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!

Carmina Burana by Carl Orff. Amazing!

What a fabulous thread, thank you everyone!

Can't believe there is only one other mention of the Intermezzo from Cavallaria Rusticana...easily my favourite piece of music😍

flapjackfairy
I do hope so. Just a wisp of Thomas Tallis maybe?
I understand the Queen loved musicals and 'People will say we're in love' was Their Song so wouldn't it be lovely to have that for a bit of secular music?

user1496436814 I particularly love The Young Prince and Princess from that but every bit is beautiful

Serenade for Strings Tchaikovsky

Rachmaninov’s Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini ❤️

We're lucky enough to live fairly close to the Malvern Hills and I've spent many a happy hour walking the dogs up there listening to Elgar's Enigma variations.... especially Nimrod. It's so beautifully soothing.

I sobbed when I heard it at Prince Philip's funeral.

@AnnaMagnani - so is raising kids 😉!

Mendelssohn's organ sonata no 6. All of them in fact.

Sentimental Walk by Vladimir Cósima (Diva soundtrack). OMG it gives me chills.

Adagio in G minor Albinoni
Adagio for strings Barber
Agree with PP re Elgar's cello concerto
Rachmaninoff second in C minor

I'm back for the Five Negro Spirituals, arranged by Michael Tippett.

Exactly what I was going to suggest. It's so extraordinary.

Mozart’s piano concertos are beautiful. Among my favourites are the second movement from concerto no. 20, concertos 9 and 24. Also the violin concerto in D major and the Sinfonia Concertante for violin and viola.
Schumann, Grieg and Tchaikovsky’s piano concertos are wonderful as are Bach and Vivaldi’s violin concertos.
Elgar’s Chanson de Matin and Salut d’Amour are beautiful, too.

Also Elgar’s Serenade for Strings.

placemarking so I can read later (watch doesnt always work).

I arranged this for my daughter to play flute with me playing piano for my father’s funeral in 2018. I cannot hear it now without welling up.

Bach, Einaudi, Saint-Saens, Puccini.

Not RV bloody W. Someone said listening to his music is like licking a cow, and they were spot on. And why write an opera about wasps? Wasps are annoying, therefore listening to wasp music is annoying.

For me it's Tchaikovsky's symphony no.4, but as seen on this thread we're all different aren't we!? But OP, you'll have a lovely time researching all these pieces in the meantime! Good luck with the birth 💐

Some great piece listed here. I'm another big lover of Saint Saens, particularly 'Danse Macabre' although I'm not sure that's the right theme for labour!

Top for me are Bizet's Carmen, which has some really rousing tunes in it, and L'Arlesienne. Also:

Another #1 for 'Emperor Concerto'
Berlioz, 'Symphonie Fantastique'
Chopin, 'Ballades'
Meldelssohn, 'String Symphonies' (especially 10 through 12) and 'Violin Concerto'
Grieg, 'In the Hall of the Mountain King'
Mozart, 'Flute Concerto #1', and 'Marriage of Figaro'
Verdi, 'La Traviata'
Vivaldi, 'The Four Seasons'

Aaron Copeland's Simple Gifts. Makes my heart feel alive.

Debussy Arabesque

Bach cello suite

Not birthy but Pearl Fishermans duet is one of my favourites

Also the Gymnopédies by Satie, I found them magical when I gave birth.

Mozart’s Serenade No 10 for Winds III. Adagio