Looking for some particularly poignant lieder, arias, etc...

[Kleinigkeiten]

The subject of my post says it all, I think, or almost I am indeed looking for some of the most poignant and heart-rending lieder, arias, duets, etc, (vocal works only, though). Being a pianist, I'm afraid I'm not as knowledgeable when it comes to vocal repertoire as I'd like to be.
I've already got a little few such as Donizetti's 'Il dolce suono', Mahler's 'In diesem Wetter' from his Kindertotenlieder and Händel's 'Lascia ch'io pianga'. Any other suggestions would be much appreciated!

Cheers!

[jossuk]

For the German repertoire, Schubert and Schumann would be a good place to start. Brahms too, and Richard Strauss, Hugo Wolf.

[reiner torheit]

If you aren't afraid of technically challenging material as a pianist (!), then Medtner's Russian romances are superb material - a true duet between the pianist and the singer.

"Telega Zhizn'" ('The Chariot Of Life') and "Zimny Vecher'" ("A Winter Evening") are two of the famous showpiece songs.

Here's "Zimny Vecher". You have to watch the dynamic markings... those rapid arpeggios are supposed to be light snowflakes falling - not an arctic blizzard!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WcgQGV4Oujs

[Joseph Noelliste]

Here's a suggestion from the French melodie side of things...
"Pleurs D'Or" by Faure - a duet for mezzo and baritone. The demands on the pianist are minimal, but the harmonic scheme is simply divine! Hope you like it

Score:
http://erato.uvt.nl/files/imglnks/usimg ... piano_.pdf
Translation:
http://www.recmusic.org/lieder/get_text ... xtId=14299

Joseph Noelliste
Solo Pianist and Composer
www.jnoelliste.com
jnoelliste@gmail.com
www.facebook.com/jnoelliste