# The 8 most perfect pieces of music ever written.



## Glaliraha (May 2, 2010)

Here are the eight most perfect pieces of music ever written:

Opeth - *To Bid You Farewell*





Tool - *Lateralus*





Pink Floyd - *Echoes*





Led Zeppelin - *Kashmir*





Maurice Ravel - *Bolero*





Franz Liszt - *Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2*





Philip Glass - *Metamorphosis Two*





George Frideric Handel - *Lascia ch'Io Pianga*, (from *Rinaldo*)





Let me know what you think!


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## jurianbai (Nov 23, 2008)

looking forward for most comedic remark in this thread...


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## Aramis (Mar 1, 2009)

You forgot Sex Pistols - God Save the Queen


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## Guest (May 2, 2010)

Even more troubling is the fact that "Fish Heads" by Barnes & Barnes was omitted.


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## Boccherini (Mar 29, 2010)

Glaliraha said:


> Here are the eight most perfect pieces of music ever written:
> 
> Opeth - To Bid You Farewell
> 
> ...


If it was only non-classical 'pieces', I would suggest you to change the title but since you crossbred music with non-classical music and posted it in the Non-classical Forum (which is also weird), I'll see... 
Well, _I_ wouldn't put any of them in the 'top 50', especially Nos. 1-4, 7. As for Handel, not bad, not bad, but have you heard about 'Messiah'?


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## Weston (Jul 11, 2008)

Cage's 4' 33' is the most perfect piece ever written. It's always different, yet always the same length.


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## starry (Jun 2, 2009)

No Mozart? No JS Bach? And with popular music there have been quite a few songwriters who have produced very well crafted melodies.


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## Boccherini (Mar 29, 2010)

starry said:


> No Mozart? No JS Bach? And with popular music there have been quite a few songwriters who have produced very well crafted melodies.


Are you comparing Mr. Bach and Mr. Mozart to Pink Floyd? The count is one to million...
Me still wonders why 8?


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## Glaliraha (May 2, 2010)

Joker64 said:


> Are you comparing Mr. Bach and Mr. Mozart to Pink Floyd? The count is one to million...


I haven't heard a single piece or work by Mozart or Bach that comes close to matching the majesty of Pink Floyd's *Echoes*, *Shine On You Crazy Diamond*, *Dogs*, *Time* or *Comfortably Numb*.



Joker64 said:


> Me still wonders why 8?


Meh, why not?  Those eight are the ones that are currently on my mind. I could have added two more, but they would have been superfluous, and I could have cut three, but then they'd be missed.


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## starry (Jun 2, 2009)

Joker64 said:


> Are you comparing Mr. Bach and Mr. Mozart to Pink Floyd? The count is one to million...
> Me still wonders why 8?


I was comparing more to Handel.


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## Aramis (Mar 1, 2009)

> I haven't heard a single piece or work by Mozart or Bach that comes close to matching the majesty of Pink Floyd's Echoes, Shine On You Crazy Diamond, Dogs, Time or Comfortably Numb.


This really makes me wonder if you're not a trolling account and this whole thread is not ment to be a provocation. Honestly, I would like to belive that.


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## Boccherini (Mar 29, 2010)

starry said:


> I was comparing more to Handel.


Still, Pink Floyd compose better, especially Fugues and Madrigals.


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## StlukesguildOhio (Dec 25, 2006)

looking forward for most comedic remark in this thread...

I haven't heard a single piece or work by Mozart or Bach that comes close to matching the majesty of Pink Floyd's Echoes, Shine On You Crazy Diamond, Dogs, Time or Comfortably Numb.

There it is.


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## Weston (Jul 11, 2008)

_Echoes _is a fine piece. I love it a lot, especially Roger Waters' spooky pteradactyl calls in the intermezzo section. Also the lyrics top most of those you can find in classical music in my opinion. But more majestic than Bach?

You must be doing it wrong.


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## Glaliraha (May 2, 2010)

I will admit that electronics give 20th century musicians and composers an advantage over those who came before.

I am not a troll, I'm merely trying to let people know where my tastes lie. I prefer Pink Floyd to Mozart and Bach. This is just how it is right now.


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## starry (Jun 2, 2009)

Opeth sound a bit dirge-like, probably the weakest of these for me.

The melodic structure of a Handel aria is really difficult to compare to these other music styles.


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## Boccherini (Mar 29, 2010)

Glaliraha said:


> I will admit that electronics give 20th century musicians and composers an advantage over those who came before.


What, What?



Glaliraha said:


> I am not a troll, I'm merely trying to let people know where my tastes lie. I prefer Pink Floyd to Mozart and Bach. This is just how it is *right* now.


Is _it_?


