I rather like optimistic music who brings to me joy and exuberance (sp?). Maybe why I prefer Haydn over Mozart. Even if do not dislike dark emotions in music, I do not look specially for them. I like too the sublime in music when you feel you are in Heavens. For example, Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring from Bach or the Dance of the Blessed Spirits from Gluck.

 

Sometimes (to me) the very mention of great music and of great musicians is as wonderful as the music itself. Here are 3 statements on JS Bach which I get emotional about, even by reading them -

1. To consider human nature until its divine attributes are made clear, to inform ordinary activities with spiritual fervor, to give wings of eternity to that which is most ephemeral; to make divine things human and human things divine - such is the music of Johann Sebastian Bach, the greatest and purest moment in music of all time. - Pablo Casals

2, And if we look at the works of JS Bach - a benevolent god to which all musicians should offer a prayer to defend themselves against mediocrity - on each page we discover things which we thought were born only yesterday, from delightful arabesques to an overflowing of religious feeling greater than anything we have since discovered. And in his works we will search in vain for anything the least lacking in good taste. - Claude Debussy

3. "She played Bach. I do not know the names of the pieces, but I recognized the stiff ceremonial of the frenchified little German courts and the sober, thrifty comfort of the burghers, and the dancing on the village green, the green trees that looked like Christmas trees, and the sunlight on the wide German country, and a tender cosiness; and in my nostrils a warm scent of the soil - and I was conscious of a sturdy strength that seemed to have its roots deep in mother earth, and of an elemental power that was timeless and had no home in space." - W. Somerset Maugham (from 'The Alien Corn')

 

Most recently, Elgar's cello concerto. I'm waiting to get a CD of this work.

Enjoy!

 

In the "strongest emotions" department, Schubert leaves them all standing in my opinion.

Among his many single lieder there are some astonishingly beautiful pieces. There are too many to list. D 800 was mentioned earlier, but there are many others. Anyone not famliar with this genre should drop everything and get listening to some of it.

Schubert's late piano sonatas are every bit as good as, in my opinion better than, Beethoven's. They contain some of the loveliest, most moving pieces in the whole piano repertoire. For me, at least, they reign supreme.

I've reached this view after many previous love-affairs with other composers whom I thought at the time were invincible. It's probably best for people to discover their own path to musical Nirvana, but if anyone wants a jump start to the front of the queue go direct to Schubert.

 

I actually agree with Mango. I actually agree !!!! Schubert's late piano sonatas are truly wonderful.

 

Wow, that`s something; Mango and robert newman agreeing! So there`s hope after all...

I`ll probably get into big trouble for saying this, but for me, no other art form comes close to creating an emotional response such as music. Not the bard`s written or spoken word, not the artist`s canvas nor the dancer`s movements.

I like all the emotions music provides, but my favourite works are those that give me intense thrills and excitement. Followed by works of a glorious and uplifting nature. There is waaaay too much stuff to list here, but I`ll give some of my top pics. Some of you already know what works I`ll list; oh well, why should that stop me.

Debussy - La Mer. The greatest of all musical roller coaster rides of emotion.
Ravel - Daphnis and Chloe. Just the opening is enough to knock one`s socks right off. And the rest is fantastic as well.
Ravel - La Valse. The wildest and most chaotically driven waltz of all-time, hands down.
Dvorak - New World Symphony. First and last movements. Thrilling.
Stravinsky - Firebird. One of the most exciting endings of a work ever.
Shostakovich - 5th Symphony. The intensity is overpowering.

 

for me, no other art form comes close to creating an emotional response such as music. Not the bard`s written or spoken word, not the artist`s canvas nor the dancer`s movements.

Could we consider music to be the most intrinsically abstract art form?

 

Sibelius: Symphony No.5, 3rd mvt. Allegro - an instrumental Requiem (or just the 'In paradisum' part.)

OK, I'm going to humble myself here and ask about your "In Paradisum" reference... I'm not sure where this comes from, I have never heard of it! If this is an official Sibelian label to some theme in that movement, than I am humbled and shamed for not knowing it.

If not, and it is your idea, I am very curious and eager to hear more about this...

 

No, no, it is nothing official. It's just my feeling about it, don't know why. Perhaps because the solemn motif in that movement resembles the calls of the cranes, and I remembered an anecdote about Sibelius seeing a flock of cranes not much before his death, after which he said 'Cranes! The birds of my youth!'.

