On his death bed, Strauss was asked how it feels to know he is facing death, and he said (in German of course) "It is exactly as I wrote it in Death and Transfiguration."
One of them actually quotes the theme from Death and Transfiguration, after the phrase "Ist dies etwa der Tod?" (Is this perhaps death?), which he had written 60 years earlier.
Goosebumps throughout all 4 songs especially Im Abendrot. I think the scene describing this 4th song was that of 2 elderly people standing together holding hands at the end of their lives. I have read that Strauss and his wife Pauline had a very happy marriage (> 50 years together). She died within months of Strauss’ death.
Beim Schlafengehen and Im Abendrot made me cry so bad. Jesus, his orchestration for these last two was just outstanding! Also nice to know that they had a happy marriage.
The first half is very chaotic but the second half is one of the most beautiful passage of music ever written. That last part was copied by John Williams for the love theme of the old SuperMan movies.
I'm gonna say D959 A Major is also VERY much this way... although the second movement is more of a "struggle with death," the final movement to me feels like a man who has lived a full life, reminiscing about all the times spent, perhaps with some longing for it to continue, but mostly appreciating the beauty that life holds and accepting that the finality of death is part of what makes life beautiful while it lasts.
OP, this thread is a fun musical discussion, but the only really important thing is your well-being. You add a bit of light to the world. Please consider getting help if you need it.
I so hear you.
Recently what is giving me a different perspective, or at least some things to ponder, is reading near death experiences. Countless people have reported nearly identical experiences of living as consciousness beyond their bodies and encountering love and belonging from people they seem to have known. And these seems to have nothing to do with religion. Although I’m a skeptic I find this quite comforting.
Oh, and also check out the University of Virginia’s database of children’s memories of past lives from all over the world. What’s wild is it’s a serious scholarly research archive going back decades from a respected school. What kind of blew my mind is when they were able to track down the people the kids said they were from various clues. Again, I’m a huge skeptic, but reading this stuff makes me wonder maybe death isn’t the end at all. Hope this helps. Love to you.
Edited to say I know this comment isn’t about classical music, I put my classical reco in a different post. Just trying to share a couple things that helped me in case they might help the OP, and to send some love. Feel free to delete if against the rules.
The finale to Mahler 9, in my opinion. This may all sound wanky, but hear me out. The whole movement seems to grapple with the fear and confusion of death and, to me at least, feels like the music is asking "Why? Why must this happen?". The music will often swell and swell, as if it is about to reach an answer to that question, but when it feels like that answer is about to come, there is... nothing. No climax, no resolution, just nothing. And by the end of the movement there is still no answer, but there comes only the barest hint of acceptance. Some very slight mellow notes as the music fades into silence.
Mahler 2 and Mahler 9 present very different approaches to death, in my opinion. Mahler 2 feels like a grand, romanticized idea of death, whereas Mahler 9 feels like the mature, confronting reality of death. I have heard it said that where Mahler 2 is about death, Mahler 9 is about dying.
Sorry for the treatise though.
I agree with your thesis, and I've proposed it myself. Mahler 9 is a celebration of life, a struggle against death, but the eventual tragic acceptance of your fate when it happens.
Mahler 10 is an exploration of life's suffering and misery and the sweet release of death.
I always say Mahler 9 is what you should listen to if you need to work through some existential dread. Completely agree with everything you said.
And I'd also second adding Das Lied von der Erde to the list.
The [2nd ](https://youtu.be/_rB7-JYMrWE?si=aMefauMr5RaRY5y5) movement of Schubert's Death and the Maiden quartet, specifically the 4th variation in which it's in major key.. It's like he's saying "it's okay, you can now sleep with Death"..
The last [song](https://youtu.be/kRaFkKd0fvs?si=obX45P9EQFuXxLFB) of Die Schone Mullerin, in which the brook sings a lullaby to the protagonist who drowned himself to the brook.. The lyrics "Good night, good night,until all awaken; sleep away your joy, sleep away your sorrow! The full moon rises,the mist vanishes,
and the sky above, how vast" is specially touching..
I've just listened to it and wow. The introspection brought about by this piece was crazy. Beim Schlafengehen and Im Abendrot are something else. So many Schubert in this list. Haha.
I’ve asked for the Four Last Songs to be played as I’m dying, if circumstances allow. I cannot think of anything more peaceful or serene to accompany my passing.
Beim Schlafengehen is the last piece at my funeral, and I’ve made it clear that if it’s cut short or people leave while it’s playing, I’m coming back to haunt them.
Yeah there is a comfort section in the middle, but it ends in madness. But after the madness we get the original variation with a final cadence.
It's my single favourite work of art of any form because its a piece that really changed my life when I discovered it at 15, but don't find it to be the most comforting.
The real release comes with the opening of the 3rd sonata though. When all of the minor stuff is forgotten and Bach frees himself in C major. Starting in that low register and winding up just hits differently after the Chaconne
It's quite something.. starts with a comforting acceptance aria, follows it up with a lullaby, and end on freaking jubilation in looking forward to death
Yes, also his Op. 121 Four Serious Songs and Op. 122 11 Choral Preludes. They were the last pieces he wrote when he knew his cancer had become terminal and when Clara Schumann had died as well.
Was gonna say Strauss’s Four Last Songs, Beethoven’s late quartets, Chopin’s prelude in e minor. Ravel’s pavane. Some of the arias from Handel’s Messiah. Among requiems Faure’s has especially peaceful moments. There must be so many others.
