# 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:** 2
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2005, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-beautiful-piece-of-music/299616/21 "2005-04-16T17:59:42Z")
Berlioz’s _Requiem_. ---
**Author:** ![Hodge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Hodge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hodge)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2005, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-beautiful-piece-of-music/299616/22 "2005-04-16T18:34:31Z")
Lot’s of my favourites up there. Ditto on Scott Joplin’s _Solace_ and Glenn Gould playing _The Goldberg Variations_ also: Tchaikovsky’s _Violin Concerto 1st Movement - Allegro Moderato_ Henryk Gorecki’s _Symphony of Sorrowful Songs_ Chopin’s _Prelude in E Minor-Largo_ Erik Satie’s _Gymnopedie I_ Henry Purcell’s _Dido’s Lament from Dido & Aeneas_ Duke Ellington’s _Mood Indigo_ Charles Mingus’ _Goodbye Porkpie Hat_ Billie Holiday’s _God Bless The Child_ Roy Orbison’s _Crying_ Patsy Cline’s _Crazy_ The Pogue’s _Dirty Old Town_ Tom Waits’ _You’re Beautiful When You Dream_ ---
**Author:** ![Hodge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Hodge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hodge)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2005, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-beautiful-piece-of-music/299616/23 "2005-04-16T18:39:01Z")
Oh, and Gavin Bryars’ _Jesus’ Blood Never Failed Me Yet_ Although I know a great many people who despise this, I find it powerful and compassionate. ---
**Author:** ![Hodge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Hodge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hodge)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2005, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-beautiful-piece-of-music/299616/24 "2005-04-16T18:40:54Z")
Last post, I promise Oscar Peterson’s soulful _Hymn to Freedom_, THE greatest jazz composition, EVAR. ---
**Author:** ![Wolfian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/7ea924/32.png) [@Wolfian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wolfian)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2005, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-beautiful-piece-of-music/299616/25 "2005-04-16T19:05:49Z")
Wagner’s _Elsa’s Procession to the Cathedral_. Goosebumps everytime. ---
**Author:** ![I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/i_love_me_vol.i/32/521_2.png) [@I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_Love_Me_Vol.I)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2005, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-beautiful-piece-of-music/299616/26 "2005-04-16T19:11:09Z")
Chopin – **Etude in A flat, Op. 25/No.1**. Especially the Andre Watts recording of it. Barber’s \*\*Adagio for Strings \*\* is beautiful in a haunting sort of way. Maybe it’s one of the sadder pieces ever. Beethoven’s **“Ode to Joy”** movement of his ninth symphony is wonderful. Though to me it is more powerful and uplifting than it is straight up “beautiful”. It is my nomination for #1 on the list of Earth’s Greatest Hits. If we had an opportunity to present only 1 piece of music to our alien overlords in an attempt to show we were worthy enough to be spared extermination, Beethoven’s ninth or at least the final movement of it (if the Aliens had a short attention span) would be my pick. ---
**Author:** ![wolf\_meister](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolf_meister/32/15202_2.png) [@wolf\_meister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolf_meister)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2005, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-beautiful-piece-of-music/299616/27 "2005-04-16T19:18:41Z")
I’ll cast another vote for **Canon In D Major**. Here’s a song that probably no one thinks as the most beautiful but I really like “Green” by Edie Brickell. Not my favorite song but to me it is quite beautiful. I think there was a thread about the most beautiful song several months ago and Roberta Flack’s “First Time Ever I Saw Your Face” was the favorite. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2005, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-beautiful-piece-of-music/299616/28 "2005-04-16T19:28:34Z")
Glad to see lots of Mozart, whose works I consider to be among our civilizations highest expression of beauty. For me, the first one that came to mind was the 1st movement (Allegro) of his 23rd Piano Concerto in A. The next thing that came to mind was the 2nd movement (Adagio), with #3 being the 3rd movement. Highly, highly, _highly_ recommended if you like Mozart/beautiful music/paired themes ( 😉 ). ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2005, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-beautiful-piece-of-music/299616/29 "2005-04-16T19:38:16Z")
> [@I Love Me](#): > > Beethoven’s **“Ode to Joy”** movement of his ninth symphony is wonderful. Though to me it is more powerful and uplifting than it is straight up “beautiful”. It is my nomination for #1 on the list of Earth’s Greatest Hits. If we had an opportunity to present only 1 piece of music to our alien overlords in an attempt to show we were worthy enough to be spared extermination, Beethoven’s ninth or at least the final movement of it (if the Aliens had a short attention span) would be my pick. You know, another section in that movement almost gets my vote above (shit, I forgot about the 4th movement from Mozarts 41st symphony! But I digress…) Mozarts 23rd Piano Concerto and that’s the… Canon? Fugue? that merges both of the main themes of the movement: Seid Umschluggen, Millionnen Diesem Kunst dein ganzen Welt! and… Freude schoner Gotterfunken Tochter aus Elysium Wir betrieten feuertrunken Himmlische dien Heiglitum! Awesome, awesome, awesome stuff. If there’s a heaven with the chorus of singing angels and all, then they’re belting _that_ one out at least once a day. Pardon my German, it’s been about a decade since I’ve typed this out and I didn’t want to Google until after I posted, seeing how’d I do. Poorly, I’m sure. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2005, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-beautiful-piece-of-music/299616/30 "2005-04-16T19:41:28Z")
