The Death Bed Game

The Death Bed Game is easy to play, but should only be played by those who appreciate music. Our time here on earth is limited, and when that final day comes and you are about to sign off, what piece of music would you request as a last meal, so to speak?

There are no wrong answers, but extra points go to those who can justify their choice.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PRhKvuh2Lss

I just cannot think of anything more beautiful than this, the sans vibrato, the suspensions in the strings, and mostly, MOSTLY, the vocal who seems to take an eternity to finish her lines. I would go peacefully into the night.

I can't imagine the silly circumstances by which I'll die, but, however it happens, there are two songs which, given the choice, I'd ask for. The first I'd pick because it appeals so easily and simply and warmingly to my ears: it's music I can fall asleep to and enjoy sleepfulness with like no other I've heard. The second, for sentimental reasons I rarely care to think about, though I imagine they'd be well made in dying.

• Brahms's Gesänge, Op 17
• Sigur Rós's Ágætis Byrjun

Mahler 2, Mov. 5, starting at the Choral.

I like Stirling's Sigur Ros suggestion, but honestly, I would go out to their "Varuo". http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gf1h2PMPCAo

I could probably go quietly with this one:  http://youtu.be/k35haKwqY14 but there's just too much good music for anybody to go dying.  One more, just one more...  

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_oDKZqigM10

Only because my sister and I agreed that whenever one of us dies, we'll sing this song to each other to ease the passing.

"I Will Survive"

The Funeral March from Beethoven's Third. Such power and beauty. One of the greatest works ever written. 

That or, as Tokkemon said earlier, Mahler's 2nd Symphony. The chorale is simply divine. 

The two greatest composers in history, as far as I'm concerned.

The Funeral March from Beethoven's Third. Such power and beauty. One of the greatest works ever written. 

That or, as Tokkemon said earlier, Mahler's 2nd Symphony. The chorale is simply divine. 

The two greatest composers in history, as far as I'm concerned.

They were talking about the Kennedy assassination on the news, since it was 50 years ago.  They played a recording of it being announced at a Boston Symphony Orchestra concert.  The conductor announces that the president has been shot and is believed to be dead.  The audience gasps.  He announces that the orchestra will change the afternoon's program, and will now be playing Beethoven's Funeral March.  Much bigger gasp.  Now everyone really believes that the president has been assassinated.  

I know what y'all mean about Mr. B. Stravinsky is my all time favorite composer. But maybe that's because I've studied his work more than any other. Or maybe I just like Russian music! There is a line in the film "Russian Ark" where the main character, who is Russian,  remarks that ALL composers are German, regardless, which he never explains. But I was listening to the Adagio in the 9th Symphony recently and it's clear that even Stravinsky could not have written that work.

Any Mahler work (especially the 9th and Das Lied).

Runners up: Im Abendrot from R. Strauss's 4 Last Songs, Finale of Tchaikovsky 6th, and Liebestod from Wagner's Tristan und Isolde