Top Classical Music Tear Jerkers

[TheGSMoeller]

Classic FM listed their Top 10 Classical Tear Jerkers 

Anyone have some other nominations for this list? 

[vandermolen]

Sospiri (Elgar)

[jochanaan]

Crucifixus from Bach's B minor Mass

"Thy rebuke" and "Behold and see" from Handel's Messiah

Chopin's Preludes Opus 28 #2 and #4

Finale from Tchaikovsky's Piano Trio

"Der Abschied" from Mahler's Das Lied von der Erde

Finales from Mahler's Symphony #9 and #10

Rachmaninoff's Etude Tableau Opus 39 #5

[Cato]

Crucifixus from Bach's B minor Mass

"Thy rebuke" and "Behold and see" from Handel's Messiah

Chopin's Preludes Opus 28 #2 and #4

Finale from Tchaikovsky's Piano Trio

"Der Abschied" from Mahler's Das Lied von der Erde

Finales from Mahler's Symphony #9 and #10

Rachmaninoff's Etude Tableau Opus 39 #5

A big "Amen" on these, especially the Mahler works.

For something closer to our time:

Frank Martin's Mass has an Agnus Dei that just must be heard...along with the rest of Mass.

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[TheGSMoeller]

A big "Amen" on these, especially the Mahler works.

For something closer to our time:

Frank Martin's Mass has an Agnus Dei that just must be heard...along with the rest of Mass.

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Listening to Martin's Agnus Dei for a first listen, I think Cato is on to something...or, has been on to something. Beautiful music. Great rec, Cato.

[TheGSMoeller]

A few that I would add...

Glass: The Hours, whether it's the original film score or a transcription for a solo instrument, the music always contains a sense of sadness.
Britten: War Requiem - Libera Me
Britten: Death In Venice, about the final 10 minutes will do.
Preisner: Requiem For My Friend, pick a movement, any movement.
Rameau: Hippolyte et Aricie, the end of Act 4 when Phaedra learns of Hippolytus' death.

[Rinaldo]

Speaking of Britten..

Pärt: Cantus in memory of Benjamin Britten

[Mirror Image]

Several off the the top of my head:

Shostakovich: Violin Concerto No. 1 - Passacaglia
Shostakovich: The Golden Age - Adagio
Shostakovich: Symphony No. 5 - Largo
Prokofiev: Sinfonia Concertante - Allegro giusto
Casella: Sinfonia - Andante molto moderato quasi adagio
Vaughan Williams: Symphony No. 5 - Romanza: Lento
Pettersson: Symphony No. 7
Myaskovsky: Symphony No. 24 - Molto Sostenudo
Stravinsky: Violin Concerto - Aria II
Barber: Violin Concerto - Andante
Berg: Violin Concerto (the whole work)
Honegger: Symphony No. 3 'Liturgique' - De Profundis Clamavi: Adagio

[Marc]

Some personal 'tear jerkers':

William Byrd, Agnus Dei from his Mass for 4 voices.
Georg Böhm, Choralvorspiel "Vater unser im Himmelreich" a 2 Claviers et Pedale (organ).
J.S. Bach, Aria "Ich will auch mit gebroch'nen Augen" from Cantata Mit Fried und Freud ich fahr' dahin BWV 125.
J.S. Bach, Choralbearbeitung "O Mensch, bewein dein Sünde groß", ending Part 1 of his Matthäus-Passion BWV 244.
Max Reger, Mariä Wiegenlied opus 76, no. 52.
Gustav Mahler, Final chorus of Symphony no. 2.
Igor Stravinsky, Berceuse from L'Oiseau de Feu.
Igor Stravinsky, Elegy for viola solo.

[TheGSMoeller]

Some personal 'tear jerkers':

William Byrd, Agnus Dei from his Mass for 4 voices.

Big thumbs up, Marc. Continuing with Byrd I'll add his Ye Sacred Muses (elegy for Thomas Tallis), a wonderfully touching tribute to a fellow composer.

[Parsifal]

The term "tear-jerker" has a pejorative connotation.  I wouldn't characterize any of the works in the original post as tear-jerkers.

Here's the top tear-jerker of all time, I believe.

http://www.youtube.com/v/rhQ13geD2OA

[Marc]

The term "tear-jerker" has a pejorative connotation.  I wouldn't characterize any of the works in the original post as tear-jerkers.

