The most perfect single movement in music

[Chaszz]

Siegfried Idyll, Wagner

[Todd]

Op 132, Molto Adagio.

[EigenUser]

Well I don't know what the single 'most perfect' movement is, but I do know that my favorite is the finale (4th movement) of Bartok's "Music for Strings, Percussion, and Celesta".

[Ken B]

Sibelius Symphony #7 in one movement.

This is a no brainer for me, the Sibelius 7th being the greatest piece of music of any number of movements.

[jochanaan]

While I cannot point to any one movement as "most perfect," there are a few whose perfection is at the highest levels:

Beethoven, Symphony #9, first and third movements.  (Bruckner, much as I love his music, never quite achieved the same level of contrapuntal and formal mastery in his symphonies although he used these two movements as models.)

Brahms, Symphony #4, first and last movements.

Mahler, Symphony #3, last movement.

Mozart, Symphony #41 "Jupiter", last movement.

[Jay F]

The andante movement in Mahler's Sixth.

[Brahmsian]

Op 132, Molto Adagio.

+1

[Sergeant Rock]

The andante movement in Mahler's Sixth.

Sarge

[Brahmsian]

I like all the ones listed so far.  Great stuff! 

Personally, the Adagio of Bruckner's 7th comes to mind.

[Wakefield]

As "perfection" doesn't admit grades, this poll is a nonsense.

That said, I'm totally aware I'm being a jerk.   

Yesterday, I thought the "Andante un poco" from the second sonata for violin and harpsichord BWV 1015, it's a perfect movement.

[Ken B]

A close runner up would be Nymphes des bois by Josquin.
Incipt Oratorio Jeremiae Prophetae by Palestrina.
Slow movement of Mozart PC 21.
Bein Schlafengehen by Strauss.

Too many!

[TheGSMoeller]

Almost everything Bach ever wrote.

That's a lot of single movements! 

Personally, the Adagio of Bruckner's 7th comes to mind.

With or without cymbal?  But hard to make a case against that one, Ray, great music.

The movement that comes to mind immediately for me is the 2nd Movement (Variation) of Biber's Violin Sonata No. 3 in F, about as perfect as it gets.

[amw]

The Arietta from Op. 111.

(Also "Warum?", and [audio]http://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/32084883/intimate_sketches_8.mp3[/audio])

[Jay F]

As "perfection" doesn't admit grades, this poll is a nonsense.

No, it's just one where you can have more than one answer.

[Brahmsian]

With or without cymbal?  But hard to make a case against that one, Ray, great music.

  It's a slight imperfection if the cymbal crash isn't there.   

[amw]

Hmm, there seem to be a lot of slow movements in this thread.

I submit the finale of Beethoven's 7th as an alternative.

[Octave]

(Also "Warum?", and [audio]http://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/32084883/intimate_sketches_8.mp3[/audio])

Who's that playing in yr audio sample?  I had to cheat to know the title, but it's slower than the one I've already heard....I like yours more.

[amw]

Who's that playing in yr audio sample?  I had to cheat to know the title, but it's slower than the one I've already heard....I like yours more.

[asin]B00004W47B[/asin] but not cheap anymore it seems...

[vandermolen]

Flute solo in trio of scherzo of Miaskovsky Symphony No. 6.

+ end of Hilding Rosenberg's Symphony No. 2.

[Mirror Image]

RVW's Symphony No. 5, the third movement: Romanza (Lento).