Favorite Musical Moments

I think we all have a few song that do this. You listen to the entire piece, but everything feels like a setup for a supremely awesome chord, or a particularly beautiful melody. So what are your favorites?

A few of mine:

• Joe Hisaishi – Journey to the West – Full statement of the "Mononoke-hime" motif
• Eric Whitacre – When David Heard – "Would God I had died for thee!"
• Claude-Michel Schönberg – Finale from "Les Miserables" – "Take my Hand..."
• Roger Ames – Choral Reflection on Amazing Grace – "Alleluia!"
• Ola Gjeilo – Sanctus – The final entrance of the "Hosanna" motif
• Jennifer Higdon – Gentle Waltz – The final statement of the descending motif
• Samuel Barber – Adagio for Strings – The high note

Samuel Barber – Adagio for Strings – The high note

I'd say I like "the low note" in that piece more. That is, right before the climax, the violas drop down to a low forte Db, below the cellos. As a violist, that is one of the nicest notes I've ever played :)

A few more:

-Mahler: Das Lied von der Erde-5. Der Trunkene im Fruehling, the last cadenza before the final restatement of the theme.

-Bartok: Concerto for Orchestra, fifth movement, the brass fanfare over busy 16ths in the strings, about in the middle of the movement.

-Rachmaninoff: Symphonic Dances no. 1, the saxophone solo

-Beethoven: Symphony no. 8 in F, final movement: the odd C# in the exposition, which resolves to F# in the coda

-Stravinsky: Le Sacre du Printemps, the 3 chords in the climax of Rondes Printanieres. Sums up the entire piece for me.