Here's the top tear-jerker of all time, I believe.

http://www.youtube.com/v/rhQ13geD2OA

I see your point.
I just took it as literally as possible: a piece that's 'able' to elicit (my) tears.

Btw, about your own example: that bloke ruined the original song.
Therefore it doesn't elicit my tears at all.

The original song is both more heartfelt and ironic.
(Just my tuppence.)

Jacques Brel, Le moribond.

http://www.youtube.com/v/Xl0bg6Eu74k

Live at a local pub in Bergen, NL, with subtitles:

http://www.youtube.com/v/h02pNUKInBo

[mc ukrneal]

Madame Butterfly has some music like this, but part of it is also the story. Pinkerton screws her over so royally, it is hard not to feel emotional. But I find opera can actually move me more in this regard as the combination of story and music, when done right, is hard to beat. Another one is Otello at the end of Act I - when he and Desdemona are together - is so sad, because of what you know will come later. Traviata - her ravings at the end when she says she is better, but you know she's about to kick it, etc. I suppose much of Italian opera could be included.

If we focus just on the music, here are a few that come to mind (and there must be tons more):
Bizet: Pearl Fishers duet
Brahms: Piano Trio No. 1 (opening is so moving and exquisite)
Mahler: Ich bin der Welt abhanden gekommen
Atterberg: Piano Concerto (second movement - parts of it anyway)

[Sammy]

The term "tear-jerker" has a pejorative connotation.  I wouldn't characterize any of the works in the original post as tear-jerkers.

Here's the top tear-jerker of all time, I believe.

http://www.youtube.com/v/rhQ13geD2OA

Tear-jerker?  "It's hard to die when all the birds are singing in the sky".  That's just the lyrics from a jerk.

[Marc]

Tear-jerker?  "It's hard to die when all the birds are singing in the sky".  That's just the lyrics from a jerk.

Well, many Bach cantatas and Schubert (or other romantic) Lieder are affected even worse.

Go translate 'Rosamunde' or 'Frauenliebe und Leben', to name just two.

Still, Der Vollmond strahlt auf Bergeshöhn or Nun hast du mir den ersten Schmerz getan can move me deeply.

As can the original chanson Le moribond by Jacques Brel.

[Jay F]

Tear-jerker?  "It's hard to die when all the birds are singing in the sky".  That's just the lyrics from a jerk.

Marc is so right. I hated this song from the first time I heard it until last year, when I heard the Jacques Brel original, then read about the entirety of the song. The Kingston Trio do what is probably the best English version of the original, but I will leave each of you to your own research. Just know that this song is so much more than the douchenozzlefest Terry Jacks has sprayed us with for four decades.

[flyingdutchman]

Disagree totally.  Terry Jacks had a beautiful rendition of this song and as it played well into 1974, the pain exhibited in his voice fit well with the original song, and in fact surpassed it.

[Sammy]

Disagree totally.  Terry Jacks had a beautiful rendition of this song and as it played well into 1974, the pain exhibited in his voice fit well with the original song, and in fact surpassed it.

Well, I do prefer the original song to the Jacks version, but I have to say that I think both suck.

[Mirror Image]

Love the avatar 

Kudos, James.

[Marc]

Disagree totally.  Terry Jacks had a beautiful rendition of this song and as it played well into 1974, the pain exhibited in his voice fit well with the original song, and in fact surpassed it.

Let's forget about that stupid 'general' top 10 then.
To each his/her own tears.

Btw: my point was, that the original song has an ambiguous and therefore quite different meaning. Terry Jacks made it a one-dimensioned story. Life is so beautiful and now I must die. No mentioning of life's disillusions, no mentioning of the local priest who will 'take care' of the widow and, more significant, no mentioning of the cuckold story. The Brel song is far more ironic, sometimes almost cynical, which can be heard in his singing, and therefore (IMO) more poignant, harsh and painful.

Well, I do prefer the original song to the Jacks version, but I have to say that I think both suck.

To each his/her own sucking then.

Jacques Brel is my favourite chansonnier. I like Le moribond, even though I agree he's written better songs, my fave being Pourquoi faut-il que les hommes ennuient?.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fr-IJ5FURp0

http://www.youtube.com/v/fr-IJ5FURp0