1 hour of the greatest classical tearjerkers

A great tragedy works on multiple levels: even as it breaks our hearts, it exalts us by reminding us of the singular preciousness of our lives and those we hold dear. This extraordinary power of catharsis, drawing life-affirming beauty out of despair, can be found in all the pieces featured in our hour-long compilation of musical tearjerkers, ranging from cries of mortal anguish (Schubert's Death and the Maiden Quartet, Barber's Adagio for Strings, the Lacrimosa from Mozart's Requiem) to laments for lost or impossible love ("Un bel dì, vedremo" from Puccini's Madama Butterfly, "Somewhere" from Bernstein's West Side Story) and yearning cris de cœur whose emotional heft disproves the overly simplistic notion that a major key must signal frivolity or happiness (Elgar's "Nimrod," the slow movement of Ravel's Concerto in G, the Largo from Dvořák's "New World" Symphony). Grab a box of tissues and let the music wash over you…