The most sublime/touching/beautiful piece of singing you have ever heard?

[Verena]

I just thought this might be an interesting question to think which pieces of singing one finds most beautiful for some reason; below I listed some examples that come to mind - impossible to restrict myself to one .. In all cases I adore both the music itself and the way it is interpreted:

my vote for most touching probably goes to two interpretations by Elisabeth Gruemmer:
Elisabeth Grümmer sings Schubert Wiegenlied D 867 (on a Hänssler Classic CD)
Elisabeth Grümmer sings Brahms "Ihr habt nun Traurigkeit" (from A German Requiem, conducted by Kempe, I think 1956)

Young Souzay - Nacht und Traeume (as far as beauty of bariton voice is concerned, young Souzay is in a class by himself IMO)
Souzay again singing "Schlummert ein" from Bach's cantata "Ich habe genug" (BWV 82; the early recording with Geraint Jones 1959)

Christa Ludwig singing Wesendonck-Lieder by Wagner (cond. Klemperer) and Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen by Mahler (the early recording, with Boult, I think)


Bjoerlin/Merrill singing Au fond du temple saint (from Bizet: Pearl Fishers)

young Carreras (1976)/young di Stefano (1953) singing "E lucevan le stelle"

Lynne Dawson in Handel's Jephtha (Act III Scene 1 "Ye sacred priests ... Farewell")

[False_Dmitry]

I generally dislike "Top 10 Lists" of anything, but...   

Connolly singing Scherza Infida (ARIODANTE) on her album with The Sixteen Heroes & Heroines would take a lot of beating

[Verena]

Connolly singing Scherza Infida (ARIODANTE) on her album with The Sixteen Heroes & Heroines would take a lot of beating

Thanks for reminding me of this one. Connolly is an absolutely fantastic singer, I adore her Handel in general (one of my favorite composers).

[Mandryka]

HARRY PLUNKET GREEN - 1934 HURDY GURDY MAN - SCHUBERT Der Leiermann - Wintterreise



http://www.youtube.com/v/iW04f0olXUY

Perfect diction.

[Verena]

HARRY PLUNKET GREEN - 1934 HURDY GURDY MAN - SCHUBERT Der Leiermann - Wintterreise

That's sublime - a new discovery for me.

[david johnson]

 Mignonne, allons voir si la rose (by Jehan Chardavoine)
Une jeune fillette (by Jehan Chardavoine)

both sung by Custer Larue

dj

[Brahmsian]

Maureen Forrester, Mahler's 2nd Symphony.

[karlhenning]

Lloyd Webber's Pie Jesu, sung by Sarah Brightman


























Oh, that is such a fib!

[Sergeant Rock]

Lloyd Webber's Pie Jesu, sung by Sarah Brightman

Karl, we know you've got that secreted away on your mp3 player, the file labeled as Shoenberg or Stravinsky and only accessed when you're sure no one can overhear 

Sarge

[bhodges]

Some candidates:

R. Strauss: Four Last Songs (Gundula Janowitz, von Karajan, BPO)
Korngold: "Marietta's Lied" from Die tote Stadt (Renée Fleming, Jeffrey Tate, ECO)
Janáček: Meditation and Prayer" from Jenůfa (Karita Mattila, Yutaka Sado, LPO)

And actually, some of the piece I was just listening to:

Earl Kim: "Ophelia" from Where Grief Slumbers (Dawn Upshaw) - The fourth song of six, and seems to be the heart of the cycle.  Upshaw begins a cappella, and the chamber ensemble enters only at the very end.

--Bruce

[Mandryka]

The Deller Consort " Moro Lasso " ( Gesualdo )

http://www.youtube.com/v/HKIySHHAT70

[Drasko]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1H-O1WxDf40

[bwv 1080]

http://www.youtube.com/v/kI7G-0pG5d4

http://www.youtube.com/v/1cJRRc8FToQ

[Verena]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1H-O1WxDf40

I have this on CD. It's my favorite Gigli recording.

[False_Dmitry]

Thanks for the Gesualdo, Mandryka

Jussi Bjorling sings Amor ti Vieta from FEDORA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sC2NTbm4AEs&feature=search

[(poco) Sforzando]

Janet Baker singing the Ruckert Lieder with Barbirolli may be one.
Callas singing La Mamma Morta from Andrea Chenier.

[Sid]

Morten Lauridsen: "Dirait-on" from Les Chansons des Roses (bought tears to my eyes when I first heard it, and this doesn't often happen. A piece about the fragility of memory):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gWXVZlrLa6E&feature=related

[karlhenning]

Karl, we know you've got that secreted away on your mp3 player, the file labeled as Shoenberg or Stravinsky and only accessed when you're sure no one can overhear 

Sarge

So close! It's actually labeled Xenakis ; )

[Philoctetes]

So easy.

Dvorak's Stabat Mater (conducted by Sinopoli)

[Mandryka]

http://www.goear.com/files/external.swf?file=5b923aa

Have You Seen But A White Lilly Grow?   Peter Pears and Julian Bream.

http://www.youtube.com/v/78sK4f86_8M