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## Argus (Oct 16, 2009)

I like a lot of Bach and some Mozart but I would take Dark Side of the Moon over pretty much any single work of either composer. However, as a whole I might choose Bach over the Floyd. More consistency. After the Wall and Waters left I find they went quite boring and predictable whereas Bach remained great throughout and if anything got better towards the end of his life.

As for the list, I would say that Kashmir is one of my least favourite Zep tracks. I'd say I prefer both Trampled Underfoot and Houses of the Holy from Phsyical Graffiti, maybe even Ten Years Gone and In My Time of Dying, not to mention all the songs off their earlier albums. Anyway, I'd take Sabbath over Zep any day.

I like Opeth and Tool but they get a bit derivative/formulaic after a while. However, great musicianship.

Overall, I like most of the list.

Do some people seriously dislike Pink Floyd and Led Zep?


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## TresPicos (Mar 21, 2009)

DrMike said:


> Even more troubling is the fact that "Fish Heads" by Barnes & Barnes was omitted.


Yes, it beats Ravel's annoyingly repetitious Bolero every day of the week!

Eat them up, yum!


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## starry (Jun 2, 2009)

I'm not an expert an Pink Floyd at all but even if I would like some of their music I doubt they could compare to Mozart's vast output of good music in all kinds of genres from large vocal or orchestral works to small chamber works. They did 11 albums up to The Wall and 3 albums after, that isn't that much. Of course people can have a personal preference if they want for electronic rock progressive element in their music.


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## starry (Jun 2, 2009)

TresPicos said:


> Yes, it beats Ravel's annoyingly repetitious Bolero every day of the week!
> 
> Eat them up, yum!


The video adds something to the song's strangeness as well.


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## Il Seraglio (Sep 14, 2009)

starry said:


> I'm not an expert an Pink Floyd at all but even if I would like some of their music I doubt they could compare to Mozart's vast output of good music in all kinds of genres from large vocal or orchestral works to small chamber works. They did 11 albums up to The Wall and 3 albums after, that isn't that much. Of course people can have a personal preference if they want for electronic rock progressive element in their music.


The Wall was awful and Dark Side of the Moon was nothing to write home about either. I don't understand all the praise for Pink Floyd. Their debut album with Syd Barret was pretty good, but during the 70's, their music was extremely conventional for their time.


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## GraemeG (Jun 30, 2009)

Glaliraha said:


> I will admit that electronics give 20th century musicians and composers an advantage over those who came before.
> 
> I am not a troll, I'm merely trying to let people know where my tastes lie. I prefer Pink Floyd to Mozart and Bach. This is just how it is right now.


I wouldn't worry about it.
After all, most six-year-olds prefer macaroni cheese to rocquefort. And yet they grow up eventually.
cheers,
Graeme


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## Argus (Oct 16, 2009)

Il Seraglio said:


> The Wall was awful and Dark Side of the Moon was nothing to write home about either. I don't understand all the praise for Pink Floyd. Their debut album with Syd Barret was pretty good, but during the 70's, their music was extremely conventional for their time.


They got their weird psychadelic stage out of the way early so they could focus on writing straight ahead great rock albums in the 70's. After Atom Heart Mother I don't think they were really that 'progressive' especially compared to other bands at the time, but their songwriting just hit a purple patch from Meddle through to the Wall, which I have to say is hit and miss for me.

Check out Several Species of Small Furry Animals Gathered Together in a Cave Grooving with a Pict for some trippy stuff:



or Careful with that Axe, Eugene:



or Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun: 



.

They were one of the better prog bands. They never wrote lyrics about sci-fi/fantasy nonsense or tried to make parts virtuosic as a show of exuberance.


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## KaerbEmEvig (Dec 15, 2009)

Well, I don't know about perfection, but I can share what non-classical and classical pieces I've been listening to recently:

*Non-classical:*

*Opeth:*

To Bid You Farewell: 



Burden: 



Soldier Of Fortune: 



Ending Credits: 



Face Of Melinda: 



Bridge Of Sighs: 




*Symphony X:*

Oculus Ex Inferni: 



Set The World On Fire: 



Paradise Lost: 



The Walls Of Babylon: 



The Sacrifice: 



Revelation: 



Dressed To Kill: 



The Divine Wings Of Tragedy: 



Masquerade '98: 



Candlelight Fantasia: 




*Dream Theater:*

Octavarium: 



The Answer Lies Within: 



The Root of All Evil: 



Panic Attack: 



Stargazer: 



Odyssey: 



Repentance: 



The Big Medley: 




*Cymande:*

Dove: 



Crawshay: 



Bird: 



One More: 



The Message: 



Willy's Headache: 



Fug: 



Brothers On The Slide: 



Changes: http://www.amazon.com/gp/recsradio/...pd_krex_dp_001_009?ie=UTF8&track=009&disc=001

*Rhapsody:*

The Magic of The Wizards Dream: 



Guardiani del Destino: 




*Miles Davis:*

Kind Of Blue (CD produced from the original masters).