I imagine in this movement a soul set free from the ties of a dead body (the agitated, yet merry beginning) ascending towards the Heavens (the crane motif), where it meets all those who he/she knew and loved once (the lyric melody set against the motif). Then the soul sees those who were dearest to it (a silent part with the melody) and approaches to see the Creator (the disintegrating, terrifyingly solemn coda) and in the end finally Understands the secrets of universe, revealed for him/her (the end and the most original final cadenza).

 

Thanks for the great thread.. I am somewhat like you (emotional but keep emotions to myself) ... I dont have my own list (just discovered Classical style music) but I will be glad to check out your selections!

 

A 'few' came to mind:

Poulenc: Salve Regina
Mozart: Duetto "Ah perdona al primo affetto" from La Clemenza di Tito
Ouverture "Don Giovanni"
Sonata for Violin & (Forte)piano in E minor, KV 304
Bach: opening choir Johannes-Passion & Aria "Zerfließe, mein Herze..."
Choral "O Mensch, bewein dein Sünde groß" Matthäus-Passion
Cantata "Gottes Zeit ist die allerbeste Zeit" BWV 106
Sarabandes from second and fifth Suite for Violoncello
Passacaglia & Fugue for organ
Händel: "I know that my Redeemer liveth" Messiah
Purcell: "When I am laid in earth" Dido and Aeneas
Byrd: "Agnus Dei" Mass for four voices
Stravinsky: Elegia for viola
Schubert: last two songs of Winterreise
Mahler: final chorus of Second Symphony
Scherzo from Fifth Symphony
First movement of Seventh Symphony
"Ich bin der Welt abhanden gekommen"
Tchaikovsky: Sixth Symphony, especially the final movement
Pergolesi: "Quando corpus morietur" Stabat Mater
Pärt: De profundis
Rachmaninov: "Nunc dimittis" Vespers
Duruflé: "Tota pulchra es" Quatre motets gregoriennes
Bizet: final duetto from "Carmen"

But I think there are a lot more. Later?

 

Ever heard Perotin? He predates Twelfth Night by roughly four centuries. Some quite cool stuff, definitely at least "decent."

I completely agree with you, Leporello- Leonin is awesome too. In regard to this topic, I actually find that earlier music evokes a much more powerful emotion in me than a lot of other genres. The bareness and almost chilling barren quality of modal music is spine tingling- especially when suddenly the composer fills the bare fifths with a major or minor third. Emotionally, I never feel as close to God as when I am performing Tallis or Weelkes or Eccard. Saying that, the first time I ever heard the climax of Beethoven's 9th performed by the Orchestra Revolutionaire I felt as though a door had opened onto another plain- a plain that was filled with the most wonderful and powerful emotions imaginable. It is said that we use only a tiny portion of our brains and I definately believe that certain pieces of music strike a chord that is unreachable by anything else...

 

And this was written some 120 years before any really decent music hit the scene.
(Mango)

I nearly rose to that one too.

 

What the hell?? Mango was banned? ¬_¬

 

I just noticed this too. I'm not sure when it happened, but I wondered why she suddenly fell silent in the threads.

More on the topic of the thread: there's that cool part at the end of the 1st movement of the Mendelssohn Scottish Symphony, where there are these interlaced chromatic tremolo scales in the violins. I've always thought maybe these were a musical representation of fog blowing into the Scottish highlands or something. But, the way the chromatic scales weave in and out of each other, there's almost something maddening about it. Not that it would necessarily make you crazy, since the music is slightly too well-bred for that. But, if someone who was on the brink of going crazy were to listen to that part, that passage might just be the thing to push them over the edge.

I'm not sure when this situation would ever actually come up, though

 

There is a wide variety of music which affects me emotionally. Opera, having the force of words and staging behind it, has latterly been making more of an impact on me. However, since the thread has been addressing instrumental music, I thought I'd stay in that category, for consistency's sake. Two examples sprung readily to mind:

a) the opening movement of Berlioz Symphonie Fantastique. It places you into its swirl of a world that reminds me of W.B. Yeats turn of phrase "perne in a gyre" (i.e.: face-down on a merry-go-round).

b) people talk about the peaceful fading conclusion of Mahler's 9th, and rightfully so... but another example of peaceful terminus is the end of Saturn from Holst's Planets. Could this be the most underrated passage in the whole work? If you ask someone what they find memorable in The Planets, what are the chances that they'll mention this?!

 

Sometimes, emotions are too strong, and nearly insufferable…
Mahler’s “die Kindertotenlieder”, for example, bring me such too dark feelings.

