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What do you feel is the best piece of music ever written?

My chakras were once over excited by this piece. It was a performance at the RFH with Gatti conducting the RFO. In the second movement during the slow orchestral build up to the chorus' entry with 'Den allies Fleisch, es ist wie Gras', a tingling sensation started at the base of my spine, slowly travelled up my spine, over my head and slowly down to my toes. No - it wasn't 'that' type of experience, but it was the most visceral physiological response to a piece of music I've ever had.

Well there we are. Make of it what you will. Perhaps I should be arrested.
As regards the 2nd movement of the German Requiem...I totally get that.
 
The question only made sense to me with the word 'today' tacked on at the end. And that didn't really seem worth saying.

Reading Clive James today I came across: 'One of the characteristics of a work of art is to drive all the other works of art temporarily out of you head.'

Eureka!
 
The question only made sense to me with the word 'today' tacked on at the end. And that didn't really seem worth saying.

Reading Clive James today I came across: 'One of the characteristics of a work of art is to drive all the other works of art temporarily out of you head.'

Eureka!
Agreed
I regularly listen to the best music ever composed until
I get tired of it and move on to the next best music ever composed.
But I do enjoy the toe tapping ,head bobbing temporary musical high I experience :)
 
At the moment it's Borodin's 2nd quartet, played by the Borodin Quartet on a Decca FFSS LP from c.1960. just glorious.

I have to just remind myself that the greatest piece of music is actually Beethoven's 7th. or maybe 2nd last piano sonata.
 
There is much classical, especially, that is well up there, I'm a big Strauss(s) fan and partial to Rimsky Korsakov along with heaps of chamber music by various composers.
There are also many other pieces of music that have elevated status due to life- experience connections.
Right now I can only think of one that without such connection grabs me at an emotional level every time, Vaughan Williams Fantasia On A Theme By Thomas Tallis, just superb.
 
At the moment it's Borodin's 2nd quartet, played by the Borodin Quartet on a Decca FFSS LP from c.1960. just glorious.

There you have introduced the 'elephant in the room'. Unlike a poem or a painting there's at least one third party intermediary. I've heard a conductor (since deceased) in the RFH make an LvB symphony sound routine, even pedestrian. Converseley, I happened to be in the mood for a sonata the other day, selected Annie Fischer (thanks again, Todd) and nos. 21/30/32 and was gripped forthe next hour or so, all plans for the day shelved pro tem. Being retired helps, of course. :)
 
There you have introduced the 'elephant in the room'. Unlike a poem or a painting there's at least one third party intermediary. I've heard a conductor (since deceased) in the RFH make an LvB symphony sound routine, even pedestrian. Converseley, I happened to be in the mood for a sonata the other day, selected Annie Fischer (thanks again, Todd) and nos. 21/30/32 and was gripped forthe next hour or so, all plans for the day shelved pro tem. Being retired helps, of course. :)
I heard Svetalov (deliberately I guessed) drain the blood out of Wagner. Is was quite a technical feat but he did it and it was very polished.
 
Schubert String Quintet, slow movement. As played ca. 1966 by the Aeolian Quartet plus Bruno Schreker...and Eeeek! I cannot find my copy of the original, probably rare Saga CD... but Qobuz comes to the rescue with the Alto reissue - phew...

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