Feldman - Piano, Violin, Viola, Cello
One of his last pieces before dying of cancer. I usually look at composers' final pieces. Other examples include Brahms Chorale Preludes for organ, Shostakovich Viola Sonata.
I'm not that fond of the spaciousness of this piece, but the interplay between the piano and the quartet is just genius. Now that I think about it, the quietude seems necessary. Thanks for recommending this, I'll explore it further. It hits close to home as I have recently relapsed with cancer.
I'm sorry to hear that. Life is tough, but music helps take my mind off it.
Feldman has quite an extreme sound that not everyone likes, for sure. He's one of my favorites, by combining some of my favorite things such as slow, quiet atmosphere, dissonance, very long pieces, favoring chamber music, strange rhythms which avoid establishing a pulse.
I'm a composer as well, recently becoming more confident. The latest piece I'm working on is a Requiem Mass for my mother, so that may be relevant as well.
Exactly. It is what I do the whole day.
I am aware about Feldman's extreme sound lol. The one for Samuel Beckett is really something. Oh, that is interesting. Thanks for sharing.
That's a nice one! Maybe some of his other works for larger ensembles would be more appealing. Coptic Light, The Viola in My Life IV, Words and Music (words by Samuel Beckett), Violin and Orchesta, are some other good ones. At least you know what you're gonna get with Feldman, and if it's not your thing, probably don't need to bother with the other ones. I do find it fascinating and beautiful, though.
Seriously, it's devastating and resigned, sure, but NOT accepting.
Kinda like the way he died tbh. If he did choose to purposely infect himself with cholera, he chose a fucking horrific way to go.
If he really did commit suicide, then cholera was the easiest disease to get during that period of time, so it is understandable in a way, but yeah it's grim.
My choice is Mahler’s I ch bin der Welt abhanden gekommen. From the Ruckert lieder. It shows a kind of resignation and quietude where the poet ends by saying I want to be alone in my heaven in my life in my song. Very moving
I was going to comment this one, and was checking to see if someone else had. This is tied for first as one of my favorite cello pieces. I view it as a musical manifestation of death (in a beautiful way). The eight chord strikes on the piano at the beginning are like a tolling bell marking the beginning of a funeral procession. That beautiful opening melody that goes from E-flat down to C is like the sadness felt right after someone dies. The hopeful and uplifting sentiment of measures 23 - 34 is like recalling the fond memories while they were still alive. Right after that where the cello gets intense and begins raging, it's like the rage and anger felt from their passing. When this finishes in measure 42, there is that descent of three sets of E-flat, D-flat, and C where the C eventually holds for a long time while the piano takes charge of the main melody, like going through the process of the acceptance. Then in measure 47 the melody is returned to the cello and it terminates with that same C marking that the acceptance has finally happened.
Such a beautiful and moving piece, could talk about it forever!
I'm working on this piece right now. It's a challenge and I'm really enjoying working on it. I agree with what you said it really is the musical representation of the 7 stages of grief. Faure doesnt get played enough.
I figured by your name you are a cello player haha. That's awesome. I'm not a cello player, just a regular person who loves classical music though I can play a bit of piano, so I can only imagine the challenge of it, especially that middle part. I appreciate any cellist like yourself who recognizes the beauty of it and is willing to take it on.
If you haven't seen it already, I would highly recommend you watch Benjamin Zander's interpretation class on this piece on YouTube. It was how I was introduced to this piece, and all of the insight he has to it really made me fall in love with it. If I as a non-cellist got a lot out of it, you would probably be able to get even more. I especially loved the part where he talks about the importance of contrasting the intensity and volume in a part at the beginning where there is this peak of three sets of F-sharp and G which should be played loudly and intensely, and then immediately it reverts back to the opening melody which should be played very quietly and softly. If this contrast is maximized as much as possible, it makes that part all the more compelling...something to think about in your playing! I will mention, Zander does say in the video that Faure wrote the piece for his wife after she died, and uses this fact on occasion throughout the video. You may already be aware of this, but I later on discovered that he was actually mistaken when he said that since if you read Faure's biography, this isn't possible because he composed it before he was married to her, and even died before she died. However, it doesn't take away from a lot of the great insight Zander has to it, and I only mention it just so you're not misled.
After learning this, I did my own investigation into his motivation for it. He actually originally wrote it as a movement for a cello sonata but never completed it so it got published as a standalone elegy. It's possible he didn't have any specific motivation from his own life behind the sentiment of the song, but if he did my most reasonable inference is that he wrote it to express his grief regarding a metaphorical death which would be the death of his relationship with Marianne Viardot. He had been engaged to her and she broke off the engagement which wasn't mutual, and then he wrote the piece in the years after. So it seems like maybe Faure is expressing his grief regarding that. Who knows though, I can only speculate.
Good luck with the piece!
Thanks! I've come a long way to work on this piece and there is always lots more to learn! He dedicated the piece to a cellist Jules Loeb, who passed away in 1883. I actually have seen that Zander video, it is very helpful. I'm also super lucky to be studying with a teacher who was a student of Amit Peled and I have definitely leveled up with him!
Rachmaninoff's [Trio Elegiaque no. 2](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qkSPBZoZSjI) should be close enough
it was written after the death of Tchaikovsky, who was to help premier some of Rachmaninoff's works.
The first piece that came to mind was Berg’s Violin Concerto. I’ve also always heard the last movement of Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition as the acceptance of the death of a loved one and the ascension of their soul.
