Tear-Jerkers

March 30, 2004 at 06:50 PM · "You Don't Bring Me Flowers" by Neil Diamond and Barbara Streisand.

Oh, and Bach's Chaconne.

March 30, 2004 at 07:05 PM · Probably 'A Whiter Shade of Pale' by ???? (Help me out here, I'm not very old, so I can't remember who wrote this song.) It doesn't make me cry, but it just makes me feel a bit emotional. On the Susannah scale of emotions 'a bit emotional' equates to the 'have a good cry' level most people are familiar with.

No classical music has made me cry apart from Paganini's 1st Concerto. I was a teenager just over three years into playing the violin and I couldn't manage the spiccato bowing bits too well. My teacher gave me some Bach Sonata's as a panacea and I was okay after that.

Blub!

Susannah

March 30, 2004 at 07:25 PM · you'd been playing three years and you were playing the pag concerto? that makes ME wanna cry

March 30, 2004 at 07:25 PM · Chopin Ballade No.1--Horowiz

Chopin Sonata No.2--Horowiz

Rach 3--Horowiz

Tchaik Medetation--Oistrakh

Cahusson Poeme-Oistrakh

Vitali Chaccone--Milstein

Vieuxtemps Concerto No.5--Kogan

Bach Chaccone--Milstein

Schubert last piano sonata--Rubinstein

March 30, 2004 at 07:30 PM · I could use a good cry.

I play piano, and the third movement of Ravel's Sonatine always comes at me as though I knew it somewhere before in another country I've never visited. This feeling is even sadder than crying.

In violin, I saw Hillary play in Anchorage in January. Hadn't seen or heard any classical music in years. I cried when she played the Partita in d. I'm crying now, even to recall it. The purity of the tones and the way they related to each other as they floated away transcended reality. It moved me so much I picked up my violin after years of neglect and gave it another go. So now I practice at least three hours every day, all because of a good cry! Thanks for the inspiring thought for the day.

March 30, 2004 at 07:39 PM · PS

Thinking about a good steak ALWAYS makes me cry.

March 30, 2004 at 07:41 PM · Sibelius concerto always makes me cry. It's so beautiful.

March 30, 2004 at 07:50 PM · Shostakovitch - 3rd mvt (Passacaglia) from violin concerto No. 1 - so emotional and chillingly sad, with a sense of total hopelessness, yet incredibly beautiful... I wish I could describe it better. It evoces the image of some herald proclaiming doom [the beginning] to a small and helpless person, who then weeps in despair, reaches a moment of great expressive emotion as if crying her pain out against the world, and then sinking into nothingness. (those are not actual pictures I see, just a try to express my feelings when listening to this)

(BTW, I have the recording by Hilary Hahn)

Barber - Adagio for Strings

(but I must admit, I first heard it in the film "Platoon" so maybe my perception is a bit biased)

Webber - Requiem for Evita (the movie version)

there are more,but those are the ones that stick in my mind as the most tear-jerking pieces I know.

-----------

Edit: Emily, I can really understand you. Hilary playing Bach is always an awesome experience. I, too, was brought "back on track" after discovering her recordings (which really gripped my right on), and attending one of her concerts a short time afterwards. I had a year or more of half-minded playing behind me before that, but her playing inspired me to get back to playing with serious involvement and a fresh attitude.

March 30, 2004 at 08:59 PM · Faure cello sonata, 4th movement of Mahler 2, and the Pergolesi Kyrie...

March 30, 2004 at 09:47 PM ·

March 30, 2004 at 09:34 PM · Hmm...Mahler 9. Barber's Adagio for Strings. There's a lot of contemporary music that I find so moving it nearly makes me cry. There is this one piece by John Taverner, which I can't for the life of me remember the name of, but it is for solo cello and vocal group. It's amazing!

March 30, 2004 at 10:03 PM · Bach Chaccone, definitely. I almost cried playing it in concert. *Note: this is a bad idea. don't try it. Then again, there were some personal reasons*

also, contemporary music that is too intellectual and too ugly to bear. that makes me cry big time. aka cage.

