What’s the most beautiful classical music piece ever composed?

[AndTwoFilmsByFrancoisTruffaut]

Pls help me put together a classical playlist for when I give birth in a few weeks and tell me your favourite ‘birth worthy’ piece.

I have many I love but think mine is Ralph Vaughan Williams' Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis, it’s gorgeously ethereal, so that’s going on there. I also love Camille Saint-Saëns's classical masterpiece, Danse Macabre but probably a little dark for this particular event even if it will be around Halloween!

Sorry to have spammed the thread. Can't work out how to use a Youtube link!

Intermezzo from Cavalleria Rusticana
Cinema Paradiso by Ennio Morricone. (Not classical in the purest sense, but it’s beautiful)

m.youtube.com/watch?v=7VRw9N9OlPo

Also, Andante Festivo by Sibelius

Chopin's Berceuse. So soothing, so lovely.

Don't know if anyone's mentioned it, but Forgotten Dreams by Leroy Anderson. Has me in tears every time.

Such lovely recs everyone, great choices. Yy to The Lark Ascending, Pavane, The Swan..

May I offer Arvo Pärt’s Spiegel Im Spiegel, it is so soothing and would be lovely to labour to. It’s one of my absolute favourites. Almost meditative.

m.youtube.com/watch?v=TJ6Mzvh3XCc

Clare de Lune... just gorgeous

Corny but The Lark Ascending, Rachmaninov, Piano Concerto No. 2 and Mozart, Requiem in D minor.

seems I’m a walking cliche 😁

I'm saving all these as I don't know where to start with Classical music.

If you like piano, Alexis French Evolution, Michelle McLaughlin The Eternal City and Dedication. Not strictly classical,

You might also like The Cinematic Orchestra - Transformation is lovely.

I had a play list all arranged but we forgot the CD player (it was a while ago) and gave birth listening to the radio so don't forget your speaker and charger!

Not strictly classical but I love Gabriel's Oboe by Ennio Morricone. Really uplifting music.

Peder B. Helland - Our Future (Piano Version)

gorgeous and such a perfect title for a birth playlist

I also love anything by Max Richter - but his famous work is designed to aid sleep so maybe not for birth playlist when you need rousing music..Ride of the Valkyries anyone ?

If you are building this playlist on spotify is it cheeky to request that you make it public and share it in here?

For labour I'd want stuff that's both calming and uplifting. You could try:

Ravel - Piano Concerto in G (2nd mov)
Ginestera - Estancia Suite (2nd mov)
Ravel - Une Barque sur L'ocean
Lili Boulanger - Nocturne
Frank Bridge - Berceuse (arr. viola/piano)
Grant Still - Summerland (can't choose between the piano version, or flute, or string quartet)
Mahler Symphony 5 (4th mov)
Takashi Yoshimatsu - Dream Coloured mobile
R. Strauss - Vier Letze Liede: Im Abendrot

I just came back to this thread to suggest that

Samuel Barber - Adagio for strings

The Chorus of the Hebrew Slaves ( Va Pensiero) by Verdi - reduces me to jelly.
Pavane by Faure
Peer Gynt suite no. 1 by Grieg

Mozart - Ave Verum Corpus

Gorgeous ones already listed here. I would add
Shostakovich piano 2 (the Andante mov)
Vaughan Williams Mass in G minor (the Kyrie)
Mahler symphony 5 (mov 4. Adagietto)
Brahms symphony 3 (mov 3)
Has Beethoven's pathetique been mentioned already too?
I really want to suggest a goegeous intimate little Schubert piece too, but trying to think which (the sparkly trout keeps popping into my head instead!)

So glad you liked it.

For giving birth, it has to be Sibelius... the 5 th symphony. Those swinging blows of Thor's hammer are perfect for transition when you're feeling overwhelmed! Or else Mozart flute and harp which is so joyous and life giving! I gave birth to the water music (unplanned as it was a bit of an emergency and it was the only tape DH could grab from the car) and can't hear it without remembering--so be careful about your choice!

Florence Price Symphony 4, andante cantabile.
Britten: Variations on a theme of Frank Bridge, adagio.

I know what a requiem is, thank you @KnickerlessParsons but in terms of something contemplative, calming and not loud/in your face I think Faure is hard to beat.

OP likes ethereal and calm like Fantasia on a Them of Thomas Tallis so I was trying to think along those lines.

Came back to add Schubert Impromptu op 90 (III. andante). Very moving in the context of him being such a shy young man who died tragically young 😥

Dawn Mantra. m.youtube.com/watch?v=qGktDQV3z2w