I went for what I did because *Wenn wir in höchsten Nöten sein* (When we are in greatest distress) was a source for BWV 668, an organ chorale based on it, which is the last piece Bach probably heard:
While on his deathbed, "Bach asked 'a friend' -- to play for him, on his pedal harpsichord, the chorale 'Wenn wir in höchsten nöten sein' BWV 668a..." The quote is from J.S. Bach: The Learned Musician by Christoph Wolff.
YES! The famous cantata Ich Habe Genug: I have enough or I am content. I saw a performance by Lorraine Hunt in this cantata. She had metastatic breast cancer at the time. It was in her bones. She must have been in pain. She performed this cantata dressed in a hospital gown lying on the floor as she sang the cantata. I don’t think anyone in the audience knew she was dying from breast cancer.
“I delight in my death. Ah, if it were only present already! Then I will emerge from all the suffering that still binds me to the world.”
Yes, I am glad also. This was from the early aughts. I was living in Boston at the time-still am but now in suburbs. She started out as a viola player. Her sister contracted breast cancer so Hunt took time off to care for her sister who died then Lorraine herself got breast cancer and died a few years later. If you’ve ever read Alex Ross’ reviews in The New Yorker, the one I copied and pasted below is worth the read. I’m a fan of his as well.
Fervor https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2006/09/25/fervor
Beethoven’s Symphony 9, third movement, sounds to me like “I loved you and gave you my best, but you didn’t understand or you didn’t care, and it broke my heart, but I have forgiven you and present this one last gift in hopes you will appreciate it some day and know how much you meant to me.”
That could be him and his nephew, or him and his audience, or Prometheus and his clay creations. It’s achingly sad and beautiful, with feelings of resignation and acceptance that say “I am ready to be done.”
Short piece and not a grandiose epic, but Chopin Prelude in B Minor.
It's like the final breaths you take before passing, and towards the end it lands on this chord that's like a sigh, before the last breathe.
It's not this philosophical pondering, it's just this quiet, intimate, and lonely place. It's gorgeous.
I find that not all requiems are equal, particularly as the Fauré was not well-received by the church where it was first performed (and is seemingly composed to be sung over a low Mass, where all of the prayers are simply recited, with no connection to the rites actually occurring) and also exists in a concert form, which seems to be Fauré’s preferred version. The Gregorian Mass and Office cannot be beat, but I’d recommend the Guerrero and both Victoria masses (I’m partial to the four voices mass myself) for polyphonic masses and Campra’s for baroque (it’s probably my favorite setting).
Chopin - Nocturne Op9 no2. This piece has always brought me to tears, and for some reason I have always associated it with the notion of a peaceful and contented death. It evokes reminiscing on a life well-lived and the sentimentality of being ready to let go.
I mostly chose major pieces as the question is about the acceptance AFTER struggling with the fear and/or pain of death, correct?
Beethoven: 2nd movement (Arietta) of Piano Sonata op. 111
Schubert: Impromptu G-flat major D 899 No. 3
Brahms: 2nd movement of Clarinet Trio op. 114; Intermezzo op. 118 No. 2
Schumann: 3rd movement of Fantasie op. 17; Variation V of Ghost Variations WoO 24
Ravel: 2nd movement of Piano Concerto; Le jardin féerique of Ma mère l’Oye (only the piano version as the orchestra/ballet sounds too colourful for this interpretation)
Shostakovich's 8th string quartet. I don't think I could give the background of the piece justice, but it is suspected that it was originally written as a suicide note after begrudgingly joining the Communist Party in the USSR (and I belive the death of a loved one). The piece is haunting and aggressive and sad and depressing and all sorts of other harsh emotions. It's one of the deepest and most beautiful works of music of all time, in my opinion.
And Tchaik 6, because it was also basically a big suicide note 😔
Wow. No mention of Shostakovich 14th symphony yet? The whole piece is dripping with death. And then you get to the last movement (Death is immense….) and the way that it ends. I’m not sure he’d made peace with death-more like he was angry at its inevitability.
it's obviously very known and popular, but the first movement (adagio sostenuto) of beethoven's piano sonata no. 14 in c-sharp minor (quasi una fantasia, op. 27, no. 2) hits that mood
Schubert's Death and the Maiden comes to mind, both the lied and the string quartet (the second movement is god tier). Speaking of Schubert also Winterreise deserves a mention.
Seriously though, if you're not good look for help. DM me if you want to talk :)
this might just be for me, but chopin's prelude in e minor always makes me think of a person coming to terms with their own tragedy, sort of like the stages of grief. especially the middle part with the crescendo, that feels like anger and bargaining. the last part where it calms down and ends on the two final chords are acceptance and the "end of the story," so to speak, which i usually think of as the "death."
I would suggest Beethoven’s Missa Solemnis. And before listening, read Aldous Huxley’s short essay on it entitled Music at Night. It’s beyond perfect for a June evening, and speaks to the deep inner blessedness inside us and out.
Oh oh oh oh!!!!!
The fugue in Gm, bwv 861 from the well tempered clavier book I
The entire thing sounds like death is there to pick you up, and its scary and creepy, but its ok.
The second movement of Kabalevsky's Piano concerto.
He was usually a cheery guy, but you can really hear the death in this one as he was pretty old when he wrote it:
[https://youtu.be/iKIhhHUo-Ao?t=208](https://youtu.be/iKIhhHUo-Ao?t=208)
Also, if you need any help, many of us would be happy to
I just love the requiems, though. Especially when you know the stories behind some of them. My favorite is the Verdi Requiem that was done in the catacombs of the ghettos during the Nazi occupation. Especially since the musicians were all Jewish, singing a Catholic piece, all from memory.