*Classical:*

Liszt - La Campanella: 



Liszt - Rhapsody in C-Sharp Minor: 



Liszt - Rhapsody in C-Sharp Minor Orchetral version: 



Chopin - Piano Concerto in E Minor: 



Chopin - Piano Concerto in F Minor: 



Chopin - well, basically all of Chopin currently. Browsing through recordings of Liszt's compositions (will probably buy Yundi Li's Recital). I'm making a list to order everything at the same time (Bach's Concertos, Vivaldi's string works, Yundi Li's Liszt Recital, Liszt's Rhapsodies and some other CDs).

PS I know nobody (or close to nobody) cares, I'm simply passing time until the migraine headache wears off.


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## jurianbai (Nov 23, 2008)

StlukesguildOhio said:


> looking forward for most comedic remark in this thread...
> 
> I haven't heard a single piece or work by Mozart or Bach that comes close to matching the majesty of Pink Floyd's Echoes, Shine On You Crazy Diamond, Dogs, Time or Comfortably Numb.
> 
> There it is.


actually I am waiting for fellow Harpsichordconcerto, wonder why it takes so long for him to visit this. 

well, seriously I don;t know why people like very much Opeth. This band is so overrated.


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## mamascarlatti (Sep 23, 2009)

Well I didn't mind hearing the Pink Floyd and Opeth once. Harmless enough. No luck with Led Zep or Tool, would rather gnaw off my own toes than hear too much of that. 

I think I'll stick to Handel.


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## HarpsichordConcerto (Jan 1, 2010)

Glaliraha said:


> Here are the eight most perfect pieces of music ever written:
> 
> Opeth - *To Bid You Farewell*
> 
> ...


I applaud you for suggesting the Handel aria _Lascia ch'Io Pianga_ as one of the most sublime pieces for you. Good taste. It is however, a billion light years over and above the other pieces of crap you posted, such as the Pink Floyd and Led Zeppelin. Handel should *never* be listed as equals to those modern day peasants.

So while I think you selected a few interesting pieces, you still have a long way to go to be considered a fine music connoisseur like the rest of us here.


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## Sid James (Feb 7, 2009)

I'm a bit "outdated," I can't remember hearing anything on the list other than Ravel's _Bolero_ & Liszt's _Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2 _(& who hasn't heard those, even non-classical folks?). But I think it's ok to like both rock & classical, maybe they can't be "strictly" compared, but who cares? If you enjoy the music, that is what counts. In any case, I wouldn't call myself a connoisseur, I am just someone who is passionate about certain types of music, especially classical & jazz.


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## Weston (Jul 11, 2008)

KaerbEmEvig said:


> PS I know nobody (or close to nobody) cares, I'm simply passing time until the migraine headache wears off.


That Opeth cover of Bridge of Sighs is very faithful to the original. It's a nice homage. Maybe you can almost imagine the chill going up the spines of a bunch of glassy eyed college students in the mid 70's hearing this song for the first time in a small echoing dorm room, black light posters on the walls, the air thick with the smell of incense and other smoldering materials.

It's hard to beat the sincerity of the original with Jimmy Dewar's awesome blues vocals and Trower's hallmark guitar tone using the same basic set up of a Fender Strat through Marshall amps that Hendrix used.


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## Rasa (Apr 23, 2009)

Yo Opeth, I'm really happy for you, I'mma let you finish but Hello by Lionel Richie is one of the best songs of all time. One of the BEST songs of all time!


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## Chi_townPhilly (Apr 21, 2007)

Well... I like "Kashmir," and (heaven help me) I like "Bolero."
[Maybe I'm not a 'fine-music-connoisseur,' either.]

If I were to list my version of 8 perfect pieces of music, I would make a list that's all classical pieces, and wouldn't belong in this thread. So- I'll try a "reclam project" and list 8 non-classical pieces, and impose a little categorical restraint. My list would have to include:

something from the world of Rock & Roll-
something from the world of Jazz-
something from the world of Popular Standards (and _not_ just limited to English-language)
something from the Hymnal
something from the world of Show Tunes, and 
something from the world of Film Music.

