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Fading Out: Aging and Beyond RSS feed

Classical music for funerals and memorial services

More links to samples of possible numbers to play at funerals and memorial services. Today:
• Albanoni, Tomaso. Albinoni’s Adagio (London Philharmonic; composed as Adagio in G Minor for Strings and Organ by Remo Giazotto, based on a fragment of a tune by Albinoni found in the ruins of the Dresden State Library, which was destroyed in World War II )
• Bach, Johann Sebastian. Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring (from Cantata BWV 147, “Herz und Mund und Tat und Leben”—performed by Barrymore Chamber Orchestra.
• Bach. Prelude 1 from “The Well Tempered Clavier”
• • Bach. Toccata & Fugue in D Minor (performed by U.S. Marine Band). There are two pieces by this name; ask for it by its Schmeider number, BMV565.
• Bach. G Major Sarabande (Suite No. 1 for Cello in G Major, BMV1007). Performed here, unaccompanied, by Yo-Yo Ma.
• See more Bach organ music under Hymns.
**Barber, Samuel. Adagio for Strings from the String Quartet, Op. 11 (moving)
• Beethoven, Ludwig van. Symphony No. 3 in E-Flat Major, Op. 55, "Eroica," II. Funeral March. Adagio assai. The second movement of this long symphony is a funeral march)
• Berlioz, Hector. Requiem (Grand Messe des morts, Op. 5). John Rigney recommends the fifth of the ten movements, the elegant Quaerens Me--"Seeking Me"--which in the midst of this grand orchestral mass is sung a capella, and is quite moving)
• Brahms, Johannes. German Requiem: Wie lieblich sind deine Wohnungen (Robert Shaw Choral Masterpieces). Notes JR: the Brahms German Requiem is NOT a requiem mass like the well-known requiems of Mozart, Fauré, and Verdi. And some readers may know this selection by its English translation, "How Lovely Is Thy Dwelling Place."
• Brahms, Johannes. O Welt, ich muss dich lassen (Oh, World, I Must Leave Thee) , from Op. 122, Brahms' Chorale, performed here by Soren Gleerup Hansen.
• Brahms. Johannes., Symphony No. 3 in F Major, Op. 90, Third Movement: Poco Allegretto (Philharmonic Promenade Symphony).
• Brahms, Johannes. Symphony No. 3 in F Major, Third Movement (Philharmonic Promenade Orchestra)
• Chopin, Frédéric. Prelude in E Minor, Op. 28, No. 4 (Artur Rubinstein)
• Chopin, Frédéric. Prelude in C Minor, Op. 28, No. 20 (performed by Tatiana Shebanova)
• Chopin, Frédéric. Piano Sonata No. 2 in B flat minor , 'Funeral March' Op. 35: III. Marche funèbre (Lento, performed by Simon Trpceski)
• Elgar, Edward. Enigma Variations: Nimrod (Sir Colin Davis, London Symphony Orchestra)
• Fauré, Gabriel. Requiem: In Paradisum (John Rutter and Exultate Festival Choir and Orchestra)
• Fauré, Gabriel. Requiem: Pie Jesu (John Rutter and Exultate Festival Choir and Orchestra, from the album They Shall Have Rest: The Requiems Of Gabriel Fauré And John Rutter
• Gluck, Christophe Willibald. Dance of the Blessed Spirits (Act 2, Orfeo ed Euridice)
• Grieg, Edvard. The Last Spring (Op. 33, No. 2, as sung by Anne Sofie von Otter) and as arranged for a choir (Janne Berglund)
• Handel, George Frideric. Largo from 'Xerxes' (Latvian Philharmonic Chamber Orchestra)
• Mahler, Gustav. Das Lied von der Erde, (Song of the Earth) VI. Der Abschied (The Farewell. Written after the death of his four-year-old daughter. Otto Klemperer, Fritz Wunderlich, Christa Ludwig, New Philharmonia Orchestra)
• Mahler, Gustav. Kindertotenlieder (songs on the death of children). A song cycle for voice and orchestra, with poems by Friedrich Rückert (performed by various artists):
Nun will die Sonn' so hell aufgeh'n (I. "Now the sun wants to rise as brightly")
Nun seh' ich wohl, warum so dunkle Flammen (II. "Now I see well, why with such dark flames")
Wenn dein Mütterlein (III. "When your mother")
Oft denk' ich, sie sind nur ausgegangen (IV. "I often think: they have only just gone out")
In diesem Wetter(V. "In this weather") “In this weather, in this windy storm, I would never have sent the children out.: You can find lyrics on Wikipedia .
• Mahler. Symphony No.2 in C Minor "Resurrection" (I. Allegro maestoso, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra)
• Mendelssohn, Felix. String Quartet No. 6 in F minor, for Strings, , Op. 80 II (Aurora String Quartet II) and IV. (New Zealand String Quartet). Written for his sister Fanny, who died months before he did. This was his final composition.
• Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus. Dona Nobis Pacem (“Coronation Mass” Mass in C, K.317) from Mozart’s Requiem, performed here by Anna Tomowa-Sintow)
• Mozart. Missa brevis in C major (K. 259, "Organ solo: Dona nobis pacem, performed by Lothar Stadler)
• Mozart. Requiem: Lacrimosa
• Pachelbel, Johann. Pachelbel Canon in D Major
• Puccini, Giacomo. E lucevan le stelle ("When the stars were brightly shining"), Plácido Domingo singing an aria from Tosca, which is sung beautifully by many tenors, including Jussi Bjorling and Luciano Pavarotti
• Purcell, Henry. When I am laid in earth ("Dido's Lament,” from Dido and Aeneas, Act III), Leopold Stokowski and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
• Purcell. Thou Knowest, Lord, the Secrets of Our Hearts (The Choir of Christ's College)
• Saint-Saëns, Camille. Le Cygne from Le Carnaval des Animaux (Carnival of the Animals)
• Schubert, Franz. Ave Maria (sung by Mario Lanzo, in the version most of us are familiar with); listen also to Leontyne Price. (Notes from JSR: Schubert never actually set the words of the Ave Maria to music. He wrote a piece called Ellen’s dritter Gesang (Ellen’s third song), to which others adapted the Ave Maria, years later.)
• Schubert. 'Death and the Maiden (String Quartet No.14 in D minor D810, performed here by Borodin Quartet)
• Shostakovich, Dimitri. Prelude & Fugue No.24 in D minor
• Taverner, John, Funeral Ikos and Song for Athene (Christopher Robinson)
• Vaughn Williams, Ralph. The Lark Ascending (Sarah Chang and the London Philharmonic Orchestra). Listen also to Nigel Kennedy.
• Verdi, Giuseppi. Dies irae and Sanctum from (Movements II and IV from Requiem, Robert Shaw & the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra)
Mild und leise (Liebestod) (Jessye Norman singing Isolde’s heartbreaking farewell to life in Tristan und Isolde)

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