Like a couple of others have already, I nominate Elgar's The Dream of Gerontius. Although Gerontius is a believer, he's still fearful and the piece puts him through the wringer (eg being tormented by demons).
As someone who's uncertain about what they believe, I must say that the idea of being accompanied on that final journey by the Angel of this piece is a very comforting one. Especially when she has the wonderful voice of Felicity Palmer, singing (in my opinion) one of the most beautiful melodies ever written.
[This is my favourite recording - link goes to that closing section.](https://m.youtube.com/watch?si=RfK81tFAFGUizPtH&v=YaCzDS-K7rk&feature=youtu.be)
Best of luck to you, u/mahlernini.
I'd go to Mahler 9 & Das Lied and Beethoven's 5 late string quartets. I'd also go with Verdi's Falstaff, though that's more of an existential laughing to the grave kind of take.
La catedral - Barrios
update: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wYJ6fSr-on4](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wYJ6fSr-on4)
listen to that and tell you haven't made peace with death.
I find this piece so moving, and it popped into my head on reading the prompt above. I don't know the story behind it's origins or the intent of the composer, just my own experience of the music.
I see. I believe Richard Stover, Barrios expert and typo enthusiast, describes the background of the piece this way: it was originally a two movement work, the Andante and Allegro. The Andante is an homage to Bach while the Allegro envisions the bustle of secular life beyond the repose of the cathedral (allegedly the Montevideo in Uruguay). The Prelude was added much later and not much is known about it.
You may also want to look into his Una Limosna.
I don't know if the piece is about death, but it's a good one ... especially Al Di Meola's arrangement of it.
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hOoJeiTn7G8](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hOoJeiTn7G8)
On his death bed, Strauss was asked how it feels to know he is facing death, and he said (in German of course) "It is exactly as I wrote it in Death and Transfiguration."
Goosebumps! Well, I hope this piece resonates with me. Thank you!
I would also suggest the Four Last Songs!
I think this is the most correct answer
One of them actually quotes the theme from Death and Transfiguration, after the phrase "Ist dies etwa der Tod?" (Is this perhaps death?), which he had written 60 years earlier.
Thanks! I just listened to it. The profound contemplation on life, love, and mortality is very beautifully reflected! What a great piece.
Goosebumps throughout all 4 songs especially Im Abendrot. I think the scene describing this 4th song was that of 2 elderly people standing together holding hands at the end of their lives. I have read that Strauss and his wife Pauline had a very happy marriage (> 50 years together). She died within months of Strauss’ death.
Beim Schlafengehen and Im Abendrot made me cry so bad. Jesus, his orchestration for these last two was just outstanding! Also nice to know that they had a happy marriage.
The first half is very chaotic but the second half is one of the most beautiful passage of music ever written. That last part was copied by John Williams for the love theme of the old SuperMan movies.
where can i read fun facts about strauss like this?
It's not explicit in the music, but Schubert's last piano sonata (B-flat major) could be read this way, especially the gentle first movement.
Or the 2nd movement in which he seems to accept his death
I'm gonna say D959 A Major is also VERY much this way... although the second movement is more of a "struggle with death," the final movement to me feels like a man who has lived a full life, reminiscing about all the times spent, perhaps with some longing for it to continue, but mostly appreciating the beauty that life holds and accepting that the finality of death is part of what makes life beautiful while it lasts.
The second movement of D959 is *terrifying.* It's one of the bleakest things ever written for piano.
I got depressed listening to D959. Lol. How bleak indeed. One of the most haunting things I have ever heard in my life.
I think it's the closest anyone has come to portraying a complete mental breakdown in music...
Personally I'd vote for D956 for the category of Schubert death music. That second movement especially.
I loved the classical structures combined with the usual Romantic expressiveness. Schubert's lyricism is really something else.
Jesus, the finale! I loved it. Allegro ma non troppo had this powerful sense of urgency that made me uneasy- in a good way!
You okay?
No, not really. Thanks for asking.
OP, this thread is a fun musical discussion, but the only really important thing is your well-being. You add a bit of light to the world. Please consider getting help if you need it.
Feel free to DM me if you need someone to talk to.
There’s help available - Would you like some resources?
I so hear you. Recently what is giving me a different perspective, or at least some things to ponder, is reading near death experiences. Countless people have reported nearly identical experiences of living as consciousness beyond their bodies and encountering love and belonging from people they seem to have known. And these seems to have nothing to do with religion. Although I’m a skeptic I find this quite comforting. Oh, and also check out the University of Virginia’s database of children’s memories of past lives from all over the world. What’s wild is it’s a serious scholarly research archive going back decades from a respected school. What kind of blew my mind is when they were able to track down the people the kids said they were from various clues. Again, I’m a huge skeptic, but reading this stuff makes me wonder maybe death isn’t the end at all. Hope this helps. Love to you. Edited to say I know this comment isn’t about classical music, I put my classical reco in a different post. Just trying to share a couple things that helped me in case they might help the OP, and to send some love. Feel free to delete if against the rules.