Modern songs: Roberta Flack - Killing Me Softly The Cranberries - Ode To My Family U2 - One ---
**Author:** ![Paladud](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Paladud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paladud)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2005, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-beautiful-piece-of-music/299616/31 "2005-04-16T19:48:15Z")
First movement of Chopin’s first piano concerto. Second movement of Beethoven’s Seventh. Third movement of Beethoven’s Pathetique sonata. Wenn dein Mutterlein by Mahler (third of the Kindertotenlieder) ---
**Author:** ![rowrrbazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rowrrbazzle/32/414_2.png) [@rowrrbazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rowrrbazzle)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2005, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-beautiful-piece-of-music/299616/32 "2005-04-16T21:37:09Z")
Yes, **Clair de lune** and Beethoven’s 9th. Some others: Bach - Air on the G string; Sheep may safely graze Debussy - Prelude to the afternoon of a faun; 3 nocturnes for orchestra; La Mer Mozart - Laudate Dominum from Vesperae solennes de confessore K339 Ravel - Daphnis and Chloe (ballet), especially the daybreak section (opens suite #2); La Flûte Enchantée from the song cycle Shéhérazade. Holst - Hymns from the Rig Veda, third group Liszt - Un sospiro (concert etude) Randall Thompson - Alleluia; the Last Words of David ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2005, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-beautiful-piece-of-music/299616/33 "2005-04-16T21:44:14Z")
Richard Wagner’s [Siegfried Idyll](http://www.oldandsold.com/articles06/sy30.shtml). ---
**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, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-beautiful-piece-of-music/299616/34 "2005-04-16T21:55:27Z")
I’m listening to a lot of these pieces on Napster today. So lovely some them (most of them). Thanks for sharing. Share more! Allegri’s _Misere_ especially was - yes \*stunning \* was the right word \*\*Antonius \*\*. I may become a classical music fan yet. And the Amazing Grace by bagpipes - not that I’d never heard it before, but I’d never really listened. Powerful. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Fight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/90ced4/32.png) [@Cat\_Fight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Fight)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2005, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-beautiful-piece-of-music/299616/35 "2005-04-16T22:03:35Z")
Cat Power- Maybe Not Heard it shortly after 9/11 and found it achingly beautiful (I know that term is overused, but hey, it fits) Angel on my Shoulder- Gretchen Lieberum and Tomandandy (from the **Mean Creek** soundtrack) The Microphones’ cover of Sand (by Eric’s Trip) Llorando (Crying) from **Mulholland Drive**. Play it loud on a summer night and even if you have company over, you’ll hear a pin drop a good five minutes after it’s over. ---
**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, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-beautiful-piece-of-music/299616/36 "2005-04-16T23:55:25Z")
> [@Wolfian](#): > > Wagner’s _Elsa’s Procession to the Cathedral_. Goosebumps everytime. Another great choice. I love almost everything by Wagner. ---
**Author:** ![Monstre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e274bd/32.png) [@Monstre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monstre)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2005, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-beautiful-piece-of-music/299616/37 "2005-04-17T00:17:35Z")
Samuel Barber’s _Adagio For Strings_ Abinoni’s _Adagio_ (a baroque piece) and Chopin’s _Nocturne in C Minor - (Op. 48, No. 1)_. (I’m somewhat partial to this nocturne, as I played it in my senior piano recital in college – and it’s a beautiful piece). ---
**Author:** ![Anastasaeon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/73ab20/32.png) [@Anastasaeon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anastasaeon)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2005, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-beautiful-piece-of-music/299616/38 "2005-04-17T00:39:14Z")
Debussy - Clair De Lune Pachelbel - Canon in D I’d love to have Clair De Lune play as I walk down the isle for my “show” wedding (hubby and and I plan on having a wedding “for the family” in the next year or so, since we had a simple , near-elopement at a courthouse with a couple of close friends). ---
**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 17, 2005, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-beautiful-piece-of-music/299616/39 "2005-04-17T01:23:44Z")
> [@Cat Fight](#): > > Llorando (Crying) from **Mulholland Drive**. Play it loud on a summer night and even if you have company over, you’ll hear a pin drop a good five minutes after it’s over. F\*\*\*n’ _A._ A few more, personal, suggestions—albeit ones probably not in the “Top ten works of music ever produced by human civilization” caliber—in no particular order: _Shepherd Moons_—Enya (though I’m a sucker for Enya) _All is Full of Love_—Bjork _Gortoz a Ran_ from the _Black Hawk Down_ soundtrack _Who Wants to Live Forever_—various covers _Inner Universe_—Yoko Kanno, performed by Origa ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2005, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-beautiful-piece-of-music/299616/40 "2005-04-17T01:26:24Z")
> [@Stark Raven Mad](#): > > The _Lacrimosa_s from Mozart and Verdi’s **Requiem** s, though IIRC Mozart only got halfway through it before he expired. Seconded, or at least it’s the one that strikes most to my soul. But any of Mozart does that. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-beautiful-piece-of-music/299616.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-beautiful-piece-of-music/299616.md?page=3)