March 30, 2004 at 10:08 PM · Bach Partita No. 2 in D Minor (III. Sarabande) (Hillary Hahn's recording)

O Magnum Mysterium-Morten Lauridsen (A choral piece)

O doux printemps d'autrefois-Jules Massenet

Gianni Schicchi: O mio babbino caro-Giacomo Puccini

Préludes, Book 1: No.8, La fille aux cheveux de lin-Claude debussy

A Boy Like That - I Have A Love-Leonard Bernstein (The ending)

Somewhere-Leonard Bernstein

Nocturne for Piano in C Sharp Minor-Frédéric Chopin

Dante's Prayer-Loreena McKennitt

can you tell I am a very emotional person?! heh.... T_T

March 30, 2004 at 10:15 PM · The barber gets me too, and I haven't seen platoon yet...

March 30, 2004 at 10:16 PM · LOL I LIKE THE FIRST GOOGLE AD....

they trying to say something....!?

*WAAAAHHH* (Cries like a baby!)

March 30, 2004 at 10:36 PM · Definitely the Barber...

March 30, 2004 at 11:11 PM · Lots of stuff by Schubert and Beethoven makes me cry. I love Beethoven's 10th Violin & Piano sonata so much I could almost cry when sightreading it.

March 30, 2004 at 11:25 PM · du pre playing the first movement of the elgar cello concerto always does it for me.

March 30, 2004 at 11:35 PM · Jen Horne, I so agree with you about Dante's Prayer-Loreena McKennitt. Did you see the year Michelle Kwan skated to this piece as an exhibition?

The other thing that makes me cry is basically all the major concertos, and bach sonatas/partitas...from the frusteration of not playing them they way that I want them to sound.

March 30, 2004 at 11:55 PM · Susannah,

It's insane that you could play paganini1 after 3 years. please share any tips on how you progressed so quickly. other than prunes

thank you!

March 31, 2004 at 12:02 AM · Chaikowsky's Trio op.50, Gilels,Kogan and Rostropovich always move me to tears.

March 31, 2004 at 12:54 AM · ah yes..

nimrod from elgars enigama variations always makes me cry. even if i don't want to.

Third movement from franck violin sonata. The really impassioned bit.

hm what else...

oh lots of things...

barbers adagio, my sister singing "there is a balm in gilead"

umm...brahms sonata in g first movement.

shost five

bach definetley bach...

March 31, 2004 at 01:07 AM · Another vote for Barber's Adagio, plus anything that has pathetic enough associations: Schindler's List when I couldn't play, Tavener's Song For Athene during Princess Di's funeral, Schubert's Gb Impromptu just because. And any cheesy pop ballad I've fallen in love to!

March 31, 2004 at 01:12 AM · The Taverner piece is Svyati for cello and voices!

March 31, 2004 at 03:09 AM · Greetings,

the most tragic country and western song ever penned went something like:

`One prune in my prune can, and I`m still rolling along.

Them Cherokee, are after me,

But I`m still singing my song.`

Cheers,

Buri

March 31, 2004 at 03:19 AM · Mozart Requiem and Bach Chaccone.

March 31, 2004 at 03:18 AM · Ok i don't think i have EVER cried while listening to a piece, but 5 Varients on Dives and Lazarus by R. Vaughan Williams really moves me. It gets my emotions going. .. And Josh Groban.... and select mvts. from the Gadfly by Shostakovich.

-Lauren

March 31, 2004 at 03:34 AM · Barber's Adagio, Music from a scene From Shelly and the Intermezzo from Vanessa...Barber rocks. The Faure Requiem makes me cry too. Other than that I think I have cried before for the following works, although not as much:) Oh, and give me a good tchaikovsky melody and I could be crying for hours;)

Tchaikovsky: 2nd Movement from Souvinir De Flourence.

Bach: 2nd movement from piano concerto number five )

Bach Cello Suites any and all

Borodin: notturno from String Quartet 2

Chopin: That Berceuse for piano...yea he probably wrote more than one, but I don't really know chopin so lets just leave it at that:)

And lets not forget bother of Brahms two Leider for Viola, Mezzo-soprano and Piano!

Shotakovich: Lady Macbeth of the Mstensk District (the saddest thing ever...trust me)

March 31, 2004 at 04:10 AM · Awesome question!

The Beethoven always makes me cry. I heard this concerto live this past July, and talk about tears! I just about cried my eyes out, especially during the second movement... Beethoven is holy to me.

Other pieces...second movement of the Emperor concerto, Adagio for Strings, the Barber concerto, anything by Bach, Elegie for cello by Gabriel Faure, and the Finzi cello concerto...does anybody else love this melancholy masterpiece?