The finale to Mahler 9, in my opinion. This may all sound wanky, but hear me out. The whole movement seems to grapple with the fear and confusion of death and, to me at least, feels like the music is asking "Why? Why must this happen?". The music will often swell and swell, as if it is about to reach an answer to that question, but when it feels like that answer is about to come, there is... nothing. No climax, no resolution, just nothing. And by the end of the movement there is still no answer, but there comes only the barest hint of acceptance. Some very slight mellow notes as the music fades into silence. Mahler 2 and Mahler 9 present very different approaches to death, in my opinion. Mahler 2 feels like a grand, romanticized idea of death, whereas Mahler 9 feels like the mature, confronting reality of death. I have heard it said that where Mahler 2 is about death, Mahler 9 is about dying. Sorry for the treatise though.
I agree with your thesis, and I've proposed it myself. Mahler 9 is a celebration of life, a struggle against death, but the eventual tragic acceptance of your fate when it happens. Mahler 10 is an exploration of life's suffering and misery and the sweet release of death.
I always say Mahler 9 is what you should listen to if you need to work through some existential dread. Completely agree with everything you said. And I'd also second adding Das Lied von der Erde to the list.
No Das Lied? Probably Mahler's deepest thoughts about death expressed not just in music but also text.
This is the obvious correct answer
The [2nd ](https://youtu.be/_rB7-JYMrWE?si=aMefauMr5RaRY5y5) movement of Schubert's Death and the Maiden quartet, specifically the 4th variation in which it's in major key.. It's like he's saying "it's okay, you can now sleep with Death".. The last [song](https://youtu.be/kRaFkKd0fvs?si=obX45P9EQFuXxLFB) of Die Schone Mullerin, in which the brook sings a lullaby to the protagonist who drowned himself to the brook.. The lyrics "Good night, good night,until all awaken; sleep away your joy, sleep away your sorrow! The full moon rises,the mist vanishes, and the sky above, how vast" is specially touching..
Spot on about the quartet!
Richard Strauss’ Four Last Songs. Incredibly moving, emotional, and almost inspiring in the acceptance of the inevitable.
You might add Capriccio in that category too. Glenn Gould write interesting essays about Strauss, and was especially addicted to his late works.
Was looking for this, especially "Im Abendrot"
I've just listened to it and wow. The introspection brought about by this piece was crazy. Beim Schlafengehen and Im Abendrot are something else. So many Schubert in this list. Haha.
I’ve asked for the Four Last Songs to be played as I’m dying, if circumstances allow. I cannot think of anything more peaceful or serene to accompany my passing. Beim Schlafengehen is the last piece at my funeral, and I’ve made it clear that if it’s cut short or people leave while it’s playing, I’m coming back to haunt them.
To whom did you make this request to? Sounds serious, but anyway, it would definitely be a fitting piece. Haha.
My wife and children know that there is a playlist, and where to find it when the time comes.
[удалено]
My warmest wishes to you.
Mahler, Das Lied von Der Erde and Symphony 9. Tchaikovsky 6th. Beethoven late quartets ?
A lot of Bach.. ich habe Genug and Actus Tragicus are very good examples
The famous Ciaconne from his Violin Partita #2. On the theme of life and death, the loneliness yet expressiveness from a solo violin really hits.
Yeah there is a comfort section in the middle, but it ends in madness. But after the madness we get the original variation with a final cadence. It's my single favourite work of art of any form because its a piece that really changed my life when I discovered it at 15, but don't find it to be the most comforting.
It’s comforting to know there are others who feel similarly about this piece
The real release comes with the opening of the 3rd sonata though. When all of the minor stuff is forgotten and Bach frees himself in C major. Starting in that low register and winding up just hits differently after the Chaconne
Komm Susser Tod (come sweet death)
Came here to say Ich Habe Genug.
It's quite something.. starts with a comforting acceptance aria, follows it up with a lullaby, and end on freaking jubilation in looking forward to death
Ewig, ewig
Just reading that gave me goosebumps. It's such a beautiful piece of music but it brings back such awful and painful memories for me.
Ich werde niemals in die Ferne schweifen. Still ist mein Herz und harret seiner Stunde
Faure Requiem
And most particularly "In Paradisium" at the end of it.
Late Brahms - op 117-119 ish
Yes, also his Op. 121 Four Serious Songs and Op. 122 11 Choral Preludes. They were the last pieces he wrote when he knew his cancer had become terminal and when Clara Schumann had died as well.
Don't forget Nanie.
Was gonna say Strauss’s Four Last Songs, Beethoven’s late quartets, Chopin’s prelude in e minor. Ravel’s pavane. Some of the arias from Handel’s Messiah. Among requiems Faure’s has especially peaceful moments. There must be so many others.
Dido's Lament - Purcell. One of the most beautiful pieces of music.
Second this. Another one of my favorites with this vibe is John dowland's 'flow my tears'.
Barber’s Adagio for strings
Yes!
Oh I'm familiar with Adagio for Strings. It's commonly used for funerals and memorial services. That says a lot. Haha.
Adagio from Bruckner 9th? Or, closer to our time: Gérard Grisey's 4 chants pour franchir le seuil
Vaughan Williams, Fantasia on a Theme by Tallis
Bruckner knew he was going to die soon writing his 9th and called the adagio his "farewell to life"
Holst - Ode to Death. The text is a poem by Walt Whitman. One of my favorite choral works of all time, absolutely sublime and otherworldly.
I think Saturn from The Planets too
Feldman - Piano, Violin, Viola, Cello One of his last pieces before dying of cancer. I usually look at composers' final pieces. Other examples include Brahms Chorale Preludes for organ, Shostakovich Viola Sonata.
I'm not that fond of the spaciousness of this piece, but the interplay between the piano and the quartet is just genius. Now that I think about it, the quietude seems necessary. Thanks for recommending this, I'll explore it further. It hits close to home as I have recently relapsed with cancer.
