaughter at Galipoli. One of the final verses has the wounded soldier sitting on his porch watching the (futile) remembrance parade....

And year by year
The numbers grow fewer
Soon no-one will march here at all.

Sounds mawkish, but very moving. Guaranteed to upset the dinner guests!!

Nigel

Just before Christmas I saw the BSO perform Handel's Messiah. From start to end the hairs on the back of my neck were on end, I had a lump in my throat and a bit of a tear in my eye - probably the most moving live performance I've ever been to.

Last week's performance of Beethoven's Voilin Concerto (BSO; Yakov Kreizberg; Julia Fischer) came close - especially the last 10 minutes.

Steve.

I always find the slow movement of Mozart's second piano concerto very moving indeed. Also the ring from the death of Siegfried onwards (as well as the woodbird, when it's done well).

Donald Runnicles gave two concerts at last year's Edinburgh festival, both of which were deeply moving - the first of Verdi's Requiem and the second of Mahler's 3rd symphony where the post-horn solo was absolutely haunting.

I'd add that all this falls into 'lump in the back of the throad' territory.

regards, Tam

Frauenliebe - especially when Juliane Banse sings it (because she's my little sweetheart and I want to run away with her and live happily ever after!)

Ach, I'm a lonely man!

EW

quote:

Originally posted by Earwicker:
Frauenliebe - especially when Juliane Banse sings it (because she's my little sweetheart and I want to run away with her and live happily ever after!)

Ach, I'm a lonely man!

EW

Hey, she's mine!

Surely the most beautiful lady, who made a profession of singing was Kath Ferrier? I can't have any of these beautiful ladies, but given a miracle I would love to have met Miss Ferrier! Fredrik

PS And I am on topic. Ferrier's recording of Eight Sacred Arias by Handel and Bach has long been a favourite of mine, in line with the thread's aim. Such pure connection to a pure soul finding purity in the score. LPO/ Boult on Decca

Ferrier! How could I have missed her. In particular her Kindertotenlieder.

regards, Tam

quote:

Originally posted by Fredrik_Fiske:
Surely the most beautiful lady,

My vote is for Alison Hagley the soprano. Totally yummy and sings a good tune too. Saw her at ROH and fell in love.

My vote for the most tear jerking music is Gorecki's 3rd symphony. I feel exhausted after listening to this yet strangely elevated also.

Bachianas Brasileiras N0. 5 by Heitor Villa-Lobos (1887-1959), sung by Renee Fleming.

quote:

PS And I am on topic. Ferrier's recording of Eight Sacred Arias by Handel and Bach has long been a favourite of mine, in line with the thread's aim. Such pure connection to a pure soul finding purity in the score. LPO/ Boult on Decca

He was despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief.
Isaiah 53:3

Definitely a hair-raiser / tear-jerker and one of my most treasured slabs of vinyl

Dear Huw,

Quite! Her response to the the text, let alone her musicianship, ...

No words...

Fredrik

Lou Reed's Metal machine Music was always enough to make a grown man cry - but I don't think that's what was meant by this thread.

Pink Moon by Nick Drake is very emontional, especially as we know what happened to him - but I find it difficult to listen to, as I like uplifting music.

End of the Rainbow by Richard Thompson is another sad song.

As is the aforementioned Mr Reed's Berlin album.

quote:

Originally posted by Tam:
Ferrier! How could I have missed her. In particular her Kindertotenlieder.

I know exactly what you mean, but I can't get past Janet Baker and Glorious John in Kindertotenlieder. Anyone with dry eyes after hearing them perform In diesem wetter, in diesem braus, must be deaf!

EW

quote:

Originally posted by ROTF:
Lou Reed's Metal machine Music was always enough to make a grown man cry - but I don't think that's what was meant by this thread.

[...].

Dear Rotf,

That is exactly what it was about. Grown gents and ladies crying over the message and aristry in music, and perhaps, music and words! What other perpose is there in music than to affect us, whatever the genre? Thanks for your post...

All the best from Fredrik

EW,

I love Baker in Mahler too, but Ferrier for me has something really special. Incidentally, did you know R3 are planning a Baker week later this year?

Regards, Tam

quote:

Originally posted by Tam:
Incidentally, did you know R3 are planning a Baker week later this year?

No I didn't, I shall be looking forward to it. Thanks!

EW

More info here (you'll have to scroll down a little way):

http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/...uary/28/radio3.shtml

regards, Tam

hungryhalibut,

I'm a huge fan of June Tabor and very familier with that song, which is from "Airs and Graces"

But the one's that really get to me are "No Man's Land/Flowers of the Forrest" from "Ashes and Diamonds" and "A Smiling Shore" and "She moves among men" (The Barmaids Song) from "Abyssinians".

Mahler Symphony No6. Not the andante, but the final movement. I can't really explain but I find it very hard to listen to.

For me - Holst, The Planets, IV. Jupiter, The bringer of Jollity (ironic) as it reminds me of when I was 17, carrying my Uncle's coffin at his funeral in 1992....
He was 39, worked at the Hilton (Park Lane) as a Function/Banquet Manager, ran several marathons around the globe (as a hobby) and suffered for a long two years at the end with cancer, never smoked in his (healthy) life....
He was a rugby fan, and it brought a lump into my throat when the same tune was used as 'the world in union' theme then played over and over during the world cup.

Still does for that matter......just shows you how music can move you I guess......

But hey, it's good to remember the great times we shared.

Cheers,
Ali

quote:

Originally posted by Tarquin Maynard-Portly:
Callas: Uno poco fa ( sp? )

Una voce poco fa

.

"Volare" by Domenico Modugno.
After 20 seconds i start crying in despair.

Excuse my laziness in not looking up the text but the moment in Turandot where the servant girl confesses her unrequited love for the prince. Never fails to move me.

quote:

Originally posted by Fredrik_Fiske:

quote:

Originally posted by ROTF:
Lou Reed's Metal machine Music was always enough to make a grown man cry - but I don't think that's what was meant by this thread.

[...].

Dear Rotf,

That is exactly what it was about. Grown gents and ladies crying over the message and aristry in music, and perhaps, music and words! What other perpose is there in music than to affect us, whatever the genre? Thanks for your post...

All the best from Fredrik

Dear Fredrik

Metal Machine Music by Lou Reed may be a little different in this respect - it sounds like the noise an electric drill makes and lasts for an hour. It makes some of, French avant-garde composer, Pierre Henry's excesses sound tuneful. Lou produced it because he was angry with RCA. He had just released 'Berlin' which contains some excellent songs with adventurous orchestration - the lyrics of 'Berlin' deal with domestic violence and child neglect and the whole work is quite moving. RCA told Lou that his next album should be nothing like Berlin, expecting him to produce a standard fare rock n roll album. His reaction was to produce four sides of noise (white noise) as a move to stop the record company intefering with an artist's integrity.

There are samples from each of the parts of Metal Machine Music here - if you repeat each for 15 minutes then that consitutes the entire work. To me, it is like finding an undiscoverd work by a favourite composer only to be disappointed that it is merely a destructive noise and nothing like the thoughtful and thought provoking material that you admired him for.

So it was not the emotion of Metal Machine Music that made me cry, but the feeling of why did Lou have to waste his time doing this when he could produce much better work. I think I blame RCA.

Hope this explains my comment.

Best regards, Rotf