Barber's devastating Adagio for Strings

If I had to make a list of the most beautiful and most devastating works of classical music, the top spot might go to Samuel Barber's Adagio for Strings — a singularly haunting piece that has been played at funerals and memorials for the likes of John F. Kennedy, Albert Einstein, and Grace Kelly.

A million words could be written about the Adagio without ever quite capturing what makes it so special and so powerful. Rather than try in vain, I'll leave it to Sir Simon Rattle and the Berliner Philharmoniker, whose performance cuts straight to the heart — part of a memorable New Year's concert dedicated to the greatest American music.