 

But, the way the chromatic scales weave in and out of each other, there's almost something maddening about it.

I guess I didn't really think of considering musical emotions like these- it's a very valuable point to make that when talking about music being emotionally inspiring it does not necessarily mean the emotion has to be a great uplifting. I went to see The Sixteen last night (who have been one of my favourite vocal groups for sometime) and accidentally burst into tears because it was just so eerily perfect and beautiful. They sang Allegri's Misereri along with some absolutely sublime works by Palestrina and Anerio. The setting was perfect- York Minster; a renaissance Cathedral of immense proportions and elaborate brilliance with beams of evening sunlight coming through the stained glass. I love the way music can touch me like nothing else can, even if I do have a very powerful reaction to it. There were about 3,000+ audience members yet I was the youngest by far and my alternative and revealing outfit drew disapproving glances. However, my only disappointment was in the faces of the audience which merely appeared full of cool, rigid 'approval'. I know it's hardly a mosh pit where you can really go for it and holler your appreciation of the band, but I can't understand how people keep their emotion so well hidden. Yet I know that the other people must have been just as affected by the music as I was- it was impossible not to be...

 

However, my only disappointment was in the faces of the audience which merely appeared full of cool, rigid 'approval'. I know it's hardly a mosh pit where you can really go for it and holler your appreciation of the band, but I can't understand how people keep their emotion so well hidden.

I feel the same, and rather think that it is hopeless, alas…
Why do you think a Netrebko is so popular, and give so much emotions to her public? Is it because she sings better than a Callas or a Tebaldi? Pfff…
Try to sing with a short night dress, the next time, and you will astonished
by the concentration of the public… ... :angry: ...

 

Bach's music makes me sooo faithful. I think his music is too powerful. His St. Matthew passion really makes deep sorrow, his secular works also gives flaring spirit to me. even if it is performed plainly without any dynamic change.

 

I believe Tchaikovsky would be good in the emotional department, especially his "Pathetique" Symphony.

Sibelius- the last movement of his Symphony No. 2, I just love the rising climax!( Kirki, did you read this?, hehe).
Handel- "Hallelujah!" Chorus from his "Messiah
I'll be sure to list anymore I come across or remember!

 

Tchaikovsky: Symphony no. 6 "Pathetique" (Mainly 1st movement)
Richard Strauss: Eine Alpensinfonie; Don Juan; Till Eulenspiegel
Bruckner: Symphony no. 8 (Particularly 4th movement)
Ottorino Respighi: Pines of Rome; Fountains of Rome; Festivals of Rome
Dvorak: Symphony no. 8; Symphony no. 9
Mahler: Symphony no. 1 "Titan"; Symphony no. 5; Lieder eines fahren Gessellen(Songs of a Wayfarer)
Mozart: "Lo ci darem la mano" from Don Giovanni; "Come mai creder deggio dalla sua pace" from Don Giovanni
Leonard Bernstein: Candide (particularly "Auto da fe", "Candide's Lament", and "Make Our Garden Grow"); Symphonic Dances to West Side Story
David Maslanka: A Child's Garden of Dreams for Wind Orchestra
Eric Whitacre: Lux Aurumque; Ghost Train; Sleep; Cloudburst
Wagner: The Ride of the Walkyries from Die Walkure; Prelude to Act III from Lohengrin; Sailor's Chorus from Der Fliegende Hollander; Overture to Der Fliegende Hollander; Siegfried's Funeral March from Gotterdammerang; Finale to Gotterdammerang; Overture to Tannhauser
Stravinsky: The Rite of Spring; The Firebird; Symphony of Psalms
Holst: The Planets (particularly "Neptune: The Mystic", and "Uranus: The Magician", but truly I love all the movements)
Orff: Carmina Burana
Berlioz: Royal Hunt and Storm from Les Troyens
Gershwin: An American in Paris
Rimsky-Korsakov: Scheherazade
Dan Welcher: Minstrels of the Kells for Wind Ensemble
Percy Grainger: Down Longford Way; Irish Tune from County Derry; Lincolnshire Posy

All of these inspire emotion from me. Some more than others. Many of the emotions vary from passionate, elated, anxious, peaceful, powerful, ease, delight, and awe. However, my list of such works are not restricted to those above. Neither are my emotions restricted to those above. I do not believe it possible to list them all.

