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

Posted by: u5227470736789439 on 11 March 2006

Dear Friends,

All of us have favourite things in the happy sense, and sometimes that is what one wants, but I find the reflective, sad, and regretful is far more potent. Not for every day, but certainly the effect can be Cathartic. One comes away not saddened so much as strengthened spiritually at the end.

My nomination is the Bass aria from the Saint Matthew Passion called,

"Mache dich, mein Herze rein."

Make clean my heart, from sin,
I would my Lord inter.
May He find rest in me,
Even in eternity.
His sweet repose be here.
World depart, let Jesus in!

Though this is Christian text, there is no reason to be Christian to be moved by the puity of intent and humulity of it. That always moves me. It is unbearable in company, actually... Bach's music is quite the equal of his text.

All the best from Fredrik
Posted on: 17 March 2006 by u5227470736789439
Dear EW,

When I say happy, I mean happier as well. Smile

All the best from Fredrik

PS I found it in the school record library. I must be one of the few children in the place who used to dread the end of term, and look forward to the end of the holidays. So that is when I really first found music a sanctuary from the harsh realities of the world, even for a small child. Somehow I was so isolated at school that I never got teased about it, and was left alone by bullies for some reason I never understood...
Posted on: 17 March 2006 by u5227470736789439
One of the few purely instrumental pieces that often catches me is the section of Walton's Bach-based Wise Virgins Suite, where he recasts Sheep May Safely Graze. Unfortunately this is made all the more sad by the thought that while the very recording was being made in London (Sadlers Wells Ballet Orchestra) the British Expeditionary force was being forced out of France at terrible cost in human life, so one wonders what was going through the minds of the players that day? The piece is pure and lovely and the juxtaposition is tragic...

Fredrik
Posted on: 20 March 2006 by kevj
I told my wife about this thread and she said it's the slow movement of Elgar's first symphony, but she is a violinist and can be excused on those gorunds..... Smile
Posted on: 20 March 2006 by Jo Sharp
Frederik,

Agree on Bach's Mache Dich......also Jesu meine Freude gets close as well.

Schubert String Quintet in C would be on the list.


Lohengrin Overture gets the eyes moist every time.

I also enjoy Janet Baker's performances and those of my aunt Honor Sheppard (Deller Consort) just to name drop a little... Winker


Jo
Posted on: 20 March 2006 by SpecCled Trout
Adagio - Barber
Gorecki - Lamb
Gabriel - Lamb
Both Sides Now - Joni Mitchell from hdcd Both Sides Now (stunning sound too!!)

All four bring a tear or two to the eye.
Posted on: 21 March 2006 by Wolf
Trout, there is a recent re-recording of Both Sides now that Joni put out, don't know the album but heard it on a film score and it's even more haunting because it's from a woman looking back over her life with darker tone in her voice. Quite the tear jerker. Have lights low and tissue at hand.

glenn
Posted on: 21 March 2006 by Guido Fawkes
quote:
Originally posted by Wolf:
Trout, there is a recent re-recording of Both Sides now that Joni put out, don't know the album but heard it on a film score and it's even more haunting because it's from a woman looking back over her life with darker tone in her voice. Quite the tear jerker. Have lights low and tissue at hand.

glenn


Wolf

Is it the album Both Sides Now where Joni is backed by the London Symphony Orchestra and reworks her classic songs 'Case of You' and 'Both Sides Now' and covers some American classics like 'Stormy Weather'. Even better (IMHO) is Travelogue where Joni applies similar orchestral treatments to two CDs worth of her own songs - it's quite amazing to hear 'Woodstock' orchestrated, it sounds like a new song. Both albums are good additions to the CD collection and I agree totally with your sentiments about 'Both Sides Now'.

Rotf
Posted on: 22 March 2006 by SpecCled Trout
quote:
Originally posted by Wolf:
Trout, there is a recent re-recording of Both Sides now that Joni put out, don't know the album but heard it on a film score and it's even more haunting because it's from a woman looking back over her life with darker tone in her voice. Quite the tear jerker. Have lights low and tissue at hand.

glenn


The version I am referring to is the recent rearranged recording with the orchestra. The film is Love Actually where the Emma Thomson character is reflecting on her being a middle aged wife as her husband has been caught in the PA honeytrap (and she was quite a honey!).

Great, great arrangement on an excellent sounding HDCD (for a change!).

Trout Smile
Posted on: 22 March 2006 by Wolf
Yep, that's the one I was thinking about too. it's a very touching scene and the score is devestating. I'll have to look into that CD. I have some earlier Joni albums. Great music for late at night.

I had a bartender friend that went to see Joni and the orchestra do the album at teh Hollywood Bowl and he got close seats from the bar owner who has played violin for her on recordings. His main income is music, not bar owndership. Randy was quite thrilled to have met her afterward. Said she came on stage in slinky gown smoking a cigarette with a husky voice. Quite different than the early Joni we know and love.

Glenn
Posted on: 23 March 2006 by Shayman
All By Myself - Celine Dion

Always reduces me to tears. It makes you want to cry on SO many levels.

Jonathan
Posted on: 28 March 2006 by u5227470736789439
Well I have just listened, for the first time in years, to Menuhin playing Bethoven's Violin Concerto, recorded at Lucerne in 1947, and out on Testament. I had never registered the unbearable sadness in the slow movement! How was that done. They just play the music and very beautifully, and quite straight, but it is poingnant beyond words, or comprehension actually. I never thought this was even sad before this evening, but it worked a very special magic about ten minutes ago. Which in true classical style was wiped away nobly by the irresistable Finale.

