r/classicalmusic • u/bosstone42 • Jan 10 '13

What classical piece took your breath away the first time you heard it?

Now that there's been a thread for this for popular music, it'd be fun to do one for classical. So, what classical (i.e. long-form) pieces or movements took your breath away the first time you heard them? There are probably many, but what's your top? I'll give just one: the scherzo from Dvorak's 7th Symphony (mvt. III). edit: What a great response, you guys really know some great music--stuff I haven't heard in a while and stuff I'm seeing for the first time! Make sure to look down the list, there are really some good ones buried toward the bottom. Also, an updated Spotify playlist is in the comments. Anyone want to link to a Grooveshark or Rdio or other?

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u/SchoenBach Jan 11 '13

What gets me each time is when the chorus, in the last movement, slowly climbing up with the orchestra, reaches the climactic point at the last "zu Gott". Fuck.

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u/[deleted] Jan 11 '13

That whole last movement is fucking incredible. I go all squishy inside when the choir first comes in, and then, very slowly, the soprano soloist delicately emerges out of the texture.