The most emotional work of all time, however, is probably "A Farewell to Prunes."

Musically, Emily

March 31, 2004 at 04:58 AM · another vote for Barber Adagio for strings..

Prokofiev Romeo and Juliet "juliet's death" -somehow that one always gets me going

Bach partita in D minor

and depending on my mood, some music can be so beautiful that it brings tears, like Borodin nocturne, 2nd movement of the Saint Saens violin concerto, etc

March 31, 2004 at 05:02 AM · I'm amazed no one's mentioned the second movement of the Brahms concerto. I mean, I almost made MYSELF cry when I last played it....(then again, it was a high-stress, high-stakes situation so I was particularly emotionally charged).

One time that I can definitely remember crying from listening to a piece of music was when I first heard a recording of Stravinsky conducting the "Rite of Spring". The sheer bloodthirsty savagery that I heard in that version of an already primal work literally made my breath catch.

March 31, 2004 at 05:48 AM · I don't cry, but I get chills sometimes. Also Sprach Zarathustra does it for me, especially in the 2nd movement...actually Strauss does it for me . I second the motions for Du Pre's Elgar 1st movement (although in my old age it seems mush), the 3rd movement of the Shostakovich #1, and I'd like to add Beethoven 5,6,7,9 (symphonies), the 1st movement of the Kreutzer, parts of die Walkure and Gotterdammerung by Wagner, Fratres by Arvo Part, Masks from Prokofiev's Romeo & Juliet, and the second Aria of the Stravinsky concerto. Can't leave out the famous chorus from St. Matthew's passion "O Haupt..." but actually the whole thing commands my attention on a primal level.

..but still, nothing compares to a good version of Terrapin Station by the Grateful Dead.

k

March 31, 2004 at 05:57 AM · The slow movement of Mahler 6.

It gets stuck in my head, then I want to cry all day!

March 31, 2004 at 06:13 AM · "Vissi d'arte, vissi d'amore" from Tosca by Puccini, sung by Maria Callas (and preferrably the live Covent Garden production directed by Zefferelli).

Carl.

March 31, 2004 at 07:08 AM · Susannah must have had a lot of bananas!

As for me the Rachmaninov piano concerto no. 2 in C minor Op18, specialy the 2nd movement. I'm actualy trying to get it transcribed for violin so I can put it on my next CD and dedicate it to my grandmother.

Peter

March 31, 2004 at 10:23 AM · Peter,

Is the Rach 2 that one piece that opens with the slow building piano chords, and then the swirling and violins playing Do,,re-do,, re-do,, te-le-te-so... I was going to mention that, but I can never remember numbers. Rachmoninoff sets a good tone for ill-fated romance.

March 31, 2004 at 11:17 AM · Peter: Kreisler had already did it.

March 31, 2004 at 11:34 AM · Greetings,

That's the one Emily. I have been hanging around railway stations for years but no luck so far,

Cheers,

Buri

March 31, 2004 at 03:16 PM · Rach 2 is such an awesome piece to play. Particularly the second violin part in the slow movement. You get to sit back and enjoy the pianist for a huge amount of it, then play the equsite melody towards the end!

March 31, 2004 at 03:37 PM · Rach 2, without a doubt. I only live performance I've ever cried at was Mutter playing Brahms.

March 31, 2004 at 03:55 PM · Rachmanninov's 2nd symphony is challenging and beautiful as well.

April 1, 2004 at 07:23 PM · "My Heart Will Go On"...jk

Chopin's nocturns are all beautiful.

March 31, 2004 at 05:01 PM · another incredible one is Balakirev's transcription of Glinka's Romance The Lark. I have a recording of Kissin playing it ...incredible.

March 31, 2004 at 05:08 PM · For me, in sheer emotional power it's hard to beat the Verdi Requiem. When the chorus whispers the final "Libera me", it never fails to reduce me to jelly. Maybe it just stirs something in my Neapolitan blood...

