What is the most beautiful song / part of a song / piece of music you've ever heard?

Mozart’s Requiem.

Debussy’s “La Mer”, Sibelius’ Fifth Symphony or Ralph Vaughn Williams “Sinfonia Antarctica”.

To my ears Fur Elise is the most beautiful piece of music ever written. I really can’t say why, it just appeals to me and impacts me in a way nothing else does.

That’s a really tough one—there are so many pieces I love and never get tired of hearing—but certainly high on the list is “LENTO SOSTENUTO TRANQUILLO MA CANTABILE”
from Symphony No. 3 (“Symphony of Sorrowful Songs”)
by Gorecki, with passages sung by Dawn Upshaw.

It’s used in the final minutes of the film “Fearless” with Jeff Bridges.
Reduces me to a puddle every time I hear it.

Vivaldi, The Four Seasons

Steve Morse writes so many gorgeous musical landscapes and IMO is the most beautiful composer of recent years. Ghostwind is one of his songs that just lifts and carries you away.

@Cruiser Very very nice.

Here’s another one… it’s called “Are You Going With Me?” by Pat Metheny. The first time I heard this back in the ‘80s I had to pull off the road and listen. Took me months to find out who the artist was. In those days, didn’t have that amazing iPhone App that identifies music on the radio.

Although I just learned you can’t go directly from AC/DC to Vivaldi. It’s a little too much of a shift.

My answer is multi-layered, so bear with me. I love all kinds of music, but for me, the most beautiful piece of music I’ve ever heard is John William’s soundtrack to the Star Wars movies. Each movie has its own theme and even the Imperial March is gorgeous. My favorite piece however is Across the Stars, which is the love theme. I just thought it was utter gorgeousness.

Even though it’s mainstream classical (haha), Tchaikovsky’s “1812 Overture” is incredibly passionate—it is a series of mood swings, both dark and triumphant.

“For Emma” by Bon Iver is also prone to induce eargasming. The cheerful music complements the depressing, perfect lyrics.

I would also throw in Vladimir Horowitz. Guy knew his way around the piano.

Thanks everyone for sharing xx

Depending on my mood, time of year/day, etc.:
Mercedes Sosa – Misa Criolla

@rebbel That is breathtaking :)

@serafina
Yes, it is quite beautiful.
I can recommend to you to listen the whole album in your own time :-) !

@rebbel Thanks, that was amazing.

@Adirondackwannabe
You are welcome too!

I have to toss down another here….I was floored the first time I heard Sheila Chandra sing and gives me goose bumps every time I her her sing Ever So Lonely

I’m hesitant to admit this, but “First Love” and “Melt My Heart to Stone” by Adele are pretty awesome.

@Cruiser Keep em coming.

Beauty in the eye of the beholder.

Opeth – Blackwater Park – 09 – Still Day Beneath the Sun
Death – The Sound Of Perseverance – 06 – Voice Of The Soul
George Winston – Autumn 06 – Sea
Andy Timmons – Ear X-Tacy – 04 – Cry For You
µ-Ziq – Lunatic Harness – 03 – Mushroom Compost

I love Donny Hathaway ~ A song for you

Holy crap people, where do you come up with these? I’ve never come across some of them, but they’re frigging amazing.

I’m a bit cliched, here, but Pachelbel’s Canon and that really famous Ave Maria do it for me. Sorry, I don’t know how to post links

And on a more modern note, Leonard Cohen’s Hallelujah done by kd laing

This
:)

@JilltheTooth I love Pachelbel Canon in D

Sing For Absolution” by Muse and “Champagne Supernova” by Oasis.

Dead Can Dance – The Host Of Seraphim

This is my gateway to my soul ;-) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EnJOH5PImrw

Turn up the volume & turn out the lights, relax……………… :-/

This excerpt from “Summer,” part of Vivaldi’s Four Seasons.

These are great everyone :D

How could I forget? “I Didn’t Understand” by Elliott Smith. It’s a cappella, with him singing all the parts. And as if this wasn’t enough, the lyrics are passionate, perfect, and plausible.

Something about Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah”...I haven’t heard a version yet that doesn’t make me teary-eyed.
Also, “I Believe in Symmetry”. Gulp. Gets me in the soul, man.

I’m sure I’ll think of more, cry, then post them, then cry.

@SundayKittens : Box of tissues on the way to you…

I also love this song :-/

Lynyrd Skynyrd – Simple Man

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

@Scooby You might want to check out Shinedown’s version of the same song. Little different but still powerful. I can look for a link if you’d like.