The magic of music... though Menuhin, here is more a magus than magician I would think.

Fredrik
Posted on: 31 March 2006 by Peter Voigt
Greetings

I see some sad songs mentioned in this thread and agree with the ones I am familiar with.

For me the final of Beethovens ninth does the trick. It never fails to move me profoundly.
Its so.. everything!

Honestly many songs seems to move me, must be a cry baby. The last one was "Singing in vietnam talking blues" by Johnny Cash

regards
Peter
Posted on: 31 March 2006 by JWM
Rory Gallagher - A Million Miles Away (live Irish Tour '74 version)
Nick Drake - the last four songs - especially Black-Eyed Dog
Vaughan Williams - Variations on a Theme by Thomas Tallis
Most things by the great Jussi Bjorling!
Amongst MANY others...

In fact I'll go and listen to something now.

James
Posted on: 31 March 2006 by erik scothron
quote:

Most things by the great Jussi Bjorling!

James


Hmm surely the greatest tenor ever?
Posted on: 10 April 2006 by Diccus62
God only knows - The Beach Boys
Underneath the Stars - Kate Rusby
Who knows where the time goes - Fairport Convention
The intro on the John Peel Fabriclive cd with the Liverpool football commentary on top (can't remember title of the music)

Frown Smile
Posted on: 11 April 2006 by blythe
quote:
Originally posted by Huwge:
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



A little off topic, but, my mum once sang with Kathleen Ferrier, well, she was part of the choir singing with Kathleen as lead! This was in the late 40's I believe, in the West Midlands, UK.... Mum even has the program with her name in it!
When mum asked me to transfer some 78's to CD for her, that was when I first heard Kathleen and she is indeed, very special. Her voice can make me cry. There, I admitted it!
Posted on: 11 April 2006 by blythe
Apart from Kathleen Ferrier;

Wagner - Mild un Elise (spelling?) from Tristan - it is just so moving and knowing that she has found her loved one dying on the beack and is so overcome with grief when he dies in her arms, she expires herslef. Never fails with me!

On a "pop" or "rock" side of things, if you've ever had a loved one walk out on you, leaving you heart broken, you can't fail to be moved by Keith Urban's song "Tonight I wanna Cry" - so full of emotion............
Posted on: 12 April 2006 by u5227470736789439
This will sound a bit odd, and maybe it has to do with my own mucked up psychology, but Louis Armstrong's recording of 'What a Wonderful World,' catches me very much, and so much more than many overtly sad things...

The line, 'They're really saying, "I love you,"' really just floors me. How we understate our true love for those around us! Indeed stating it seems self indulgent...

Fredrik
Posted on: 13 April 2006 by Earwicker
quote:
Originally posted by Fredrik_Fiske:
How we understate our true love for those around us!

Hmm. I don't have this problem...
Posted on: 13 April 2006 by Jet Johnson
I guess like others have said a certain piece of music can conjure up a specific time and place ...everytime I hear the Beatle's "If I Fell" I am immediately whisked back to 1964 ...sitting on a roll of carpet (about to move into a new house) with my Mother and younger sister (the song was playing on the radio) my Mother died 2 years later - I was 11 ....listening to it now still sadden's me.

..Best not to listen to Jeff Buckley's version of "Hallelujha" or Bob Marley's "Redemption Song" after too many vodkas either ........!
Posted on: 19 April 2006 by David O'Higgins
There are so many!

John Mc Cormack - "Oft in the stilly night"
John Mc Cormack - "I dream of Jeannie"
Joni Mitchell - "The Circle Game" live on
"Miles of Aisles"
Schubert - "The Trout" Quintet and the related
song - "Die Forelle"
Lucinda Williams - "Lake Charles"
Mary Black - "The Thorn upon the Rose"
Neil Diamond - "Hell yeah he did"
Agnes Balsta - "Ta Trena pou figan"
Gluck - "Che Faro" from Orpheus & Euridice sung by Jesse Norman
Handel - "He shall feed his flock" from Messiah

Etc. Etc.!
Posted on: 19 April 2006 by David O'Higgins
Oops - I forgot "Shallow Brown" by Percy Grainger.
Posted on: 19 April 2006 by Hammerhead
'The Luckiest' by Ben Folds always brings a very large lump to my throat, especially so when I'm listening to it with Mrs Hammerhead. A definite 'Our Tune'.
Posted on: 20 April 2006 by JoeH
'Ye Banks and Braes', because itbrings back memories of my father singing it (and it's a pretty sad song anyway)

'Meet on the Ledge' by Fairport Convention, because of the early deaths of Martin Lamble and Sandy Denny

'Things Behind the Sun' by Nick Drake
Posted on: 21 April 2006 by JasonRStone
quote:
Originally posted by Hammerhead:
'The Luckiest' by Ben Folds always brings a very large lump to my throat, especially so when I'm listening to it with Mrs Hammerhead. A definite 'Our Tune'.


Second that one...

and the Jeff Buckley "Halleluja" considering he was sitting on the bank of a river, just got up and walked in and was never heard of again. Very messed up and the Sketches for my Sweetheard double CD is quite a hard listen but definitely worthwhile.

For me it used to be Mike and the Mechanics - Living Years. Had that at the time my grandfather died. I gave the LP to my Grandma a a momento as she loved it and the lyrics too.

Another one that I can't believe no one has listed is Eric Clapton "Tears in Heaven" - knowing that half his band and his son perished in a helicopter accident when he was in a helicopter nearby. That jerks more than a few tears from my eyes - what a tragedy Frown