# Most beautiful piece of music. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 16, 2005, 8:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-beautiful-piece-of-music/299616 "2005-04-16T08:41:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![uglybeech](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/82dd89/32.png) [@uglybeech](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/uglybeech)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2005, 8:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-beautiful-piece-of-music/299616/1 "2005-04-16T08:41:07Z")
I’m not a classical music fan, but every now and then I remember to listen to the single most beautiful piece of music I know of. Chopin’s Raindrop Prelude. (If anyone wants to listen to it a version can be found at [this music professor’s web site](http://faculty.mville.edu/comberiatic/images/Courses/mut1040/analysis.htm) at [this link](http://faculty.mville.edu/comberiatic/images/Courses/mut1040/Various%20Artists/Exploring%20Music%20Literature%20Disc%201/Prelude%20in%20D-flat%20Major,%20Op.%2028,%20no.%2015%20(%20Raindrop%20).wma)) What is the most beautiful piece of music you know of? Not necessarily your favorite, or the most interesting, or the most inspiring. Just the most beautiful. ---
**Author:** ![Ranchoth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranchoth/32/1066_2.png) [@Ranchoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranchoth)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2005, 8:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-beautiful-piece-of-music/299616/2 "2005-04-16T08:52:44Z")
Beethoven’s 9th symphony, 4th movement—the _“Ode to Joy.”_ After that, I’d personally recommend Hayley Westenra’s _Wuthering Heights_. ---
**Author:** ![Antonius\_Block](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/51bf81/32.png) [@Antonius\_Block](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antonius_Block)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2005, 9:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-beautiful-piece-of-music/299616/3 "2005-04-16T09:09:36Z")
Allegri’s **Miserere** , composed for the Vatican’s Sistine Chapel, and so beautiful that (supposedly) the Vatican made copying it an excommunicable offense, so that it couldn’t be performed elsewhere. [According to legend](http://www.cappella.demon.co.uk/music/intro.html), Mozart heard it in the Chapel and later transcribed it from memory (now **that’s** what I call a bootleg!). Of course, the truth may be more mundane, but it’s still a stunning piece. ---
**Author:** ![Stark\_Raven\_Mad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Stark\_Raven\_Mad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stark_Raven_Mad)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2005, 9:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-beautiful-piece-of-music/299616/4 "2005-04-16T09:29:16Z")
The _Lacrimosa_s from Mozart and Verdi’s **Requiem** s, though IIRC Mozart only got halfway through it before he expired. ---
**Author:** ![OtakuLoki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ac8455/32.png) [@OtakuLoki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OtakuLoki)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2005, 12:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-beautiful-piece-of-music/299616/5 "2005-04-16T12:57:02Z")
I was warped at a young age, having grown up in Fergus, Ontario - the home of the Canadian Highland Games. So, in my opinion, the most beautiful, heartwrenching piece of music is _Amazing Grace_ on the bagpipes. YMMV, of course. ---
**Author:** ![LifeOnWry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/96bed5/32.png) [@LifeOnWry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LifeOnWry)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2005, 1:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-beautiful-piece-of-music/299616/6 "2005-04-16T13:18:47Z")
#1 is the Moonlight Sonata for me - mainly the first movement. I’m also quite fond of Amazing Grace played on bagpipes and Pachelbel’s Canon in D. In a more contemporary vein, there’s an instrumental performed by The Corrs called “Rebel Heart” that took my breath away. ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2005, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-beautiful-piece-of-music/299616/7 "2005-04-16T13:22:48Z")
_Shawshank Redemption_. When Andy plays that aria from _Figaro_(?) over the loudspeaker. I think that’s a lovely piece of music, and I can’t seem to locate it. ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2005, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-beautiful-piece-of-music/299616/8 "2005-04-16T13:31:57Z")
Canon in D, Pachelbel ---
**Author:** ![Alias](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a88e4f/32.png) [@Alias](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alias)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2005, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-beautiful-piece-of-music/299616/9 "2005-04-16T13:50:00Z")
The Flower Duet from Lakme by Delibes is haunting and beautiful. I love Bach’s Goldberg Variations, but they must be played by Glen Gould. Mozart’s requiem mass is the most beautiful peice of music I’ve ever heard. ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2005, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-beautiful-piece-of-music/299616/10 "2005-04-16T14:05:49Z")