March 31, 2004 at 05:41 PM · Chopin - Nocturne in D Flat (Michael Rabin)

Chopin - Nocturne in E minor (Jascha Heifetz)

March 31, 2004 at 06:22 PM · ooh, nimrod, good one.

for me i prefer the choral rendition of barbers adagio (agnus dei i believe)

March 31, 2004 at 09:35 PM · I never said that I COMPLETED the Pag 1st, did I? I kind of 'found it' and played quite a bit of the first movement with my teacher and ONLY the first movement. It did make me cry once, because I wanted to play it a la Salvatore Accardo tempo and I had to make do with a limp 'moderato' for a couple of months. It was a bit like chewing on a tough beef steak repeatedly and it really was tough going. So, guys, I didn't just pick it up and whizz away at it. It also helped that I was working on the A-minor Nr24 Caprice by Pag' at the same time which, as you kno is a bit of a sample-sized chocolate box of bigger Pag' stuff.

I was not a prodigy, just a person who happened to pick things up quickly. There's no secret formula, just a love of music and a lot of hard work and exercising involved. Also, Pag' is good for teenagers as you can really let rip with devil-may-care trills, left hand pizz' and bangy firework stuff. Somehow I never was rebellious and my mother thinks it's because I took out all my rebellion on the violin (parents to be please note). At first it sounded really awful and my mother made extra won-ton soup in an effort to keep my interests diverse (i.e. eat-play-eat-play, as opposed to play,play,play), but after a few weeks it actually morphed into something hearable.

So, there it is...

Regular teen eats won-ton soup, practises for hours and has a will to get somewhere with a piece that happened to be right at the time.

Very mundane and pedestrian. Agreed.

CAn we get on with the Tear-Jerker discussion now?

See ya!

Susannah

P.S. If still amazed, please note that I cannot play or interpret anything by Mozart very well.

March 31, 2004 at 09:50 PM · Oh yes. I forgot to tell you lot that one of my three nicknames at school was 'Prune'. No joke. Indeed, it was. My friend Natasha once said to me, 'Susannah, if you spend your time indoors playing the violin all the time, you'll dry up and wrinkle into a little ball, like a prune, through lack of sunlight'. Hence the name was born. I can also cap it with an ace prune impression, but there's no webcam facility on this site, so I can't show you. I just wrinkle up my face and wear a mudmask.

March 31, 2004 at 10:34 PM · nimrod from the enigma variations but only when it's live and i only heard it live once and it was outside with an amphiteatre and stuff so it was pretty intense.

March 31, 2004 at 11:46 PM · Steve - I guess the reciprocal to your "one prune in my prune can", since we're talking cowboys is "I just blew in from the windy city"......... since if you'd only one prune left, that would me you'd eaten rather a lot.....which would definitely bring tears to the eyes at some point.......not to mention anyone on the receiving end.......

As to musical tear jerkers............ Hods and hods of them depending on when you catch me......I can't play now so any violin music in particular can be an emotional stimulus. But a few that come to mind.......

Schindlers list EVERY TIME - that scene in the film where the prisoners in the death camp are being led out to freedom by Schindler. I can't get past that without a big box of tissues and just the music........well, just thinking of the music evokes that scene and off I go. Eva Cassidy singing Over the rainbow, I know you by heart, autumn leaves, Danny Boy........ The Barber can do it, so can Albinoni's adagio, Dvorak cello conc. esp 2nd movt with Rostropovitch playing. Loads of Brahms........ (e.g. 1st movt of the B+ piano trio, Horn trio the 1st melody in the 1st movt, the slow movt.... E minor cello sonata - 1st movt), Ravel piano concerto - 1st movt. Bruch Scottish Fantasy - Heifetz.... One dead cert, strangley enough is Sibelius 5, the end of the 1st movt where the fiddles are playing the triplets high up on the G string....... The idea of someone being able to play the 24th Pag. caprice after 3 years....... I could go on all night but I need to go and sleep otherwise I shall be emotionally susceptible to almost anything......... Glad to know I'm not the only sopster out there though..... Night....... Zzzzzzzzzz Oh, before I nod off (old and decrepit you see - can't hack it any more......)....... Susannah - Whiter Shade of Pale was sung by Annie Lennox and the Eurythmics or at least that's the version I'm familiar with so I presume she/they wrote it...... I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong.......

September 7, 2008 at 12:03 AM · Second Movement of Brahms Fourth Symphony

September 7, 2008 at 01:22 AM · Pachelbel's Canon.

September 7, 2008 at 03:11 AM · Definitely Nimrod, playing or in fact listening and curiously the last movement of the Mother Goose Suite by Ravel

September 7, 2008 at 04:14 AM · Stephen,

The battle of Little Big Horn that wiped out that idiot Custer occurred because the white men gave the Indians prunes. How do you think "Sitting Bull" got that name? It was from quaffing prunes. Once they ate a bunch and saw what they did they were instantly on the warpath.

