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

John Lennon's Jealous Guy is terribly sad for obvious reasons of circumstance.

When exploring the effects of the new hi-line I was transfixed by Jaqueline du Pre's performance of Elgar's Cello Concerto in E Minor Op.85 - the textural sounds of her Cello were totally captivating.

Peter

Dear Peter,

In the same line, do try the wonderful Testament disc of Andre Navarra with Glorious John (Brabirolli!) and the Halle, in the Elgar.

My goodness his playing is a knockout musically and shows that Jacquie du Pre was not the first too find a trajic vein in the nusic.

What gets me though is the Navarra uses not so much dynamic shading as this in a combination with timbral shading; he gets a real range from bright forte sounds to a mysteriously veiled tone even on quite loud notes, or even a very clear pianissimo to contrast with another very silky one elsewhere rather than pure and simple dynamic shading to shape phrases.

It is the most expressive performance I know, and is coupled with a very strong, masculine performance of the Dvorak Concerto where the conductor is the splendid and almost unheard of now Rudolf Schwarz, who shows equal sensitivity to his soloist as Barbirolli.

Tremendous, but the Elgar is very sad.

Fredrik

Fredrik

Thanks for the information, which I will follow up - I have extremely limited classical knowledge, perhaps avoiding it until I felt my system could adequately portray its subtleties plus of course the sheer volume of choice available can be hugely daunting. Incidentally, if you haven't yet done so, I do hope you can soon acquire a hi-line, as I feel that it is the delicacies of string music which most profoundly benefits and I am sure you would greatly appreciate.

Peter

Dear Peter,

I started a little Thread in the Hifi Room about it called 'Hi-line Audition.' You do not need persuading, I can see, but it was about my take on it. I quite agree with you. It is as much about music as anything specifically Hifi!

I am negociating at this very time to get one. An ace improvement! And suitable for exactly what we are talking about!

Fredrik

PS: I used to earn part of my living as a string player. The double bass, so you will see that I have a real interest in getting strings just right in replay...

Dear Peter and Fredrik,

While, of course, finding a system that gets strings right is neither the cheapest nor easiest thing in the world, I don't think it is essential to the enjoyment of a good recording. I have one or two very fourth rate systems in other rooms (not to mention my ipod for when I travel or am at work) and I still manage to enjoy them. That said, after the last time I upgraded my system, I was shocked by how much better the cello sounded on Rostropovich's recording of the Bach suites.

There are a number of threads, if you search (and one in the last couple of weeks that I put all the links into) full of good 'first' classical recommendations.

regards, Tam

Dear Tam,

I can only agree about about you say, but there is no denying that on the right day, in the right mood, something very special can be gained from a fine system playing great music.

The good system gets out of the way, and it is almost like a live listening if the mood is receptive, but equally I do see that what you say. Only seven years ago I had a set that was so awful that I would never mention details here! I had already then more recordings than now! I enjoyed them immensely!

Fredrik

Dear Fredrik,

Very true.

regards, Tam

Tam,

Don't get me wrong, I listened to music at home for over 4 years in the Carribean on a Sony portable player whose speakers eventually gave in to the humidity and dissintegrated - didn't stop me listening to it long after I should have stopped!

Up until a year and a bit ago my cd player was an Arcam which frankly didn't sit too well with my Nait 2 / Heybrook HB1's (2 & HB1's were bought mid-late 1980's). (The HB1's also fell to bits after a long car journey not so long ago!).

And, truth be told, I listen to more music in the kitchen and car than on my all singing system. Time dictates this.

For rock, pop, blues, etc I have loads of enjoyment listening on the Kenwood micro system. Classical however, I really have had a problem with and only recently with the various upgrades have I at last found a platform through which I can enjoy it. The reason may be a lack of familiarity of the pieces - I'm not sure, but orchestras often provide too much information for less capable stereos to separate out sufficiently for old cloth ears here! I suspect that once you know a piece well, you don't need all the information, the mind being able to infill much of what may not make it clearly out of the speakers, and listening to it on a portable player will be fine. That test lies ahead of me!

Peter

Peter,

Fair point. There is certainly some classical music that I do think requires a good setup (I cannot really cope with Mahler 8 on my ipod).

To return this thread to its subject, have just been reduced to tears by Mahler 3, listening to my new Rattle/CBSO account for the second time since it arrived on Saturday. I'd be tempted to suggest it's his finest Mahler record I've heard (even greater than his second, though I may just be saying that because I think I prefer the 3rd as a symphony). Still, only makes me look forward all the more to his Mahler 4 with the BPO at this summer's festival.

regards, Tam

BTT (back to topic )
O, mio babbino caro, Gianni Schichi, me thinks.
Absolutely adore this piece of music, lifts me up, as the tears pour forth...

Regards
Rickard

Hi to all,

Working for me in the following categories:

1. Opera- Gluck's ' Orfeo ed Euridice':" Che faro senza Euridice " ,

2. Chamber music- Beethoven's Quartet No. 14 in C sharp minor, Opus 131-Sixth movement : Adagio quasi un poco andante,

3. Orchestral music- Bruckner's Eighth Symphony, fourth movement : Finale.Feierlich, nicht schnell.

Regards,

Fabian

Homeward Bound - S & G on Johnnie Walkers 40th Anniversary show on R2 this morning driving to work.................................... I have no idea why

Bob Geldof and collegues, in Tell Me Why.

Two reasons, the second of which is the words! Yes this song can get me unless I am careful when I put it on. Fred

Purple Rain.

One that seems increasingly to be becoming unlistenable to me is 'My funny Valentine,' sung by Ella Fitzgerald, though that is not the relevance. Who can explain attraction? Fredrik

'Have You Ever Loved a Woman?' by Derek and the Dominos.

Clapton fuelled by heroin and full of angst over his (at the time) unrequited love for Patti Harrison and exchanging with the fantastic Duane Allman on slide guitar.

Gets me every time.

Or 'Little Wing' by Jimi Hendrix, just a beautiful piece of music.

Mark

Just to piss Tarquin off I dug James Blunt's album out recently as never got round to listening to it fully through but the last track 'No Bravery' is very moving when you consider it based on his experiences in the forces in Kosovo

Agree with the Joni Mitchell 'both sides now' song and prefer the 'love actually' version too.

quote:

Originally posted by Fabian Daniel Belger:
Hi to all,

Working for me in the following categories:

1. Opera- Gluck's ' Orfeo ed Euridice':" Che faro senza Euridice " ,

2. Chamber music- Beethoven's Quartet No. 14 in C sharp minor, Opus 131-Sixth movement : Adagio quasi un poco andante,

3. Orchestral music- Bruckner's Eighth Symphony, fourth movement : Finale.Feierlich, nicht schnell.

Regards,

Fabian

Fabian Shalom,

I am from Jerusalem, living now in the US. Where are you from?

Welcome to the forum.

Haim