 

I'm quite an emotional person, though my problem is that I usually keep emotions for myself so they incline to melancholy. Music is a special thing. Evokes most powerful emotions in people, and most varied
As certainly all of us music-lovers do, I also have some pieces that are of particular emotional strength for me. Mind sharing some of those with us?

Please forgive me if I'm out of place here to talk about one Bengali poet-cum-musician, Rabindranath Tagore(7 May 1861 - 7 August 1941). He won the Nobel Prize for literature(lyrics of his songs) in 1913. Though his music is not pure classical but there are classical tunes(derived from Ragas) as well. His songs express varied emotions & its quite phenomenal that most of us(Bengalis) can express ourselves through the words and tune of his music almost all the time. We can express our joy, our sorrow, our anger, love, devotion and every emotion through his music. He has created waves. Some of his songs are based on western tunes also as he travelled extensively and incorporated different tunes in his songs. We call him "Gurudev".

Anyways please carry on with your discussions, I'm getting enriched. Recently I was listening to 'The essentials of Antonio Vivaldi' and enjoyed four seasons thorowly.

 

. . . one Bengali poet-cum-musician, Rabindranath Tagore. He won the Nobel Prize for literature (lyrics of his songs) in 1913. Though his music is not pure classical but there are classical tunes (derived from Ragas) as well. His songs express varied emotions & its quite phenomenal that most of us (Bengalis) can express ourselves through the words and tune of his music almost all the time. We can express our joy, our sorrow, our anger, love, devotion and every emotion through his music. He has created waves. Some of his songs are based on western tunes also as he travelled extensively and incorporated different tunes in his songs. We call him "Gurudev".

Probably many Members will be aware that Zemlinsky's Lyric Symphony is based upon seven songs from Tagore's anthology "The Gardener" (see >>this link<<)

We did not know that he himself was a musician, but thanks to Mr. Kar's interesting contribution we shall now seek out Tagore's songs. By the way, what does "Gurudev" mean?

 

They said that music has a unique classical emotion. Whatever genre of music that we listen to affects our emotional life. Every time I listen to a song especially if the lyrics and melody are too emotional, reminds me of my past experiences. It gives me a relief from pain if I'm sad, angry or whatever feelings I have. Some music though has the power to make me feel other emotions which I have not felt before. Some people hate to listen to sad music and some do not. It is really a mystery why sad music affects our emotions.

 

I'm overly-emotional as well, but I don't show it any more. I prefer to keep my emotions to myself, and express them through music. I remember sitting dead still through a performance of Messiaen's Quartet for the End of Time, though on the inside, what a profound experience!

I prefer deeply moving, predominantly dark music (all "classical"). The strong religious feeling in Bach's music really strikes a vain with me as well, mostly the minor key pieces.

Favourites:

Bach: Cello Suites, D minor Piano Concerto, various WTC preludes and fugues
Schoenberg, Transfigured Night
Brahms, D minor Piano Concerto (the first few minutes anyway...)
Messiaen - Quartet for the End of Time

 

Tchaikovsky's Symphony 06 and Elgar's Cello Concerto in E Minor Op. 85 are amongst the most emotional pieces that I own so far. For me there is something about string instruments that is inherently evocative.

 

Ditto that.

 

Some of the pieces that have almost overwhelmed me completely upon the 1st listen were:

Barber's Adagio for Strings

Beethoven - Cello Sonata No. 4 (live version with Jacqueline Du Pre and Daniel Barenboim)

Beethoven's Cavatina mvt. to String Quartet No. 13.

 

Recently I've discovered some other highly emotional pieces of music.

Alkan - the violin melody in the middle section of Grand Duo Concertant.

Elgar - 2nd movement of his Piano Quintet.

Messiaen - 'In praise of the eternity of Jesus' from Quatour pour la fin du temps.

Rachmaninov - 2nd movement of Piano Concerto No.4.

Berlioz - Lacrymosa and Sanctus movements from his Requiem.

P.S. Should have posted this in the 'Today I discovered...' thread, perhaps. But then, I didn't discover it today.

 

music that touch me...
Beethoven: Symphony No.6 "Pastoral"-- I love this one the most out of the nine
Sibelius: Violin Concerto..... So sad <3
Rachmaninov: Prelude in C#, Piano Concerto No.2 and 3
Liszt: Mazeppa, La Chasse, Liebestraume no.3, and the consolations
Brahms: Symphony No.4
HOLST: The Planets suite-- Jupiter-- makes me wanna dance around and shout with joy ^.^
Mahler: Symphony No.7
Bach: Jesu Joy of Man's Desiring
and... thats about it XD