September 7, 2008 at 05:17 AM · Dvorak_Romance in F minor for violin-Opus 11...

September 7, 2008 at 05:40 AM · I know this may seem cliche, but Scottish Fantasy always gives me that "pre-tear" feeling!

September 7, 2008 at 06:03 AM · Final trio from Gounod's "Faust"

September 7, 2008 at 09:04 AM · I'm really surprised that no-one has mentionned any string quartets,

a big tear jerker for me is Beethoven;s cavatina from op130

the molto adagio in op 132, that is just amazing.

any of Shostakovich's second movement.

Brahms clarinet quintet, the sextet in Bflat

Mendelssohn... all the quartets, but the F minor particularly.

A Nightingale sang in Berkeley square

"Maybe this time" from Cabaret

Prokoviev 2 second movement, boohoo

that's all i can think of right now

September 7, 2008 at 01:29 PM · "You'll Never Walk Alone" from the musicical Carousel. (Sp?)

And Lothlorien by Enya. (I guess she could fit into this thread?)

September 7, 2008 at 04:13 PM · Many, many pieces make me very, very sentimental, and yes at times cry. But in particular, three by Brahms:

A German Requiem - "How lovely is Thy dwelling place...." - it never fails to move me.

Fourth Symphony - 4th Movement

1st Piano Concerto - 2nd Movement

Sandy

September 7, 2008 at 04:52 PM · While I don't cry everytime I hear these pieces, I feel very emotional when I hear Shostakovich String Quartet No. 15, and Chausson Poeme, which are both in e flat minor. For me that key speaks the most of pain and despair as well as d minor. In the Beethoven Violin Concerto, I find the d minor sections very emotional. Also the Lark Ascending, the tutti part, and Elgar cello concerto for me are very deep pieces. There are probably a lot more I have not thought of now.

September 8, 2008 at 10:01 AM · the girls in my life always cry for

"Puff the Magic Dragon".

September 8, 2008 at 12:40 PM · Wahhh, Ron. I'll be thinking about that all night now. Puff is absolutely the saddest thing ever written.

When my son was 10 his school (being a steiner/waldorf school) had its end of term concert, and the kids in his class sang PTMD. As soon as I heard the first bars I knew what was going to happen, and was up the back blubbering hopelessly, with the teacher's tissue box and another tragic mum for company. I have never made it past the first bars, because I know how it ends, and it makes their happy playing at the beginning unbearable. I have a similar problem with Old Shep, even though I know it was written to be schmalzy, where Puff is kind of allegorical or something.

And my heart goes out in the slow movement of Zigeunerweisen.

September 8, 2008 at 02:57 PM · The piece that made me cry is a very flashy piece. This girl who played Vieuxtemps (sp?) 4 at a competition at camp played so beautifully even though it's big and bold that I almost cried.

September 9, 2008 at 12:44 AM · I'll second Mahler 2 (Simon Rattle/Anne Sofie von Otter).

Also, we had a memorial concert for one of my teachers who passed away mid-year and the brass all stood to play 'Fanfare for the Common Man.' Even though it had been several months, I was bawling my eyes out at the sight of it.

September 9, 2008 at 03:31 AM · Hatikvah

September 9, 2008 at 04:26 AM · 1st movement of the Telemann Viola Concerto in G

Vivaldi's Stabat Mater, first movement

September 9, 2008 at 05:19 AM · certain videos of amateurs who take themselves seriously on youtube make me cry , but for different reasons...

September 9, 2008 at 06:52 AM · Well, Puff is imaginary: a boy who grows up and leaves his childhood friends behind. I suppose the kid in each of us feels a tug. Certainly, I miss many things, places, people of my childhood.

Old Shep make me sad because of Elvis. To this day I feel sorry for him, for the way he was used and abused by people. He had money, for the times, but no true happiness.

As an adult, the song that makes me the most melancholy is Danny Boy, sung by Mario Lanza. Mario, too, was troubled, yet had what some say is the best voice ever. Nobody can sing DB the way Mario did. His fantastic voice transcends even the lousy recording technology used in the '50s.

Mario's quality, and the lyrics by a father concerned for his son, always brings a lump in my throat: especially now that my own father passed away 30 yrs ago, and I have my own lovely daughter. "for I'll be here in sunshine or in shadow" for her.

sad or happy, what sort of world would we have without music?