@Adirondackwannabe

Yeah I heard it ;-)
It’s good too but I still like the Lynrd Skynrd version, this song could be my anthem! ;-)

@JilltheTooth Here is the k.d. lang version of “Hallelujah”. She does this so wonderfully. I love her interpretations. :^)

@Adirondackwannabe

Just for you ;-)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HbN99f9esS4

@stranger_in_a_strange_land Love that version!

@stranger_in_a_strange_land : Yeah, the barefoot one…I watch that one alot, love it!
@SundayKittens : Send some them tissues back this way…

@Scooby Thanks for the link. I started the link and synched it with my CD version. They’re different versions. It was wild listening to them go in and out of synch. That was way cool.

@Adirondackwannabe

You’re very welcome, I’m checking out SPOTIFY as we speak, so to speak! ;-) Have fun……. Turn it up!! Lol…..

Gershwin’s Rhapsody In Blue
DeBussey’s Clare de Lune
Aretha Franklin’s version of “Until You Come Back To Me”
Van Morrison’s Into The Mystic

@JilltheTooth Too late.

@JilltheTooth @SundayKittens k.d.lang is so powerful and inspirational. Here’s another box of Kleenex.

This is the most beautiful song I’ve ever heard: -“The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face” by Roberta Flack -“And I knew our joy would fill the earth and last ‘til the end of time…”

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

Sorry, not sure how to post links here.

I Love the Night, Blue Oyster Cult.

I’ve always been struck by Liszt‘s – Un Sospiro. If I have my music on shuffle and it comes on, I have to stop what I’m doing, and take a few minutes to really enjoy it.

I forgot about Samuel Barber’s Adagio for Strings . Heartrending.

@stranger_in_a_strange_land Great song on of my favorite compositions!

Leonard Cohen…...and Claire de Lune

Dissection’s “The Somberlain” album
It’s beautiful yet brutal and cold

There are so many. This is one of my favorites.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eSyZ9t05a-w
Yanni, Reflections of Passion

@Michael_Huntington – Yes! Now getting riled up.

@serafina – There are umpteen metal songs that start off with dark-dissonant-“beautiful” melody – in contrast for heavier things to come; or entire such songs as contrast to the rest of the album. (Kind of like a ballad stuck in the middle of an Ozzy record – artistic/dramatic contrast.)

Cobalt – Gin – 01 – Gin
Opeth – Deliverance – 04 – For Absent Friends
Bathory – Nordland I – 05 – Ring Of Gold
Gorgoroth – Ad Majorem Sathanas Gloriam – 04 – Sign of an Open Eye
Enslaved – Eld – 01 – 793 [Slaget om Lindisfarne]

the solo guitar in the middle of Jimi Hendrix’s “Watchtower.” Pure ecstasy for the ears

Falling Slowly – Glen Hansard/Marketa Irglova
Cerf Volant – Les Choristes
Moonlight Serenade – Glenn Miller I want to dance to this at my wedding

Lemmee see:

Everything from Hello Avalanche is amazingly beautiful.

Install a break in the heart that clucks the time in Arabic , along with most of 65daysofstatic’s work.

[Bad link removed by Fluther]

Moonlight Sonata (this one needs no link, you have heard it before, I promise you.)

Sorry for all you haters, but Björk puts a lot of emotion into her music, no matter what you say :)

Last but not least, The Books changed my life.

I could think of these for days, but it is my bedtime ;)

Nicely done, @Arp.

@ipso Here is another good example

Also, I love the melodies at the beginning of Blackened and Beast and The Harlot

This truly is an overused trick in most hard rock/metal bands, I have noticed :S

i know the videos I suggested aren’t pure metal, too bad ;)

John Denver’s Annie’s Song is lovely (snif). You fill up my senses like a night in the forest

Dido’s Lament, from Purcell’s Dido and Aeneus… heart breaking music of someone breaking their heart.

I have Astronomy, Blue Oyster Cult on right now.The clock stikes twelve and moonbursts out at you from their hiding place. Like acid and oil on a madman’s face, reason seems to fly away.

Whitesnake.. “Here I go again“….. Is another favourite from my youth.. :-/
Still quite poignant to this day……….

The Four Seasons composed by Vivaldi
Symphony # 5 composed by Beethoven
Explosive composed by Bond
Kashmir by Escala