In no order: Scott Joplin’s _Solace_ Mozart’s _Lacrimosis_ Bethoven’s _Moonlight Sonota_ (Piano Sonota No. 14) Yamashiro Shoji’s condensed _Ecophony Rinne_ Muse’s _Blackout_ Robert Johnson’s _Come on in my Kitchen_ Yoko Kanno’s _Space Lion_ Tiger Lillies’ _XYZ_ Nahoko Kakiage’s _Fine Day_ Unknown Bulgarian song I know only as _O Radha_ as sung by Geinoh Yamashirogumi Johann Pachelbel’s _Kanon d-Dur_ Mmmmmmmmm ---
**Author:** ![Jervoise](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d2c977/32.png) [@Jervoise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jervoise)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2005, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-beautiful-piece-of-music/299616/11 "2005-04-16T14:21:45Z")
> [@ivylass](#): > > _Shawshank Redemption_. > > When Andy plays that aria from _Figaro_(?) over the loudspeaker. I think that’s a lovely piece of music, and I can’t seem to locate it. I believe it’s Sull’aria (Che Soave Zeffiretto). ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2005, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-beautiful-piece-of-music/299616/12 "2005-04-16T14:42:18Z")
Is that the name of the piece or the name of the opera? Because you can sort of tell, when Andy opens the record album, the name is “La Nozze Figaro,” so I assumed that was Mozart’s opera. ---
**Author:** ![Savannah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b3f665/32.png) [@Savannah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Savannah)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2005, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-beautiful-piece-of-music/299616/13 "2005-04-16T15:13:43Z")
The first one that comes to mind is The Queen of the Night aria from the Magic Flute. Then Ike & Tina Turner’s Phil Spector-produced “River Deep, Mountain High”. ---
**Author:** ![DeVena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/dec6dc/32.png) [@DeVena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DeVena)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2005, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-beautiful-piece-of-music/299616/14 "2005-04-16T15:46:21Z")
Claude Debussy: [Claire De Lune](http://www.carolinaclassical.com/articles/debussyclairdelune.html) ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2005, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-beautiful-piece-of-music/299616/15 "2005-04-16T15:48:22Z")
> [@Liberal](#): > > Canon in D, Pachelbel That was what I was going to say too. A close second and third is Carol of the Bells and Ode To Joy. ---
**Author:** ![Jervoise](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d2c977/32.png) [@Jervoise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jervoise)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2005, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-beautiful-piece-of-music/299616/16 "2005-04-16T15:51:03Z")
> [@ivylass](#): > > Is that the name of the piece or the name of the opera? Because you can sort of tell, when Andy opens the record album, the name is “La Nozze Figaro,” so I assumed that was Mozart’s opera. Piece. It’s an aria from Mozart’s Le Nozze di Figaro. ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2005, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-beautiful-piece-of-music/299616/17 "2005-04-16T17:29:58Z")
The _Toccata and Fugue in D Minor_ - J.S. Bach. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![wonderwench](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/35a633/32.png) [@wonderwench](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonderwench)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2005, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-beautiful-piece-of-music/299616/18 "2005-04-16T17:35:29Z")
> [@Ranchoth](#): > > Beethoven’s 9th symphony, 4th movement—the _“Ode to Joy.”_ > > After that, I’d personally recommend Hayley Westenra’s _Wuthering Heights_. Ode to Joy is my favorite as well. I love the scene in Immortal Beloved in which Gary Oldman is floating and the music is playing in his head. I also love Vivaldi’s Four Seasons Suite. ---
**Author:** ![Queen\_Bruin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e274bd/32.png) [@Queen\_Bruin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Queen_Bruin)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2005, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-beautiful-piece-of-music/299616/19 "2005-04-16T17:41:11Z")
I loves me my JSB, but I vote for _Toccata, Adagio & Fugue in C (ii, adagio)._ Although _Jesu, Son of Man’s Desiring_ is right up there (and I’m not religious). ---
**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2005, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-beautiful-piece-of-music/299616/20 "2005-04-16T17:57:39Z")
I’m a peasant. I like Greensleeves, La Vie En Rose, We’ll Meet Again, and Swan Lake, whatever part of it they used to play in the old Universal horror movies. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-beautiful-piece-of-music/299616.md?page=2)