Okay- first... gee- maybe *"Blackbird"* from the Beatles' White Album.
Next- Scott Joplin's *"Elite Syncopations"* (with an honorable mention to the Dave Brubeck Quartet's _"Take Five."_)
Now-- a) DiCapua's *"Maria,Mari"* from the "Canzone" repertoire
b) *"La Vie en Rose"* as sung by Piaf, and (probably being predictable now)
c) Jobim's *"Gârota de Ipanema."*
(Honorable mention to _"I've Got You Under My Skin,"_ by Sinatra In His Prime.)
Never heard anything in Church Service that moved me quite as much as *"The Palms"* by Coleridge-Taylor.
All right, one of the 'Original & Best' show-tunes... *"Old Man River"* from Showboat.
And finally- Morricone's *"L'Estasi Dell'Oro"* from The Good, the Bad, & the Ugly."


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## Guest (May 3, 2010)

Chi_townPhilly said:


> Next- Scott Joplin's *"Elite Syncopations"* (*with an honorable mention to the Dave Brubeck Quartet's "Take Five.")*


Ah yes, what a wonderful piece. Brubeck gets top marks in my book, along with Davis' modal jazz period (Kind of Blue).


Chi_townPhilly said:


> And finally- Morricone's *"L'Estasi Dell'Oro"* from The Good, the Bad, & the Ugly."


I would pick Morricone as well, but my pick would go for "Gabriel's Flute" from The Mission. Haunting piece that stuck in my head the first time I ever heard it. That entire soundtrack is wonderful.


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## starry (Jun 2, 2009)

Well popular standards and showtunes can be pretty much the same thing. Girl from Ipanema isn't one of my favourite Jobim songs even if it's probably his most famous. It's catchy but annoyingly so for me, maybe it's the repeating main motif or repeating notes in the melody.


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## Glaliraha (May 2, 2010)

I'd like to add three piece of music to the original eight:

Ludwig van Beethoven - *Adelaïde*





Jean Sibelius - *Valse Triste*





Michael Andrews feat. Gary Jules - *Mad World*


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## Air (Jul 19, 2008)

In terms of Classical Music, I wonder at how your view of "perfection" fails to include composers like Bach and Mozart, who wrote some works that are just about as "perfect" as you can get. (I mean, Liszt? Glass? _Bolero_? _Valse Triste_?)

If Bolero and Glass are perfect, then 4'33" must be the epitome of perfection.


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## Earthling (May 21, 2010)

And who is this Bach fellow anyway? What a loser.


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## Josef Anton Bruckner (Mar 22, 2010)

HarpsichordConcerto said:


> I applaud you for suggesting the Handel aria _Lascia ch'Io Pianga_ as one of the most sublime pieces for you. Good taste. It is however, a billion light years over and above the other pieces of crap you posted, such as the Pink Floyd and Led Zeppelin. Handel should *never* be listed as equals to those modern day peasants.


Well Said.

As for the Bolero as one of the only "classical" pieces on the list....how? I don't understand people's fascination with it.


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## Lukecash12 (Sep 21, 2009)

Try my channel. Your head will be spinning with too many pieces to put your finger on 8 "perfect" pieces:

http://www.youtube.com/user/Lukecash12

However: To me Brassin's transcription of Wagner's Magic Fire Music is perfect.


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## Glaliraha (May 2, 2010)

Air said:


> In terms of Classical Music,


I'm not speaking in terms of Classical Music, though. I'm considering all music from all periods, and not based on compositional techniques, but how the music affects me.


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## Air (Jul 19, 2008)

Glaliraha said:


> I'm not speaking in terms of Classical Music, though. I'm considering all music from all periods, and not based on compositional techniques, but how the music affects me.


Well, I wonder then at how Bolero _affects_ you.


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## Glaliraha (May 2, 2010)

Why shouldn't Bolero affect me?


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## Sid James (Feb 7, 2009)

Ditch Handel, Liszt & Ravel - Lady Gaga should be on that list!


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## Glaliraha (May 2, 2010)

Andre said:


> Ditch Handel, Liszt & Ravel - Lady Gaga should be on that list!


No, she shouldn't.


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## Earthling (May 21, 2010)

Total absolute perfection:






_Warning: do not watch while drinking or eating!_ LOL


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## EddieRUKiddingVarese (Jan 8, 2013)

Weston said:


> Cage's 4' 33' is the most perfect piece ever written. It's always different, yet always the same length.


How true this is


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

Sid James said:


> Ditch Handel, Liszt & Ravel - Lady Gaga should be on that list!





Glaliraha said:


> No, she shouldn't.


I agree sooooooooooooooooo 2015


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## The Deacon (Jan 14, 2018)

NICK DRAKE - northern sky


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## starthrower (Dec 11, 2010)

I'll get back with an answer after I've listened to every piece of music ever written. And after all can agree on the definition of a "perfect piece of music." And after I earn my PhD in music composition so my opinion can be taken seriously by all internet forum addicts.


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