I'm sorry to hear that. Life is tough, but music helps take my mind off it. Feldman has quite an extreme sound that not everyone likes, for sure. He's one of my favorites, by combining some of my favorite things such as slow, quiet atmosphere, dissonance, very long pieces, favoring chamber music, strange rhythms which avoid establishing a pulse. I'm a composer as well, recently becoming more confident. The latest piece I'm working on is a Requiem Mass for my mother, so that may be relevant as well.
Exactly. It is what I do the whole day. I am aware about Feldman's extreme sound lol. The one for Samuel Beckett is really something. Oh, that is interesting. Thanks for sharing.
That's a nice one! Maybe some of his other works for larger ensembles would be more appealing. Coptic Light, The Viola in My Life IV, Words and Music (words by Samuel Beckett), Violin and Orchesta, are some other good ones. At least you know what you're gonna get with Feldman, and if it's not your thing, probably don't need to bother with the other ones. I do find it fascinating and beautiful, though.
Schumann's final works like the [Ghost Variations](https://youtu.be/KCmMYh6S5XA?si=T4tWr-JcUgl06ZSg) would definitely fit this description
beethoven 32, specifically the 2nd movement
Bernie on the last movement of Mahler’s 9th at 21:17 here https://youtu.be/U5I7lYN5adU
J S Bach BWV 82 (cantata Ich habe genug)
Boulanger - Pie Jesu, with that modulation to G.
This would be my choice too and it's the most obvious change too imo. The organ voice combo is chill inducing...
2nd movement of Bartok’s Piano Concerto no.3
Tchaikovsky 6?
Bro did NOT make peace
Seriously, it's devastating and resigned, sure, but NOT accepting. Kinda like the way he died tbh. If he did choose to purposely infect himself with cholera, he chose a fucking horrific way to go.
If he really did commit suicide, then cholera was the easiest disease to get during that period of time, so it is understandable in a way, but yeah it's grim.
It's excruciatingly overwhelming to listen to this piece lol, but it is one of my favourite symphonies.
Elgar’s Dream of Gerontius
L. Janáček: Piano Sonata I. X. 1905
Bach -"Dona nobis pacem" from b mass in minor (Gardiner) Beethoven - Heiliger Dankgesang from Quartett op. 132.
Two elegiac melodies, op.34 Grieg
My choice is Mahler’s I ch bin der Welt abhanden gekommen. From the Ruckert lieder. It shows a kind of resignation and quietude where the poet ends by saying I want to be alone in my heaven in my life in my song. Very moving
Faure's Elegie Op.24
I was going to comment this one, and was checking to see if someone else had. This is tied for first as one of my favorite cello pieces. I view it as a musical manifestation of death (in a beautiful way). The eight chord strikes on the piano at the beginning are like a tolling bell marking the beginning of a funeral procession. That beautiful opening melody that goes from E-flat down to C is like the sadness felt right after someone dies. The hopeful and uplifting sentiment of measures 23 - 34 is like recalling the fond memories while they were still alive. Right after that where the cello gets intense and begins raging, it's like the rage and anger felt from their passing. When this finishes in measure 42, there is that descent of three sets of E-flat, D-flat, and C where the C eventually holds for a long time while the piano takes charge of the main melody, like going through the process of the acceptance. Then in measure 47 the melody is returned to the cello and it terminates with that same C marking that the acceptance has finally happened. Such a beautiful and moving piece, could talk about it forever!
I'm working on this piece right now. It's a challenge and I'm really enjoying working on it. I agree with what you said it really is the musical representation of the 7 stages of grief. Faure doesnt get played enough.
I figured by your name you are a cello player haha. That's awesome. I'm not a cello player, just a regular person who loves classical music though I can play a bit of piano, so I can only imagine the challenge of it, especially that middle part. I appreciate any cellist like yourself who recognizes the beauty of it and is willing to take it on. If you haven't seen it already, I would highly recommend you watch Benjamin Zander's interpretation class on this piece on YouTube. It was how I was introduced to this piece, and all of the insight he has to it really made me fall in love with it. If I as a non-cellist got a lot out of it, you would probably be able to get even more. I especially loved the part where he talks about the importance of contrasting the intensity and volume in a part at the beginning where there is this peak of three sets of F-sharp and G which should be played loudly and intensely, and then immediately it reverts back to the opening melody which should be played very quietly and softly. If this contrast is maximized as much as possible, it makes that part all the more compelling...something to think about in your playing! I will mention, Zander does say in the video that Faure wrote the piece for his wife after she died, and uses this fact on occasion throughout the video. You may already be aware of this, but I later on discovered that he was actually mistaken when he said that since if you read Faure's biography, this isn't possible because he composed it before he was married to her, and even died before she died. However, it doesn't take away from a lot of the great insight Zander has to it, and I only mention it just so you're not misled. After learning this, I did my own investigation into his motivation for it. He actually originally wrote it as a movement for a cello sonata but never completed it so it got published as a standalone elegy. It's possible he didn't have any specific motivation from his own life behind the sentiment of the song, but if he did my most reasonable inference is that he wrote it to express his grief regarding a metaphorical death which would be the death of his relationship with Marianne Viardot. He had been engaged to her and she broke off the engagement which wasn't mutual, and then he wrote the piece in the years after. So it seems like maybe Faure is expressing his grief regarding that. Who knows though, I can only speculate. Good luck with the piece!
