The Lark Ascending

[PuppyMonkey]

It makes me cry so much, it’s just an amazing piece of music.

@PuppyMonkey

The bastard bird.

Funny how some are unmoved by it, I wonder what it is that makes me so emotional when I hear it. I have no particular affinity with larks.

It's interesting how some music can evoke such an emotional response, isn't it? It doesn't necessarily have to be 'great' and/or classical pieces, of course. It's something I'd like to know more about, the how and why of it.

As to the 'what', I'll offer this as another example.

@ErrolTheDragon that’s really lovely but it’s not a piece that affects me particularly one way or the other. It’s fascinating how music works all in all.

Love it or hate it then.
Marmite Ascending

I love his English Folk Song Suite.

Oh me too. I play in a band and this is such a nice piece to play on a bandstand in the park on a nice summer Sunday afternoon

Its nice and all....... but not a violin fan, other than the Barber violin concerto which makes me cry.
The final Trio from Der Rosenkavalier, Easter Hymn from Cavalleria Rusticana, Porgi Amor from Marriage of Figaro, Dvorak 9. I want all of these at my funeral... and more😂

Solo violin doesn't really do it for me. I love big sweeping string sections, but I'd rather listen to a solo clarinet or trumpet.

I think it's interminably dull and it irritates me greatly that it is repeatedly number 1 in the Classic FM Hall of Fame when so many far better pieces don't get a look in. I'm not a great fan of Vaughan Williams generally but Ithink he wrote other things that are better. Well less bad...
And it goes on for so long that the bloody bird should be in orbit by the end. But that may be wishful thinking on my part.

@Malbecfan

Got to disagree. I can't bloody stand it and I'm playing it (again in the orchestra) in 3 weeks. Not a massive RVW fan but I do like his Concerto Grosso.

There are so many other fantastic pieces of music out there. People go mad for Elgar's cello concerto but I think Dvorak's is way better.

My hair on the back of the neck pieces include Richard Strauss' Four Last Songs, especially Beim Schlafengehen and Beethoven's 7th symphony.

Feel the same. But I do like other RVW.

I really like Eric Coate's Springtime Suite. But because it's always called "light music" it doesn't get taken as seriously, when I don't think it's hugely different in feel and complexity to the English Folk Song Suite.

@PolkadotsAndMoonbeams

Big Eric Coates fan here and actually love a lot of the stuff termed "light"

@ShatnersWig

Another who finds it vastly overrated. Much prefer the Fantasia on a theme of Thomas Tallis when it comes to Vaughan Williams.

This is my favourite

This is the only Vaughan Williams piece I can tolerate. I heard listening to his music described as being like licking a cow, and that nailed it for me. So tedious.

It's my favourite piece of music. I find it heart-stoppingly beautiful. If I listen to it with my eyes closed I can see rolling hills and hedgerows bathed in morning sunlight.

Personally I’d shoot it. And everyone who votes for it every bloody year.

It makes me think of my late mum, her rural childhood and how much she loved the English countryside. It was played at her funeral (I believe it's very popular at funerals generally) so obviously I find it moving.

Not having it at my funeral though - I'm having Mozart's Soave sia il vento and I'll float away on gentle waves of divine harmonic genius. Quite jealous of my funeral-goers tbh .

Can't stand it.

But then I really don't like high twiddly violin music. Much prefer wind instruments

@MrsAvocet

I think it's interminably dull and it irritates me greatly that it is repeatedly number 1 in the Classic FM Hall of Fame when so many far better pieces don't get a look in. I'm not a great fan of Vaughan Williams generally but Ithink he wrote other things that are better. Well less bad... And it goes on for so long that the bloody bird should be in orbit by the end. But that may be wishful thinking on my part.

I agree. It’s won again, 2022. Dislike it intensely.

I agree OP.
I chose it for my mum's funeral. It was perfect.

Also played at my dm's funeral. So now I find it too painful to listen to.

It's ok, but I'd prefer the Rachmaninov to win. I find Dvorak's New World Symphony incredibly moving.

Has to be mahler 5th for me, especially the adagietto (strings section here 😉)

Lark ascending? Wish it would descend, quickly

@PuppyMonkey

It makes me cry so much, it’s just an amazing piece of music.

Have you been to the Sistine Chapel?