Music to sooth a troubled soul...

[tones]

A good Beethoven 9 to finish, methinks. Any suggestions for the ultimate recording of that? I have the 1960s and 1980s DG Karajans, but have always meant to look further. 

In my opinion, the 1962 DG version is THE ultimate version. The only version to approach it is the one from Karajan's second DG set (1979, I think).

What about a bit of Bach? This, from Cantata 105, always brightens my day:

 

[tones]

And this from Cantata 5 of the Weihnachtsoratorium:

 

[oldius]

Nothing takes me somewhere else like Alice Coltrane does.



Three of her most accessible and other worldly albums. An outrageous and unappreciated talent IMO.

 

[Valvebloke]

Music to soothe/calm includes this (although I'm not religious)



VB

 

[hifinutt]

not quite classical but eric bibb is awonderful tonic

especially his track ,

You might slip, you might slide, you might
Stumble and fall by the road side
But don't you ever let nobody drag your spirit down
Remember you're walking up to heaven
Don't let nobody turn you around

Walk with the rich, walk with the poor
Learn from everyone, that's what life is for
And don't you let nobody drag your spirit down
Remember you're walking up to heaven
Don't let nobody turn you around

Well I might say things that sound strange to you
And I might preach the gospel, I believe it's true
I won't let nobody drag my spirit down
Yes, I'm walking up to heaven
Won't let nobody turn me around

You might slip, you might slide, you might
Stumble and fall by the road side
But don't you ever let nobody drag your spirit down
Remember you're walking up to heaven
Don't let nobody turn you around

 

[rabski]

It is in the classical section, so much as there are many others that I find calming, I'll limit mine to classical.

Hallelujah Chorus from Handel's Messiah. Can be a little 'overblown', but it's soul stirring and a piece I never feel worse for having listened to. Trite? Predictable? So what. It is a stunning work and if any music can lift your mood, this should.

Elgar Violin Concerto. The Menuhin is well known but the Itzak Perlman I find more moving. There is so much emotion in it that whatever you are feeling is totally wiped. Despite my preferences and general collection, I would probably choose this as the one piece I would take with me.

Finlandia. Again, an obvious choice and overly commercialised, but nevertheless, a stunning work that always makes me feel better mentally when I play it.

Grieg, Wedding Day at Troldhaugen. You cannot listen to this without mixed feelings, but it is such a perfect composition that it always lightens my mood.

Messiaen. Transports de joie. Organ work. Needs a system capable of handling the really low organ notes. And with enough belt to really hit it when the crescendo comes in. Magnificent, challenging and stunning. Takes you into a different universe.

Many more.

This is what music does. It takes you away from the shit and puts you in a better place.

 

[Von Krolock]

Agreed Rabski, Elgar's Violin Concerto is wonderful music to lift spirits after a shit day.

This recording is possibly Kennedy's finest moment. Excellent.

 

[rabski]

Agreed Rabski, Elgar's Violin Concerto is wonderful music to lift spirits after a shit day.

This recording is possibly Kennedy's finest moment. Excellent.

One I don't have, but must add to the ever-growing mayhem. I like Kennedy. Despite his best efforts to prove otherwise, he has a stunning ability to pull the emotion out of music. The Perlman is superb, but I'll give this a go. With the LPO, it should be very, very good.

 

[Old Git]

One I don't have, but must add to the ever-growing mayhem. I like Kennedy. Despite his best efforts to prove otherwise, he has a stunning ability to pull the emotion out of music. The Perlman is superb, but I'll give this a go. With the LPO, it should be very, very good.

It's on Spotify  :^

 

[JANDL100]

Also on Spotify is a wonderful version of the Elgar by Igor Oistrakh with all Russian musicians.  I first came across it on a charity shop LP.

 

[JANDL100]

More music to sooth a trouble soul.

I find the opening track on this Telemann recording to be wonderfully uplifting, just so beautiful ...

 

[horace]

Some wonderful recommendations in this thread.

The arrival of my new speakers has given me a boost. Ploughing through my CDs, I came across this little gem, which has melted my troubles away and left me with a warm fuzzy feeling. It's a wonderful disc:

 

[anuenlil]

Pires is wonderful. Listen to her classic Mozart recordings on Denon as well. On a different note, I always thought the entire point of blues was to soothe troubled souls? At least that's what it does for me if I am really, really down and out. Nothing like Robert Johnson when the darkness comes.