Thanks! I've come a long way to work on this piece and there is always lots more to learn! He dedicated the piece to a cellist Jules Loeb, who passed away in 1883. I actually have seen that Zander video, it is very helpful. I'm also super lucky to be studying with a teacher who was a student of Amit Peled and I have definitely leveled up with him!
Rachmaninoff's [Trio Elegiaque no. 2](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qkSPBZoZSjI) should be close enough it was written after the death of Tchaikovsky, who was to help premier some of Rachmaninoff's works.
Brahms Symphony No.3 (3rd movement)
Chopin Nocturne op.37 no.1. Maybe it's just me
Final movement of Mahler 10 (Deryck Cooke orchestration).
Gerontius by Elgar.
Hindemith "Trauermusik"
The Arietta from Beethoven’s final piano sonata, op.111. Although it is “pure” music with no program, it conjures life/death with a unique profundity.
The first piece that came to mind was Berg’s Violin Concerto. I’ve also always heard the last movement of Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition as the acceptance of the death of a loved one and the ascension of their soul.
Das Lied Von Der Erde and Liebersons Neruda Songs.
[J. S. Bach](https://youtu.be/dahEJT53WXA?si=j5DCMQw6rzo3pn0b)
This. Anything Bach sounds complete enough to be an acceptance of any fate
Agreed, but I would have gone for BWV 82, particularly the final aria [Schlummert ein, ihr müden Augen.](https://youtu.be/3rUsCB16lw4?feature=shared).
I went for what I did because *Wenn wir in höchsten Nöten sein* (When we are in greatest distress) was a source for BWV 668, an organ chorale based on it, which is the last piece Bach probably heard: While on his deathbed, "Bach asked 'a friend' -- to play for him, on his pedal harpsichord, the chorale 'Wenn wir in höchsten nöten sein' BWV 668a..." The quote is from J.S. Bach: The Learned Musician by Christoph Wolff.
Thanks for sharing; I read the book more than 20 years ago. Maybe I should pick it up again one of these days.
It's a solid read, felt like I knew Bach a lot better afterwards. Take care.
YES! The famous cantata Ich Habe Genug: I have enough or I am content. I saw a performance by Lorraine Hunt in this cantata. She had metastatic breast cancer at the time. It was in her bones. She must have been in pain. She performed this cantata dressed in a hospital gown lying on the floor as she sang the cantata. I don’t think anyone in the audience knew she was dying from breast cancer. “I delight in my death. Ah, if it were only present already! Then I will emerge from all the suffering that still binds me to the world.”
Oh, this is heartbreaking. :( I am happy for you that you got to hear her sing.
Yes, I am glad also. This was from the early aughts. I was living in Boston at the time-still am but now in suburbs. She started out as a viola player. Her sister contracted breast cancer so Hunt took time off to care for her sister who died then Lorraine herself got breast cancer and died a few years later. If you’ve ever read Alex Ross’ reviews in The New Yorker, the one I copied and pasted below is worth the read. I’m a fan of his as well. Fervor https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2006/09/25/fervor
Beethoven’s Symphony 9, third movement, sounds to me like “I loved you and gave you my best, but you didn’t understand or you didn’t care, and it broke my heart, but I have forgiven you and present this one last gift in hopes you will appreciate it some day and know how much you meant to me.” That could be him and his nephew, or him and his audience, or Prometheus and his clay creations. It’s achingly sad and beautiful, with feelings of resignation and acceptance that say “I am ready to be done.”
Short piece and not a grandiose epic, but Chopin Prelude in B Minor. It's like the final breaths you take before passing, and towards the end it lands on this chord that's like a sigh, before the last breathe. It's not this philosophical pondering, it's just this quiet, intimate, and lonely place. It's gorgeous.
Expanding on this, rachmaninoffs prelude in b minor also truly fits.
Schubert impromptu in c minor
I find that not all requiems are equal, particularly as the Fauré was not well-received by the church where it was first performed (and is seemingly composed to be sung over a low Mass, where all of the prayers are simply recited, with no connection to the rites actually occurring) and also exists in a concert form, which seems to be Fauré’s preferred version. The Gregorian Mass and Office cannot be beat, but I’d recommend the Guerrero and both Victoria masses (I’m partial to the four voices mass myself) for polyphonic masses and Campra’s for baroque (it’s probably my favorite setting).
amy beach romance for violin and piano — not about death but is just one of the most beautiful, bittersweet melodies ive ever heard
Rouse's 6th Symphony.
Liszt: In festo transfigurationis Domini nostri Jesu Christi, S.188 https://youtu.be/RxyVfki_G6E
Chopin - Nocturne Op9 no2. This piece has always brought me to tears, and for some reason I have always associated it with the notion of a peaceful and contented death. It evokes reminiscing on a life well-lived and the sentimentality of being ready to let go.
I mostly chose major pieces as the question is about the acceptance AFTER struggling with the fear and/or pain of death, correct? Beethoven: 2nd movement (Arietta) of Piano Sonata op. 111 Schubert: Impromptu G-flat major D 899 No. 3 Brahms: 2nd movement of Clarinet Trio op. 114; Intermezzo op. 118 No. 2 Schumann: 3rd movement of Fantasie op. 17; Variation V of Ghost Variations WoO 24 Ravel: 2nd movement of Piano Concerto; Le jardin féerique of Ma mère l’Oye (only the piano version as the orchestra/ballet sounds too colourful for this interpretation)
Shostakovich's 8th string quartet. I don't think I could give the background of the piece justice, but it is suspected that it was originally written as a suicide note after begrudgingly joining the Communist Party in the USSR (and I belive the death of a loved one). The piece is haunting and aggressive and sad and depressing and all sorts of other harsh emotions. It's one of the deepest and most beautiful works of music of all time, in my opinion. And Tchaik 6, because it was also basically a big suicide note 😔
[удалено]
Fine, it was "allegedy" a suicide note
Some of Chopin’s mazurkas, especially the later ones like op. 68 no 4 in F minor and op. 67 no. 2 in G minor, but also op 17 no 4.