September 9, 2008 at 11:46 AM · Joan Scarlatescu's Bagatelle played by Neveu !

September 9, 2008 at 06:53 PM · Surprised...not one mention of Mozart!! I would go for several of his strings quartets and Quintets, , His last symphonies, piano concertos (KV 482 to name one),Divertimento for string trio and, above all, the "Great C minor mass" sung by Arleen Auger..

And then, hardly one vote for Schubert chamber music or last piano sonatas???? Ah, and what about Schumann's 2nd symphony, 3rd movt?? There's a short excerpt of Bernstein rehearsing it with the Pacific S.O. on you tube, or else try to find the recording conducted by Celibidache in Stuttgart(and as long as you are with him, why not listen to his Bruckner symphonies, especially the adagio of the VIIIth.

Back to the violin...so much to choose from. Let's start with the first mvt of Tartini's devil's trills with Milstein!! Kreisler playing his own transcription of Rimsky's Sadko (chanson indoue)...and many more

September 9, 2008 at 07:12 PM · As a true lover of the electric guitar I must mention these pieces

Uli Jon Roth: I´m A River, Starlight

Steve Vai: Windows to the soul

Marty Friedman, Jason Becker: Jewel (in particular if you know the destiny of Jason Becker one of the most talented guitarists of all time)

Classical pieces: Swan Theme from Swan Lake by Tchaikowsky is amazing

September 9, 2008 at 09:28 PM · I agree with Amy!

I just recently lost a job that I loved, about the same time I discovered David Oistrakh's Sibelius. I spent a few weeks crying my eyes out to his gorgeous violin solos.

*Snif*

September 9, 2008 at 09:44 PM · 2nd mvmt. of Brahms 4th Symphony...I think I'm going to play it in the car on the way home from work... :)

September 10, 2008 at 12:09 AM · Wagner's Tannhauser overture gets me every time darn it.

oh, and Ciaccona from Bach Partita 2 for Violin - of course!

September 10, 2008 at 02:23 AM · -Theme from Schindler's List

-Moon River

-All Rachmaninoff piano

September 10, 2008 at 09:04 AM · It would be interesting to see what these pieces have in common, harmonically, melodically, or even timbrally.

I know there are certain harmonic changes that always bring a tear to my eye, for example when a repeated phrase has a major chord the first time, and a minor off the same root the second time Also certain uses of suspensions move me.

In timing, a slight hesitation before hitting a note, or playing just behind the beat can do it. And there is that "will he make it?" feeling that comes with some voices, the choir boy sound in an older voice, that slight strain, coupled with accuracy, and delicacy of sound.

John Sloboda did such a study of affect and musical characteristics.

gc

September 10, 2008 at 06:50 PM · Any version of Taps or Amazing Grace. Been to too many funerals, I guess.

September 10, 2008 at 07:08 PM · "Marty Friedman, Jason Becker: Jewel (in particular if you know the destiny of Jason Becker one of the most talented guitarists of all time)"

That's a beautiful little piece. I've pulled out Dragon's Kiss on a regular basis for listening ever since it was released--the whole thing is great.

Anyway, some tunes that make me cry--

The final movement of Respighi's Pines of Rome never fails to get me going.

Finale to Sibelius Symphony No. 2

Fourth movement of Bruckner Sym. 5

Slow movement of Mahler Sym. 4

John Tavener--Tears of the Angels

Dvorak cello concerto--when I heard Yo Yo Ma play it with Chicago it moved me to tears, but I'm not a Dvorak fan in general.

Poe--If You Were Here

Yes--Holy Lamb

I'm sure there are a couple of others.

September 10, 2008 at 07:40 PM · Elgar: Concerto for Violin and Orchestra, Op. 61, Movement Two

September 11, 2008 at 04:00 PM · hm, no Verdi, no Puccini, what about the Liebestod? Traviata is one continuous tear-bath. Rigoletto looking for Gilda in Duca's Palace? the last scene of Aida? Manon, anyone?? Mimi's death for God's sakes???

P.S. Barber and Korngold concerto slow mvts. never fail to get a cry.

September 12, 2008 at 02:28 AM · very predictably or not

Barber's Adagio

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RRMz8fKkG2g

September 12, 2008 at 04:25 AM · Ok I have one that comes way out of left field, but believe it or not out of my 70 GB of classical music, it most probably has the highest rate of making me cry.

Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 1 in Gm "Winter Dreams", Op. 13: II mvt. Adagio cantabile ma non tanto

I find the entire symphony itself to be wonderfully inspired, busting at the seams with its creative energy, but simply lacking that "refined" character of that's apparent in composers' latter compositions. The melancholy of the second movement really pulls my heartstrings though.

September 12, 2008 at 11:46 AM · "Kol Nidrei" Op 47 Max Bruch

September 13, 2008 at 12:50 AM · Vesti la giubba from Leoncavallo's Pagliacci

September 13, 2008 at 01:44 AM · Nessun Dorma... Vanessa Mae

September 14, 2008 at 01:07 AM · Mahler 9, 4th movement

Part: Spiegel im Spiegel

Barber: Adagio

Faure: Elegie

September 14, 2008 at 04:44 AM · ANY sort of sad song @the met for ANY opera

reduces me to tears....

last time i was at the met,i traveled up to

the guard rails for the pit orchestra

i damn near had a mental breakdown

seeing MILLIONS of dollars worth of instruments displayed before my eyes in the pit !

happenstance,i heard a conversation between a higher ranking cello player and a much younger cello player-both of whom remained in the pit,whilst everyone else was gone---BUT their instruments were still there-as well as everyone else's instruments.

millions of dollars of very special instruments

left on the stage during the breaks !!

needless to say,i was totally taken aback !

The Met Rocks and the cuisine was unbeatable at the Grand Tier Restaurant !! I LOVE to catch a glimpse of the Juilliard School,whilst dining at the Met !!

It was Glorious in every regard and I will forever shed a tear or 2 remembering that occurance !!!

September 14, 2008 at 06:31 PM · Mahler: Adagietto from Symphony no. 5.

John Coltrane: Lush Life

September 14, 2008 at 08:57 PM · Bach's Matthew Passion -- I'm surprised no-one said that before me!

September 15, 2008 at 01:19 AM · definitely 2nd movement of barber violin concerto, bloch nigun, bruch kol neidre, rachmoninoff cello sonata, I know that there are others....

September 15, 2008 at 03:00 AM · 40 shades of green

johnny cash !

September 15, 2008 at 01:58 PM · Susannah - Whiter Shade of Pale was sung by Annie Lennox and the Eurythmics or at least that's the version I'm familiar with so I presume she/they wrote it......

somewhat belated perhaps? but still (and without tears in my eyes),Whiter Shade was composed by Gary Brooker and Keith Reid in 1967 (with co-author Matthew Fisher) of Procol Harum. The song was an adaption of Air by J.S. Bach and played on Hammond organ either by Fisher or Brooker. After their reunion in 2001 the band still perform Live, their tunes being rooted in blues and classical music.

And Bart, the Matthaeus-Passion was mentioned before, 4,5 years ago, by Kismet Al-Hussaini if I remember well ;<)

Haj

September 15, 2008 at 04:05 PM · Here is a real tear jerker.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=57ta7mkgrOU

September 15, 2008 at 04:06 PM · Sorry accidental double post.

September 15, 2008 at 06:10 PM · Tchaiks': None But the Lonely Heart - transcribed for solo violin. By the first four measures I need a towel - not kleenex

Barber: Adagio for Strings - I'm playing that right now and I hope I don't cry during the concert.

Schostys': Quartet No 7 (second movement)- it's haunting and heart wrenching, but I don't always cry.

Bach: St. Matthews Passion - it's Bach! Need I say more... :-)

September 16, 2008 at 02:19 PM · Bach A Minor concerto, slow movement.

Scratchy 70-year-old recording by Menuhin.

Bittersweet and straight to the soul.

Procul Harum on the other hand is an immediate switch off. To each his own.

September 16, 2008 at 10:09 PM · JULIA FISCHER playing the cadenza first mvt. of J. Brahms concerto

Ref. to Procol Harum was an answer to an open question raised in March 04, seriously. No tears involved, as mentioned.

Haj and Bye

September 16, 2008 at 10:43 PM · Can't say I ever come even close to tears with any of these other pieces. But there's certainly an excited apprehension in the Brahms. Everyone has to stay quiet or I swear at them. Love it.

September 17, 2008 at 02:22 AM · Well, the end of another interesting thread. Sob...