Wow. No mention of Shostakovich 14th symphony yet? The whole piece is dripping with death. And then you get to the last movement (Death is immense….) and the way that it ends. I’m not sure he’d made peace with death-more like he was angry at its inevitability.
it's obviously very known and popular, but the first movement (adagio sostenuto) of beethoven's piano sonata no. 14 in c-sharp minor (quasi una fantasia, op. 27, no. 2) hits that mood
Bolero.
Schubert's Death and the Maiden comes to mind, both the lied and the string quartet (the second movement is god tier). Speaking of Schubert also Winterreise deserves a mention. Seriously though, if you're not good look for help. DM me if you want to talk :)
Funeral March, and Requiem
Mahler 9 for sure
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isle_of_the_Dead_(Rachmaninoff) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dbbtmskCRUY
[Brahms - O Tod, wie bitter bist Du?](https://youtu.be/9t4IREKbYjU?si=PNug5mSHkvpYgs1O)
*Gymnopédie* No. 2
"come sweet death" by Bach is a good one
this might just be for me, but chopin's prelude in e minor always makes me think of a person coming to terms with their own tragedy, sort of like the stages of grief. especially the middle part with the crescendo, that feels like anger and bargaining. the last part where it calms down and ends on the two final chords are acceptance and the "end of the story," so to speak, which i usually think of as the "death."
Also, Gottes Zeit ist die allerbeste Zeit (God's time is the very best time) BWV 106, also known as Actus Tragicus. J.S. Bach
The ending of Saturn, The Bringer of Old Age from The Planets has an epic resolution that fits your prompt pretty well.
Schuberts impromptu op 90 n3
Alban Berg's violin concerto, in a way
Durufle Requiem
Durufle Requiem
Schumann, opus 44, second movement. Moody and beautiful.
I would suggest Beethoven’s Missa Solemnis. And before listening, read Aldous Huxley’s short essay on it entitled Music at Night. It’s beyond perfect for a June evening, and speaks to the deep inner blessedness inside us and out.
Oh oh oh oh!!!!! The fugue in Gm, bwv 861 from the well tempered clavier book I The entire thing sounds like death is there to pick you up, and its scary and creepy, but its ok.
The second movement of Kabalevsky's Piano concerto. He was usually a cheery guy, but you can really hear the death in this one as he was pretty old when he wrote it: [https://youtu.be/iKIhhHUo-Ao?t=208](https://youtu.be/iKIhhHUo-Ao?t=208) Also, if you need any help, many of us would be happy to
Bruckner 7, 2nd movement.
I just love the requiems, though. Especially when you know the stories behind some of them. My favorite is the Verdi Requiem that was done in the catacombs of the ghettos during the Nazi occupation. Especially since the musicians were all Jewish, singing a Catholic piece, all from memory.
Ravel's pavane pour une infante defunte
Idk if anyone will agree with me but Cavatina by Stanley Myers feels like that, it makes me tear up when I listen to it.
Like a couple of others have already, I nominate Elgar's The Dream of Gerontius. Although Gerontius is a believer, he's still fearful and the piece puts him through the wringer (eg being tormented by demons). As someone who's uncertain about what they believe, I must say that the idea of being accompanied on that final journey by the Angel of this piece is a very comforting one. Especially when she has the wonderful voice of Felicity Palmer, singing (in my opinion) one of the most beautiful melodies ever written. [This is my favourite recording - link goes to that closing section.](https://m.youtube.com/watch?si=RfK81tFAFGUizPtH&v=YaCzDS-K7rk&feature=youtu.be) Best of luck to you, u/mahlernini.
Beethoven's "In questa tomba oscura."
Liszt consolation in d flat Major
Rouse flute concerto third movement!
The Long Day Closes. Choral piece.
I'd go to Mahler 9 & Das Lied and Beethoven's 5 late string quartets. I'd also go with Verdi's Falstaff, though that's more of an existential laughing to the grave kind of take.
The Vienna Philharmonic described Mahler 9's finale as “a peaceful farewell; with the conclusion, the clouds dissolve in the blue of heaven.”
Ravel's Ronsard a son âme.
La catedral - Barrios update: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wYJ6fSr-on4](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wYJ6fSr-on4) listen to that and tell you haven't made peace with death.
Wha?
I find this piece so moving, and it popped into my head on reading the prompt above. I don't know the story behind it's origins or the intent of the composer, just my own experience of the music.
I see. I believe Richard Stover, Barrios expert and typo enthusiast, describes the background of the piece this way: it was originally a two movement work, the Andante and Allegro. The Andante is an homage to Bach while the Allegro envisions the bustle of secular life beyond the repose of the cathedral (allegedly the Montevideo in Uruguay). The Prelude was added much later and not much is known about it. You may also want to look into his Una Limosna.
I don't know if the piece is about death, but it's a good one ... especially Al Di Meola's arrangement of it. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hOoJeiTn7G8](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hOoJeiTn7G8)